According to 18.37.3 and 4, microorganisms cannot be excluded from patentability. I assume this is to allow patenting of things like probiotics. However, all humans rely their skin, mouth, and gut floras to be healthy. If the bacteria and yeast in that flora can't be excluded from patentability, are they considered not a part of the human animal? I understand that probiotics should be protected, but I wonder if someone could take advantage of this and claim patent on any naturally occurring microorganism by just isolating it and showing that it has some use.
Something else not specified in this section are viruses. Viruses are not strictly microorganisms, and no mention is made of them, but yet they can be manufactured and used for treatments- recently even for cancer:
If viruses could be excluded from patentability since they aren't mentioned, then any research or manufacturing done would not be patentable, and therefore some companies may hesitate to invest too heavily in research.
Emacs is still my favorite text editor when in a terminal window, which is most of the time. Maybe one day I'll really embrace vim also, but it's always been a struggle.
I couldn't guess what energy producing and distribution technologies will be most prevalent in 100 years.
Advancements could just as easily be made relating to fission reactors, so I don't think it's fair to say that large power companies shouldn't invest in more reactors. But, I agree there is probably risk in investing in them.
So you're saying that no nuclear plants are going to be built because of the threat of renewable energy sources becoming cheaper or perhaps other tech like fusion?:
So, when it states, "Argon2
is optimized for the x86 architecture and exploits the cache and memory organization of the recent Intel and
AMD processors," and "We recommend Argon2 for the applications that aim for high performance. Both versions of Argon2 allow to fill 1 GB of RAM in a fraction of second, and smaller amounts even faster," that does not indicate that Argon2 might not be the best choice for something like a RPi A+? Because that confused me. It really seemed like something that assumes better hardware to be a good choice.
> it's to do so given the resources the defender has available to allocate.
That's my point exactly.
For any popular currently-sold piece given hardware, it would be nice to know which algorithm should be used rather than to just say, "This is better. Use this which requires better hardware."
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate all of the work, but there are people that run on hardware that isn't as capable, so I think making blanket statements about what's best may not be the right idea. Qualify it at least.
Following that, wouldn't the best idea be to increase the requirements such that you need something ridiculously intense to compute it, like a Tianhe-2? Something that requires more intense hardware may be the best algorithm, but at some point you need something practical.
If all other methods are insecure, then you wouldn't want to encourage those and would want to warn others. But, is it really that much more secure than the others?
Instead of just recommending one across the board, I wish they'd be specific about the requirements required for it to be considered the best choice. For example, is it the best choice for computing a hash on a RPi A+ that has a max of 256MB memory?
Also, the benchmark it includes only benchmarks Argon2. Would be nice to have a benchmark that compares it to a variety of commonly-used hashing algorithms that could be run on lower-end systems along with a way to report them, then those reports could be collected and published.
I also worry when I read something that sounds like whitepaper-speak in something trying to pass itself off as a scientific paper:
"Our solution We offer a hashing scheme called Argon2. Argon2 summarizes the state of the art in the design
of memory-hard functions. It is a streamlined and simple design. It aims at the highest memory filling rate
and effective use of multiple computing units, while still providing defense against tradeoff attacks. Argon2
is optimized for the x86 architecture and exploits the cache and memory organization of the recent Intel and
AMD processors."
He also tends not to view websites like HN, GitHub, etc., at least as of a few years ago. I'm not sure if it is because he is still in text mode all the time, because he disagrees with using sites that might somehow involve something that isn't free source, or because he just delegates to others the task of surfing the web and getting information for him. He definitely spends a lot of time emailing though.
I admire him a lot. From some discussion with him and what I've read, I have the feeling that he is in a constant battle with much of the world to try to get them to free all software. I really can't say for certain whether he is really going too far, but his dedication and courage go far beyond what most people are capable of. Even if you disagree with him, it's difficult not to admire him for that.
I looked for example projects in Ceylon with step-by-step info on how to setup/deploy:
* Hello World web application
* Simple online store implementation (authN, database access via ORM layer, logging)
* Todo MVC implementation
* RESTful/XML/SOAP web services
* RESTful/XML/SOAP clients
* Examples for writing AngularJS and React front-ends with Ceylon back-end services, with info on how to host such as to minimize and cache assets and server-side query caching and either side-loading or multi-table joined/extended data structures, updating and reading/accessing those data structures partially.
* Examples for easily timestamping and userstamping models
* Examples for using testing frameworks: unit, integration, (web) acceptance
Also, I'd want to see benchmarks. Show me how much it is "like" performance of equivalent Java, Dart, and JS as is claimed by comparing to maybe a Play Framework app, the Dart example client-server https://www.dartlang.org/server/google-cloud-platform/app-en... , and a simple MEAN stack and/or full-stack example using ReactJS.
In addition to those examples, I'd want to see a larger community behind it with a variety of projects, e.g. specialized ORM, larger web app/services framework, simple web app/service framework each that have their own communities using it.
I think it is cool, but I don't think it is even in the same ballpark with solutions/combinations like Play+Scala, MEAN, Rails, Elixir+Phoenix, etc. for wide application in web/services.
