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Thursday, December 8, 2011
Are economists not humble enough?
One of them is David Colander, who has an admirable art of getting into all the right committees at the AEA. This time, it is the Ethics Committee. In his latest paper, he argues that he is not too worried about the funding of economic research and the lack of disclosures. He is rather bothered by the fact that economists do not have the humility to declare how fragile their results may be. They should be more forthcoming about the risk of error, much as engineers do as they care a lot about failure.
I can see where Colander is coming from, but I do not think this is the fault of the economists, but rather of the public consuming economic research. From personal experience, nobody cares about alternative scenarios. Well many editors do, but people in the industry do not. All they want is a precise number to run with. And even if you include standard errors and such, all that is reported is the median. I am guilty of this on this blog as well, it would take too much time and space to report this for every paper, and it distract from the main message. Only when I think the authors have abused the simplification or neglected possible scenarios do I discuss this, and this does not happen too often. And I think it is very symptomatic how Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims have recently been ridiculed in the press for refusing to provide instant answers to difficult questions. In short, I think the problem has less to do with the economists than with the readership.
6 comments:
I guess your point came summarized as: the readers force economists in not being humble. Well, economists could try to resist more.
- December 8, 2011 at 8:53 AM
It is all good and nice if they resist more, but there is always going to be one who will be willing to state things without reservations, and this is the one the media, the policy people and the general public will flock to.
- December 8, 2011 at 11:10 AM
- TJ said...
" but I do not think this is the fault of the economists, but rather of the public consuming economic research"
I disagree with this.
"In short, I think the problem has less to do with the economists than with the readership."
Again, I disagree.
First off: the *public* doesn't consume the output of the professional economics industry. Politicians and policymakers do. Journalists and opinion columnists do. Politicians convert economic theories into practice, and journalists translate economic theories into articles that are then consumed by the public. It isn't the public's fault that their rulers have been sold dud policies.
If politicians and policymakers demand levels of precision that economists know that they cannot provide then it is the responsibility of the *economists* to explain to the politicians and policymakers that it is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong. If a theory really doesn't provide certain answers then economists should make this clear to the politicians.
If journos want precision and certainty so they can sell newspapers then, again, it is the responsibility of the economics profession to explain what one can be certain about and what one can't be certain about.
Or to put it another way: I'm an engineer. Imagine I design an electronic appliance that electrocutes one in every thousand people who uses it, because I neglected to include an earth wire. When I'm hauled before a judge to explain myself, I can't very well say:
"Oh it's all the public's fault, the lack of an earth wire is clearly visible on the circuit diagram on the inside of the casing."
If economists want to be taken seriously ever again they need to take some responsibility for their work and be honest. And yes, be humble.
- December 10, 2011 at 6:28 AM
- Economic Logician said...
TJ, I am not disagreeing. But Kansan's point is very valid. There will always be an economist, or someone who pretends to be one, who is not going to be humble, and this is the one the journalists will be flocking to. The only solution here would be to regulate the profession and certify economists, as I have written about before.
- December 10, 2011 at 8:20 AM
TJ: What we observe is the result of a substantial selection bias. Humble economists are simply not selected for studies and interviews, precisely because their are humble.
I think I am humble, and I consistently refuse interview requests precisely because I know what will be expected from me, and I do not want to prostitute myself.
- December 10, 2011 at 9:17 AM
This article in the American Scientist tears apart some of the certitudes Steven Levitt has expressed in his works as editor of the JPE or in his popular books. This is someone who was not humble, but got greatly rewarded in the public opinion and probably his pocketbook.
- December 14, 2011 at 12:22 PM


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Public Comment
New: Irony Abounds
I was struck by two articles in the current issue (10/28/13). First was The Public Eye: The Politics of Hate which details the paranoia as well as forces behind the extreme right's political views and activities. On the other hand we had One Nation, Under Guard: How the Pentagon Trains for Martial Law in America. It presents the extreme left's paranoia. Both of these dystopian, if factually correct views, reflect the division and extremism that seems to be more and more common worldwide.
Whether it be the extreme right and left, Shia and Sunni extremists, the divisions with the Balkans or any of a number of other polarities that afflict the world. I'm reminded of the old song, "Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it creeps, it starts when you're always afraid, step out of line and they'll take you away." It seems like maybe it's time for all of us to take a few deep breaths and start talking to each other instead of at each other.

subset: commoncrawl


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New Method Shows Mushrooms A Top Source for One Antioxidant
Mushrooms Antioxidant Food
Using a new, more sensitive-testing approach they developed for fungi, Penn State food scientists have found that mushrooms are a better natural source of the antioxidant ergothioneine than either of the two dietary sources previously believed to be best.
The researchers found that white button mushrooms, the most commonly consumed kind in the U.S., have about 12 times more of the antioxidant than wheat germ and 4 times more than chicken liver, the previous top-rated ergothioneine sources based on available data.
Until the Penn State researchers developed their testing approach, known as an assay, there was no method employing the most sensitive modern instrumentation and analytical techniques to quantify the amount of ergothioneine in fungi. The researchers say that their assay can be used for other plants, too, not just mushrooms.
Joy Dubost, doctoral candidate in food science, who conducted the study, says,


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Baltimore-Based USNS Comfort Sets Sail For Haiti
Two tug-boats escorted the USNS Comfort Navy medical ship away from a Canton dock as it began its journey to earthquake-ravished Haiti.
Orders were issued on Wednesday for the ship to sail and provide medical assistance to victims of the massive earthquake that rocked one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere Jan 12.
