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DetlevCM

 Discussion on answer by MadHatter: Ca…

Imported from a comment discussion on opensource.stackexchange...
DetlevCM
Nov 5, 2024 12:13
open source = source code is accessible/available. While often associated with free software, it doesn't exclusively cover just free software. There is also the term "free open source" which specifies that the software is also free besides being open source. And you can have "free software" that is closed source too.
 

 Discussion on answer by Allure: Why d…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Nov 28, 2021 22:50
"and impact factors. The last is easy to do, and while it's not perfect, it is objective and there is a correlation with research quality..." - Citations needed. Unfortunately that isn't true. Excellent papers are not cited at all (sometimes because they aren't well enough known) and other good papers are cited a lot (the paper presenting GROMACS is the most cited) and while important are not as important as a citation count of impact factor may make you believe. Any time you introduce a new measure, people are going to try to game the system making it useless...
 

 Discussion on question by Sandeep Roy…

Imported from a comment discussion on superuser.com/questions/...
DetlevCM
May 5, 2021 21:23
@Mokubai I am hard pressed to use 4GB of RAM under Linux for home use (granted, I don't collect browser tabs), so it would be fine, especially if you already have the hardware. (I wouldn't buy anything new with less than 8GB, better 16+GB though). - However little RAM + heavy multitasking are inherently incompatible/
 

 Discussion on answer by Erwan: Why do…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Sep 2, 2020 19:32
You also neglect the existance of national research institutes. The Max Planck Geselschaft, Helmholz Gesellschaft in Germany, CNRS or Inria in France. - That is where most of the world class research takes place in these countries.
 

 Discussion on answer by user2768: Fil…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
May 16, 2020 04:44
Wellm there is LaTeX which works perfectly in git -> New sentences start on a new line. Perfect bliss. And Word... - I find calling it and the version tracking mediocre is a kind expression... (Including the even worse merge function.) - In academia LaTeX is well known, in industry less so. And if someone senior imposes mediocre Word on the OP, then even though there are superior options (such as LaTeX + git for example), they are constrained in their option. And throwing external version control onto Word is just a waste of disk space...
 

 Discussion on question by Antinatalis…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Mar 29, 2019 20:49
@VolkerSiegel Depending on your location, it is indeed possible to be a professor without a doctorate in some countries, such as the UK, for example because the university hopes for better industry ties. The "Professors" in these cases are often also more managers than actual "Professors". - In France, "Professeur" ist just the job title for any teacher and can be used for anybody who teaches, irrespective of degree. So you are nearly always right - but not quite always.
DetlevCM
Mar 29, 2019 20:49
@Christian Which countries? Not in the UK, in Germany or in France. - It is just a jobn description in the same way of say "Director". And a "PhD" is also NOT a title, it is a degree. If you want a title, that is the "Dr." in front of your name which you can use if you hold a Doctorate (in its various incarnations, which includes the PhD).
DetlevCM
Mar 29, 2019 20:49
Professor is not a title but a job description... - The "title" is "Dr." in its various incarnations, from the basic PhD to the Doctor of Science which is much rarer. So as others have said, the response seems weird at best.
 

 Discussion on answer by SztupY: Why i…

Imported from a comment discussion on travel.stackexchange.com...
DetlevCM
Feb 8, 2019 17:31
@gerrit Add to that, on the continent, travel is (depending on location) subsidised for commuters too. Either by the company or the state. In England? You pay the full price - even as a (phd) student... - And when I did my undergraduates degree it was also full price for students...
DetlevCM
Feb 8, 2019 17:31
Railcards aren't a universal answer: when I got one in the UK once, it actually cost me more as certain tickets are excluded....
 

