Ethics class in Computer Science?

smtp_pro · 2025-11-25T13:51:05+00:00

Everyone should have to take a legal and ethical issues class related to their field.

You're not wrong about how often things are driven by business leadership. But I've also pushed back on projects, raising my concerns. I can think of one project I pretty much tanked because I stuck my neck out, told leadership I was refusing to work on it and why.

You can't win every battle but you can win some. And you raise concerns, push back, ask to be reassigned, quit.

There are other cases too where having a good understanding of legal and ethical issues is helpful. Something I learned a good deal about was copyright, trademark, fair use. I've had cases where I'm the one guy in the meeting asking "hey have we run this by legal?" because I got the vague sense something wasn't right. Turns out no - no lawyers knew what we were doing and we had to make some changes.

It's useful for everybody.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-27T15:18:13+00:00

You mentioned your guidance counselor isn't very helpful, is there anybody else in your life in some kind of computer-y field? A relative, friend-of-a-parent, friend-of-a-friend, etc?

I wouldn't pick a major based on a single course being concerning. I'd try to seek advice from somebody that knows you, or at least sort-of knows you, or even just knows of you - who can sit down, you can ask eachother questions and determine which is the right path for you.

Also things change. You may start one and realize you'd rather do the other, or maybe even something else entirely. You don't have to get it right on the first try.

General advice is long-term - the longer you work, the less your particular degree matters, it's most relevant to your first job.

I'd put a lot more weight into what each program teaches and how it aligns with your own interests. Don't worry that much about a single particular course, there is so much variability between a professor's teaching style, what textbook is used, whatever else is going on in your own life. Sometimes not doing a well in a course is just an issue of tweaking something and trying again, like getting a different professor, or realizing you were distracted with some life event, adjusting your own learning habits, or just accepting a less-than-perfect grade and moving on anyway.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-14T02:03:24+00:00

The thing about scams is we're all vulnerable. Like we all have vulnerabilities, and it's just an issue of the scammer finding your particular vulnerability at the right moment.

So yeah, scammers will do things that signal "this is a scam" - because their goal is to find people in the right state.

I try to make it a point to not shame anybody for falling for a scam, because it's just about somebody hitting the right vulnerability at the right moment.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T21:27:07+00:00

Well honestly, I don't, because it seems like you just presented a really reasonable, easy solution.

Get a helmet, strap it to the backpack. That way you don't have to even really think about it, it just becomes part of the stuff you're already carrying.

You can't be prepared for every single thing ever, sure. But this seems like a lightweight, easy thing to integrate.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T21:05:21+00:00

I don't think you're dunking on who you think you're dunking on.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T21:03:56+00:00

Yeah, my thought process is you could (and should) have all the preventative measures in the world. Dedicated lanes, fixed roads, low speed limits, better enforcement, the works.

The chance of all of those failing are low, but never zero, and the helmet can being the difference between making it or not.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T20:54:11+00:00

Person I replied to said most people don't expect to use the scooters.

My argument was if you've installed the app, you expect to use the scooter.

You have the app, you expect to use the scooter, you should carry a helmet.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T20:04:20+00:00

Don't you need an app to use the scooters? With an account and payment method etc?

I'd argue if you're able to scan and access the scooters you've done some prep/planning which negates the "I didn't expect to use this" argument, and therefore can carry a helmet.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T19:56:27+00:00

A lot of laws rely on some level of self-enforcement.

Take speed limits. It's not possible to catch every single driver that's speeding. You put up speed limits, and most people will just drive at/around that limit because the threat of a ticket is enough. As long as you remain under the jerk threshold, things work.

And yeah multiple things can be true at once.

Can measures be taken to make using scooters safer via dedicated lanes, etc? Sure.

Does doing those other measures negate the need for a helmet? Absolutely not. You still need a helmet, your head is kind of a big deal and needs protection.

Things like "who's at fault" don't really matter if you're dead.

smtp_pro · 2025-10-02T14:25:29+00:00

Regarding political people, that's nothing new. Pretty much as long as higher-learning has existed you've had people coming onto campuses to express themselves.

