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Comment: Re:Hang sNOwden (Score 1) 284

by Concerned Onlooker (#46492709) Attached to: Snowden A Hero? Gates Says No, Woz Says Yes

"He puts an entire nation in jeopardy."

Actually, he put an entire nation on the alert to very real abuses by our government.

I've heard the NSA complain that a journalist is not qualified to determine what is and what is not too sensitive for publication. However, I would like to submit that the NSA and like institutions are not qualified to determine what is in the best interests of a democracy.

Comment: Re:open source it (Score 4, Insightful) 184

by Concerned Onlooker (#46471019) Attached to: Mars Rover Opportunity Faces New Threat: Budget Ax

I realize it probably sounds like a good idea, but screening and training volunteers is likely to be even more expensive than keeping the minimal crew they have operating the rover now.

Ditto on the API and "simple prototyping program," although I'm not even sure what that second thing even it supposed to be. Just writing the software would be expensive, not to mention you now have to have NASA people reviewing what comes in.

Driving rovers probably sounds a lot easier than it is. Commands are strung together in sequences. Sequences have to be checked to make sure they don't have conflicting commands. Instruments have to be taken into account; it's not just driving around that is being done.

And then there is the intense analysis and investigation that has to be done if something goes wrong. Reports have to be written explaining everything down to the bit level.

On top of that there is planning to be done to even decide where to drive, which involves a whole lot of people.

There is not only no money to be saved by handing operations over to "the community," there is also the probability that if you did the rover would be ruined within a few days.

Comment: Re:Troll (Score 1) 451

by Concerned Onlooker (#46436359) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: How Do I Change Tech Careers At 30?

Then I assume since you grew up surrounded by cars you have managed to become an adept mechanic?

Or since you've been surrounded by books from an early age you have become a proficient writer? (hint: the answer here is 'no' based on your grammar and spelling).

Or any number of other examples of things you were surrounded by since birth but might not have become expert at.

Comment: Re:Wouldn't work (Score 5, Insightful) 313

"My teenage brain wasn't wired for going home and learning things I spent all day learning."

No teenage brain is. That is why parents also have to instill a reasonable work ethic and show them algorithms for reaching goals. If we all just passed stuff off that we weren't naturally good at as not being worth it we would be inadequately prepared for life.

I was not and am not naturally inclined towards math, but in my adulthood I went back to school, spent hours a day at it and had tutors and I finally got through basic calculus and even a little linear algebra. It was hard. And it was worth it.
