Oil Slick Threatens African Penguins 153
An oil slick in South Africa is threatening the third-largest colony of Jackass penguins, which are about to enter their breeding season. This is the second major oil pollution disaster to hit Cape Town's penguins. Sanccob is leading the rescue effort. Donations can be sent here.
Nooooo! (Score:5)
Jackass? (Score:1)
Just curious.
no (Score:1)
My mom is not a Karma whore!
Jackass Penguins? (Score:5)
Offtopic? (Score:2)
So my question is: how appropriate is it for people to use their website as a medium to raise consciousness and solicit donations for whatever cause they are currently supporting?
Follow-up: does it matter if the purpose of the website typically excludes stories about that particular topic, moving though they may be?
And another one: are there some issues which are so important that they should headline any/all forms of media, regardless of the subject matter usually addressed by that media? If so, is this one of those topics?
I ask only because I'm willing to look like a nitpicking, heartless jerk in order to satisfy my curiosity.
Re:Nooooo! (Score:5)
Re:no (Score:1)
I'm already forced to pay taxes; no way am I going to willingly pay for a bunch of jackasses.
I wasn't aware that there was a difference.
------
575? (Score:2)
Slashdot readers quick response
Kills the webserver
Conspiracy. (Score:2)
Hmmm... Symbol of the Democratic Party (US), symbol of the Linux movement. Coincidence? The Truth is Out There.
Oil Slick Threatens Linux? (Score:5)
Re:Offtopic? (Score:2)
Heh. (Score:1)
--
Linux can help out! (Score:1)
Donate $100 or more now and get a "I helped save Tux" bumper sticker FREE!
Re:Um... (Score:1)
posted by CmdrTaco
Joe The Trollbaby writes:"Linus torvalds took a poop. Since this has something to do with linux, being that linus developed the linux kernel [kernel.org] - it must be slashdot news-worthy." - note: linus has taken poops before. check here [goatse.cx] for more.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
"how appropriate is it for people to use their website"
It is theirs.
Its a hell of a lot more relevant than Katz's movie reviews.
Am I missing something? (Score:1)
----
Penguins... a good cause? (Score:5)
The world is filled with good causes... thousands of them. There are hundreds of endangered species, people dying of diseases and starving in almost every part of the world, and we are destroying our environment in so many different ways. It would be impossible -- even in a community the size of Slashdot -- to even begin to address these problems. We can, however, do our small part to help with one of them. The penguin is our mascot, and that makes it as good a cause as any to get behind.
Even if you don't help save the penguins, you can give a dollar to a homeless guy, or buy an acre of land in the rainforest, or give to the American (or Canadian) Cancer Society. The point is, do something. As a collection of individuals with above average intelligence, we have a responsibility to this world to do something, anything, to make it just a little bit better.
Re:no (Score:1)
Fawking Trolls! [slashdot.org]
Poor penguins (Score:5)
<rant>
And of course there are already those posters complaining that this is not News for Nerds or that kind of ranting. Come on, this seems to be Sengan's second post, and this kind of news interested him. If you were also an author, you would have a right to complain.
</rant>
A site showing pictures of the penguins before the slick can be found here [school.za], and the google cached link of the slashdotted link is right here [google.com]. CNN [cnn.com] is also covering the story.
So the next time that you pump your gas or drive down the freeway to work, ask yourself whether you really need to do this. Public transportation is usually powered by much safer power sources, so maybe these kind of accidents won't happen anymore.
-zavyman
Re:Um... (Score:1)
Fawking Trolls! [slashdot.org]
I HATE OIL.... (Score:2)
As a species, we are such failures in protecting our own planet...
Long live the penguins!!!!
Noooo.... damn you MicroSoft!!! (Score:1)
---
Personally... (Score:4)
--
lmfao (Score:1)
karma of 22 eh? still not posting at +2 yet?
i'm not going to bother defending my post to you - since you obviously didn't get the point of it in the first place!
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
Happy?
:-)
--
Re:Offtopic? (Score:2)
I think you answered your own question here. It isn't, its their website.
Follow-up: does it matter if the purpose of the website typically excludes stories about that particular topic, moving though they may be?
No, it's their website, they make the topic.
And another one: are there some issues which are so important that they should headline any/all forms of media, regardless of the subject matter usually addressed by that media? If so, is this one of those topics?
Yes, there are such issues. Yes, us killing this planet and being forced to recognize it, and change our ways "before it's too late", is one of those topics.
I ask only because I'm willing to look like a nitpicking, heartless jerk in order to satisfy my curiosity.
The issue comes down to whose site is it which we have already concluded that since it isn't yours, and it is theirs, they make the topic, and you simply don't.
If you don't like this style, might I suggest, what I think anyways, is a more cutting edge [kuro5hin.org] way of news reporting and involving the audience or there is always the option of starting your own site.
-- iCEBaLM
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
Why don't you defend your post to me? I have karma to burn, I got the point of it, and I, quite frankly, thought your post was tasteless, irrelevant, and a waste of bandwidth and hard drive space.
-- iCEBaLM
United Penguin Care Coalition (Score:5)
"Hi, I'm Linus Torvalds and this is my friend, Tux."