Crews rushed the ship out of maintenance and into duty, stocking it with medical provisions and water before heading to sea Saturday. It is expected to reach Haiti by Wednesday and immediately begin providing care to victims of the quake. Because the ship is too large for Haiti's port, it will remain off shore.
Aid continues to pour into the country from around the world.
Reports from the scene describe the situation in Haiti as chaotic, with fears of looting and civil disorder. Residents can be seen roaming the streets in search of loved ones, medical care and what's left of their homes.
Commander Cappy Surette, spokesperson for the Navy Surgeon General, was undeterred by the reports. "That's what we do. We go into harm's way to help people," he told 11 News reporter Jennifer Franciotti.
Surette said the ship had 1,000 patient beds, multiple operating and recovery rooms, and the capacity to provide vision and dental care.
11 News reporter Lowell Melser, on board the USNS Comfort, will speak with doctors and nurses and file live reports throughout the journey to Haiti. Use the link above to follow his "live wire" blog.
Anyone wishing to help victims can call Catholic Relief Services at 1-877-HELP-CRS, text RELIEF to 30644 or visit the CRS Web site http://crs.org. Donations can also be made to the American Red Cross of Central Maryland at 410-624-2000, ext. 2450, or through the Web site at www.redcross-cmd.org.
Refresh WBALTV.com often and watch WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest updates.


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Vow-maker: Reverend Claire Goodman guides you to 'I Do'
The first response to wedding announcements are traditionally concerned with aesthetic: Have you picked a dress? What color for the invitations? Vineyard or chapel? While these elements contribute to the overall aura of any nuptial, the most important part of the day– the ceremony– is often, regrettably, largely overlooked. Yet it is the "I dos" that bring together bride and groom, family and friends, to witness the union of two lives– a creative task that can involve managing various faiths and spiritual needs. But creating new and engaging ceremonies shouldn't be a daunting task– just ask local interfaith minister Claire Goodman.
"When planning a wedding, there are a lot of things you do– buy a dress, decide about food. These things are familiar," she says. "A ceremony is completely out of people's experience– but that's what you're all there for. The party is great and fun, but it's about the couple and what's going on between them."
For Goodman, a Charlottesville resident for 20 years, the calling to interfaith ministry occurred in what she describes as an "Oprah 'Ah-ha' moment." Enrolling in a seminary in New York City, Goodman coincidentally took an elective in interfaith weddings– and after leading her first ceremony three days after being ordained, she was hooked. Approximately four years and 375 weddings later, Goodman still finds her "dream career" just as challenging and enthralling as that very first ceremony.
"When I'm leading, I want to be as true as I possibly can– I have no agenda other than to say what I feel would be right for the couple," Goodman explains. "The difference between me and a church pastor is that they are representing their church; I am representing the couple."
Specializing in ceremonies that mediate stark spiritual differences– whether it be Hindu and Christian or non-spiritual and Catholic, for example– Goodman tailors every aspect of a ceremony to fit the bride and groom– individually and as a unit. When initially meeting with a couple, Goodman first delves into the spiritual faith of both parties before asking the traditional "How did you meet?" or "Why are you getting married?" questions, in order to gauge the devotional route she should take in creating her ceremony. Leaving much creative control with the couple, Goodman makes it a high priority to be the vessel, rather than the spotlight, of the ceremony.
"Even though I'm feeding them the words and I'm facilitating, it's not about me," she notes. "Any chance I get, I stand aside and let it really be about them. I love it in pictures when you don't see me and it looks like they're just talking to each other."
And while she notes the pleasure derived from planning a luxurious party to celebrate the marriage, Goodman cautions brides to pay particular attention to the officiant they choose to lead them into married bliss. The officiant, besides the photographer, often plays the most intimate role of the entire day– and should, if possible, she says, become as close a friend as your maid of honor. Make finding your officiant an early priority in the planning process, she advises, because availability can become scarce once your secured date looms closer. The more time you have with an officiant, the better able he or she will be to fully know your spiritual and marital desires and articulate them.
"It's not the words people remember, it's the feelings," Goodman says. "I work hard on the words, but people won't remember exactly what I said– it's the fact that the bride and groom are engaged in the ceremony."
She garners inspiration from each ceremony she's performed– and, having officiated at venues throughout Charlottesville including Second Street Gallery, LiveArts, and nearly every winery, she has a wide repertoire of experiences to guide her. Additionally, her own wedding at Yogaville in Buckingham County (where she donned a turquoise sari) continues to inspire her mantra of unifying various faiths into one sustainable marriage.
"All of my ceremonies inspire me for others," she says. "There's so many possibilities, it's endlessly creative."


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Remember those curious Cthulhu Transformers? Courtesy of IDW Publishing, here's a sneak peek at the second issue of the Infestation 2: Transformers miniseries, which features more tentacled robots and Optimus Prime meeting Tesla. Edison was hanging out with the Gobots, presumably. This issue hits stores Wednesday, February 15. Here's the plot synopsis:
Infestation 2: TRANSFORMERS #2 (of 2)
Chuck Dixon (w) • Guido Guidi (a & c)
The Infestation threatens all of America, and its evil seems unstoppable as it infects everything in its path. Tobias Muldoon is called upon to help the Autobots find a solution, and he knows the perfect man for the job-Nikola Tesla! Together they attempt to re-activate Optimus Prime, but it's unclear if he will be able to turn the tide in an increasingly hopeless situation!


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Delivery 5 - 10 working days Free delivery in EU from 200 EUR
Machine washing on the gentle or delicate cycle with textiles in the similar tones.
