I_am_Rambi - Slashdot User

Comment Author draws a false dichotomy (Score 1) 406

by I_am_Rambi on Thursday December 05, 2013 @02:16PM (#45610147) Attached to: Why Engineers Must Consider the Ethical Implications of Their Work

"When doctors or nurses use their knowledge of anatomy in order to torture or conduct medical experiments on helpless subjects, we are rightly outraged. Why doesn't society seem to apply the same standards to engineers?" If the doctor uses their knowledge of anatomy to conduct medical experiments, do we blame the person that created the tool, the tool, or do we blame the doctor? When someone uses a weapon to kill someone, do we blame the person that created the weapon, the weapon, or the person using the weapon. Too often we will blame the doctor if they did something wrong, in modern day history if someone did something wrong it is not their fault. Its the weapon, the parents, etc. Engineers are tasked with creating an item (be it a weapon, or a car) to be safe as possible to the user. They have no moral obligation to prevent it from being used incorrectly.

Comment Re:Depends on your criteria (Score 1) 1174

by I_am_Rambi on Wednesday November 04, 2009 @03:33PM (#29983748) Attached to: Plug vs. Plug — Which Nation's Socket Is Best?

The best plug is a Speakon connector. You twist to make the connection, it locks in place. If modified (for a ground pin) you could easily have the ground connect first in any plug. With the design, its hard to have any key or item go into the either plug. Now only if they could be used for power instead of just for audio/video.

Bookmark 10 Biggest Tech Failures of the Last Decade (time.com)

by I_am_Rambi on Friday May 15, 2009 @09:18AM

Comment Cat6 (Score 4, Informative) 524

by I_am_Rambi on Tuesday April 21, 2009 @04:36PM (#27666417) Attached to: Should Network Cables Be Replaced?

Just like any cable, cables will break. So, yes, they do get old.

Also, there is cat6 cables out with better specs and can handle at least up 10gb/sec.

Comment Accident-proof or Accident-resistant? (Score 2, Insightful) 743

by I_am_Rambi on Friday January 02, 2009 @12:46PM (#26300723) Attached to: Volvo Introduces a Collision-Proof Car

Have Volvo engineers ever driven in ice and snow? If they haven't then they know that no vehicle is accident-proof. Accident-resistant maybe, but not accident-proof.

Accident-proof == No matter what conditions you drive in, and no matter how you drive, you will not get into an accident.

Accident-resistant == Depending on the conditions and driving patterns, there are extra features to help prevent an accident.

If this car is accident proof, then I would expect to go 70 mph down an icy road and expect to stop in the same about of time that I expect to stop in excellent conditions without hitting the stopped car in front of me or going into the ditch.

Submission + - U.of Oregon Says No to RIAA; ID no good

Submitted by

NewYorkCountryLawyer

on Thursday November 01, 2007 @06:12PM

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "The University of Oregon has filed a motion to quash the RIAA's subpoena for information on student identities, in what is believed to be the first such motion made by the university itself, rather than by the students, and the first instance of a State Attorney General bringing a motion to quash an RIAA subpoena. The motion (pdf) explains that it is impossible to identify the alleged infringers from the information the RIAA has presented: "Five of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from double occupancy dorm rooms at the University. With regard to these Does, the University is able to identify only the room where the content was accessed and whether or not the computer used was a Macintosh or a PC.... The University cannot determine whether the content in question accessed by one occupant as opposed to another, or whether it was accessed instead by a visitor. Two of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from single occupancy dorm rooms....No login or personally identifiable information, i.e. authentication, was used by the Does to access the university's network because none is required. The University cannot determine whether the content was accessed by the room occupant or visitor. Nine of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from the University's wireless network or a similar system called the "HDSL Circuit." These systems do record a user name associated with the access. For these John Does, the University can determine the identity of the individual who bas been assigned the user name, however, it is unable to determine whether the content was accessed by the individual assigned that user name or by someone else using the computer associated with the user name. In the case of sixteen of the seventeen John Does, .... it is not possible for the University to identify the alleged infringers without conducting interviews and a forensic investigation of the computers likely involved." The AG's motion further argues (pdf) that "Plaintiffs' subpoena is unduly burdensome and overbroad. It seeks information that the University does not readily possess. In order to attempt to comply with the subpoena, the University would be forced to undertake an investigation to create discovery for Plaintiffs — an obligation not imposed by Rule 45. As the University is unable to identify the alleged infringers with any accuracy, it cannot comply with its federal obligation to notify students potentially affected by the subpoena." One commentator has likened the AG's argument to saying, in effect, that the RIAA's evidence is "rubbish"."

Slashdot Top Deals