[ Adorable little penguin waddles over and lays a flipper against Linus' leg, snuggling up against him. ]
"Oil slicks can be a messy, dangerous and often deadly disaster. Just a couple years ago, my friend Tux here was near death due to the after-effects of just such a slick, but thanks to caring contributions from people just like you, Tux is alive and well today [ Tux smiles, sweetly at the camera ]."
[ Shot widens to show Linus standing in front of a virtual sea of oily penguins. ]
"Right now, there are hundreds of penguins -- just like Tux -- who need your help. Won't you find it in your heart to share your good fortune with those less fortunate than yourself? Please contribute to the United Penguin Care Coalition [sanccob.org.za]. Little lives, like Tux's, depend on it."
* United Penguin Care Coalition substitued for the South African National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. Why? Duh, that would have sounded too fruity in the commercial.
---
seumas.com
Hoax (Score:1)
Someone definately missed the April 1st release date on this story...
Re:Offtopic? (Score:2)
So my question is: how appropriate is it for people to use their website as a medium to raise consciousness and solicit donations for whatever cause they are currently supporting?
It is entirely appropriate. Slashdot's mandate is to post stories that interest the editors. It has no responsibility beyond that. "Hey, cool, the penguins need our help" is just as valid a story as "Hey, cool, the DeCSS authors need our help." If there's anyone out there who's so impressionable that they'll think "Hey, Hemos said I should donate, where's my cheque book!" then they deserve our pity.
Slashdot has become popular because the story selections that the editors make is generally of interest to its community of readers. That doesn't mean that every story has to interest every reader, I certainly don't read more than 25% of the stories myself. All it means is that on an average day, there are enough slashdot stories that interest me for me to return the next day. I read the penguin story because it was different.
If you watch a news-hour on TV, there's usually a cute animal story or something of that ilk. They're not there because they're news, they're there because they're _relief_ from news. Similarly, the penguin story is a relief from Yet Another Copyright Article, or Yet Another Obscure Technology.
Follow-up: does it matter if the purpose of the website typically excludes stories about that particular topic, moving though they may be?
You are working from an incorrect assumption. You're assuming that the "purpose" of this website is more concrete than it is. "News for Nerds" doesn't mean "News about technology", although there is a correlation between the two.
And another one: are there some issues which are so important that they should headline any/all forms of media, regardless of the subject matter usually addressed by that media? If so, is this one of those topics?
I doubt the injury of penguins will "headline" news worldwide. It headlines slashdot purely because the penguin-linux connection makes it a fun real-news/nerd-news crossover. Similarly, if there were a bunch of BSD daemons being held hostage in the middle-east, I expect that would show up on the slashdot front page too.
Charles Miller--
Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:4)
I was thinking - yeah I might chip in some cash for this - I like penguins, hate oil slicks - what the hell?
Oh... but you got to fax your credit card number or send them a *snail mail* with your info... sorry but you lost me there. Make it easy to donate online and maybe more people would give.
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
Whee. Clearly, it's their website, and anybody can post anything they damn well please on their own site, so of course I'll look like a clueless jerk if I question that! Like I said, I'm not afraid of that.
But /. does have a stated purpose of covering (usually) a particular type of news. I was interested in seeing some arguments for or against deviating from the stated agenda of a site in order to present issues of X importance (where X is a value greater than the value of the issues normally reported on). My questions seemed topical, while also being off-topic (oh, the irony), and it piqued me, so I brought it up. It looks like my questions simply got filed under "just anonther fscking troll".
Thanks for the Kuro5hin [kuro5hin.org] link, though!
And now, back to your regularly scheduled penguin/jackass jokes.
geek environmentalism (Score:5)
Slashdot has always been Geek news, and it's always seemed to me fairly activist.
I would like to suggest we keep in mind the original promise of the computer...paperless. Indeed Enviromentalism is an *excelent* geek thing to engage in. Biology rocks in a completely egg-based geek way, and it's really really interesting. Us boffins are the future, and if we don't use our ,often, priveleged positions to fight for stuff that really matters than were all doomed
Case in point in Australia is SIMCOA's use of Old Growth Jarrah woodchips in the silicone smeltering process. Jarrah is one of the largest trees in the world, and it also produces fan-bloody-tastic furniture. It's endangered too. Currently SOTICO, the logging company is selling this priceless wood as woodchips at $14 a tonne. There are many enviro-friendly alternatives for it. As end users we should be complaining bitterly that our comps are trashing forrests unneccesarrily. Put preasure if you want to on intel/amd/motorolla etc to use enviro friendly processing methods.
Either way. It's verry geek. Let's do something for those penguins. It's important. Tux'd agree too methinx.
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
there's something inordinately mundane about posting "jeepers. that penguin article just doesn't seem to have anything to do with the subject matter of slashdot."
but, then again, you already knew that.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Offtopic on offtopic. (Score:5)
So the next time that you pump your gas or drive down the freeway to work, ask yourself whether you really need to do this. Public transportation is usually powered by much safer power sources, so maybe these kind of accidents won't happen anymore.
I agree that humans and their feigned needs for fossil fuels at low costs led to this sort of tragedy. I don't agree that public transportation uses safer power sources. They use either (1) electricity created at central fossil-fuel burning facilities, or (2) fossil-fuels in other forms.