We recommend washing with cold water and a natural, plant-based laundry detergent.
Do not use whiteners, as bleaching agents may diminish the brilliance and depth of the colours; when needed, use only non-chlorine bleach.
Fabric softeners and dryer sheets reduce the absorbency of cotton textiles and are not recommended.
Before drying shake properly and dry unfurled. Use a warm iron as needed.
collection LINE pillowcases


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Cosmopolitan village
Cosmopolitan village Frankfurt is a banking capital and culture hotspot. The city's heart beats in the Bahnhofsviertel – we take a stroll through a quarter with a gift for continuous reinvention.
Ravioli with wild mushrooms with butter foam, fried fillet of zander with smoked mashed potatoes and tarragon: The restaurant Laube Liebe Hoffnung has a vision of reinterpreting the "good old days," serving up the results on long trestle tables in a wooden building that sits in a green meadow. Truth is, it has never been particularly idyllic here – and the future is happening practically on the doorstep of this hip eatery. On the site of what used to be Frankfurt's main freight depot, where until 1996 freight trains shunted, one of the biggest urban development projects in Germany is emerging at breathtaking speed: the Europaviertel quarter. Apartment and office buildings are shooting up, and will one day house 14 000 people on the edge of the city's west end. The quarter was designed on drawing boards; some traditionalists sniff and call it "soulless." While the modern apartments will be expensive, the location is attractive and in great demand. There are supermarkets, a cinema, and an unrivaled view of the skyline from the rooftop terrace of a gym and spa. There are plans for a new subway station, and the city center is within cycling distance.
The busy highway Mainzer Landstraße separates Frankfurt's newest quarter from the central station and one of the city's most traditional districts: the small Bahnhofsviertel (central station district), a distinct and very different kind of universe. It is populated by restaurateurs and wheeler-dealers, hipsters and shady types, visionaries and weirdos; it's a place where worlds collide, where around 4000 people from 180 nations live on just a few hundred square meters of space. Some regard the district as Sodom and Gomorrah, others as the next big thing. Either way, here, between late-19th-century buildings and glass tower, is where the wild, unpredictable heart of the city beats. The locals tell anecdotes of the red light district's glory days, of courteous bikers and the peaceful co-existence of subculture and mainstream. These days, they grumble, people migrate to Frankfurt in search of luxury; investors are only interested in rates of return.
More than 350 000 people use the railway station every day. It's a 10-minute train ride to the airport, and the Zeil shopping street is only two stops away. The Bahnhofsviertel district between the river, the financial district and elegant Westend is a gateway to the city for many visitors, but it's also becoming popular as a residential area. In 2006, only about 2400 people lived here; soon there will be almost twice as many. Statistically speaking, the entire city of Frankfurt grows by around 1100 people every month, newborn babies included. This puts pressure on residents and sends rents and property prices sky-high. To counter the trend, the city plans to approve the construction of 20 residential towers, several of which are already being built.
Real estate manager Ulrich Höller looks out across Bahnhofsviertel from his 14th floor office in the adjacent banking district. Spread out over roughly half a square kilometer, it looks more like an urban village from up here. But the cranes and the scaffolding signal the rapid change that Höller, chairman of the German Estate Group, is also responsible for creating. "Building upward is expensive in Germany," he says. The building code is strict. "But the dramatic rise in rents in recent years has made it an attractive investment proposition again." Höller expects demand for both residential and commercial properties to increase, thanks partly to Brexit. "Hardly a week goes by without another international bank announcing plans to relocate from London to Frankfurt." The state bank of Hesse and Thuringia forecasts that at least 8000 more people will soon be working in the city's banking towers.
Frankfurt, Bankfurt, Mainhattan. The city's mostly affectionate nicknames reference its many high-rises, but also the river, its lifeline, which is increasingly attracting high-carat art, culture, lifestyle and dining. There are ten museums on the south bank, and the renowned Museum Embankment celebrates itself twice a year with a grand party at the end of August and the Night of Museums in the spring. The city boasts the German Film Museum and the German Museum of Architecture, the Städel art museum, which will be restoring its listed facade through 2019, when the red sandstone so typical of Frankfurt will gleam as brightly as the recently rebuilt old town on the opposite bank of the river. Here, close to the Schirn art gallery, the Stoltze Museum, dedicated to the author and dialect poet Friedrich Stoltze, is due to move into new premises in October. Next summer, the city will close the north bank of the river on both sides of the pedestrian bridge Eiserner Steg for traffic, making a stroll around the old center, the cathedral and the Römerberg even more attractive. The beach clubs along the river will – initially for a year – be joined by new open-air cafes, hopefully with opening hours long enough to give audiences coming from the nearby theater time for a drink after the curtain falls. Optimistic locals long for an outstanding project, like Hamburg's Elphilharmonie and dream of a European culture festival with floating stages, pop-up restaurant boats and a summer packed with classical music, opera, ballet and theater.
Frankfurt's problem is that most of the available building space is on the outskirts of the city, where opposition to new construction is strong. So the solution seems to lie within the city limits. Many residents are afraid that development will focus on the Bahnhof district and result in over-development.
James Ardinast, restaurateur and part of the revitalization process, takes things in stride. "Things are different in the Bahnhof district, even gentrification." In his view, as long as the bankers and hipsters share the space with those following alternative lifestyles, there will be a natural limit to development. A self-regulating ecosystem? It's a nice idea. Ardinast receives us in his fancy "Stanley Diamond" restaurant on Ottostrasse, a place that flirts with contrasts: flamingo and duck sculptures and marble walls, fine crystal and contemporary rap music. "Our kitchen staff all have an haute-cuisine background," Ardinast explains, "but we want them to break away from what they've learned." Guests are served plain cooking with just a few ingredients, but the quality is excellent and the food imaginative. As if on cue, the waiter brings out a cold melon soup with homemade chili oil and a skewer of sauteed shrimp.