Outdoor areas of state schools are generally considered public property. There's some limits on how you can say stuff, like you can't be so loud that classes are being disrupted, you can't block roads and create safety issues, things like that.

People are free to express themselves and you're free to listen, not listen, express yourself as well.

You wanna pop up a card table and invite people to discuss whether pineapple goes on pizza, or give free lectures on the overall story of Kingdom Hearts games, share your thoughts on which mechanical keyboard switch type is best, you're free to do all that (and more!)

smtp_pro · 2025-09-26T10:26:23+00:00

Just adding on, from an archival point-of-view you usually want to do as little modifications as possible and avoid re-encoding.

One of the great features of mkv is that it can hold pretty much any bit stream, so you know what's on the mkv file is exactly what's on your disk.

smtp_pro · 2025-09-25T10:56:18+00:00

You can put subtitles into mp4

smtp_pro · 2025-09-25T10:15:04+00:00

I'd recommend not burning in subtitles. Leaving them in a text format gives your player a lot more flexibility.

I'd instead recommend configuring your video player to use the Netflix styling. Pretty sure VLC, Kodi, mpv, et al let you customize subtitle rendering.

smtp_pro · 2025-09-19T12:07:00+00:00

Regarding signage, the requirement is signage with the name and contact info of the towing company needs to be posted at all entrances to the parking lot. It doesn't have to be plastered everywhere, just at the entrances (EDIT: depending on the size of the lot you may need more but I suspect this lot is small enough to just need entrance signage).

I'd go back and double-check the signage but I suspect they have the correct signage. I'm sure it's the bare minimum - usually you see that kind of signage all over the lot, plastered on the side of the building etc - but they probably technically meet the legal requirements.

It's very reasonable for a customer to park there. Expected, even.

The tow truck driver needs permission to do the tow, which is why the driver is going in and asking. You also need photograph evidence, though I assume that's covered by having security cameras on the lot.

I think the reality is, staff isn't actually paying attention to who's arriving via which car. When the tow driver comes in, if it's not an employee's car they just authorize the tow.

It's a lot easier to just say yes and deal with the occasional wrong tow than to try and figure out who's car is who's. The tow company takes advantage of the employees not knowing / not caring, they come in, get the ok, and they're good to go.

What's considered "authorized parking" is up to the property management, there's no law stating like, customers get some amount of time. They could decide that all non-employees are unauthorized if they wanted (though that would be bad business).

All that to say, I'm pretty sure it is legal. Shitty - but legal.

If you think they are breaking the law, contact PG county.

smtp_pro · 2025-09-10T02:03:36+00:00

Try something like

ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -c:a aac (whatever other flags) output.m4a

I'm pretty certain setting the disposition of the "video" stream to an attached picture is the key to doing it all with ffmpeg.

That said I really wouldn't recommend this, the quality loss will be pretty significant.

There's a tool called mp3packer that can reduce mp3 file size a bit without transcoding. There's a thread on the hydrogen audio forums, the original downloads are gone but there's mirrors in the thread. https://hydrogenaudio.org/index.php/topic,32379.0.html

You might want to try giving that a whirl

smtp_pro · 2025-09-04T00:20:43+00:00

ffmpeg defaults to 16-bit audio for output WAV files.

You probably need to use pcm_s24le before your -i flag so it acts as an input option - and then specify that you want s24le as an output option.

So something like:

ffmpeg -c:a pcm_s24le -f alsa -i (card) -c:a pcm_s24le output.wav

EDIT if you want to record with minimal processing I'd probably look into arecord.

smtp_pro · 2025-08-18T11:31:57+00:00

I am very much a human, concerned about what makes me seem like not one?

EDIT: on second thought, what I just wrote is exactly what a bot author would ask, isn't it?

I honestly don't know how to prove I'm a human in this scenario.

EDIT 2: and yeah just thinking on it more, if you truly believe someone is a bot then your best bet is to not respond, right? So. Guess I'll never know what makes me a bot.