Not to mention the mode of transportation itself. Cars crashing on the highway are the number one dangerous mode. But think of the number of San Francisco Muni bus accidents, New York subway derailments, airline disasters, AMTRACK derailments, freight trains with toxic chemicals spilling, train derailments in Turkey and Germany and everywhere else.
Diesel smoke from public buses also cause more pollution per person, in areas where ridership is too low to amortize the damage. Sure, if the route runs half-full, then say thirty people use twenty times the fuel of cars. During off-peak and mis-arranged routes, then four people use fifteen times the fuel.
Diesel truck lobbying groups and the engine producers don't let you into the dirty secrets: tests are rigged to measure idle-power emissions instead of typical loads. Diesel engine improvements far outweigh the efficiencies demanded by the solo car driver; a car in 1998 emitted 4% of the toxins that a car in 1978 did, while diesel has hardly budged.
Yep, people's priorities are skewed pretty badly.
Rainforests burn daily for farming acreage, eradicating dozens of species of primates, countless other animal and vegetation species, and we devote to the cause of some penguins caught in a one-time disaster.
More money was spent on the making of Jurassic Park than had ever been spent in the history of dinosaur paleontological research. The USPTO has a few hundred million dollars siphoned off in appropriations committees, since they don't really need those patent fee proceeds; announced the same day that NASDAQ:MSFT nears its 52week low, representing a drop of over a hundred billion equity because of uncertainty in a single massive litigation.
And while I'm off-topic,
When is O'Reilly going to create a wildlife fund for all the cute animals featured on the covers of *nix utility references?
Beer, penguins, Doritos and April. (Score:1)
One could argue that this at least as topical as all the frighteningly lame April Fools stories. Fringe topics often find their way into mainstream media if only to provide some variety.
And another one: are there some issues which are so important that they should headline any/all forms of media, regardless of the subject matter usually addressed by that media?
By all means. Whenever the "Buy Claudius More Doritos" fund gets precariously low, it is imperative for the story to supersede all these silly "Wah--I have to pay a whole extra dime for my gas" stories.
People really need to get a grip.
p.s. Too bad about them penguins.
p.p.s Just what the heck does "Nacho Cheesier" mean, anyway?
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
haiku (Score:1)
Re:Poor penguins (Score:1)
Actually, Sengan used to post articles much more frequently about 1-2 years ago.
I always found his point of view interesting whether or not I agreed with it.
Then there was that "disable-the-comments-Operation-Whateveritwas-in-
It really does matter ... YOU should know that! (Score:4)
Coming from South Africa, I have a tendency to actually read some of the stuff that pops up about it. I read this and I realized that is serious. Most of you played this off as something which should not be posted on Slashdot, even kindof flaming them for daring to put it on the site. Like it or not, our mascot is a penguin and any pengiuns should be close to our hearts.
Lets be hypothetical a little... would you say that a Swedish hacker is less of hacker than an American hacker? They are both hackers and from what I have seen on the newsgroups some of them make the news with more pizaz than many others ;-)
Back to being a bit more serious. EVERY nut in the world knows that the conservation of a species is VERY important, since the loss of a species has several impacts on the environment that are only fully realized years after it has happened. These pengiuns off the South African coast are part of a penguin species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. Apart from the fact that the oil spill arrived during their breeding season, the impact of the oil spill will only be seen next year when hundreds, if not thousands of penguins are lost.
So, be serious for a moment and realize that if oil spills happen a few more places in the world, and not just in SA, the pengiun mascot we have may be the only living pengiun in the world by 2020.
It disturbs me to see "brainy" geeks be so unbelievably STUPID as to play off the importance of a species being in trouble. Drop that arrogant shithead approace to life and be better people. Perhaps you might even be a real software engineer then, and not just a hopeless script kiddie.
That is my two cents worth ...
Re:haiku (Score:1)
Quit whining. This is funny. (Score:1)
Re:Penguins... a good cause? (Score:3)
I would argue two points against your post:
1 slashdot is a geek web-site. It's for geeks, it's by geeks. While there is no sense in denying that this oil spill sucks. I would rather read about it on CNN.com or BBC.com, etc. I come to slashdot for my tech news, period. The mapping of the human genome is signifigant too, but i don't expect to see news of that on planetquake.com.
2Much as another poster has mentioned. This isn't being posted just because it's a tragedy, or a worthy cause or whatever, it's being posted because it's an article about penguins....which is related to linux. If the oil spill had happened in say, Alaska, and a bunch of seals died, there would be no news of this on slashdot. THAT is probably one of the most hypocritical aspects of this story.
Either way, as i said before, i come to slashdot for one reason alone. Geek news. When there's something on here that's totally irrelevant, (traditionally) news-worthy or not...if it's got nothing to do with technologoy/geeks/nerds/what have you...then it's got no business being on slashdot.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:Poor penguins (Score:1)
Oil spills raise prices (Score:1)
Oil slicks do suck, but they're not caused by demand for cheap gas. At least, not in any right-thinking petroleum company. A spill is literally money being washed away, reducing supply and causing a financial loss for whoever had paid for that oil. So if we want cheap gas, we should be putting more pressure on companies who don't take the necessary precautions.