Ardinast and his brother David also run two other restaurants in the neighborhood. "Frankfurters avoided this area for a long time and many still do," says James. But the brothers have loved it here ever since they were young; their father often took them to the multicultural microcosm near the station. Back then, you could find authentic cuisine from far-flung places. "It was always a place where you could be yourself without rubbing anyone the wrong way," the restaurateur says. The Ardinasts, who have turned their catering service into an agency for events and food consulting, recently returned from Hong Kong, where they organized a dinner for a German automobile firm – from the problem district into the world!
Unlike in the past, many Frankfurters are now proud of their city, and the world's lifestyle magazines are flocking to experience the food scene, which is transcending ribs and sauerkraut and its signature green sauce. While the traditional pubs in Alt-Sachsenhausen still serve Sauergespritzter (cider with sparkling water) and classic dishes, the foodie scene in the city is now more cosmopolitan and includes Ayurvedic and Ethiopian cuisine, Kosher fare and award-winning dining, for instance at "Carmelo Greco", one of Germany's top Italian restaurants. There are many excellent bars; Bonechina, the latest, has an intimate atmosphere, and guests can flavor their drinks with ice cubes infused with sandalwood or bison grass.
1 Europaviertel
2 Restaurant Stanley Diamond
3 Central Station
4 Hotel Roomers
5 Financial District
6 Museumsufer
One of the city's oldest clubs, famed for its themed parties and slightly run-down charm, is the Pik Dame on Elbestrasse. The plushy establishment has experienced all of the quarter's metamorphoses and witnessed vicious clan rivalry – it has never stayed peaceful for long here. The Pik Dame is currently closed for a reason that's almost symbolic for the district: The club's owner wants to build onto the two-story structure to create apartments for his staff, who can no longer afford to live locally.
Frankfurt's most colorful district also plays a leading role in the city's hospitality. When every hotel bed is full, the ratio of guests to residents is roughly 2:1. That's one of the highest instances of hotels per square meter in the world. And quite fittingly, a jury of experts voted Frankfurt businessmen Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu "Hoteliers of the Year" for 2018.
The golden boys of the German hotel industry meet us on the terrace of their hotel Roomers, which features five-star frivolity in the form of muted lighting, black walls and purple velvet and golden canopies on the beds. Guests are greeted with vodka, sparkling wine and sweets. From their first hotel in the Bahnhofsviertel district, Rosen and Urseanu have expanded into an empire that employs over a thousand people from Baden-Baden to Munich to Berlin, and is set to expand further.
All their business activities come together in Frankfurt. "We aren't just here for hotel guests but for the people of Frankfurt, too," says Rosen. To this day, 70 percent of the people who frequent their hotel bars and restaurants are from Frankfurt – and everyone seems to know each other. In 2002, Rosen and Urseanu opened the Bristol hotel near the main station. A year later, they threw the legendary party with the Ardinasts that gave rise to the Nightcrawlers parties that still bring together bank employees, graffiti artists and art students.
To this day, the mix is typical of this no-go-area turned hotspot. If they continue to come here, the students, the migrants, the hipsters and eventually the Brexit bankers, they will find that even what does not belong together elsewhere can grow together in Frankfurt.
Tasty break
Dine on the riverbank: Stop for a bite on a warm fall day at the Blaue Wasser by the Main.
Guided Tours
See the financial district, climb the Maintower or admire the Römer (town hall).
New Old-Town
Visit the DAM museum to learn about the Cathedral District (through March 2019).
Midnight snack
South African Zachary Smith serves craft beer and beef jerky in the Bridge District.
Some 300 000 visitors came to the 70th Frankfurt Book Fair, which was open to the public on October 13 and 14. This year's guest of honor was Georgia. buchmesse.de
Lufthansa operates flights from Frankfurt Airport to 186 destinations in 72 countries – that's 6584 takeoffs and landings every week. lufthansa.com


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Maybe you never knew you were mischarged for an outstanding electric bill, or maybe you never got a notice from a debt collector, but rebuilding a damaged credit report can be a difficult task.
Bryan Gordon, a consumer protection attorney at The Legal Credit Experts, located at 20 E. Sunrise Hwy. in Valley Stream, says the playing field can be tricky and collection agencies can sometimes become threatening when they set out to get what they want.
"People have a wide range of issues," Gordon explained. "Credit issues don't only affect the people who have no money, but they also effect the people who have a lot of money."
Gordon said nearly 80 percent of credit reports show some kind of error that could potentially result in a lower credit score.
"It's like doing your life insurance review, your financial planning review and meeting with your accountant once a year, you should be meeting with your credit advisor once a year," he said. "You should take a proactive stance when it comes to your credit and not a reactive one."
He said his company has helped dozens of clients regain control of a spiraling credit score.
In what is called the "360 degree credit consultation," Gordon and his team provide a detailed credit analysis and audit of their client's credit report, offer advice in an effort to optimize their score and examines court records in search of any outstanding or pending debt litigation.
"We work on a pay per deletion basis after our initial consultation," he said. "That way our clients are assured that we get them off as quickly as possible, and they only generate a bill when we get to the deletions of the report."


