Re: SETI@home (history)
I wrote: IIRC, there was a story somewhere that the s...@home software included a bug (like a crippleware) that would make it run _much slower_ than it could run, because there was not enough data for the millions of computers that would process this data. I am confusing things? I couldn't find any reference for this. David Hobby wrote: Got me, but there was a problem at the start. The server kept send out the same data set over and over by mistake for a while. So a few day's worth of computing was wasted, until that was fixed. Ok, but I was not thinking/misremembering a bug. I was thinking about a malicious code. It's hard to see why they would cripple the program, though. It's not like there aren't enough other distributed computing projects around. (My office computer analyzes data looking for gravity waves, when I'm not using it.) IIRC, the reason for cripple the program was that the s...@home program was a huge success, they got _much more_ volunteers than they planned, and they didn't have enough data to feed all the volunteers unless they crippled the program. So they did it. John Williams wrote: I do not know if that is true, but if it is true, I would call it a feature, not a bug. If there is no useful SETI data for my computer to crunch, I'd rather have the CPU cycles available for something else. Or did you mean that it consumed CPU cycles doing something useless, like calculating digits of PI repeatedly? Yes, something like that. The original program was so fast - IIRC - that them(tm) projected that the s...@home program would soon finish. They didn't want that, they wanted major press coverage, a program that would last years (and not days), so they crippled the program. This is the scenario I remember. I think I read it right here, in this list. Or maybe I am confusing some X-Files episode with truth. Mendacem memorem esse oportet Alberto Monteiro ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries
Rob wrote: Insert GOATSE Here Maru Every time I think I've completely excised the sight of that picture from my mind forever, someone reminds me of it. Seriously, getting stealth linked to that was one of the less pleasant shocks of my life. Jim JESUS, WHAT IS THAT?! Maru ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Loan modifications (was Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries)
On 22/10/2010, at 2:39 AM, Nick Arnett wrote: There is no question that lenders have violated the law in many ways -- look at the foreclosure mess right now. The reason they have panicked and stopped foreclosures is because they realized that they took illegal shortcuts. Well, that and the fact that the on-selling of risk that led to the meltdown has led to situations where noone is sure who actually owns the security (ie the title) on many properties anymore... And yes, I've heard of enough cases in the States where foreclosures have been attempted, through ineptness or confusion, on properties that were not in arrears. It's a Big Giant Mess. Charlie. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Loan modifications (was Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries)
On 22/10/2010, at 9:07 AM, Nick Arnett wrote: And yes, by the way, we're having a tough time financially right now. I was laid off from LiveWorld a couple of years ago and I've been building up consulting and developing some new analytics tools, but it's hard. And we have a daughter who moved back in full-time and four grandkids with us half time. Dude, I hope it gets better for you. As someone who's been through somewhat ridiculous extremes through life (overprivileged education and childhood, depression and homelessness in early adulthood, and living in both hemispheres) I have an appreciation of the fear of losing one's home. Peace, man. C. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries
On 22/10/2010, at 1:41 PM, Rceeberger wrote: One at a time please. Xponent Insert GOATSE Here Maru Rob LOL!!! Rob, I've missed you. Charlie. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
RE: Loan modifications (was Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries)
I answered this in another post, but I'll explain a little bit differently here. I see the mortgage insurance as insurance against the borrower being UNABLE to pay back the money, not just choosing to default. Well you can see things however you wish, that is your prerogative. However, if you were in charge of deciding who gets what loan rates, that would be a very bad assumption to make. In a market economy, different borrowers can obtain different loan rates from lending institutions for one reason: they have different risks of defaulting on the loan, being late, or otherwise costing the bank money in getting payments on the loan. If a bank loses $200,000 on the loan, the moral state of the person who borrowed the loan has no effect on the bank's bottom line. Thus, loan rates reflect every reason for default. It is true that banks can misjudge these probabilities, markets, are uncertain, etc. People sometimes pay or less interest than they would if perfect knowledge was available. But, that is why different people and different companies are charged different rates. It's not just Brad and me that are saying that. It is also derivable from these two assumptions: banks compete for profitable loans and borrowers look for the best rate. Dan M. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Loan modifications (was Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries)
On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 9:27 PM, Nick Arnett nick.arn...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 7:41 PM, John Williams jwilliams4...@gmail.com wrote: That suggests that you are not going to strategically default. I wonder if there are any other clues that the lender was able to glean that suggested you would not strategically default. I'm curious strategically defaulting moral in your world-view?\ No. How about non-strategically defaulting? What do these terms mean? A strategic default is a somewhat more formal term for walking away, i.e., choosing to stop making mortgage payments and let the property be foreclosed upon, usually because the property is worth less than the outstanding mortgage. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Loan modifications (was Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries)
On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 1:38 PM, Dan Minette danmine...@att.net wrote: I answered this in another post, but I'll explain a little bit differently here. I see the mortgage insurance as insurance against the borrower being UNABLE to pay back the money, not just choosing to default. Well you can see things however you wish, that is your prerogative. However, if you were in charge of deciding who gets what loan rates, that would be a very bad assumption to make. No, we were discussing behavior of the borrower. The rest of your comment was irrelevant, so snipped. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries
On 10/22/2010 8:13:45 AM, Charlie Bell (char...@culturelist.org) wrote: On 22/10/2010, at 1:41 PM, Rceeberger wrote: One at a time please. Xponent Insert GOATSE Here Maru Rob LOL!!! Rob, I've missed you. I've been here...I read the conversations and more or less keep up. I just havent had much worth adding recently. Mostly I spend my online time playing Evony, where I am the host of Bavaria, a top 10 alliance on SS51. We use Skype in Bavaria so I can be found there pretty much every night under Xponent. Drop by and chat sometime if any of you get a spare few. Xponent Addictive Gaming Maru rob ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Re: Starting Engineer's Salaries
On 23/10/2010, at 12:23 PM, Rceeberger wrote: Mostly I spend my online time playing Evony, where I am the host of Bavaria, a top 10 alliance on SS51. We use Skype in Bavaria so I can be found there pretty much every night under Xponent. Drop by and chat sometime if any of you get a spare few. :) I have a lalpile of games at the mo. Mainly playing Red Dead Redemption recently. Charlie. ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
