5261

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: No big bang

« on: December 09, 2014, 01:32:20 PM »

Question:
Wouldn't the speed of light change based on gravity (Well, appear to change anyway), time dilation caused by said gravity, and the actual size change of the area it's traveling?

I should expand on the third a bit.  The universe is expanding.  This is pretty well established and it's well enough established to say that space itself is expanding.  However light would not expand with space so if the space light is passing through expands, wouldn't that cause the light to appear slower?

5262

Technology & Information / Re: wikipedia will take money from your dead relatives

« on: December 07, 2014, 06:22:38 PM »

Do you honestly expect me to sit down and read a 49 page .pdf document to find this information?

Yes.

I don't even understand what half of this means. What products? What Programs? What does General mean? Why do they need 3mil to fund begging ("fundraising")? What does governance mean?

That's why you should read all 49 pages.

How about you read it then type up a condensed version for me? This way I can focus on more important things while you do something relatively menial and ultimately pointless because I will probably not read it. Wikimedia is obligated to answer my questions via email, of which I have now sent 2. The second one is asking what "general" means in their cost breakdown. But, surprise surprise, they have still not responded to my inquires.

Did you give them a week to respond?

No. I sent the email a few days ago. If it takes them a week to respond to a simple question, then maybe I should demand a refund of my $10 that I donated a few years ago.

Is that something that I can do? Get a refund on a donation? Or is that frowned upon?

Considering how many e-mails they likely get and how many volunteers work for them, I'd say a week is not unreasonable.

5263

Technology & Information / Re: wikipedia will take money from your dead relatives

« on: December 07, 2014, 04:09:48 PM »

Do you honestly expect me to sit down and read a 49 page .pdf document to find this information?

Yes.

I don't even understand what half of this means. What products? What Programs? What does General mean? Why do they need 3mil to fund begging ("fundraising")? What does governance mean?

That's why you should read all 49 pages.

How about you read it then type up a condensed version for me? This way I can focus on more important things while you do something relatively menial and ultimately pointless because I will probably not read it. Wikimedia is obligated to answer my questions via email, of which I have now sent 2. The second one is asking what "general" means in their cost breakdown. But, surprise surprise, they have still not responded to my inquires.

Did you give them a week to respond?

5264

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Stargate

« on: December 06, 2014, 04:07:19 PM »

Stargate went down hill once Richard Dean Anderson stopped being a main character.

5265

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: December 04, 2014, 01:08:19 AM »

The opening crawl details the ongoing turmoil in the galaxy. How the fall of the Emperor left a void of power, and how the heroes of Endor went into seclusion or kept fighting.

Stopped reading here.  If they're actually retconning the end of the original trilogy, I'm not interested.  Fucking lazy hacks.

Not sure what you mean.  The end of the trilogy was a party on Endor.  Nothing was shown after that.  And if the Emporer dies, do you really think all the generals and storm troopers will just say "Ok, you win.  We give up."?

5266

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: December 03, 2014, 01:26:53 AM »

How would you vent heat in space then, if not by using vents?

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast21mar_1/

Radiation!  A vent would be useless. But a heat exchange?  Much better.

5267

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: December 02, 2014, 11:08:41 PM »

Do you think that things can't get hot in space?

I think venting heat in space requires more than a few vents.

5268

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: December 02, 2014, 10:44:54 PM »

This one is my favorite

That Y-wing is gonna get real hot real fast in space.

5269

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: November 29, 2014, 12:52:31 AM »

I don't think they're intended as hand guards.

The saber seemed faulty. Like this is a person who had no master and made a saber with no guidance. They look more like vents that help stabilize that chaotic energy.

Based on the design, I figure JJ said "I want a broadsword light saber" and that's what they gave him.  Because Broadswords are awesome or something.

What made the lightsaber so iconic is that is was already perfect. He took something perfect and fucked it all up.

You think all of the lightsabers in the movie are going to be like that? Lightsaber variants have existed for a long time. Actually, a crossguard variant has existed for a long time.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Crossguard_lightsaber

errr...

5270

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: November 28, 2014, 10:34:32 PM »

I don't think they're intended as hand guards.

The saber seemed faulty. Like this is a person who had no master and made a saber with no guidance. They look more like vents that help stabilize that chaotic energy.

Based on the design, I figure JJ said "I want a broadsword light saber" and that's what they gave him.  Because Broadswords are awesome or something.

5271

Technology & Information / Re: Windows 10 Technical Preview

« on: November 28, 2014, 06:27:26 PM »

Aside from locking users out from installing their own OS on a Microsoft device, what else have they done?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AARD_code

This is an early example, but still one of the best, thanks to the internal memos revealed as a result of the ensuing antitrust case. Microsoft haven't changed their modus operandi since then; a more recent example is their push for standardisation on their unnecessarily complicated OOXML document format, despite the existing (and much simpler) OpenDocument format which achieves the same goal. If any testament is needed to the complexity Microsoft are trying to force onto the rest of the world's developers, how about the fact that Microsoft's own office suite didn't support it fully until more than four years after it was adopted as a standard?

Point taken.