 Discussion on answer by Guntram Blohm…

Imported from a comment discussion on security.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Nov 29, 2018 10:14
If the harddrive is of the "spinning disk type" it may be an idea to physically replace it. Newer drives are often faster and haven't been bashed about (risk of harcdware failure). - In the case of an SSD, it may be an idea to replace it, because it cannot easily be completely wiped (who knows what remains on the SSD? - Say you bought the laptop from someone who stored content that is illegal for whatever reason.) - Replacing the consistent storage media seems like a good idea on a used computer - though it obviously doesn't help angainst malware in the BIOS or similar.
 

 Discussion on answer by jpatokal: Is …

Imported from a comment discussion on travel.stackexchange.com...
DetlevCM
Sep 6, 2018 15:56
@Tor-EinarJarnbjo Low entropy in the key generation process just invites and attack - if not now, then in a couple of years. And while say an SSL certificate can be changed overnight (for a longer key), passports last 10 years. I.e. broken by design. People also have cloned/modified passports successfully (see Guardian link). If the reader then doesn't check if things are signed with a private key, then again it is broken by design. A lock with an elaborate key that can be turned with any piece of metal is not fit for purpose. Again, broken by design.
DetlevCM
Sep 6, 2018 15:56
And some more digging around - one more paper: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/… - One can conclude that the entire system was inherently broken by design at the start. IF all the revisions since are implemented it may be (based on current knowledge) safe - or maybe not. Possibly someone whose job is in information security should be asked about this. (Security Stackexchange?)
DetlevCM
Sep 6, 2018 15:56
@Tor-EinarJarnbjo Let me cite a part of the first link: "Furthermore, BAC shows severe cryptographic weaknesses, especially the use of very low-entropy input when deriving the secret keys" (Kosta et al. 2007) -> This effectively means that the method is broken by design. The same is true for the issue of not verifying keys and thus the chips can contain arbitrary data. Broken by design (unless that was fixed since.) - There is no point in having a key if it won't be verified. You don't have a fancy key for a lock that accepts any straight piece of metal.
DetlevCM
Sep 6, 2018 15:56
One more reference (from 2008) that the technology employed (back then) is just kindly described as "not fit for purpose" (I do not know if it has improved since): theguardian.com/technology/2008/aug/06/news.terrorism
DetlevCM
Sep 6, 2018 15:56
Have they fixed the gaping security holes yet, or is it secure because the governments decided to label it as "secure"? (Just like "de-mail" ...) - Here is a book section (2007) that nicely disassembles the idea that electronic passports are secure: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-72367-9_42 / link.springer.com/content/pdf/… But maybe they fixed things in the past 10 years...
 

 Discussion on question by JezusIsWatf…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Aug 2, 2018 11:57
The English use letters of recommendation as well as the French. Incidentally, it appears that the system of references (effectively the same as a letter of recommendation) is fairly common. Besides that, what I have seen in Europe is a CV and a cover letter - not a "resumé" which appears to be some weird mix of the two.
 

 Discussion on answer by SpoonMeiser: …

Imported from a comment discussion on workplace.stackexchange....
DetlevCM
Jun 8, 2018 14:43
@DragandDrop I didn't say Linux is more robust, I said Word under Wine is not robust. I further said that the Word format is not robust. Between different releases of Word, document layouts are at times broken. - And in terms of working at the moment, Linux is a must for me, because Windows would simply not be fit for purpose. (No bash, no slurm, no GCC, nor proper R integration..., no openMPI, no easy integration of libraries) - Of course I can use it if forced to: Everything will be 10-100 times slower or impossible without endless frustrations...
DetlevCM
Jun 8, 2018 14:43
@Neo In Europe everybody seems happy with a pdf.
DetlevCM
Jun 8, 2018 14:43
@Belle-Sophie I just tried your link: After 20 seconds of loading it does seem to run at a reasonable pace (on an academic internet connection!). When I tried it on a home connection about 2-3 years ago, it was basically unusable. - And then there is the problem of handling personal data to Microsoft...
DetlevCM
Jun 8, 2018 14:43
@Belle-Sophie There is no Word for Linux. Microsoft may make it sound like the Office formats are robust - they are not. (Between versions of Word as well as different Word/OS languages...) Now old versions of Word do run under Wine - but neither robust, nor is a robust layout guaranteed. And Word documents under Libre Office? Well, just for the text extraction it works, but forget any formatting...
 

