DanZemke

Since he specifically said "A new laptop is way down the priority list at this time.", the doesn't appear to be very helpful.

Suggest we consolidate Starlink discussions into the "Starlink Central" thread I posted the first note in this thread, based on information on how to sign-up for the Starlink Beta from another site. But separate Escapees threads covering essentially the same subject aren't ideal. IMO, it's better to have a single Escapees thread to discuss new Starlink information. Once StarLink starts to be widely available for Escapees, that will probably change. So my intent is for this to be my last post in this thread and I hope others think a single thread would be better too..

Yes, but there is nothing suspicious about it. That "s." defines a sub-domain. It's a standard way to partition a website into separate areas.

Here's some sage advice about personally trying to get individuals to wear a mask. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/mask-etiquette-coronavirus-covid19-fbi-hostage-15416464.php

Me too. Between the two of us, we're dealing with a very small sample size of observations, so it's just an indicator (from two highly reliable sources 🙂). But I, and I suspect you, aren't expecting perfection. Just better (safety).

As Gilda Radner used to say: Nevermind Thanks for the chuckles.

I WAS AWARE OF THAT !!!! The problem is, this sensible rule is not being ENFORCED!. Many NY married couples violate the "no closer than 6 inches" rule. And some households consist of members who are NOT MARRIED AND ARE ALSO VIOLATING THE RULE. Touche

Most of us wear masks here too. And our curve has gone way down. I'm amazed that NY has been so successful in suppressing your curve with a 6 inch distancing rule. 🙂

Rod, Glenn may not have read your first post on this topic. USB-C is more durable than micro-usb.

Get your new phone with a USB-C connector. It's the type that you don't have to decide which side goes up or down. USB-C is also engineered to be more durable than the prior most prevalent connector for phones - micro USB. One of the advantages of USB-C is that, unlike micro USB connectors, the springy parts are in the cable rather than in the device. So if, over time, the connection becomes loose, a new cable will fix it instead of having to get your phone repaired. That said, given one of your priorities is a durable connection, buy a decent cable, not the cheapest. Here's an example of a high quality one at a reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Powerline-Pull-up-Resistor-Samsung/dp/B01A6F3WHG#ace-g6570352880

I looked into Dental insurance plans years years ago and was underwhelmed. My conclusion was that all of the insurance plans I looked at were a bad deal for me. I agree with other posts, that if you have an existing dental problem, it's too late for insurance. I concluded that what I really wanted was access to lower priced dental costs rather than any kind of insurance. I suggest searching on: discount dental plans.

Nice! It's a keeper for me. Thanks

You were the first to inject the idea of challenge trials into this thread. Thank you! Some people may be uncomfortable dealing with Expected Values (potential outcomes weighted by probabilities). Others may be uncomfortable with dealing with Ethics. My impression is that Ethics and Expected Values are orthogonal views of a decision space. If we focus on a single perspective, we're more likely to make a poor decision. Basically, I think challenge trials make sense for Covid-19. They will not be perfect, but IMO, they are more likely to reduce misery and deaths than any approach which over-weights short-term safety.

Thanks for the chuckle 😄 And for any who feel Big5ver's post was inappropriate, consider a man offering his underwear to a woman in the same situation. And if they think both should be censored, I disagree. IMO, tolerance trumps censorship in most cases.

No. At 71 years old, I doubt 1 Day Sooner would accept me. But over 32,000 people have volunteered. And at least I did something - I donated $100 via PayPal.

Here are links to two fairly recent BBC articles about Covid-19 that I found interesting: Coronavirus: Encouraging results in vaccine trials Coronavirus: Human trial of new vaccine begins in UK 1 Day Sooner

I realize the enterprise and consumer markets are much different. But, IMO, including a view of the earlier enterprise market development makes the amazing consumer disk drive progression even more amazing My first full-time job was as a "systems engineer". A fancy name for someone who actually knows something about the products, the company I worked for, was selling. I remember working with a potential customer to create a benchmark test comparing the disk drives my company was selling with that of a competitor. These disk drives had 24" platters, a transfer rate of almost 1MB per second, and a capacity of up to 70 MB. Our drives smoked the competitor's drives. I don't remember how much our disk drives cost, but they were many tens of thousands 1976 dollars.

What possible benefit did you expect by your prior question? "We'll know you're an actual Starlink beta tester when you stop posting about it" It was a cheap shot. Admit it, and let's move on.

I've never claimed to be an actual Starlink beta tester or intimated that I was. And of course, Starlink's NDA is irrelevant for someone who is not a beta tester. So the purpose of your post was? It appears to me, that you were just taking a cheap shot that was unethical. My intended point was the source of your cited information appears to have been mistaken. I wasn't questioning you, I was questioning the veracity of your source. The latitude of my house is lower than 41.4 degrees. Starlink did not reject my house address.