5272

Arts & Entertainment / Re: Star Wars: Episode VII (cast list released!)

« on: November 28, 2014, 06:18:46 PM »

I agree, the laser hand guards are a horrible idea.  Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't hand guards designed so that when two blades cross, the enemy can't just slide theirs down your blade and cut your hand?  As far as I see, Lightsabers don't have that problem as sliding doesn't really occur.

The lightsaber is a weapon of finesse.  It's extremely light weight allows you to swing it around very quickly and very close to your body.  Adding lasers sticking out the side gives you less options on how you swing it.  And I get the impression that they're going to throw the "I swing it like a broadsword" which is really stupid for a light saber.

But I shall reserve full judgement for until I see it in action.

5273

Technology & Information / Re: Windows 10 Technical Preview

« on: November 28, 2014, 03:23:33 PM »

They do?  I just thought that Microsoft optimized DirectX for windows and that developers chose it to reach the largest market rather than trying to do two graphics platforms and increasing their development time significantly.  And as developers started using DirectX exclusively, graphics card venders did similar by not putting in as much effort into OpenGL drivers.  As seen by the Valve "Get those OpenGL drivers awesome or else" push they had last year.

OpenGL exists on literally the entire market, therefore if you want to reach the entire market you'd use OpenGL. Devs get paid to use DirectX.

Not evidence, per se, but a good story none the less:
http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/60544/why-do-game-developers-prefer-windows

5274

Technology & Information / Re: Windows 10 Technical Preview

« on: November 28, 2014, 02:29:48 PM »

And?  It's not like they said "Oh yeah, you totally have to use this or you'll be banned from Microsoft."  OpenGL, as far as I know, has always worked in Windows.  If developers chose what they felt was the better platform, we can only complain with our wallets.  Which we don't do.

Except that they pay devs to optimize only for DirectX, Parsifal was pointing out that Microsoft isn't trying to make themselves better, they lock out the competition using other means. If you use OpenGL exclusively, you are effectively "banned from Microsoft." Good luck playing any mainstream game.

They do?  I just thought that Microsoft optimized DirectX for windows and that developers chose it to reach the largest market rather than trying to do two graphics platforms and increasing their development time significantly.  And as developers started using DirectX exclusively, graphics card venders did similar by not putting in as much effort into OpenGL drivers.  As seen by the Valve "Get those OpenGL drivers awesome or else" push they had last year.

5275

Technology & Information / Re: Windows 10 Technical Preview

« on: November 28, 2014, 01:39:17 PM »

Not sure I follow you.

Aside from locking users out from installing their own OS on a Microsoft device, what else have they done?

And?  It's not like they said "Oh yeah, you totally have to use this or you'll be banned from Microsoft."  OpenGL, as far as I know, has always worked in Windows.  If developers chose what they felt was the better platform, we can only complain with our wallets.  Which we don't do.

5276

Technology & Information / Re: Windows 10 Technical Preview

« on: November 28, 2014, 01:26:19 PM »

Not that I've used Windows phone or anything, but it's not like it's hard to outdo Android and iOS

Yeah, but this is Microsoft we're talking about. Faced with a decision between being better than the competition, and thinking up some creative way to lock users out of the competition's products, they'll always pick option B.

Not sure I follow you.

Aside from locking users out from installing their own OS on a Microsoft device, what else have they done?

5277

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: R.I.P. Ferguson

« on: November 27, 2014, 01:58:51 PM »

Do y'all think it's possible that white guys will shoot quickly when they find a black person because the area they're in has a lot of crime done by black people? 

I mean, you aren't a racist if you're in Iraq and shoot a kid who may have had a gun.  Why?  Because plenty of them do and will shoot you.  Just so happens that THAT one kid didn't.

Anyone got the statistics on white cops shooting ARMED black people ages 12-21?

5278

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Tamir Rice

« on: November 27, 2014, 02:16:13 AM »

For them to not point guns at a dead kid with a BB gun.

Pure speculation on my part, but here's a hypothetical explanation: To them, at the time, it's a kid with what might be a gun. They also can't know for sure if he's dead. What they can know is that he's down, and that he still has what may be a gun. If he's not dead, he might still reach for it and start shooting.

But once he drops you kick the gun away while your partner covers you.  At that point you see its a BB gun and go "oh shit".

5279

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Tamir Rice

« on: November 27, 2014, 02:09:58 AM »

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-shows-cleveland-cop-shoot-12-year-old-tamir-rice-n256656

Personally, I can't really see what's going on. It does look like he got shot basically the moment the cops arrived, which is strange to say the least.

I watched it but I'm... confused.  It looks like they kept the kid covered by their guns even after they shot him.

What did you expect? For them to speed off after shooting?

For them to not point guns at a dead kid with a BB gun.

5280

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Tamir Rice

« on: November 27, 2014, 01:33:58 AM »

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-shows-cleveland-cop-shoot-12-year-old-tamir-rice-n256656

Personally, I can't really see what's going on. It does look like he got shot basically the moment the cops arrived, which is strange to say the least.

I watched it but I'm... confused.  It looks like they kept the kid covered by their guns even after they shot him.