 Discussion on question by Zulfidin Kh…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
May 24, 2018 05:30
@Ooker For concepts that really need an in-depth explanation, referencing a good textbook would help. Ideally one that is accessible and not only found in the basement of a national library... - That is another "crime" of certain authors, who will state something without identifying where it comes from. For example a mysterious approx 1.89kcal/mol in solvation modelling... (It is the Gibbs enthalpy change from the compression of 1mol at 1atm to 1mol in 1L - we found the source eventually...)
DetlevCM
May 24, 2018 05:30
I don't think people will like this view, but I think in some cases there is also the matter of people not really wanting to share what they did. The paper is supposed to be more of an advertisement for future funding, rather than a true addition to knowledge. Thus is isn't wrong or dishonest in any way - just extremely messy to decipher.... Another problem that I have encountered recently is that it appears that the academics in question have no idea how to write something well. Generally when chemists try to write mathematics, it leaves me extremely frustrated...
 

 Discussion on answer by aeismail: Sle…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
May 13, 2018 15:45
@Nij There is something called "extenuating circumstances" - however they are relegated to drastic event outside of your control. (For example you end up hospitalised due to an accident.) - They are not designed for the inability to plan ahead for eventualities of failures in your chosen mode of transport.
DetlevCM
May 13, 2018 15:45
@Nij It is pretty much standard. I had to rely on the British railway system during my university time. If there was an important "event" (e.g. exam) I made sure to arrive early enough, even if that means planning in an extra 1-2 hours. The point is, if there is an important event (such as an exam), it is your responsibility to show up on time and plan accordingly. It isn't the university's or the examiners job to care if your bus didn't arrive or your car broke down. - And speaking of taxis: you can actually get the cost reimbursed from the public transport operator in some places in Europe.
DetlevCM
May 13, 2018 15:45
@Ooker And it never crossed your mind after maybe 30 minutes that there is a problem? - You could have taken a taxi after a reasonable wait...
DetlevCM
May 13, 2018 15:45
@Ooker If you are dependent on public transport (or even your own vehicle, and this includes a bicycle), you include an adequate amount of time to arrive in case of "issues".
 

 Discussion on question by ZacHammer: …

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Apr 5, 2018 16:25
@astronat Thanks. So my guess was wrong... I didn't google it, because it is not used in Europe, while it seems to be referred to a lot in US-centric questions. - So it should definitely get a "location tag".
DetlevCM
Apr 5, 2018 16:25
It might be worth adding a country tag (US?) of some sort... what is GPA even supposed to mean? Golf Per Automobile? - As a sensible guess, I may guess "Grade Per Annum"... - And for a PhD, in the UK you have your final result and that is it (even without a grade, it is either pass or fail one awarded) - so that's it at the end. Some countries add (or used to add?) a final grade to a PhD as well (Germany).
 

 Discussion on answer by Nate Eldredge…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Feb 26, 2018 14:27
@DSVA You can draw chemical structures in LaTeX - you can also print pretty chemical equations in LaTeX...
 

 Discussion on question by Erik: What …

Imported from a comment discussion on worldbuilding.stackexcha...
DetlevCM
Jan 13, 2016 11:49
The buyback system is something you couldn't defeat. Can't sell to one and buy back? It will go through tweo hands first, then maybe three, maybe four etc. - However many are needed to keep the system rolling. As you cannot monitor buyback indefinitely this will eventually defeat the system. Incidentally, there is a simple solution to hoarding - tax possessions (possibly beyond a threshhold value so that people can save for retirement). Also tax possessions increasingly with worth, i.e. the more someone owns, the more tax that person has to pay. Key point: Ensure tax rules & laws are enforced
 

