Strange Collection of Random Ideas

2009-02-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Capping

Recently, an Internet Service Provider near me announced that it had plans to start limiting the amount of information each subscription could download and upload to the Internet. The deciding factor for how much one could communicate using the same infrastructure as the other plans: how much one is willing to pay.

There are several reasons for this. First, more and more information is being transmitted over an infrastructure that was not designed to carry so much and second, ISPs are able and willing to do whatever they please because many times, the consumer doesn't have a choice.

Before the pros and cons of both sides of the issue, a small illustration of how more and more traffic is a problem for ISPs. For every bit of information to reach its destination (many times a very long distance away) it has to go through a long series of hubs. Information is like barges on water. They have no drivers of their own, just a code saying where they come from and where they should go. They are sent on their way down a stream and once they reach a hub, their code is read and if they need to go further, they are sent down another stream.

ISPs today are very centralized, so all of the information going out of the area each center serves has to go through that center. So there is some logic in the ISPs's stance that with less information, there will be less congestion. But there is one thing static bandwidth caps neglect: timing.

Most of the ISPs's problems come when there are a lot of people online all sending information at once. Bandwidth capping cannot solve this.

Here is some advice for both the bandwidth hogs that are ahead of their time and for ISPs that desperately need to catch up with the times.

For bandwidth hogs:

1: Bittorrent and other network-heavy things when you know the network isn't stressed already. Nighttime is a good time.

2: It may not be much, but it helps. Compression is your friend.

For ISPs:

1: Bittorrent and other filesharing protocols were designed in part to take some strain of of centralized servers, Decentralize and make everyone's lives easier.

Staunch holding on to the past and an a-universal-gesture-for-every-time-my-territory-is-infringed-upon mentality will only lead to more of the same. Working together, we might get somewhere.

2009-01-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

Planoj?

Nova jaro, plu lekcionoj.

La grandaj novaĵretoj ree demonstris ke ili ne meretas ilian renomon kaj la popolan fidon. La lasta granda sismo en Kostariko okazis dum la oka de januaro, la grandaj novaĵretoj ne menciis tiun ĝis la deka de januaro. Samtempe, senviktima tertremeto sub la Karibmaro aperis en la internaciaj paĝoj de la samaj novaĵretoj dum la sama tago ke okazis. Ĝis nun, kvindek homoj mortis per la sismo en Kostariko. Ni bezonas novaĵejojn ke ne uzas monon kaj skandalon por elekti kio ili prezentas.

2008-12-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

Its hard tu sej

Æz ë feksër maj mejn rijsërĉ menij dejz iz tu trol ðë intërnet lükiŋ ëp hwët iz gouiŋ on in ðë wërld. Æz ë rizült, aj tend tu bij moustlij on ðë böl hwen it këmz tu wërld ivents, ijvën ðou sëmtajmz aj dount rimembër hwer aj got ðæt nolidẑ frëm, whiĉ kæn bij kostlij.

Sou, for ðë sijmiŋ læk ëv ë betër þiŋ tu blog ëbæut ænd ðë goudiŋz ëv ë güd frend wiþ ë blog ænd podkæst meij tajmz mor vizibl ðæn ðis wën, aj æm startiŋ ë podkæst sijrijz diskësiŋ hwët iz gouiŋ on in ðë wërld. Ðis poust: ðë kejös in Grijs, part wën.

Ðer ar ë lot ëv kwestĉënz ðæt küd bij ekstrækted frëm ðis siĉuejŝën, hijr ar ðë moust lajklij wënz and brijf ænd verij bajëst këndenst ænsërz for ðem. Kontent on ðis blog iz ëndër ðë Krijejtiv Komënz Ëtribjutëv, Nonkëmërŝël ænd Ŝer Ëlajk lajsëns, sou kënsidër jorselvz wornd ëbæut plejdẑërajziŋ mij.

Fërst verij lajklij kwesĉën: Kæn Prajm Ministër Kostas Karamanlijs ænd ðë kënsërvëtiv gëvërmënt ëv Grijs stej in pæuër?