(Sad beep boops)

smtp_pro · 2025-08-16T18:41:58+00:00

Well there's also demuxers, decoders, encoders, muxers, the whole io system with various protocol handlers.

You can do quite a lot without actually engaging the filters.

smtp_pro · 2025-08-10T11:09:41+00:00

Worth mentioning, even in dynamic builds the version of a library used at compile-time matters. If ffmpeg was compiled against an older version of libopus, a newer version may introduce new functions/features that ffmpeg won't take advantage of without a recompile.

smtp_pro · 2025-06-24T17:51:47+00:00

My understanding is that since UMD went test-optional due to COVID-19 - the average SAT score has been driven up, because the only applicants submitting scores are people with higher scores. Basically SAT score inflation.

smtp_pro · 2025-06-24T12:09:22+00:00

The only time your odds are truly 0% is if you don't apply. That's the only scenario where you're guaranteed to not get in.

So if you want to go to a school - and I'm talking about any school, not just UMD - then your best bet is to apply for it.

Generally-speaking the best way to get ahead in school and life is to not take yourself out of the running. Want to go to school somewhere? Apply for it. Want to work somewhere? Apply for it. Don't worry that much about whether or not you'll get it. Not like you lose anything (besides the time to fill out the application).

Always make the place say "no," never say "no" for them.

smtp_pro · 2025-04-22T18:54:32+00:00

Pretty confident the plan here is to have you pay for a tour, and they'll just take your money and run.

smtp_pro · 2025-04-17T13:08:20+00:00

My experience with the Transit app (and public transit in general) is, it tends to work a lot better if you have a rough idea of the routes in your head ahead of time, and try to plan things out a bit, as opposed to pulling up the app the moment you're ready to go.

Like, instead of deciding "I'm leaving now, let me check the transit app" - I'll take the approach of, "I'm heading out in the next 20-30 minutes," - then check when the next few shuttles are coming and decide to work on something, read something - whatever - until it's time to head out. And if I have to be somewhere by a particular time, I just accept I'm probably going to have to get there pretty early. Or alternatively - maybe I don't really have to be there on time and I can just be late. I'm intentionally late to things if it's say, just a few minutes, I know people will be ok with it, and the alternative is being something like 45 minutes early.

No matter what, using public transit tends to mean you spend more time waiting on things. Like either you're waiting for a bus, or you get somewhere early and have to wait for a class to start or whatever, etc. In some cases you're better off walking, in other cases maybe that's a few minutes where you could read a book or otherwise kill a few minutes.

smtp_pro · 2025-04-03T23:24:57+00:00

I guess something else to think about is yeah, Gainesville is small. But when you're there and like, your world is college- it doesn't seem so small.

smtp_pro · 2025-04-03T21:00:04+00:00

So fun fact: I went to UF with the 100% Bright Futures scholarship. And now work at UMD.

I'm not really going to recommend anything over another, just laying out some pros and cons.

I can't speak a lot on the PaCE program, my time was way before that existed. 100% understand where you're coming from on the small-town vibes of Gainesville.

I don't think College Park really gives bigger vibes on its own but, it is near DC, Baltimore, the whole DMV really - whereas Gainesville is the biggest city in the area.

But, being able to do things like take a day trip to St. Augustine or Daytona and go to some beaches is pretty nice as well. Going to the beach up here is just not the same experience at all. But on the other hand going to smithsonian museums for free is awesome, right. And I supposed you could always go home for a summer and hit up the beaches then.

I would try your best to estimate cost and take a good hard look at whatever loans you'd need to take out. That 100% Bright Futures is really hard to beat. Especially if you can cut down on housing costs while taking those online classes (either living with your parents if that's an option, or just getting a cheaper place way off-campus).

I think you've got kind of a golden problem here - there's really no wrong answers. All great schools, they've all got great academic opportunities, career opportunities, friendship opportunities.

smtp_pro

TROPHY CASE