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3 December, 2002

Microsoft's Two-Edged Sword of Trust

Rupert Goodwins wrote a thought-provoking article about Palladium. Much of it is speculation, but he describes a very unappealing scenario. A quote:

But if this goes through, then the single most important standard in e-commerce, digital rights management and program licensing will be controlled by Microsoft, who will own the key intellectual property and will license it. How much that will cost and what happens if Microsoft takes a dislike to a company isn't clear, but if Microsoft chooses to exercise those rights to maximize its profits it'll make the Windows monopoly seem like a pleasant dream of childhood innocence.

Posted on 3 December, 2002

MS Research: A New Approach to Excel User-Defined Functions

Here's a link to a very interesting article written by Jones, Burnett, and Blackwell. Simon Peyton Jones works for Microsoft Research in the UK.

We describe extensions to the Excel spreadsheet that integrate user-defined functions into the spreadsheet grid, rather than treating them as a "bolt-on". Our case study is unusual in that it highlights the way that programming language insights can be applied to a product not normally considered as a programming language.

The concept does not involve VBA or any other external language. Rather, a user-defined function is defined in a spreadsheet using standard formulas.

But will this idea ever be incorporated into Excel? Here's what Jones et al have to say about it:

We are in active discussion with the Excel developers about the possibility of including user-defined functions in a future version of Excel. Our progress in these discussions has been very encouraging, but whether we will ultimately succeed in that endeavour is, of course, uncertain.

(via Lambda the Ultimate)

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Sadam Hussein's Top-Ranked Torture Techniques

According to this document, which is part of a 23-page British government dossier detailing alleged torture and human rights abuses in Iraq.

  • Eye gouging
  • Piercing of hands with electric drill
  • Suspension from the ceiling
  • Electric shock
  • Sexual abuse
  • Beating soles of feet
  • Miscellaneous physical torture (cigarette burns, fingernail extraction, whipping, etc.)
  • Mock executions
  • Acid baths

Reading this list, I can't help but think of The Three Stooges.

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Buy Nothing Day vs. Wal-Mart

The results are in. Wal-Mart set an all-time sales record on 29 November -- $1.43 billion. That day just happened to be Adbusters' Buy Nothing Day. I guess the campaign didn't work. Oh well, maybe next year...

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Web Art and Music by Larry Carlson

The description for this site says it all:

Welcome to your gateway to another dimension -- the technocolor electronic dreamland. Turn up the volume! Open your head! Enjoy Your visit!

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Deja Vu: Recreating Web History

This site emulates various old-school browsers, such a NCSA Mosaic, Lynx, Mosaic Netscape, and others.

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Popularity of Baby Names

The U.S. Social Security Administration keeps track of the popularity of baby names. According to the most recent data, Emily and Jacob are the most popular names.

Somewhat surprisingly, Homer, Marge, and Bart don't even make that top-1000. Lisa, however, makes a respectable showing at #335. And Maggie is even more popular, with a rank of #186.

Posted on 3 December, 2002

Rock Paper Scissors: Game or Way of Life?

Just a frivolous game? Think again, pal.

The World RPS Society has an extensive web site, and claims that it's the world's most popular decision-making process. Yet the rules are still hazy. For example, does Rock crush Scissors or is Scissors dulled by Rock?

There is no clear answer to that question. Younger and aggressive (or American) players tend to favour the Rock crushing Scissors view. More liberal-minded players take the view that scissors are dulled by the Rock. The World RPS Society created a task force in 1987 with a hope of eventually resolving the issue but it has been locked in debate and we no longer hold much hope of quick resolution

Posted on 3 December, 2002