I may just load a Linux OS. I've used everything from PCs to DEC from PDP-11 all the way up to VAX mainframes, IBM 360s and Crays. This was all for various electromagnetic design problems. I can always figure out an OS. They are, after all, logically arranged. Just another command structure naming thing to memorize. I use Microsoft VISIO for mechanical design (got it under license a long time ago), but I use Open Office for the rest- WP, spreadsheets, etc.

People fear a loss of privacy. But I think in most cases, this is a case of "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters." I do not have a problem, for example, with targeted ads based on my browse history. I remember seeing tampon ads coming on during hockey games as a kid, and thinking, "Dude. . . really!?" No more of that.

Integration definitely leads to the possibility for a technological dictator: "Your doors will lock at 10:00pm. Be at home before then, or be prepared to pay a $1000 fine to the Arrestobots."

People don't like the loss of autonomy. But personally, I very much like the loss of autonomy of OTHERS. For example, if I'm driving on a highway with a speed limit of 100km/h, and some asshole wants to do 130, the IoT can just throttle him down. When teenage hooligans are throwing bottles in front of my house, I LIKE the idea of the Arrestobots coming to enforce curfew.

I like the idea that my house will monitor my food, and order things for me. Low on milk? It will be at the door in the morning. Birthday coming? My house will remember my daughter's favorite kind of cake, confirm that I want it, and order it for me.

I have programmed the new fridge to sound the sirens when "cake" leave the fridge between 10:pm and 7:00am!

The wife has no idea who is taking it! Maybe she sleep walks/eats?

(July 1, 2018 at 7:51 pm)bennyboy Wrote: People fear a loss of privacy.  But I think in most cases, this is a case of "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters."  I do not have a problem, for example, with targeted ads based on my browse history.  I remember seeing tampon ads coming on during hockey games as a kid, and thinking, "Dude. . . really!?"  No more of that.

Integration definitely leads to the possibility for a technological dictator: "Your doors will lock at 10:00pm.  Be at home before then, or be prepared to pay a $1000 fine to the Arrestobots."

People don't like the loss of autonomy.  But personally, I very much like the loss of autonomy of OTHERS.  For example, if I'm driving on a highway with a speed limit of 100km/h, and some asshole wants to do 130, the IoT can just throttle him down.  When teenage hooligans are throwing bottles in front of my house, I LIKE the idea of the Arrestobots coming to enforce curfew.

I like the idea that my house will monitor my food, and order things for me.  Low on milk?  It will be at the door in the morning.  Birthday coming?  My house will remember my daughter's favorite kind of cake, confirm that I want it, and order it for me

I don't think "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters." I think it's none of anybody's fucking business.
I think the things you point out make a person lazy, dependent, unwilling to take personal responsibility, and incompetent in day to day life.
Just remember you like the loss of autonomy for others and they fell the same way about yours.

(July 1, 2018 at 9:44 pm)oldpollock Wrote:

(July 1, 2018 at 7:51 pm)bennyboy Wrote: People fear a loss of privacy.  But I think in most cases, this is a case of "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters."  I do not have a problem, for example, with targeted ads based on my browse history.  I remember seeing tampon ads coming on during hockey games as a kid, and thinking, "Dude. . . really!?"  No more of that.

Integration definitely leads to the possibility for a technological dictator: "Your doors will lock at 10:00pm.  Be at home before then, or be prepared to pay a $1000 fine to the Arrestobots."

People don't like the loss of autonomy.  But personally, I very much like the loss of autonomy of OTHERS.  For example, if I'm driving on a highway with a speed limit of 100km/h, and some asshole wants to do 130, the IoT can just throttle him down.  When teenage hooligans are throwing bottles in front of my house, I LIKE the idea of the Arrestobots coming to enforce curfew.

I like the idea that my house will monitor my food, and order things for me.  Low on milk?  It will be at the door in the morning.  Birthday coming?  My house will remember my daughter's favorite kind of cake, confirm that I want it, and order it for me

I don't think "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters." I think it's none of anybody's fucking business. YUP
I think the things you point out make a person lazy, dependent, unwilling to take personal responsibility, and incompetent in day to day life. YUP
Just remember you like the loss of autonomy for others and they fell the same way about yours.

