Jail Zuckerberg

On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:43:46 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/1/2021 5:35 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

It doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

That's an admirably Stoic attitude.

Two comments on the problems and compromises:

1) We're already at the stage where it's difficult to function without
an internet connection. I saw this recently when my credit union's
connection was out of service for quite a few days. I've heard of many
people who wanted COVID vaccine but weren't comfortable using the 'net
to try for an appointment and were forced to sit on telephone hold for
hours. And a good friend of mine (and one of the most tech-averse people
I know) has had no internet connection at home for about 12 days and is
beyond furious. The net is now considered the default way of performing
any transaction, and it must be making millions of elderly folks very
anxious.

2) Drivers entranced by their smart phones is becoming a real concern,
including for bicyclists. In our state, members of one political party
(guess which!) just struck down yet another attempt to make distracted
driving a primary offense. But I'm afraid even that won't solve that DD
problem for decades. I seem to see a phone-intoxicated motorist every
five minutes. We'll never have an army of cops big enough to pull them
all over.

I think the only slim possibility of a solution is phone apps that
automatically disable phone communication while a car is moving. If the
use of such apps became The Responsible Thing To Do, at least a portion
of motorists wouldn't be tempted to answer the texts coming in.

Interesting :-) Singapore solved the problem of people fussing about
with hand phones while driving years ago. They simply promulgated a
law that using a hand phone while driving was penalized by a $1,000
fine... and then enforced the law.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 3/1/2021 7:00 PM, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:43:46 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/1/2021 5:35 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

It doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

That's an admirably Stoic attitude.

Two comments on the problems and compromises:

1) We're already at the stage where it's difficult to function without
an internet connection. I saw this recently when my credit union's
connection was out of service for quite a few days. I've heard of many
people who wanted COVID vaccine but weren't comfortable using the 'net
to try for an appointment and were forced to sit on telephone hold for
hours. And a good friend of mine (and one of the most tech-averse people
I know) has had no internet connection at home for about 12 days and is
beyond furious. The net is now considered the default way of performing
any transaction, and it must be making millions of elderly folks very
anxious.

2) Drivers entranced by their smart phones is becoming a real concern,
including for bicyclists. In our state, members of one political party
(guess which!) just struck down yet another attempt to make distracted
driving a primary offense. But I'm afraid even that won't solve that DD
problem for decades. I seem to see a phone-intoxicated motorist every
five minutes. We'll never have an army of cops big enough to pull them
all over.

I think the only slim possibility of a solution is phone apps that
automatically disable phone communication while a car is moving. If the
use of such apps became The Responsible Thing To Do, at least a portion
of motorists wouldn't be tempted to answer the texts coming in.

Interesting :-) Singapore solved the problem of people fussing about
with hand phones while driving years ago. They simply promulgated a
law that using a hand phone while driving was penalized by a $1,000
fine... and then enforced the law.


Singapore's solution cannot be applied he

https://forums.somd.com/threads/raci...cement.369343/

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...s#.YD2TTE-NWOI

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Monday, March 1, 2021 at 5:35:38 p.m. UTC-5, wrote:
On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:58:59 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...ast/newfon.jpg

I don't understand.

I fix smartphones, sometimes. Mostly battery replacement, broken
screens, and mangled USB/power connectors. The problem is that
they're rather difficult to fix. Besides the vendors (i.e. Apple)
making it increasingly difficult to fix anything, the firmware bugs,
the lack of parts and information, the extreme miniaturization, and my
failing eyesight, the owners regularly abuse their phones. There's no
magic involved in keeping them alive. It's the first product I've
seen where the manufacturers have successfully sold obsolescence while
pretending to be environmentally correct. The phone will fail in 5
year from battery failure, lack of OS updates, copper corrosion,
mechanical (hinge, button, connector, etc) use failure, or lacks
features that the cellular provider will no longer support. Magic
can't fix those.