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Kernel Cousin KDE #34 is Out
This week's edition of KC KDE is out. Read about the huge scary number of KDE3 bugfixes that have emerged from the low-profile KDE III gathering, everaldo's Crystal project (with plenty of screenshots), Kicker's menu sidebar, an aRts update, the new kde-promo FAQ, Karbon moving into KOffice, and more.
KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
Unfortunately the Crystal icon theme won't make it into KDE 3.0.
Judging from the tarball he sent to me I can guarantee all fan's of everaldo's crystal-theme that it will be very well worth the wait. :-)
The good news is that several excellent icon-themes will be shipped with KDE 3.0: Kristof Borrey's 'IKons'-theme and AmiBug's 'Slick'-theme are the most impressive ones.
Also many great wallpapers made it into KDE 3.0
Looking at the latest submissions on http://www.kde-look.org (search for: "Kubical -Perspektiva" e.g.) I'm very sure that KDE 3.1 will even be a larger and more striking step in terms of artwork.
By Torsten Rahn at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
> In addition I'd like to thank Frank Karlitschek
Thanks Frank! Finally, a name behind the famous site. What an excellent job, KDE-Look.org was so sorely needed and has successfully filled in an important niche in the KDE community.
PS Yes, and thanks to the qerson who also happened to design our logo... :-)
By Navindra Umanee at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
Speaking of art in KDE 3.0, what about the wallpapers that shipped with KDE1? Sometime before KDE2 they got shipped to the Attic (they're still there in CVS). Why shouldn't those be included?
If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll post a list.
Hint: indigo_paint.jpg is one of them.
By David Walser at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
Browsing through the icons for crystal, I started thinking about the icon for core-dumps. Why is it a bomb? I, as a developer myself, can understand this, but I think an ordinary user may be scared of it. Imagine that suddenly a new icon appears apparently without any interaction from you, and it is a BOMB!!! Virus alert!! Virus alert!!! Maybe it should be something less dramatic.
By Meretrix at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
On the other hand, a non-dev user has no use for cores, so they would just want to delete them all (which would be a likely action if they thought the core might be "dangerous"...)
By Jason at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
User systems don't produce core files
SuSE does not create core files by default.
By Moritz Moeller-... at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 3.0: no Crystal icon theme :-(
how about a pile of rubbish, or broken glass?
By smoke at Sun, 2002/03/10 - 6:00am
Almost there
Everaldo's icons are really, really promising. They are so good that IMHO they can be used to bring KDE over the last remaining 15% which is lacking compared to the professionality of Windows and Mac.
This could done if Everaldo designed kicker (including a new application launcher button), a theme, and the illustrating graphics into a single coherent and simplified design for KDE - based on this style.
Now if just people would turn off underlining before they make those screenshots. Something dies in me each time I see it turned on....
By will at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
FreeKDE.org and trolls?
I don't remember any trolls on freekde.org, certainly not the same amounts as have been here.. so I wonder why it was concluded that forced registration was not an effective measure.
By Rob Kaper at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
Consider that freekde.org had almost no comments at all, and that amongst those comments there were still a number of trolls, at least if I remember correctly.
So while it's true that registration stopped comments, in my opinion it stopped as many good comments as it did bad (which is OK for freekde.org). Furthermore, look at Slashdot, where trolls come mostly from registered users, regardless of the fact that Slashdot allows anonymous posting.
Note, none of this is meant as a criticism of freekde.org. Freekde.org has a different philosophy and different goals to the dot, and I respect that. freekde.org is a site that I quite enjoyed and had easy access to on my bookmark toolbar. I'll be glad when it's back.
Besides, registration sucks. :) If you really want to be registered, please send us your photo, credit card number, SIN number, home address, email address, expected IP addresses,... ah nevermind. :-p
And come on, it's been quite void of trolls here on the dot, all considered. I honestly think things are going well, but feel free to disagree -- anonymously if you want. :-)
By Navindra Umanee at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
Can't I just troll instead, as usual? ;-)
By Rob Kaper at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
Eeek! What, you made me write that up for nothing? ;-)
By Navindra Umanee at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
Rob: The reason they're not doing it is that they have a different tactic: Vigorous deleting of posts. Whether the posts get deleted enough is aigood followup question to ask. :-)
Navindra: Merely requiring an email address is enough to regulate this stuff; there is no need for proof of ID. You can set up limits by domain, and this should be effective because it requires the troublemaker to spend money to get more accounts.
By Neil Stevens at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
I know what you meant, but just as a factual clarification, it is quite a rare event for a post to be deleted. Of course, once you are branded as a troll, anything goes.
We obviously need a FAQ for this site. I've had one in mind for a while just never got to it.
Also, certainly feel quite free to send us your email addresses and domains... I'll make a web form if there's a demand. :p
By Navindra Umanee at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
There *is* a demand - just make it a requirement. :-)
By Neil Stevens at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
r-r-right... because hotmail and yahoo freemail accounts are both expensive and difficult to set up ....
besides, i'm sure that setting up dozens of fake email addresses is probably one of the first things a career troll does.
By Aaron J. Seigo at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
Way to show your lack of reading comprension.
By Neil Stevens at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: FreeKDE.org and trolls?
The word "domain", as you used it, was ambiguous. I assumed you meant domain as found in the email address used to register. I didn't consider that you might have meant something like "the domain/IP address of system the visitor is using", because that's equally stupid. Think of firewall/proxying issues, changing IPs (dial-up / dhcp), having more than one system available, and that it doesn't require registration to track that information in the first place, etc... So I can't imagine that is what you meant. What did you mean by "limits by domain"?
