IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig • Hacker News Board

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#51

Post by starkfist » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 1:56 AM UTC

htsh wrote: post #46

starkfist wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only person I've ever heard use the word "niggle" to describe an african american baby was an african american adult. In fact the "n bomb" itself is now mostly used by black people, with guidos and rednecks following far behind.

But at least you do agree and have heard it's used in this way. It's happening, though, for sure, and how we react is unclear. I guess the interesting question raised here b/w me and Confuzatron is whether we should avoid certain words once racists appropriate them. I see his point that it's kinda like the tail wagging the dog if we go down that road. But I do not think it's valid to say that the n-bomb is no longer…

I don't think it is widely used by anyone in that context. The guy I know who said it was joking around.

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#52

Post by prodigal_erik » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 2:16 AM UTC

p01nd3xt3r wrote: post #37

htsh wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The word "niggardly" and it's cognates are not preferred language not just due to their phonetic similarity to a word which unfortunately has awful connotation, but also because sophomoric racists have unfortunately appropriated these terms to have this sort of racial meaning. I should have said "recent etymology" above. For this reason, magazines and newspapers avoid the term: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controvers…

The fact that you got down voted and he has 12 up votes (currently) has really kind of changed how I see the hacker news community. Socially I always knew i didn't "fit in" with the people on this site but the one thing that connected us all was learning about technology and a love for sharing what we learn. Because of that I thought that there was enough general respect amongst us all not to use a word like "niggle"…

Avoiding "niggardly" is far from a sign of respect. I'm taking a precaution against a listener flying off the handle in ignorance, so it's actually a critique of their education and emotional stability as I perceive them. And it never would have occurred to me that we now have the same problem with "niggle" until reading this.

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#53

Post by htsh » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 3:15 AM UTC

elblanco wrote: post #50

htsh wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read about the etymology -- we concluded that early on in the discussion but the point was that there's a recent usage different from it's dictionary definition. I think urbandictionary is perfect to illustrate this sort of secondary usage. Also, the salad example is a bit weird as sexual innuendo and racist slurs are beasts of a different kind as there's usually a specific target to ethnic slurs as opposed to innu…

Personally, I think it's wise to avoid it as I have heard it used in a tremendously racist way. And again, everyone has different experiences in this regard. I do think, however, that it's a bit odd to get offended when someone points out this kind of usage. At the very least, we know that it's happening. I just think it's weird to raise the "possible accidental usage of a possibly racist term flag" for a word that v…

actually "niggardly" and "niggle" have related etymology, neither related to the n-bomb.

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#54

Post by mirkules » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 8:22 AM UTC

felideon wrote: post #28

mirkules wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rooting your phone just to remove ads is like removing an engine from your car just to get rid of hubcaps -- they should just snap right off. But seriously, a new iPhone costs $199 with 2 year contract. My Galaxy S (Captivate) cost $229 with 2 year contract. You would think that for a higher price than the iPhone -- which is heralded as the end-all-be-all of smartphones, and which doesn't have ANY bloatware whatsoeve…

I agree, I don't like the AT&T pre-installing crapware either, and it should be easy to uninstall. Your gripe on that point is caused by AT&T, not Samsung though (as coderdude mentioned). I think on Verizon the Galaxy S doesn't have as much bloatware. By the way, if you buy online from AT&T the Captivate costs $150 instead.

Ah, didn't know about the online price. I couldn't wait for it to ship anyway, I needed pretty much the same day (for travel). Still, I guess don't get it at Best Buy ;)

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#55

Post by elblanco » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 12:35 PM UTC

htsh wrote: post #53

elblanco wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, I think it's wise to avoid it as I have heard it used in a tremendously racist way. And again, everyone has different experiences in this regard. I do think, however, that it's a bit odd to get offended when someone points out this kind of usage. At the very least, we know that it's happening. I just think it's weird to raise the "possible accidental usage of a possibly racist term flag" for a word that v…

actually "niggardly" and "niggle" have related etymology, neither related to the n-bomb.

oh apologies, I thought they both derive from the Old English "hneaw". But I see that I am corrected!

I still wouldn't use it though, definitely archaic. It would be like inserting "yonder" and "thee" into my speech.

Re: IPhone to Droid X: Impressions of a Data Pig

#56

Post by Terretta » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:10 PM UTC

htsh wrote: post #9

Terretta wrote: post #8

Despite all the furor about iOS needing multitasking, this detail is glossed over: on Verizon you can't look up something requiring data while you're on a call. This isn't an Android vs iPhone issue: on AT&T my HTC Aria can handle a call while checking for directions on Google Maps just fine. It's interesting how total failure to support the most common smartphone multitasking scenario is glossed over as a "niggle".…

I'm not sure if it's the most common smartphone multitasking scenario. Considerably more common than that,I want to leave an application and come back to it without navigating from the beginning. For example, if I'm in twitter and I go to a link in the browser, I can come back to where I was in twitter. And I can do this with the back button. Do you really check for directions while on phone calls often? Perhaps it's…

> Do you really check for directions while on phone calls often? Perhaps it's just me, but people don't call me for directions that much.

No, but people do call me and ask me for feedback on an email they just sent, and I'm able to look at it. They call me and ask me how a stream looks. And I'm able to play it. They call me and ask me if a web page is suitable to share with a client. I check and say it is.

I work online. People call me about things that are online. If I'm at my desk, I'm using a landline. If I'm away from my desk, I'm not by a computer.

So yes, my most common multitasking use case on my mobile phone is to look at something online while on the phone.

While I can do that on Android on AT&T, I can't do that on Verizon.