If the cartoon you provided suggests that we might be better off
without smartphones, I beg to differ. The value of any new technology
is best defined by how the technology is abused. Smartphones are
certainly successful and have been thoroughly abused. I know a few
people who have resisted in various ways. That will probably remain
their position for many years. However, the next generation will
consider smartphones and full time internet to be a necessity for
living, necessary evils, expensive luxuries, an ecological disaster, a
privacy horror show, or whatever is in fashion at the time. It
doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

I wonder how many people during the early 20th century had the same
attitude about automobiles, preferring instead to continue using
horses and perhaps bicycles. At the time, automobiles might also have
been considered magic. (Notice how I snuck bicycling into this rant).
--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

I can remember in high school if you were caught with a calculator during an exam you got a Zero on the exam and had to leave the examination room. Times have changed.

Cheers

On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 19:22:49 -0600, AMuzi scribed:

On 3/1/2021 7:00 PM, John B. wrote:

Interesting :-) Singapore solved the problem of people fussing about
with hand phones while driving years ago. They simply promulgated a law
that using a hand phone while driving was penalized by a $1,000 fine...
and then enforced the law.


Singapore's solution cannot be applied he

Yes it can. Just point out to the authorities thatmit is a good revenue
raiser.

On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 19:22:49 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

On 3/1/2021 7:00 PM, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:43:46 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/1/2021 5:35 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

It doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

That's an admirably Stoic attitude.

Two comments on the problems and compromises:

1) We're already at the stage where it's difficult to function without
an internet connection. I saw this recently when my credit union's
connection was out of service for quite a few days. I've heard of many
people who wanted COVID vaccine but weren't comfortable using the 'net
to try for an appointment and were forced to sit on telephone hold for
hours. And a good friend of mine (and one of the most tech-averse people
I know) has had no internet connection at home for about 12 days and is
beyond furious. The net is now considered the default way of performing
any transaction, and it must be making millions of elderly folks very
anxious.

2) Drivers entranced by their smart phones is becoming a real concern,
including for bicyclists. In our state, members of one political party
(guess which!) just struck down yet another attempt to make distracted
driving a primary offense. But I'm afraid even that won't solve that DD
problem for decades. I seem to see a phone-intoxicated motorist every
five minutes. We'll never have an army of cops big enough to pull them
all over.

I think the only slim possibility of a solution is phone apps that
automatically disable phone communication while a car is moving. If the
use of such apps became The Responsible Thing To Do, at least a portion
of motorists wouldn't be tempted to answer the texts coming in.

Interesting :-) Singapore solved the problem of people fussing about
with hand phones while driving years ago. They simply promulgated a
law that using a hand phone while driving was penalized by a $1,000
fine... and then enforced the law.


Singapore's solution cannot be applied he

https://forums.somd.com/threads/raci...cement.369343/

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...s#.YD2TTE-NWOI

I'm sure that it cannot, or at least I see little inclination to
enforce many U.S. laws - see speed limits for example - but for
whatever reason the average Singapore citizen seems to be quite happy
with the government's efforts. They hang murders and people caught
with sufficient drugs to be classified as "drug dealers" and have an
extremely low homicide rate and the lowest drug use in the world

They also don't spit on the street and stand in orderly lines at bus
stops :-)
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:30:18 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Monday, March 1, 2021 at 5:35:38 p.m. UTC-5, wrote:
On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:58:59 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...ast/newfon.jpg

I don't understand.

I fix smartphones, sometimes. Mostly battery replacement, broken
screens, and mangled USB/power connectors. The problem is that
they're rather difficult to fix. Besides the vendors (i.e. Apple)
making it increasingly difficult to fix anything, the firmware bugs,
the lack of parts and information, the extreme miniaturization, and my
failing eyesight, the owners regularly abuse their phones. There's no
magic involved in keeping them alive. It's the first product I've
seen where the manufacturers have successfully sold obsolescence while
pretending to be environmentally correct. The phone will fail in 5
year from battery failure, lack of OS updates, copper corrosion,
mechanical (hinge, button, connector, etc) use failure, or lacks
features that the cellular provider will no longer support. Magic
can't fix those.