I used to regret not putting cat5 in, but now that it would have been considered old, and I'm pretty sure messing with conduits to replace those cables would have been a pain and I would use wifi anyway, I think the main things are:
1. Plan on a spot for wifi and cable modem.
2. Assume that single wire to your cable modem will need to be replaced, so don't make it too hard to get to, but I'm not sure if I'd bother with a conduit. It's possible that even the main net connection will be wireless one day, but for now it's cable, satellite, DSL, or Google Fiber, typically.
3. Large conduit for what they call "low voltage wiring" (HDMI, etc.) to where you always want your T.V. may be a good idea, but wireless video being normal is not far off.
4. Wireless power is not happening anytime soon, so be sure that you have outlets everywhere you'd need them, including in the ceiling if you think you'll need a bridge or repeater. Note that repeaters kind of suck, so hopefully you can just get by with one or more wifi routers instead. If you can't then that is the one (or so) cat6e cables you'd need to run, because POE isn't a great fallback.
The non-networking stuff to think about:
* Putting holes in a countertop for wires if you want to hide outlets. Only recommend that for places where the outlet is easily accessible, otherwise the wire going into the outlet would get in the way of storage space or cause fires.
* Insulation! Get the best you can, imo. Most builders skimp, but you'll regret it. Insulate all doors, etc. to storage space. Might not want to fill electrical boxes with foam unless you really need it, since that can be a mess.
* Get a nice garage door opener and consider insulating garage door.
* Go ahead and get a recommended gutter helmet for your gutters and put in nice siding and roofing.
* Be careful with ceiling fans. If the blades have a weak point in the connection with the blade like a centimeter of brass or similar, that will shear eventually.
* Don't skimp on ventilation, HVAC/furnace.
* Go ahead and put decent windows in if you can afford it. Otherwise they'll get stuck and you'll not use them.
* Plan on cheap carpet rolling up and needing to be retightened, or buy good stuff.
* Go ahead and put in decent countertops and tile backsplash in kitchen. You will eventually if you don't do it now. Put in undercabinet lighting and dimmers for those and most other lighting in kitchen and common areas.
* Plan a "mud area" in some area of the home and place for kids or you to put stuff and hang it as you come in.
* Even if you like natural wood, consider getting the hardier stuff for decks, etc. or stain and treat. Same with hardwoods- use more gloss than you might want.
* Dark hardwoods and counters hide dirt. With dark you get more cockroaches, with light you get more work.
Plenty of other things, but those are just the main ones.
It is tough to decide whether or not to call out someone when they blatantly steal your code.
On one hand, you want to take the high road and not have to squeal. But on the other hand, if you don't speak up, that person will just keep on stealing from others, in theory.
Personally, I think the best thing to do is to call them out in a public but quiet way that doesn't make it sound like you are offended, e.g. posting a link to your work in the comments with a "Glad you could use my code: (link)". That way they know that you know that they did it, and that anyone who looks at the comments will see but maybe not make the connection that they stole it. This way you get the point across without having to publicly beat them over the head with it.
> so long as it does not impede on the rights of others
This is really the crux of the problem. How do you suggest that you legalize all drugs and then keep people on those drugs from harming others? Public safety has a hard enough time without having to deal with some unknown number of additional people that would try drugs are harm themselves or others if those drugs were legal.
I said the school had to meet the standards of the university. If the school is extremely difficult and the top 5% of the class doesn't have the same GPA as someone from another school that is less stringent but still meets the standards of the university, then students from the top 5% GPA of both schools would be able to apply.
And what is wrong about providing incentive for the best students to get into schools that are not performing quite as well but are still certified by the university as being adequate? It is much better for top performing students to spread out and raise the bar.
It is far from a race to the bottom. It's about bringing up the bottom.
How and why should we not be relying on our local schools for education?
If a student can get into the top 5% of their class by GPA, and if the university believes that school is capable of providing the standards required to judge which students make up the top 5%, how does that not help choose the most elite students from each school while giving the school the flexibility to determine how and what they can teach, as long as it meets the university's standards?
If a school doesn't have the resources to teach the students effectively, why do we even send our kids to that school? Saying "because we have to" is a cop out. The school needs to be fixed or realized for what it is- a school that is ineffective at teaching at an elite level.
In the county I live in, if another school provides resources you cannot get at your assigned school, you may be able to get into that other school. So there are options for some, depending on where you live.
But more importantly, poorly performing schools need to be identified and fixed. If they can't be, then it needs to be obvious that they are not able to prepare students for elite education.
It is not right for only those from wealthy families to be the only ones that can be adequately prepared, because they can go to prep schools and train for and retake standardized tests.
Right now there are prep schools that send more than the top 5% of their students to Ivy League schools.
I'm suggesting that you have to be within the top 5% class GPA to get in. So, some students may actually have a lower GPA, but still have a chance to get in, because they were in the top 5% of their class.
I'm also saying that students don't have to have the resources to take SAT prep courses, because they would only have to do well at their own schools.
If the public or private school was not accredited for possible acceptance into an Ivy League school, parents should know that and be able to do something about it, and so should the state or county.
Other than that, all looks good!