Jes, ëkordiŋ tu ë disembër tenþ artikl frëm BBK (Britiŝ Brödkæstiŋ Korpërejŝën, ju nou), Prajm Ministër Karamanlijs ænd ðë gëvërmënt hij hedz stil hæv ðë sëport ëv ðë mëdẑoritij ëv ðë grijk popjulejŝën. Ölsou, hiz rajvëlz ar komënlij përsijvd æz bijiŋ ijvën les ënejbl ðæn hij iz tu kënfrënt ðë kejös.

2008-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Failiure to Be

This posting discusses something that will hopefully fail, but also covers something that will hopefully not fail. The posting is repeated in a provisional phonetic representation that is based on mainly the Icelandic and Esperanto orthographies. Please leave comments and suggestions.

The bailouts were and still are a bad idea. Nothing says sink a free market economy more than giving a get out of jail card to companies that bet on themselves and others (albethey venerable) that failed to adjust to a world they helped create.

Hard times will come, that is a certainty, especially in an economic model that thrives on the rise and fall of the players within it. And this leads to the issue here: the big three auto manufacturers have gained so much influence that they see the US government as an insurance fund, disregarding that it is not the government's money to liberally dispense. There is a well known economic policy that operates this way, ask Karl Marx what the best name for it is.

Ðë bejlæuts wër ænd stil ar ë bæd ajdië. Nëþiŋ sez siŋk ë frij market ikönemij mor ðæn giviŋ ë get æut ëv dẑejl frij kard tu këmpënijz ðæt bet on ðemselvz ænd ëðërz (ölbijðej venërëbl) ðæt fejld tu ëdẑëst tu ë wërld ðej helpt kriejt.

Hard tajmz wil këm, ðæt iz ë sërtëntij in ën ikënomik modl ðæt þrajvz on ðë rajz ænd föl ëv ðë plejërz wiþin it. Ænd ðis lijdz tu ðë iŝu hijr: ðë big þrij ötou mejkërz hæv gejnd sou mëĉ influëns ðæt ðej sij ðë Ju.S. gëvërmënt æz ën inŝërëns fënd, disrigardiŋ ðæt it iz not ðë gëvërmënts mënij tu libërëlij dispens. Ðer iz ë wel noun ikënomik polisij ðæt opërejts ðis wej, æsk Karl Marks hwët ðë best nejm for it iz.

2008-11-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

So yeah...

Call it weird, but I just installed an applet on my Gnome panel on my Linux computer that lets me blog from my desktop. Maybe I might write more now.

Llamanme extraño si quiren, pero acabo de instalar un programa en mi computadora usando Linux que puedo usar para escribir en mi blog sin tener que entrar al sitio principal. Talvéz escribiré mas a menudo ahora.

Stranĝa? Ne, utila. Mi ĵus instalis programeton je mia linuksa komputilo ke lasas min skribi sur mia blogo sen bezoni iri al la ĉefpaĝo. Verŝajne mi skribos pliofte.

Books

2008-09-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Mi legis la libron Farenhejt' 451 pro mia anglakurso dum la lasta semajno kaj mi komencis pensi pri libroj denove. Hieraŭ mi rekomencis kvikskriptigi la Biblion (Tiam ĉi mi laboras je la libro pro la Filipanoj). Ankaŭ, mi decidis montri mia dezirlisto de libroj, tiu nur havas du. Tiuj estas la esperanta Biblio kaj Andro kaj la Liono de Bernardo Ŝavo presinta en la ŝava alfabeto. Eĉ la mondo ke Rej Bradburo priskribis ne fariĝis, liaj advertoj daŭras esti aŭskultindaj.

2008-06-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Mi venis al Elpaso Teksaso pensanta ke la limo inter la Usono kaj Meksikio kontrolis la vidon de cxiuj ke vivas cxirkaux gxi. Tiu pvavis, kaj ne pravis. De la Usona limo, por iri al Meksikio oni nur devas montri ke li estas usonano. De la Meksikia limo oni devas montri ke li havas arego da papeloj kaj pagis aregon da gagxoj. Cxu la nacio farita de eksterlandoj perfidas sian popran spiriton per malfaciligi la vidojn de tiuj kiuj volas vivi tie?

You asked for random, you got it.