 Discussion on answer by Jason C: Disa…

Imported from a comment discussion on superuser.com/questions/...
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
First comment includes the vital statement: UAC is designed to protect system files and add a security layer against malicious modifications of the operating system. - Because that's what it does.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
And here is a link to an article by someone who knows what he writes about - Mark Russinovich: technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/magazine/2009.07.uac.aspx (Instead of some paper pusher "manager")
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
Ok, so here is a link to someone more competent: blogs.technet.com/b/mrsnrub/archive/2010/08/06/… And here is Microsoft's official stance on it: windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/… As a bonus, UAC does a lot more than just permissions. -> I.e. The guy with Cnet seems to have no clue what he is talking about... (Read the long blogpost to find out what else it does.) And with people like that apparently in management positions it is no wonder people then do stupid things like turning UAC off...
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
CCleaner has its uses. (How else do you clear for example cookies from multiple browser in one go efficiently (<- key word) for example?). Plus, I have only stated that CCleaner uses the correct and appropriate method for bypassing a UAC prompt where it would be annoying (scheduled task). Another method as an alternative would be the Mozilla Maintenance service for Firefox updates - which again avoids the UAC prompt for Updates.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
You are clearly demonstrating you do not understand UAC - and then use your lack of understanding to defend bad user behaviour. Was UAC annoying at the start when it was introduced? Yes. But you get to appreciate it once you understand what it actively does. And just in case you do not know this - the UAC prompt can be bypassed for specific applications using a scheduled task (protected by UAC) as is done for example for CCleaner. -> Again, where elevated rights are required they can be easily assigned.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
Then you should teach her to use the computer properly. My grandfather will click no on anything unexpected.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
I'm saying Cnet is not a direct Microsoft source. -> You'd be better off linking to TechNet or similar. Add to that, some manager says something... - For all you know he doesn't understand the change at all, which if he really said "is made to annoy" is rather clear evidence that he does not. As I said before, the concept of different permissions has been properly implemented in Linux for years - and Microsoft finally copied it to add another security layer to their OS.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
As you added another comment: Actually, that is wrong. 1) Drivers & Software is signed since Vista - this tells the user which app requests permission. 2) An open source app may request permission, this will be unsigned in response to user behaviour and hence expected by the user. 3) A UAC prompt "out of the blue" with no signature is "weird" -> so one clicks no.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
Cnet, not exactly a "Microsoft source", though you still don't understand the issue. The problem is that incompetents who call themselves programmers wrote applications to run as administrators all the time: The issue? This app misbehaving or being hijacked can break or maliciously modify the OS. Yes, UAC is there to force developers to get their act together and give applications the permissions/account level it needs - and most apps do not need to run with Admin rights. Again, it is THE SAME as the root password on Linux.
DetlevCM
Dec 13, 2015 20:58
With comments such as this you I wonder how you got all this rep? Do you even understand what the intention behind UAC is and how it works? UAC is designed to protect system files and add a security layer against malicious modifications of the operating system. Together with changes to how the kernel works, this is one of the reasons why Windows since Vista is more stable and robust. Incidentally, Linux has been doing the same for ages - the root password whenever you change the system itself. These UAC prompts also still exist in Windows 8 and 10 because they do the same, protect the OS.
 

 Discussion on answer by Franck Dernon…

Imported from a comment discussion on academia.stackexchange.c...
DetlevCM
Oct 11, 2015 06:24
One more point springing to mind: A lot of research in Europe is not carried out at Universities but independent institutes - the universities primarily teach. E.g. research at INRIA (France), the Max Planck Institutes (Germany) etc. is very good but will never feature in a university ranking.
DetlevCM
Oct 11, 2015 06:24
And it might also be worth pointing out that a ranking in reality has no bearing on a university's quality - even though one is made to believe otherwise. Lots of research output doesn't mean good output for example.