By Aaron J. Seigo at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Color me nifty
Karbon... well, I'm honored :-)
Hmm, what does it do that KIllustrator can't, though? I'm saying this out of curiousity, since I really don't know much about vector graphics (bitmapping is more my style)
By Carbon at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: Color me nifty
you mean kontour? ;-) read the kc ... someone else asked that exact question on the mailing list and got an answer ...
By Sun Tzu at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Pictures of Crystal ?
Could someone please point me in the right direction for some pictures of the Crystal theme?
I can only seem to get to the icons, nothing else..
By Christian A Str... at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: Pictures of Crystal ?
One day before the article was sent online, all of everaldo's artwork was removed, i was told. However, there is a small box down left on KDE-look,
By Juergen Appel at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
pictres of crystal
crystal ismy mom i want to see pictres of her she has red hair and my name is madison moore i hwr little girl.
By madison moore at Mon, 2005/09/19 - 5:00am
Re: pictres of crystal
I know a crystal moore with red hair who used to live in columbus and now lives near amanda, if you think this could be her write me back and I will give you lots of information. Thanks and good luck on your search.
By dustin at Tue, 2007/12/11 - 6:00am
I would like to know when is going to be implemented the KMetaStyle engine for KDE 3.x .I think, icons themes, as Ikons and Crystal, or kde themes, as Liquid,Aqua and so on, must be into a whole KMetaStyle engine, whith theirs icons, sounds, colors, etc.. to be profesional.
Another thing: Are there roadmaps to implement into Arts (to use with Noatun) things like Divx (OpenDivx libraries),mpeg and so on?
And the last :-) : when will be KDE compiled with gcc 3.x, the new ld (better start ups) and the ObjPrelink hack? :-)
They are my wishes :-)
Good work KDE team!!
By Daniel at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
Re: thoughts
I have heard romours that KDE compiles with GCC devel, and it will be ok by GCC3.1 Hopefully it will arrive soon, although I have no idea...
By Me at Wed, 2002/03/06 - 6:00am
> Robert Jacolin [*] asked, "what is the difference with kontour ?" Lenny answered, "The most visible difference is that the former killustrator/kontour was based on shape primitives, while karbon is path-based like illustrator and freehand. But most important: kontour and karbon have a somewhat different culture/background. It's not easy to describe but it matters a lot for a hobby-project. Think of kde/gnome but less dramatic. I think it's like evolution: either kontour and karbon are so similar that they can merge, or they are so different that they have the right to co-exist. In the end it's about having fun and learning new stuff."
> Q) Is it ready?
Not easy to describe, less dramatic... Is Koffice having no more priority than fun and learning new stuff ?
KSpread, Krayon, Kivio seem always waiting developpers. Is Koffice becoming Fun Office ?
By Alain at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
Wy don't you join the Koffice denvelop theam and denvelop one KSpread, Krayon, Kivo Koffice need more denvelopers
By Dr88Dr88 at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
> Not easy to describe, less dramatic... Is Koffice having no more
> KSpread, Krayon, Kivio seem always waiting developpers. Is
OK, so you're saying Lenny, who in his spare time is contributing to a project which very well could help us all, should, instead of doing the project he wants, finish someone else's project, which he does not want to do, b/c . . . you want him to?
Hello, get a clue, be thankful he is working on his project, and work on Kontour, Krayon, KSpread and Kivio yourself instead of criticizing others' contributions.
By Sage at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
> Hello, get a clue, be thankful he is working on his project
I didn't say that working on this project was a bad thing, I only want to say that I feel it is not a good thing for the credibility of KOffice to acquire yet another vector graphics program, and in pre-alpha stage. It is yet another no usable application in KOffice...
I would have prefer that Kontour stay the only one "vector graphic program" of KDE, until Karbon become better or complementary, at first usable, not in alpha or beta stage.
> and work on Kontour, Krayon, KSpread and Kivio yourself instead of criticizing others' contributions.
I am ready to find bugs and lacks in KSpread, Krayon and Kivio, but the old bugs and lacks are always here.
Perhaps you, developpers, don't like critics, but it may be a good thing to listen users saying that KOffice is not going in the direction of a all usable office suite.
By Alain at Thu, 2002/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
>Perhaps you, developpers, don't like critics, but it may be a good thing to listen users saying that KOffice is not going in the direction of a all usable office suite.
I'm not a KDE developer myself, but I am an OSS developer on a few multi-developer projects, and I'm going to guess here (correct me if I'm wrong) that you aren't a KOffice developer yourself.
Reporting bugs does not make you a developer, it makes you a helpful user, unless you go about patching those bugs. Nor does criticism make you a developer, or in most cases even a helpful user, as I've learned from both perspectives ("Not going in the direction of a usable office suite"? "Until it becomes better or complimentary"? What do you mean, exactly?) Since I doubt you know any of the KOffice developers personally, or are involved in actual development discussion in any way, it seems rather brash of you go to about telling the developers what to do (in broad, ambigous statements) without being particularly involved in the project.
By Carbon at Fri, 2002/03/08 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
Is the entry of this site restricted to the developers ?
(and when I say "better or complementary", I mean that I feel a vector app may enter in KOffice if it is a better app that the existing vector app (and it replaces it) or if it is complementary (and it coexists). And not in alpha or beta stage, I wish that Koffice rocks...)