If the cartoon you provided suggests that we might be better off
without smartphones, I beg to differ. The value of any new technology
is best defined by how the technology is abused. Smartphones are
certainly successful and have been thoroughly abused. I know a few
people who have resisted in various ways. That will probably remain
their position for many years. However, the next generation will
consider smartphones and full time internet to be a necessity for
living, necessary evils, expensive luxuries, an ecological disaster, a
privacy horror show, or whatever is in fashion at the time. It
doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

I wonder how many people during the early 20th century had the same
attitude about automobiles, preferring instead to continue using
horses and perhaps bicycles. At the time, automobiles might also have
been considered magic. (Notice how I snuck bicycling into this rant).
--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

I can remember in high school if you were caught with a calculator during an exam you got a Zero on the exam and had to leave the examination room. Times have changed.

Cheers

When I took the test for a U.S. commercial radio operator license
there were quite a number of questions that took a fair amount of
calculation and calculators weren't allowed.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 3/1/2021 8:22 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 3/1/2021 7:00 PM, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:43:46 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/1/2021 5:35 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

It doesn't matter, and phones, internet connectivity, and all the
problems and compromises they bring with them, are here to stay.

That's an admirably Stoic attitude.

Two comments on the problems and compromises:

1) We're already at the stage where it's difficult to function without
an internet connection. I saw this recently when my credit union's
connection was out of service for quite a few days. I've heard of many
people who wanted COVID vaccine but weren't comfortable using the 'net
to try for an appointment and were forced to sit on telephone hold for
hours. And a good friend of mine (and one of the most tech-averse people
I know) has had no internet connection at home for about 12 days and is
beyond furious. The net is now considered the default way of performing
any transaction, and it must be making millions of elderly folks very
anxious.

2) Drivers entranced by their smart phones is becoming a real concern,
including for bicyclists. In our state, members of one political party
(guess which!) just struck down yet another attempt to make distracted
driving a primary offense. But I'm afraid even that won't solve that DD
problem for decades. I seem to see a phone-intoxicated motorist every
five minutes. We'll never have an army of cops big enough to pull them
all over.

I think the only slim possibility of a solution is phone apps that
automatically disable phone communication while a car is moving. If the
use of such apps became The Responsible Thing To Do, at least a portion
of motorists wouldn't be tempted to answer the texts coming in.

Interesting :-) Singapore solved the problem of people fussing about
with hand phones while driving years ago. They simply promulgated a
law that using a hand phone while driving was penalized by a $1,000
fine... and then enforced the law.


Singapore's solution cannot be applied he

True, but for several reasons.

One is the pervasiveness of cell phone use while driving. It's gotten so
common that it would take an immense simultaneous nationwide effort to
clamp down on it via enforcement. Politics will prevent anything
remotely like that level of enforcement.

Another problem is the difficulty of detection. I think that even if
cops were told to ticket absolutely everyone they saw using a phone,
people will continue using them in a hidden manner.

The root problem is a combination of overconfidence and arrogance and
"me first" selfishness: "I'm a terrific driver and I know exactly what
I'm doing, so you can't take away my freedom" - freedom to put others'
lives at risk.

https://forums.somd.com/threads/raci...cement.369343/

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...s#.YD2TTE-NWOI

Of course, I don't think any bicycle helmet law makes sense. And I do
sympathize with minorities subjected to discriminatory police attention.*

But I note that the articles seem to omit one essential data point: Do
on-street observations show many more blacks actually flouting the
helmet law? If over three times as many blacks ride without helmets,
getting over three times as many citations wouldn't in itself prove
discrimination.

-----

* I do think blacks are unjustly targeted in many ways. One tale that
drove that point home was when a certain physicist related after-hours
discussions at a physics conference. Every physicist there had tales of
being hassled by police. There were plenty of details, such as being
stopped and frisked when entering the laboratory building at night, etc.
Those tales astonished me. How could physicists be targets?