Not that I disagree with your frustration. We should be reducing our petroleum consumption. And shippers aren't being punished nearly enough for spills. But the biggest problem I see is that this is the first I've heard about this. I haven't seen it on the front page of any newspapers, or given any kind of coverage on prime-time network news. If people don't seem to be caring enough about issues like this, it's because their surrogate brains in the popular media aren't telling them to care.
Re:Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:2)
Social resposibility is not a commodity-- it requires actual work and effort. You can't buy or sell social justice and/or the well-being of the biosphere. People need to actually make coordinated efforts to make that happen.
Can't they appeal to some large, greedy oil company looking to do community service by donating a server, SSL, and a Merchant Account (say maybe someone who could symphathize... like maybe Exxon??)
No, because these companies have precisely the opposite interests they do.
I was thinking - yeah I might chip in some cash for this - I like penguins, hate oil slicks - what the hell?
Look a centimeter beneath your shallow surface, and you'll realize you can't be bothered to even send a fax or letter in favor of penguins and against oil slicks.
Oh... but you got to fax your credit card number or send them a *snail mail* with your info... sorry but you lost me there. Make it easy to donate online and maybe more people would give.
I hope you enjoy the taste of silicon, cash, concrete and oil, because thanks to people like you, we'll all end up eating and drinking that.
On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't be so harsh, and give you a break. I'll tell you something. Try taking up as a hobby something really useful-- no, not writing yet another trivial free program, but soemthing like volunteering for a soup kitchen. I won't even expect you to give any money-- just go there, help cook, serve and clean up in a regular basis. No amount of money you could ever give will be more significant than something real, like this.
Re:Poor penguins (Score:2)
"When I'm singing a ballad and a pair of underwear lands on my head, I hate that. It really kills the mood."
Re:Um... (Score:1)
Fawking Trolls! [slashdot.org]
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
Re:Offtopic about Diesel (Score:1)
You may want to check out this news item.
[discovery.com]
Natural Selection Creates Super-Engines
Re:Um... (Score:1)
Fawkin Troll.
Fawking Trolls! [slashdot.org]
Re:Poor penguins (Score:5)
Re:Offtopic? (Score:1)
For example, this post has absolutely nothing to do with penguins, but it's perfectly at home in this particular thread. Having said this, of course, someone's going to come across and mod me down.
Charles Miller
--
Re:Beer, penguins, Doritos and April. (Score:1)
If a group of thugs ran into a major city with sledgehammers and smashed a few thousand windows, do you think the MCSE's would band together and do something about it? **
Jokes aside, I think it's the oil corporations' responsibility to help those penguins!
The open source community is having enough problems with the GPL!
Re:Poor penguins (Score:1)
Envirocommies (Score:1)
Personally, I think this is a sign from the Lord. It is a sign instructing His children to turn away from the temptations of Linux and all of its Communist underpinnings. God has made it clear that His children are to earn their keep by the sweat of their brow, and those who will not work will not eat. Clearly, God references capitalism here. The rise of Linux and the damnable "BSD" derivatives are yet another sign of the death grip that the Antichrist has on the world. Personally, I donate equal amounts of my income to the offering plate and Microsoft. I get the satisfaction of knowing that my money is going to a Godly corporation instead of a sixteen year-old drug-crazed hacker in a country like Amsterdam.
I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned the real tragedy here
As a result of the envirocommie hysteria that has ended up here, I shall purchase a 9 MPG Ford Excursion. I shall burn plastics in my backyard. I shall remove the "low-flow" shower head installed by my liberal super and replace it with one that allows water to flow "wastefully." I shall hunt spotted owls. I am declaring war on all of the causes that envirocommies hold dear. Unfortunately for the envirocommies, I'm far more heavily-armed than they are. Too bad!
Re:Offtopic on offtopic. (Score:1)
I seriously suggest you check out the TDI [tdiclub.com] engine from Audi/VW. It's a passanger car diesel engine, which has about 1.5-2x the mileage of an equivilant gasoline engine, with a fraction of the emissions.
Re:It really does matter ... YOU should know that! (Score:1)
While the survival of a species is always important, I'm sure there are other places where it can be discussed.
I see your two cents and raise you four.
Re:Poor penguins (Score:1)
I live in the Midwest, and I use public transit to get to work. With virtually no variation, the bus hauls no more than four people in a diesel powered bus are hauled from from central Minneapolis to a middle ring suburb for the measly sum of $2 (including transfer). It wastes fuel and taxpayer money, not to mention the fact that I spend two hours doing this every day. This is an exception to the rule of course, but my point is that public transit is far from a panacea.
I think that more people should be using public transit, but it is only an intermediate step that doesn't get to the root of the problem. People need to get from Point A to Point B. We can make a more efficient way for them to do it, but we should also be working to shorten that distance and/or eliminate some of the necessity in the first place.
Re:Offtopic? (Score:2)
The only stated purpose is News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters. It's quite up to them what they think is news for nerds, and what they think matters. If they think that a press release from Royale bringing to market the first 8 ply toilet tissue is "news for nerds, stuff that matters" than who are you to judge? Do you pay for their bandwidth or server space at exodus?