What did we do before computers became so ubiquitous in our lives? I still write out a shopping list when I go to the store. I know that my cell phone can do all that. But given how much my data gets out there already, I'm not willing to put my shopping list on my cell phone. In fact, I delete my sent and received messages after they have been dealt with. This whole business of people driving, walking, riding their bikes while yapping on the phone is ridiculous. I'm going to start taking my Blaster V (a rescue whistle that can be heard for 5 miles) with me when I go places, to alert the people who are walking head down looking at their phones and on a collision course with me.

No offense, BennyBoy!

(July 1, 2018 at 9:44 pm)oldpollock Wrote: I don't think "I'm a special snowflake, and my data matters." I think it's none of anybody's fucking business.
I think the things you point out make a person lazy, dependent, unwilling to take personal responsibility, and incompetent in day to day life.
Just remember you like the loss of autonomy for others and they fell the same way about yours.

Okay, let's talk about this. I suspect that by far the majority feel the same as you do, rather than as I do, but I think the majority are wrong.

It used to be that the majority were against having to wear a seat belt. They ignorantly stated things like "I don't trust the guv'mint. I want to be thrown clear."

Now, there is a distrust of automatic driving systems. Fair enough-- it's a new technology. But once the wrinkles are ironed out, a self-driving car will be a million times safer than a human-driven one.

Next, imagine all cars connected to the "mother ship." They will be relaying information among each other, automatically enforcing driving distances, suggesting alternative routes based on daily traffic, prioritizing lanes based on emergency vehicle usage and so on.

I suspect that Americans in particular will get an itchy trigger finger if they're told they will have to give up their driving autonomy in this way. But they are wrong.

I personally think things should go even further-- speed limits should be automatically enforced, with your car not ABLE to go faster than the speed limit under any circumstances. Or, if you consistently drive in unsafe ways, like riding someone's bumper, you should automatically get demerits, perhaps triggering required re-training sessions.

Again, people will fight tooth and nail to protect this valuable "data" from going into the system. Oh no! We don't want Big Brother watching us drive. Sure, I respect the idea of speed limits IN GENERAL, but I should be free to floor it if I, the free-willed human agent, decide it's best to do so. Right?

Wrong. I'm willing to give up a lot of autonomy if it means never having to pick my daughter's teeth out of the back of her skull, just because someone else decided they are a special enough snowflake to justify trying to run a red light. I'd by FAR prefer that person's car simply braked on their behalf-- fuck their freedom to choose, red means red.

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(July 1, 2018 at 10:54 pm)Fireball Wrote: What did we do before computers became so ubiquitous in our lives? I still write out a shopping list when I go to the store. I know that my cell phone can do all that. But given how much my data gets out there already, I'm not willing to put my shopping list on my cell phone. In fact, I delete my sent and received messages after they have been dealt with. This whole business of people driving, walking, riding their bikes while yapping on the phone is ridiculous. I'm going to start taking my Blaster V (a rescue whistle that can be heard for 5 miles) with me when I go places, to alert the people who are walking head down looking at their phones and on a collision course with me.

No offense, BennyBoy!

My philosophy is that you only need privacy if you have something to hide.

As for people walking and driving while using phones, that's a great example of why we SHOULD have an IoT. It would be great if parents could limit applications based on what their kids are doing-- for example, voice-only while walking or while within 10 yards of a street crossing. Cars should be able to disable cell phones-- once the car begins to move, the driver should not be able to operate the phone.

And no offense. I'm perfectly aware that calling freedom-fighters "special snowflakes" is going to get me flamed, sooner rather than later.

(July 2, 2018 at 1:47 pm)bennyboy Wrote: My philosophy is that you only need privacy if you have something to hide.

Yeah, I can't possibly imagine anything wrong with that philosophy.

(July 2, 2018 at 2:03 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote:

(July 2, 2018 at 1:47 pm)bennyboy Wrote: My philosophy is that you only need privacy if you have something to hide.

Yeah, I can't possibly imagine anything wrong with that philosophy.

I know it sounds strange.  But what's the Google overlord going to do with knowledge of what I eat for breakfast every day, or the name of my favorite movie?

I see humanity as in a transitional stage right now, between ape-men and AI cyborgs.  I'm not saying I fancy that future, but it's pretty apparent that technology will provide us with sufficient rewards in exchange for our liberties.  When we're a 20-billion-strong parallel processor, is it going to matter what our pee-pees look like, or what we jerked off to at age 13?

BB. Do you believe in the right to freedom?
Doesn't that include the freedom to respect ones privacy?

IoT?

Is that the guy whose wife turned to salt?