Discussion about hot topics trending today

[Bagpuss]

I didn't do it.

If you had,I'd have pm'd you.

And on that day, SGAlisa will tell us all -- told you say. The end of the world has happened after all...

Hmm .I'd think if the world really ended,we'd have bigger concerns than an internet message board,and no time for any chats!

[Annoyed]

Nobody's reported anyone recently but every so often we swing by these current affair/political/social issues threads.
That's ok.It doesn't mean the Mods are planning to ban or gag any of you.

Mods are human too,and none of us are keen to ban these discussion threads,or lock any of them.Venting is healthy,and modern life,politics,and politicians,religious opinions etc aren't sacred icons that shouldn't be questioned.

Have to say though,we're not impressed by the levels of snark, and what appears to us to be a lack of tolerance shown between some of you in these threads.

Please don't censor or take any other action against anyone on this board based on what they say about me.

As I've said over and over everyone should have the right to be heard, whether they are speaking the with the wisdom of the Lords of Kobol or the infantilism of a 2 year old. It is for the audience to decide the value of what is said.

Additionally, when someone resorts to personal insults/namecalling/etc., it says a great deal more about the speaker than it does their target, and I would prefer that that be left for the audience to judge as well.

[Annoyed]

And now for some positive news..

Arizona suspends Uber's self-driving car tests after fatal crash

Arizona has suspended Uber's self-driving car tests in the state following a fatal crash involving one of the company's autonomous vehicles.

At least someone out there isn't asleep at the switch.

[Falcon Horus]

...can lead to you being penalised by an employer...

Haven't had any complaints about logging in from work... ...My desk is in such a position that no one can see my screen and I have friends in high IT-places (which does come in handy).

Hmm .I'd think if the world really ended,we'd have bigger concerns than an internet message board,and no time for any chats!

The whole "and on that day pigs will fly" seemed too much of an understatement. Hence why I chose the next best thing -- the end of the world (as we know it).

Arizona suspends Uber's self-driving car tests after fatal crash

At least someone out there isn't asleep at the switch.

Saw that over lunch on my feed. That was inevitable, I think.

[LtColCarter]

And now for some positive news..

Arizona suspends Uber's self-driving car tests after fatal crash


At least someone out there isn't asleep at the switch.

I saw a local news report last night that said a raidar feature designed to prevent crashes was turned off. So, would that be computer error or human error?

[jelgate]

It's nothing new really. Uber had already pulled the cars over the accident to investigate.

[Annoyed]

I saw a local news report last night that said a raidar feature designed to prevent crashes was turned off. So, would that be computer error or human error?

Depends who turned it off, and why it was turned off.

[SoulReaver]

anyway back to politics - who wanna fight?

[Ian-S]

Regarding this Uber thing I think the bigger issue is why didn't the Uber software see the person, I've seen laser scans completed by these Lidar units in pitch black darkness and they are such high resolution they'll pick up a needle laying on the floor, yet this thing didn't see a person and a bike?

Where the problem lies is the development of this technology is being done independently, the companies are literally taking survey Lidar units and bolting them to the roof of a car, then writing software to "read" the output and determine what is what, it's not a central or collective development like science usually is, it's all about protecting their own IP and eventually hoping to make money off the back of it, so no wonder the system had a major flaw in it. Perhaps if Uber and Google hadn't been fighting in court over who owns what, they could have worked together on the software and avoided this incident.

Oh and find someone capable of supervising an autonomous object, not who's more interested in watching cat videos on her phone while she's supposed to be looking at the road ahead. I fly autonomous drones but I never take my eyes off the thing when it's in the air, even if it's flying completely by itself, something can always go wrong sending it off north instead of south or an angry gull flying in its path lol.

[LtColCarter]

Regarding this Uber thing I think the bigger issue is why didn't the Uber software see the person, I've seen laser scans completed by these Lidar units in pitch black darkness and they are such high resolution they'll pick up a needle laying on the floor, yet this thing didn't see a person and a bike?

Where the problem lies is the development of this technology is being done independently, the companies are literally taking survey Lidar units and bolting them to the roof of a car, then writing software to "read" the output and determine what is what, it's not a central or collective development like science usually is, it's all about protecting their own IP and eventually hoping to make money off the back of it, so no wonder the system had a major flaw in it. Perhaps if Uber and Google hadn't been fighting in court over who owns what, they could have worked together on the software and avoided this incident.

Oh and find someone capable of supervising an autonomous object, not who's more interested in watching cat videos on her phone while she's supposed to be looking at the road ahead. I fly autonomous drones but I never take my eyes off the thing when it's in the air, even if it's flying completely by itself, something can always go wrong sending it off north instead of south or an angry gull flying in its path lol.

That is what I'd just posted. The part of the system (the radar as the local news called it) that detects obstacles and prevents crashes was turned off. Who turned it off and why it was turned off hasn't been revealed.

[Ian-S]

Uber to blame then, since the car shouldn't be able to be driven in autonomous mode if a feature is turned off.

I can only compare it to a drone, but you don't dare fly the autonomous ones without calibrating the compass before takeoff, if you hit return to home with an uncalibrated compass it's likely to fly to another county.

[LtColCarter]

Uber to blame then, since the car shouldn't be able to be driven in autonomous mode if a feature is turned off.

I can only compare it to a drone, but you don't dare fly the autonomous ones without calibrating the compass before takeoff, if you hit return to home with an uncalibrated compass it's likely to fly to another county.

I agree...or at least the monitor who was in the car should be to blame. I've not seen any news reports on this, but I've heard that he (or she) was supposedly watching videos of some sort.

[Annoyed]

Could it be? They've discovered intelligent life in California?


Orange County may take stand against state's 'sanctuary' laws

Just more than a week after tiny Los Alamitos voted to defy California's law protecting immigrants in the country illegally, Orange County is poised to become a counterpoint against the state's resistance to the Trump administration's policies.

On Tuesday, Orange County supervisors may consider whether to take up a resolution to condemn and possibly take legal action against the state's "sanctuary" laws.

"These state laws are preempted by federal law," Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson said. "Our officers actually face penalties under state law if they so much as talk to federal agents for the wrong thing. That's just unacceptable and it's contrary to federal law."

Nelson said he'll broach in closed session whether to join a federal lawsuit against the state or launch its own litigation.

[Falcon Horus]

That smiley is too cute for you, Soul.

I can only compare it to a drone, but you don't dare fly the autonomous ones without calibrating the compass before takeoff, if you hit return to home with an uncalibrated compass it's likely to fly to another county.

Awkward.

[Coco Pops]

There's a car for sale here that has a feature that applies the brakes if something is in front of it while moving, the advertising for this car shows a dumbass girl wearing headphones who obviously can't hear the car and the car brakes as she crosses its path. It saved the driver from running her down and her from a darwin award.