It turned out the conference was a gathering of black physicists. The
story was told by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:52:37 -0500, Frank Krygowski scribed:

Another problem is the difficulty of detection.

Easy pesy, road side cameras.
actually they look down on front windscreen so software can detect
visible phone.

Here, they can send you photo for 44 if you elect to challenge.

On Mon, 01 Mar 2021 19:22:49 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

https://forums.somd.com/threads/raci...cement.369343/

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...s#.YD2TTE-NWOI

Interesting. Extracting some numbers from the article:
Of the 2,962 total bicycle infractions from 2003-2020,
56% were for not wearing a helmet, according to a study.
That is:
0.56 * 2962 = 1659 helmet tickets over a 17 year period or:
1659 / 17 = 98 = Approx 100 tickets per year.

Then, there's the homeless:
In addition, one report shows nearly half of Seattle's
helmet tickets were issued to the homeless.
That's about 50 helmet tickets per year for the homeless. That leaves
the remaining 50 helmet tickets per year for those who are not
homeless.

My guess(tm) is about 50% of those went to school children riding to
and from who knows where. So, that's 25 helmet tickets per year for
all races to those who are neither homeless or school children.
Assuming that the Seattle skools are defacto segregated by
neighborhoods, with that few tickets per year, it wouldn't take much
for one overly zealous enforcer at one of the predominantly Black
schools to change the balance.

Black people make up about 8% of Seattle's population; yet,
they received more than 17% of the helmet violations from
2003-2020...

Out of the 50 helmet tickets issued per year to those who are neither
school children or homeless, in order to get equality between the 8%
Black population and 17% tickets issue, the difference would be:
17 + 8 / 2 = 12.5 ticket for perfect equality
with a difference of:
0.17 - 0.125 * 100 = 4.5 tickets difference.

Therefore, to solve the problem and insure perfect equality between
Blacks and everyone else in the area of helmet tickets issued per
year, simply randomly issue 5 helmet tickets per year to anyone who is
not Black or homeless, at a total cost to the victims of $150 plus
taxes, and be done with this nonsense.



--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Mon, 1 Mar 2021 18:30:18 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

I can remember in high school if you were caught with a calculator
during an exam you got a Zero on the exam and had to leave the
examination room. Times have changed.

Yep. I think that problem hit me in about 1970, when I was in
college. There were several problems. Some students couldn't afford
calculators which were running at about $120 for a 4 function
calculator. The instructors didn't want to revise their exams to
accommodate calculators. Technology was progressing very rapidly
resulting large performance differences between different models. The
usual solution was if they couldn't figure out how to integrate the
calculators, then no calculators were to be used. This made little
sense to the engineers, who were expected to use calculators on the
job after graduation.

My "solution" was not exactly in the playbook. Since analog slide
rules were allowed, I would build an electronic analog calculator. I
had take a class in analog computing and decided it could be done. So,
I built an analog calculator of sorts in a briefcase consisting of two
Bournes 10 turn potentiometers, an analog multiplier/divider circuit,
some inverters, some amplifiers, a log amp, and a rather large panel
meter with a mirrored scale. Basically, the same thing as a slide
rule using logarithms, but electronically.

I then asked if I could use it during exams. Much to my surprise, the
reactions were mixed. It took about a month of demonstrating and
haggling to convince the head of the electrical and electronic
engineering department to allow me to use it. His logic was simple.
It took longer to work a complex problem with my device because it
lacked most of the obscure scales found on most slide rules. He was
right. The first time I used it on an exam, I was sweating blood to
finish on time. It tried again on 2 other exams and went back to
using a slide rule. Later, I bought a TI SR-10 calculator.

Eventually, calculators were allowed during exams, but only after most
exam questions were re-written so that any advantage in having a
calculator was minimized. By then, it was assumed that every student
had access to a calculator.


--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558