-- iCEBaLM
*sigh* (Score:1)
But is is about penguins. And penguins being the mascot of linux. And linux being a major topic, I think it does have a bit of relivance.
And refering to your comment about geese. Of course it wouldn't make it on slashdot. But it wasn't about geese now was it, it was about penguins.
Just calm down a bit... There is no need to waste screen space with comments like this. Get over it. Eveyone knows that articals on /. aren't always about tech/nerd stuff, And I thing thats good thing.
If you think the artical is redundant/boring/whatever, all you have to do is not read it. And let eveyone else enjoy themselves.
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
And just who do you think you are dictating what the subject matter of slashdot is? Do you write the articles? Do you do site maintenance? Do you pay for the sites bandwidth or colo space at exodus? Do you have anything remotely to do with the site other than being a reader posting stupid comments wasting everyones time? Whats that? No?
-- iCEBaLM
Re:Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:1)
For the best results, it should be as streamlined and simple as possible. That would be known as a Good Thing.
No, because these companies have precisely the opposite interests they do.
I'm sorry, but you are simply wrong--oil companies have no interest in spilling their oil all over the ocean. First, they lose their stock that way (reduced profits); second, they get quite a lot of heat from enviromental groups. This often results in boycotts (especially if it can be shown that negligence or a drunk captain was involved). And boycotts (,if they are big enough,) *definitely* translate into reduced profits. Oil covered oceans doesn't make the oil companies happy and it doesn't make the fish and water fowl happy.
Re:double hulls (Score:1)
Grow up (Score:1)
The big bad oil companies as you seem to think of them are the blood which makes commerce flow in 1st word nations, it's not the net, it's not open source, it's not technology, it's the men and women in the trenches that work 7x24 to supply the energy so that you can log into /. with your truck supplied workstaion with your truck supplied software burning electricity that's partially supplied by the oil companies you flame.
Look the net was built for commerce, by people who understand commerce, for the intended use of commerce, the oil companies and energy companies provide the bolld for their network, not yours, you're an invited guest here, mind your manners.
The two key words (Score:2)
The two key words in the above sentence are:
"their website"
This is not your Web site, nor is it mine. It is the Slashdot crew's Web site, and the last time I checked, it is both legal and appropriate for them to post material as they see fit. If they post something that you find to be objectionable, you are under no obligation to either read or respond to any of it. You do not have a service agreement with Andover or Rob or any of the crew, nor do you pay them a plugged nickel for the use of their resources. Therefore, you do not have a leg to stand on when you complain about the material that they decide to post, particularly when you can simply ignore it completely.
The Slash code is publicly available; if you wish to start up a Web site where solicitations of any kind are not posted, then you have more than enough tools to get you on your way. Until then, I would encourage you to keep reading and contributing to Slashdot, but ignore that which bores or offends you.
That said, I am going to add some DeCSS-related material to my home page
:-)
One question... (Score:1)
Who ever they were, they obviously had some negitive feelings towards the birds.
Focus less on the oil, more on the profits.. (Score:1)
I hope you enjoy the taste of silicon, cash, concrete and oil, because thanks to people like you, we'll all end up eating and drinking that.
I was tempted to keep my mouth shut, but this one is just too tempting. *engage rant mode* You should worry about the people that don't have concrete, oil, silicon and cash - because with those basic precusors, I can build purification facilities for water, artificially grow tasty produce indoors, generate all the power I need, and live a comfy life.
It's the people that don't have those things that will suffer. Don't underestimate man's engineering talent - we're pretty good at givin' the schlong to mother nature. It's the people that can't afford to do that - and we've got plenty of people in rough shape in North America, think about what the schmuck living in the alley eats every day - I bet he wishes he had some of that cash and oil. I won't even talk about the natural habitats that are being wrote off (tough noogies, too many people, watcha going to do, nobody bitchin' about the 2 *Billion* tonnes of Coal being consumed in China each year, etc etc etc etc etc)
Writing those "trivial free programs" might take BILLIONS of dollars from money-grubbing tycoons (no names here), money that maybe could be re-allocated for that schmuck living in the street. Before you get all commie on me, remember, each according to his talents..
OTOH, helping some shmuck, buying an acre of rainforest, or even writing a check to buy some soap to clean off some poor penguins will do a hell of a lot more than hassling people on Sunday morning waving a dead tree in their face. :)
Kudos (Rant off!)
And just to make this *really* offtopic... (Score:1)
While we're at it, how can something be both new and improved. If it's new, what are they improving on?
Re:Beer, penguins, Doritos and April. (Score:1)
It means that the advertising is cheesier than before on their "nacho" flavored chips. And another flavor is called cooler ranch because you're supposed to keep them in the cooler, duh :-3
Re:Poor penguins (Score:1)
Re:Um... (Score:1)
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
i, sir, am the consumer. If slashdot wants to turn itself into a nature-conservatory, or what have you...that's all well and good. That is their perogative. I didn't email anyone about it. i didnt call Hemos at his honeymoon hideout and bitch at him for allowing one of his co-workers to post the story. I simply stated that i felt it was an off-topic story in a publicly accessible forum.