2008-06-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

𐑒𐑰𐑐 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑜𐑧𐑕𐑦𐑙, 𐑞𐑨𐑑𐑕 𐑷𐑤𐑢𐑱𐑟 𐑓𐑳𐑯. 𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑲 𐑜𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑴𐑛 𐑓𐑹 𐑩 ·𐑖𐑷𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑒𐑰𐑚𐑹𐑛 (𐑔𐑱𐑙𐑒 𐑿 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑢𐑩𐑯 𐑣𐑵 𐑣𐑧𐑤𐑐𐑑) 𐑯 𐑩 𐑚𐑤𐑪𐑜 𐑝 𐑥𐑲 𐑴𐑯 (𐑩 𐑛𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑮𐑩𐑕 𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑓𐑹 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑦𐑑 𐑕𐑰𐑥𐑟, 𐑲 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑷𐑤𐑮𐑧𐑛𐑦 𐑚𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑟) 𐑲 𐑢𐑦𐑖𐑑 𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑸𐑑 𐑩 𐑚𐑤𐑪𐑜 𐑦𐑯 𐑿 𐑜𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑑, ·𐑖𐑷𐑝𐑾𐑯.

𐑣𐑽 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑲 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑦 𐑢𐑦𐑔 𐑞 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑. 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑥𐑷𐑤 𐑗𐑲𐑤𐑛 𐑲 𐑢𐑳𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑕 𐑑 𐑚𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑤𐑱𐑚𐑤𐑛 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑦𐑒. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑢𐑳𐑟𐑯𐑑 𐑞 𐑒𐑱𐑕 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑲 𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑩 𐑥𐑱𐑡𐑼 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑓𐑹 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑩𐑤. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑒𐑺𐑦𐑛 𐑪𐑯 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑲 𐑤𐑻𐑯𐑛 ·𐑕𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑖 𐑹𐑔𐑪𐑜𐑮𐑩𐑓𐑦. 𐑓𐑹 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑕, 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑳𐑕 𐑓𐑳𐑯 𐑹 𐑨𐑑 𐑤𐑰𐑕𐑑 𐑥𐑱𐑛 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑕.

𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑯𐑲𐑯𐑔 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑛. 𐑲 𐑢𐑳𐑟 𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑹𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑡𐑦𐑪𐑜𐑮𐑩𐑓𐑦 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑲 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑞 𐑤𐑱𐑙𐑜𐑢𐑩𐑡𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑒𐑳𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑚𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑒𐑤𐑨𐑕. 𐑦𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑸𐑑𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑔 ·𐑮𐑳𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑜𐑮𐑵 𐑥𐑹 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑛 𐑲 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑨𐑯 𐑕𐑰𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑳𐑑 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 ·𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑡𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑓𐑹 𐑓𐑳𐑯 𐑹 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑥𐑹 𐑦𐑓𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑤𐑦. 𐑕𐑴 𐑞𐑺 𐑲 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑤𐑛 𐑩𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕 ·𐑖𐑷𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑯 𐑓𐑮𐑳𐑥 𐑞 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑛𐑱 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕. 𐑲 𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑢𐑦𐑗𐑑 𐑑 ·𐑒𐑢𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑳𐑗 𐑰𐑟𐑦𐑼 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑦𐑑 𐑤𐑨𐑒𐑕 𐑩 ·𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑒𐑴𐑛 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 (𐑨𐑟 𐑝 𐑯𐑬) 𐑲 𐑿𐑟 𐑢𐑳𐑑 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝.

There was my first blog entry in the Shavian alphabet. If you're wondering what on earth that is, http://www.omniglot.com/writing/shavian.htm can explain it a lot better than I can.

And so It Begins

2008-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

The first post, this should be interesting.

When I made this blog I forgot to subtitle that the random ideas included here would be mostly (but by no means limited to) about religion, technology, language and society. Amazingly, this first random idea has something to do with everything this blog is supposed to be about.

A matter of years ago the random idea of memorizing the entire Christian Bible came to me. It seemed amazing until I remembered that yes, almost every single modern translation of the Bible is copyrighted. This had seemed innocent and quite normal before I became involved in the free software movement, but seeing how intellectual property laws could me mangled and misused, the true depth of the situation comes to light. Is the Word of God intellectual property who's ownership belongs to a sole group of humans? A copyrighted Bible belongs in the cathedral, while true Christians belong in the bazaar.

There is a solution for this, to bring the idea of free development to Bible translation. Maybe call it the Open Bible: The Way the Word was Meant to Be.