By Alain at Fri, 2002/03/08 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
first of all, if he wasn't working on karbon, he probably wouldn't be working on any other koffice app. i say this not because i know the fellow, but because that's the way open source development usually works. so koffice isn't losing anything by gaining karbon.
secondly, if you traipse on over to lists.kde.org, click on the kde-cvs link and search for krita, kspread and kivio (the apps you were concerned about) i think you will be pleased to see active development occuring. kivio seems to be seeing the least amount of development, but that isn't surprising given its history.
yes, koffice is taking time to mature. but if the next six months are anything like the last six months, i think we'll be singing a different tune in the fall.
By Aaron J. Seigo at Fri, 2002/03/08 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
I initially felt a bit like you... but... the (bad) state of the current Kontour (and the low activity on it, if any) speaks for itself. Try it out (and check kde-cvs), you'll see what I mean.
My line of thought is: better have two vector drawing apps in KOffice-1.2 than none at all
By David Faure at Fri, 2002/03/08 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
Thank you, I more understand. I hope it will be a good choice and that Karbon will be enough advanced for KOffice 1.2.
By Alain at Fri, 2002/03/08 - 6:00am
Re: Hmmm...
It will still be a long time until KOffice becomes a widely used office package. So I think it's OK to experiment a little at this point. But there definitely should be a point in the near future where KOffice throws out one of the drawing programs, depending on activity. I hope that the developers are sufficiently well organized to allow such a decision.
By Xirzon at Mon, 2002/03/11 - 6:00am
My view
Hi Alain and others,
i know what you feel and think about "yet another duplicate effort".
Open source is driven by personal satisfaction. In my eyes killustrator/kontour failed, because the
Alain, David, what would you do if someone would say to you "One desktop is enough. Improve gnome!"? What is the sense in open source programming, when they take your only reward: personal satisfaction? I finally came up with the conclusion: better work on an application myself which probably will never be usefull because im the only developer but which i like 110%. Well and some guys liked it too, they helped and made karbon14 a better, nearly usefull app. With moving karbon14 to koffice we try to gain more developers/artist and thus increase development speed. We can currently do things which were never possible in killu/kontour before. Of course we lack some feature, though. BUT we lack them because we lack time and contributors, not because the design forbids them.
If you feel offended by our work in our spare time, we could also make karbon a commercial closed source app. If you dont want it in koffice, just tell us. Our users and contributors drive karbon.
By Lenny at Sat, 2002/03/09 - 6:00am
Re: My view
> If you feel offended by our work in our spare time, we could also make karbon a commercial closed source app.
No, no, no, I absolutely not felt offended by your work. My lack of understanding was not about you, but about the KOffice team who decided a duplicate app.
Now, I have more information, I know that Kontour seems without future, and I see that you have a good punch.
Good work, good luke !
By Alain at Thu, 2002/03/14 - 6:00am
Re: My view
Thank you. :)
By Lenny at Thu, 2002/03/14 - 6:00am


text:
Object Construction
This series, The Object-Oriented Thought Process, is intended for someone just learning an object-oriented language and wants to understand the basic concepts before jumping into the code or someone who wants to understand the infrastructure behind an OOP language they are already using. Click here to start at the beginning of the series.
In keeping with the code examples used in the previous articles, Java will be the language used to implement the concepts in code. One of the reasons that I like to use Java is that you can download the Java compiler for personal use at the Sun Microsystems Web site http://java.sun.com/. You can download the J2SE 1.4.2 SDK (software development kit) to compile and execute these applications and I will provide the code listings for all examples in this article. I have the SDK 1.4.0 loaded on my machine. I will also provide figures and the output (when appropriate) for these examples. See the previous articles in this series for detailed descriptions for compiling and running all the code examples in this series.
Constructing an Object
One of the more confusing aspects of moving from structured programming to object-oriented programming is the concept of constructing an object. Perhaps the reason for this is that there is really no comparable concept in structured programming. Object-oriented programming languages, at least the ones I have used, have a feature called a constructor. This is a physical piece of code (in fact, it is a special type of method) that is used to construct and initialize objects. Whereas it is true that these tasks can be accomplished in structured code in various ways (obviously, you can initialize variables in a structured program), the fact that constructors are built into the language makes constructing objects much safersafe in the sense that the compiler and runtime environment can do a lot of the safety checks for you.
This topic of built-in functionality is a major theme throughout this series. This is because built-in functionality is a major design goal of object-oriented technologies. You saw this in the last column when the compiler was able to enforce the contract regarding the abstract methods. If you design your system properly, you can use the features of the object-oriented languages, compilers, and runtimes to assist you in building safe, reusable objects.
Constructors are a new concept for people doing structured programming. Constructors do not normally exist in non-O-O languages such as C and Basic. Earlier, you learned about special methods that are used to construct objects. In Java and C++, as well as other O-O languages, constructors are methods that share the same name as the class and have no return type. For example, a constructor for the Cabbie class would look like this:
public class Cabbie { public Cabbie(){ /* code to construct the object */ } }
The compiler will recognize that the method name is identical to the class name and consider the method a constructor. Note that a constructor does not have a return value. If you provide a return value, the compiler will not treat the method as a constructorit will simply be treated as just another method.
When Is a Constructor Called?
When a new object is created, one of the first things to occur is that the constructor is called. Check out the following code:
class Test { public static void main(String args[]) { Cabbie myCabbie = new Cabbie(); } }
The new keyword indicates that a new instance of the Cabbie class is constructed, thus allocating the required memory. At this point, the constructor is called, passing the arguments in the parameter list (in this case there aren't any). The developer must do the appropriate initialization within the constructoryou will learn about this later.
Thus, the code new Cabbie() will instantiate a Cabbie object and call the Cabbie() method, which is the constructor.
What's Inside a Constructor?