If the guys at slashdot want to turn it into a generic news source for any and all news-worthy articles, e.g. Elian, Gore, and whatever else passes for news these days, that's fine with me. I'll take my readership elsewhere - as will a signifigant portion of slashdot's user base. Then we'll see if Andover, or VA, or whoever else, wants to pay for
Sorry, but Hemos, CmdrTaco, and the rest aren't my fearless leaders. I don't hang on every word the say, or post as the case may be. And i'm certainly not 'unquestioningly loyal' like some of the people i've seen posting. This is my tech source, when it ceases to be that, i'll go elsewhere.
I eagerly await your "well why don't you go elsewhere NOW! asshole" reply.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:2)
I'm sorry, but you are simply wrong--oil companies have no interest in spilling their oil all over the ocean.
Where the hell did I claim that it is the interest of oil companies to spill oil? Can you point out the precise words that say that?
Oil companies are simply not interested in preventing oil spills to the max degree possible, since that would cut a big bite off their profits. They simply want the biggest profits, and if that means spilling their oil regularly out of unsufficient precautions, they are happy with that.
[on social responsibility] For the best results, it should be as streamlined and simple as possible. That would be known as a Good Thing.
No. That would be known as selling peace of mind to smug and clueless gringo yuppies who don't really care about anyone or anything but themselves. This kind of attitude needs to go, if any good is to come.
Re:Focus less on the oil, more on the profits.. (Score:1)
But where the hell did I say I am opposed to people having that kind of stuff at all?
Try to think about what I write before making a fool of yourself. I wrote:
It is just OBVIOUS that this is a reference to the possibility of the environment getting so fucked up that the only things left in the planet are silicon, cash, concrete and oil.
Writing those "trivial free programs" might take BILLIONS of dollars from money-grubbing tycoons (no names here), money that maybe could be re-allocated for that schmuck living in the street.
Really? How is XBill taking billions of dollars away from anybody?
You are obsessed with money. Let me tell you one thing I've learned in the hard school of knocks, kid. Money does not solve problems-- people do. Throwing scraps of money at the homeless is nothing but patching surface wounds in your society. To do the homeless some real good, you have to transform the social and production relations in which society is based. Money won't do that.
Re:Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:1)
I suppose I misunderstood your comment. You said that the oil companies and those who wish to protect wildlife have "precisely the opposite interests". Obviously, the "interest" of environmentalists is to not spill oil; the opposite of this would be to indeed spill oil. Voila.
Oil companies are simply not interested in preventing oil spills to the max degree possible, since that would cut a big bite off their profits.
Not as much as they'd lose from boycotts, fines, lower stocks, and lost product (not to mention the fact that the ship is sometimes lost as well). I know you probably find it hard to believe but oil companies really really really really really don't want their oil in the ocean. They'd like it to stay in the tanker and reach its destination. When you consider how much oil is shipped every day, and how few oil spills there really are, I'd say they aren't doing too bad. Air travel doesn't have as good a record.
They simply want the biggest profits, and if that means spilling their oil regularly out of unsufficient precautions, they are happy with that.
Believe it or not, they really aren't happy with that. They lose profits even if they spill oil occasionally. If they lost it regularly, they'd go out of business.
No. That would be known as selling peace of mind to smug and clueless gringo yuppies who don't really care about anyone or anything but themselves.
And the problem with this is? If they donate money and it helps out with the cause what do you care about their motives? Or are you just an elitist who can't stand those who donate money to something you care about for "the wrong reasons"?
This kind of attitude needs to go, if any good is to come.
I just can't believe you said this. How can extra people donating money to a cause make bad things happen (unless it's a bad cause)?
Re:Grow up (Score:1)
And you think this is an essential of life?
Let me tell you, there are sophisticated cultures where toilet paper is unheard of. The traditional Arab way of wiping oneself is with your hand; soap is provided in the bathroom to clean your hand afterwards. It is in fact more effective than paper-- the immediacy lends itself to a more thorough cleaning job. No paper is consumed, and bathrooms have soap anyways.
Look the net was built for commerce, by people who understand commerce, for the intended use of commerce
The net was built for nuclear war, by warmongers, for the intended use of strenghtening the US military to lend more puch to US exploitation and oppression world wide.
no, I think YOU summed it up... (Score:1)
Ever get the impression that your life would make a good sitcom?
Ever follow this to its logical conclusion: that your life is a sitcom?
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
Consider this to be it.
i, sir, am the consumer. If slashdot wants to turn itself into a nature-conservatory, or what have you...that's all well and good. That is their perogative. I didn't email anyone about it. i didnt call Hemos at his honeymoon hideout and bitch at him for allowing one of his co-workers to post the story. I simply stated that i felt it was an off-topic story in a publicly accessible forum.
You stated nothing of the sort, you wrote a useless mock story about Linus taking a dump. It wasn't even half funny, it was an absolutely retarded thing to do. If you had simply stated your opinion about it being an off-topic story (which, by definition is an impossibility here anyways, as the authors make the topics) then I wouldn't have even wasted my time replying as I already brought up my thoughts about it elsewhere [slashdot.org] in the comments.
Sorry, but Hemos, CmdrTaco, and the rest aren't my fearless leaders. I don't hang on every word the say, or post as the case may be. And i'm certainly not 'unquestioningly loyal' like some of the people i've seen posting. This is my tech source, when it ceases to be that, i'll go elsewhere.
