http://deanlandolt.com Rambling semi-coherently since 2006... Sat, 10 May 2008 13:59:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The mental model I had of a capability before was pretty much limited to the wikipedia article and some chance encounters with some of the ideas in the past. It took quite a bit of reading, but I think I finally have more of an understanding of what having a ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/216 As I said before, I've been milling about in my head how capabilities can be passed around on the web. Mike Warot's been riffing on this for a bit, and I think that, for the most part, we're on the same page for what a credential actually is (UPDATE: I ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/215 So Mike Warot addressed on my questions about a capability-based file system with a two part ditty that, after first leaving me a little confused, ultimately answered quite a few questions. But what with class tonight and what seemed (from a myopic Beltway perspective) to be the crazy politico drama ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/214 Picking up on the Expelled Exposed meme... According to Seth Finkelstein, I'm not a Googleterrorist: I'd say this isn't a "Google-bomb", since the target site wants the high ranking itself. And Google's algorithmic changes to defuse the bombs aren't applicable here, since the words appear extensively on the site.Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/213 Another great essay from Mark Pilgrim, but it's a shame to see his disdain morph into defeat in the end... As you might expect, the EFF is just bursting with joy at the prospect of rubbing salt in the wound and saying “I told you so.” This is their “I told ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/212 Tyler Cowen opened an interesting thread on the best country music -- and laid out a big list of the kind of songs I have to get my hands on. I'm a sucker for the classic country blues material. Sidenote: to round out the less-than-subtle racialism in the title, check out ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/211 Hillary Clinton on her gas tax holiday... The economists don't like it, but there are no easy answers. Megan McArdle on Hillary... Yes, yes there are. There are easy answers. The easy answer is "Don't do stupid things of no possible value to the electorate." Just observe how easy ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/210 David Weinberger on his attempts to learn more about Microsoft® Expression® Media: The popup conscientiously informs me that once installed, Silverlight “updates automatically,” where “update” means I am giving Microsoft the right to load stuff onto my computer without asking or informing me. In addition, the privacy statement says Microsoft ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/209 Zeldman on lumbering corporate budgetary beasts. I've been holding out hope that there is a better way. I hope I never lose that...Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/208 If you read through this whole screed, you may still be left wondering: why the name SocialFS? The answer is twofold: first, I needed a final project for my Social Computing class, and revisiting these ideas seems like a worthwhile endeavor. But the second, deeper answer is what I think is ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/207 The worse-is-better philosophy: Simplicity: the design must be simple, both in implementation and interface. It is more important for the implementation to be simple than the interface. Simplicity is the most important consideration in a design. Correctness: the design must be correct in all observable aspects. It is slightly better ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/206 I've been kicking around the idea of an web-app file system for quite some time, but I haven't been able to really find the time to work up a head of steam on any implementation details. Now that I'm revisiting the idea for a graduate class, I keep finding ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/205 Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/204 ...from the everything-i-ever-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-the-internet dept.Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/203 Ol' Chuck Darwin on the 3O god and the cruelty of nature... With respect to the theological view of the question: This is always painful to me. I am bewildered. I had no intention to write atheistically, but I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/201 The official Hardy Heron release has been out for a few days and I'm finally getting around to upping my systems. But sitting here meditating to the install status bar has got me thinking... I have quite a few laptops I maintain, and every time I do a fresh Ubuntu install ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/200 Absolutely magnificent. [via shauninman]Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/199 Bill Gates on free software...sorta: "There's free software and then there's open source" he suggested, noting that Microsoft gives away its software in developing countries. With open source software, on the other hand, "there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with." Free Software advocates always seem to ascribe malicious ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/198 OLPC switching to XP? Insistence upon using only free, open-source software had hampered the XO's usability and scared away potential adopters. Bullshit. The ability to add proprietary software exists. This isn't about whether it will ship with a few non-free modules like Flash and MP3 support -- which I'd be fine with. ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/197 Before this whole Expelled thing gains too much momentum, some honest light ought to be shed on the Intelligent Design movement. Their tactics are tawdry, asking real scientists to prove a negative, so there is certainly some bad blood between the two groups. That said, nobody's saying there's no place in ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/196 I honestly thought Expelled was a parody when I first saw the trailers. Is this the trailer for Stein's next flick? Frankly, it's hard to tell what's parody these days... And hell, Ben Stein's charisma is just what the abstinence movement needs. [via HnR]Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/195 I hadn't noticed (I avoid 'em like the plague) -- but apparently Starbucks has decided to return to its roots with it's old topless, spread eagle mermaid logo. Boobies! Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/194 The good: the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals cites Wikipedia in an opinion. The bad: they give a date of last reference (Aug. 16, 2004) but fail to realize they could link strait to the frozen version of the page -- a method which would completely sidestep the anyone-could-change-it arguments. The ugly: ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/193 DMX on the future of democracy... Wow, Barack! The nigga’s name is Barack. Barack? Nigga named Barack Obama. What the fuck, man?! Is he serious? That ain’t his fuckin’ name. Ima tell this nigga when I see him, “Stop that bullshit. Stop that bullshit” [laughs] “That ain’t your fuckin’ name.” Your ... http://deanlandolt.com/archives/192 Share This http://deanlandolt.com/archives/191