Perhaps the most important function of a constructor is to initialize the memory allocated when the new keyword is encountered. In short, code included inside a constructor should set the newly created object to its initial, stable state.
For example, if you have a counter object with an attribute called count, you need to set count to zero in the constructor:
public class Cabbie { int count; public Cabbie(){ count = 0; } }Initializing attributes is a common, and vital, function performed within a constructor.
The Default Constructor
If you write a class and do not include a constructor, the class will still compile and you can still use it.
public class Cabbie { int count; // no explicit constructor provided by programmer!! public void method01(){ count = 0; } }
If the class provides no explicit constructor, such as in C++ and Java, the compiler will provide a default constructor, which would look like this:
public class Cabbie { int count; public Cabbie(){ // this is not in the source code // no code - it is really empty } }
It is important to realize that this code is only inserted in the bytecodes generated by the compiler. The default constructor does not show up at all in the source code. In fact, you would need to decompile the bytecodes to see it.
After the memory is allocated, the default constructor calls the constructor of the superclassif there is one (actually there is always a superclassevery written Java class ultimately will implicitly inherit from the Object class). You will observe this point in much more detail next month.
For example, if a constructor is not provided for the Cabbie class, the following default constructor is inserted:
public class Cabbie { int count; public Cabbie(){ // this is not in the source code super(); // there is an implicit call to super() } }
Perhaps the default constructor may be sufficient in some cases; however, in most cases some sort of memory initialization should be performed. Regardless of the situation, it is good programming practice to always include at least one constructor in a class. In any case, if there are attributes in the class, they should be initialized in a constructor.
The rule of thumb is that you should always provide a constructor, even if you do not plan on doing anything inside it. You can provide a constructor with nothing in it and then add to it later. While there is technically nothing wrong with using the default constructor provided by the compiler, it is always nice to know exactly what your code looks like. You will explore this statement in much more detail next month.
Page 1 of 3
This article was originally published on July 1, 2005
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text:
QE Whatever is now officially QE4.
The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it would repurchase $85 billion in bonds each month for the foreseeable future. The announcement, following the two-day meeting of the Fed's Open Market Committee (FOMC) was in line with economists' predictions that the new policy would push the Fed's balance sheet to almost $4 trillion.
The twist is that the future of any easing will be set to the level of the unemployment rate and the inflation rate rather than a specified period of time.
The Fed held the federal funds rates steady at between at 0% and 0.25%, saying it would peg that rate and its bond buying programs to a specific unemployment rate and inflation rate. The Fed said rates would remain at that low level for "at least as long as the unemployment rate remains above 6.5%, inflation between one and two years ahead is projected to be no more than a 0.5% point above the Committee's 2% longer-run goal and longer-term inflation expectations continue to be well anchored."
Moreover, to support a "stronger economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at the rate most consistent with its dual mandate," the FOMC statement released Wednesday said it would "continue purchasing additional agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $40 billion per month."
The Fed said it would also purchase longer-term Treasury securities, initially at a pace of $45 billion per month, for a total of the aforementioned $85 billion.
"I'm surprised the Fed tied itself to a specific unemployment number," said advisor Gary Shilling, president of A. Gary Shilling & Co. "It's such a squishy number. There might by those that are answering the monthly survey that have dropped out of the workforce or are underemployed."
If the outlook for the labor market does not "improve substantially," the Fed said it will continue its purchases of Treasury and agency mortgage-backed securities, and employ its other policy tools as appropriate, "until such improvement is achieved in a context of price stability."
"What the Fed is saying is 'damn the balance sheet, full steam ahead,' Shilling added. "It's Operation Twist, but a little different. They're essentially extending their buying on the long end of the curve, but now they're forgetting about the short end, because they feel it just isn't worth it and won't affect rates."
"To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee expects that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends and the economic recovery strengthens," it concluded.


text:
At this site we maintain a list of the 5000 Largest Known Primes which is updated hourly. This list is the most important databases at The Prime Pages: a collection of research, records and results all about prime numbers. This page summarizes our information about one of these primes.
field (help)value
Description:4341 · 21322457 + 1
Verification status (*):Proven
Official Comment:
Proof-code(s): (*):L1823 : Larsson, PSieve, Srsieve, PrimeGrid, LLR
Decimal Digits:398103 (log10 is 398102.86256559)
Rank (*):7509 (digit rank is 1)
Entrance Rank (*):2273
Currently on list? (*):no
Submitted:2/27/2015 08:42:18 CDT
Last modified:2/27/2015 09:20:27 CDT
Removed (*):2/18/2018 02:53:36 CDT
Database id:119460
Status Flags:TrialDiv
Score (*):43.8049 (normalized score 0.6845)
The Top 5000 Primes is a list for proven primes only. In order to maintain the
integrity of this list, we seek to verify the primality of all submissions.
We are currently unable to check all proofs (ECPP, KP, ...), but we will at least trial
divide and PRP
check every entry before it is included in the list.
machineUsing: Xeon 4c+4c 3.5GHz
notesCommand: /home/caldwell/client/pfgw/pfgw64 -t -q"4341*2^1322457+1" 2>&1PFGW Version 188.8.131.52BIT.20130722.x86_Dev [GWNUM 27.11]Primality testing 4341*2^1322457+1 [N-1, Brillhart-Lehmer-Selfridge]Running N-1 test using base 5Calling Brillhart-Lehmer-Selfridge with factored part 100.00% 4341*2^1322457+1 is prime! (657.7930s+0.0003s)[Elapsed time: 10.97 minutes]
modified2015-04-20 07:32:09
created2015-02-27 09:02:02