They aren't my "fearless leaders" either, I don't even like Rob from my dealings with him, I'm definately not loyal to them, but to even suggest that a story they post on their website is somehow off-topic is simply ludicrous. It's "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters", it's NOT simply tech news, it's NOT simply what YOU want it to be. I quite think the story is very much on-topic, as it shows us just how careless we are with the environment, we need to change or we're all going to suffer the consequences like some poor penguins off the coast of south africa. If you somehow think this isn't "Stuff that Matters" then "well why don't you go elsewhere NOW! asshole"?
-- iCEBaLM
Re:Someone should get these guys set up on SSL... (Score:1)
This is just one simplistic way of expressing the interest of environmentalists. Environmentalists can be said to desire to prevent damage to the environment as much as possible; the opposite of this would be not to desire to prevent damage to the environment as much as possible. Which doesn't mean to be in favor of openly damaging it.
Believe it or not, they really aren't happy with that. They lose profits even if they spill oil occasionally. If they lost it regularly, they'd go out of business.
Let's drop the distinction between "occasionally" and "regularly", since, for all we know, my regularly could even be less frequently than your occassionally.
The point is that the maximum environment-friendliness comes at a cost that cuts into corporate profits. Period. They make more money letting the oil spill once in a while than by spending money making it as sure as possible it won't happen.
If they donate money and it helps out with the cause what do you care about their motives? Or are you just an elitist who can't stand those who donate money to something you care about for "the wrong reasons"?
Again, you are putting words in my mouth. I by complained about a guy that was saying crap about "caring about penguins", yet can't be bothered to write a letter or send a fax, and whines about some people who are doing actual work in favor of the environment not setting up an SSL server so he can donate money without leaving his couch.
If you care about something and donate money to some entity doing good work on that, great. If you care about something and donate money to some entity that doesn't do good work at all, I'll respect your motives and try to explain why I think you're mistaken. If you don't care about something, yet do donate some money to it, I'll be critical of your motives, but the money can help.
But if you say you care about something, say you'd like to give money, but don't do it and start whining about how the people who are actually doing stuff aren't making it easy enough for you, expect no pity.
Re:Poor penguins (Score:2)
Yes, so maybe there should be more open source projects using endangered animals (whales, seals) as their mascots if that's what it takes to be Slashdot-worthy. Last time I checked, camels and Gnus were doing just fine =)
Seriously though, I believe being environment-conscious is quite compatible with the geek nature so maybe we could have these environmental posts more often. Who better and more capable than the
I see what this is... (Score:1)
time for the downward moderation!
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I'm not ashamed. It's the computer age, nerds are in.
They're still in, aren't they?
Re:Penguins... a good cause? (Score:2)
It's a story on the dark side of our technology obsessions. How many of your geekly products are made from petroleum?
But even so, why are you reading an article that you have no interest in and find is clearly in violation of some mythical topic regulation? Is someone holding a gun to your head?
Sending donation from U.S. via money order (Score:2)
As I understand it, you fill out a form including how much (in USD) you want to send, pay for the amount of the money order, plus a fee of $8.50 USD, and then mail the form to a processing center. Eventually the U.S. Postal Service sends the info to the foreign country's post office, and the foreign post office sends the money order to the recipient. The recipient can then cash the money order at local exchange rates.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Is using an International Postal Money Order preferable to simply sending a personal check? Do the exchange fees make this method not worthwhile? Obtaining and sending drafts in foreign currencies seems so difficult.
Ben
two things: (Score:1)
B) this IS about penguins, and therefore is of interest to the
There are also other issues this raises having to do with conflicts of environmental concerns and economic concerns when it comes to devoloping/semi-developed nations. So if an oil spill happened off the coast of Alaska maybe it would be a lot less relevant. (Although I realize the only reason they put it in was because it involved penguins)
Ever get the impression that your life would make a good sitcom?
Ever follow this to its logical conclusion: that your life is a sitcom?
Re:The two key words (Score:2)
My answer to that question would be yes. I'm not blasting the folks at slashdot for posting this. While i disagree with the decision to go ahead with it. I do agree it is a valid cause. That being said, news for nerds: stuff that matters, does not encompas every thing news worthy. Elian is a good cause, however, that heart-warming child's story has nothing to do with a wireless lan
Slashdot is a company, or at least a subsidiary, and as such, i do believe they have some inkling of a duty to the consumer to provide timely, and on-topic stories to their reader base. No one is saying that they don't feel for the penguins. I personally think it's a tragedy, but i don't believe it has a place on slashdot.
BTW - when you speak of CmdrTaco and Hemos, and the rest of the crew, it's not their website - it's Andover's website, which is in turn owned by VA Linux. So - maybe someone should ask the guys at VA if this is a slashdot worthy story. not that they would really give a shit either way.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
you realize you flamed me because you didn't think i was funny. i think that makes you the retarded one. or at least the intolerant one. oh well...i guess i'll just thank god that i'm only subjected to your opinions on a relatively obscure environmentalist-geek website.
btw - as far as 'on-topic' is concerned. if i go to hear a person speak at a convention on linux...and they start to digress about how they hate cheeseburgers or some such gobledeegook, is that not 'off-topic'? even if they organized and funded the convention? - you can approve of whatever they do at slashdot. - that's your right....just fucking admit the story was digressionary. Maybe if sengan had actually posted more than 2 stories in the long history of slashdot you'd have a leg to stand on with that 'it's whatever they want the topic to be' argument.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Re:Um... (Score:1)
Right. Like you even have a dick.