Connecticut is below the 44th parallel, and my request to be included was not rejected. I have no idea whether I will be accepted or not. But it seems strange to me to have passed screening using my actual address, if Starlink is not considering me.

StarLink Beta FAQ and link to Reddit source https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/hr4904/starlink_beta_faq_antenna_images/ FAQ q: What is Starlink Beta? a:Starlink Beta is an opportunity to be an early user of the SpaceX's satellite internet system.The purpose of Starlink Beta is to gather feedback that will help us make decisions on how best to implement the system for Starlink's official launch. By design, the beta experience will be imperfect. Our goal is to incorporate feedback from a variety of users to ensure we build the best satellite broadband internet system possible. q:Who can participate in Starlink Beta? a:Starlink Beta will begin in the Northern United States and lower Canada, with those living in rural and/or remote communities in the Washington state area. Access to the Starlink Beta program will be driven by the user's location as well as the number of users in nearby areas. All beta testers must have a clear view of the northern sky to participate. q:Why do I need a clear view of the northern sky to be a beta tester? a:The Starlink system is currently made up of nearly 600 satellites orbiting the Earth that can provide internet service in a very specific range-between 44 and 52 degrees north latitude. Your Starlink dish requires a clear view of the Northern sky in order to communicate with the Starlink satellites. Without the clear view, the Starlink dish cannot make a good connection and your service will be extremely poor. q:Can I document and share my Starlink Beta experience? a:No, unfortunately you cannot document or share your Starlink Beta experience publicly. Beta testers will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as a condition of their participation. q:How will my service quality be during Starlink Beta? a:During Starlink Beta, service will be intermittent as teams work to optimize the network. When connected, your service quality will be high, but your connection will not be consistent. This means it may support streaming video with some buffering, but likely is not suitable for gaming or work purposes. q:What is expected of me as a participant in Starlink Beta? a:Beta testers will provide feedback in the form of periodic short surveys over an 8 week period to help our teams improve every aspect of the service. q:Is there a cost to participating Starlink Beta? a:There is no cost to be a beta tester, aside from a $1 charge to help test the billing system. q:What will I receive as a Beta Tester? a:Your Starlink Kit will arrive via FedEx pre-assembled with a Starlink dish, router [see FCC approval], power supply and mount depending on your dwelling type. Your Starlink Kit will require a signature for delivery, but you will be able to manage your delivery date and time through FedEx. q:How does Starlink internet work? a:Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet across the globe with a large, low-Earth constellation of relatively small but advanced satellites. Satellite internet works by sending information through the vacuum of space, where it travels nearly 50% faster than in fiber-optic cable. q:Most satellite internet services today come from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at about 35,000km, covering a fixed region of the Earth. Starlink, on the other hand, is a constellation of multiple satellites that orbit the planet much lower at about 550km, and cover the entire globe. a:Because the satellites are in a low orbit, the round-trip data time between the user and the satellite - also known as latency - is much lower than with satellites in geostationary orbit. This enables Starlink to deliver services like online gaming that are usually not possible on other satellite broadband systems q:If I sign up to be a Beta Tester and I change my mind, can I cancel? a:Yes, you can cancel at any time. https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/hr4904/starlink_beta_faq_antenna_images/

I did read it. I'm not uncomfortable reading ethical and scientific considerations. I'm amazed that some folks are willing to endorse approaches, that by any reasonable metric, result in more deaths and misery.

Adios

The link you cited was a republished opinion piece originally posted on May 15 in "The Doctor's Tablet Blog". http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/human-challenge-studies-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-ethical-quandaries/ Here's a more recent posting of an opinion piece on the subject from the same source you cited: https://www.thehastingscenter.org/accepting-the-challenge-covid-vaccine-challenge-trials-can-be-ethically-justified/ Their conclusion states: "Altruism and a spirit of public service seem to animate challenge-study volunteers. Those who oppose SARS-CoV-2 challenge studies do not only miscalculate the risks; they also misjudge the value that drives participation." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How about a link to an actual peer-reviewed academic journal article instead of opinion pieces? https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6493/832 note: CHIs = controlled human infection studies (aka Challenge Trials) Conclusion: "Given the extraordinary nature of the pandemic, our framework and analysis support laying the groundwork for SARS-CoV-2 CHIs—for example, by developing a challenge strain, drafting consensus protocols that address ethical concerns, and engaging stakeholders to enhance their social value, minimize risks, and build public trust." ------------------------------------------------- I've been accused multiple times in my life of being too rational. Accusation accepted. Zulu, this thread seems, to me, to have run its course. Our minds appear to be wired differently. And I find different perspectives very valuable. Suggestion: Post any closing thoughts you have, and let's move on.

I honestly think you're mistaken. I know nothing about the culture within skylink. But if their objective was to build an advertising email list, I wouldn't expect them use zip codes to limit eligibility.