That's not courage, that's stupidity! You have no fear at all of being a clueless fuck in public with your real name. So people can say "That Scott Lockwood, what a hosebag!"
You know what? If they say it WITH a REAL NAME, I don't care - I'll respect that opinion. AC's can lick the crap from my anus.
At least I'm not married to a total behemoth.
My wife is the most wonderful, worthwhile person you'll ever meet, except you'll never meet her. At least I can get married, unlike you - you smelly, pimple covered, dorky, nerdy, geeky ass.
Oh, and learn how to CLOSE an itallics tag you worthless bag of crap. Try using the button NEXT to submit.
Fawking Trolls! [slashdot.org]
Re:Oil Slick Threatens Linux? (Score:1)
help!! (Score:1)
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Re:Grow up (Score:1)
Let me rephrase that for him. I believe he wanted to say:
Look, the net as we know it is built for commerce, by people who understand commerce, for the intended use of commerce.
And, if you had either lived through that time or studied history, then you'd realize that there was plenty good reason for the cold war. Neither NATO nor the USSR were warmongers... if they were than we would have had a war!
-----
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
Actually, I flamed you because I, quite frankly, thought your post was tasteless, irrelevant, and a waste of bandwidth and hard drive space. [slashdot.org] Does this make me intolerant? Perhaps. Maybe I'm justified in my intolerance however as you seem to be lowering the median IQ of the human race I belong to.
btw - as far as 'on-topic' is concerned. if i go to hear a person speak at a convention on linux...and they start to digress about how they hate cheeseburgers or some such gobledeegook, is that not 'off-topic'? even if they organized and funded the convention?
These are not quite parallel. The only thing slashdot claims to be is "News for Nerds, Stuff the Matters." and I find it rather insulting that us "nerds" would not think the environment matters.
you can approve of whatever they do at slashdot. - that's your right....just fucking admit the story was digressionary.
I admit no such thing. I suppose if the only thing you want to read about on slashdot is the latest release of KDE, maybe you need to start going to freshmeat [freshmeat.net].
Maybe if sengan had actually posted more than 2 stories in the long history of slashdot you'd have a leg to stand on with that 'it's whatever they want the topic to be' argument.
I really don't see how that hinders my argument, whether it's hemos, emmett, cliff, or sengan posting the penguin article, whats the difference?
-- iCEBaLM
Re:lmfao (Score:2)
i'm glad you're of the opinion that because i don't have specifically the same taste in humor, food, or whatever else we would most likely disagree on, that i am A)Dumber than you are, B)Not qualified to share my views with whomever i wish.
i shudder at the thought that there are others as intolerant as you allowed to freely roam this planet. THAT my friend is something that scares me more than oil spills!
and with that. I give this thread to you. You have won. I am beaten. Now let's both shut up!
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Sad (Score:2)
Or if not over sea, there are many people in the US that need help.
While I'm not saying "dont' help the penguins", I am saying that it disturbs me that people are very frequently more interested in "save the whales" or "save the penguins" as is the case here, than helping fellow humans.
-------
CAIMLAS
Re:Penguins... a good cause? (Score:3)
And if your too lazy to send money to
Jackass penguins (Score:2)
--
One Thing Penguins Have Over Demons (Score:2)
Could this be yet another Linux vs BSD Slashdot issue? Kind of makes you think. ^_^
ps. What the heck is that cute demon called anyways?
Currency and non South African contact details (Score:2)
Currently
1 US$ = 6.87 ZAR
1 UK£ = 10.33 ZAR
1 Euro = 6.44 ZAR
SA's international telephone/fax code is +27, and add "South Africa" to the postal address.
Re:Poor penguins (Score:2)
Hmmm... if anyone had read the coverage, it wouldn't have taken a whole day for someone like me to inform you that the oil spilled was fuel oil for an iron ore cargo ship, owned by a shipping company with a notorious reputation for operating decrepit vessels on the verge of sinking. Your characterization that the reader's demand for gas is responsible for this accident smacks of the worst kind of radical environmentalist FUD.
If you really have to lash out, do so at the major petroleum refining and distribution companies, who are making windfall profits by artifically limiting refinery capacity, lobbying for the government to pressure OPEC to increase production, and doing nothing to stave off the eventual hyperinflation that will occur when the wells do begin to run dry and inflate the cost of everything from cornflakes to computers that depends on petrochemicals and cheap energy to manufacture.
How's that for a rant?
Re:The two key words (Score:2)
Slashdot gets an A for effort - but so does just about every other company i've ever seen, or had the privelege to work for.
i think what disturbs me, is that every time i post an unpopular opinion on slashdot, i get flamed. I didn't post "Natalie Portman With hot grits down her pants!" - and still i get moderated down and flamed because of it. That, i think, is the saddest part of all.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network