Jinn of Quality and Risk

CmdrTaco: Slashdot is 5 years old now. ... (As a side note, due to a data importing bug, we really don't know exactly when we made our debut, but I spent september 97 putting the site together... and when we went live, we didn't even have comments for the first week or so!) I started reading Slashdot in early 1998. Gave me my first taste of Web-based community and group-blog. It's been fun, interesting, and silly. Still is, although it's not been evolving much. And... All your base are belong to us! among other things. 

Dictionary of Battles: Retracing his route from Egypt early in 331 B.C., Alexander the Great [still only 25 years of age] marched through Syria and crossed both the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. East of the latter river, King Darius III determined to make an all-out attempt to destroy the Macedonian invader and thus preserve his Persian Empire. He established a headquarters at Arbela and then moved 20 miles northeast to a plains region at Gaugamela (Erbil in modern Iraq), near the ancient ruins of Nineveh. The Persian army at Gaugamela has been estimated as 200,000 infantry, 40,000 cavalry, 200 scythe-chariots, and 15 elephants. Alexander, aware that a large force stood astride his route, marched his battle-wise troops —40,000 infantry, 7,000 cavalry— to within sight of the Persian army. He then encamped for four days of rest and preparation. On October 1, 331 B.C., the outnumbered but better-trained Macedonians organized for an attack. A fearful slaughter took place. Casualty estimates vary from 40,000 to 90,000 for the Persians (prisoners greatly exceeded that number) and only 100 to 500 for the Macedonians. Darius III escaped to Bactria (in modern Afghanistan), only to be assassinated there by Bessus, one of his satraps, the following year. The Macedonian victory at Arbela-Gaugamela was one of the decisive battles of history. It sent the mighty Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Elder, into a decline from which it never recovered.

Wargame instructions: Such numbers on the Persian side, both casualties and combatants, are scarcely to be believed but one thing is certain. Alexander won a tremendous victory against overwhelming odds... First some brief historical notes. 

One should count each day a separate life. — Seneca. 

Marketing Magazine: It likely won't be too long before we see an official Harley-Davidson blog that features ongoing commentary, news and updates from an "evangelist" within the Harley organization. Featured within the main Harley-Davidson site, the effort will emerge as a powerful means by which the company can further cement its digital relationship with its customers. Harley has a new model coming out? It's reported directly to Harley fans through the blog. Someone is doing a cross-country bike ride on a Harley with the monies collected going to a charity? Write it into the blog. A new Harley ad is released? Link it in the blog, and viewers will follow. [via John Robb's Radio Weblog] 

LIGHTING for Museums and Art Galleries has a unique set of priorities, those of conservation and effective display. In many ways these two requirements conflict as there is a necessity to restrain lighting levels to promote the former whilst the latter requires sufficient light of a high quality to provide optimum viewing conditions. The process of lighting design becomes something of a balancing act to provide an effective compromise between these conflicting requirements. To attain this balance we need to look to the entire armoury of the lighting designer, specifying only the best equipment available, and we should consider all aspects of light within the display area. A complete understanding of the reasons for, and requirements of, conservation level lighting is essential and I would strongly advise everyone to read The Museum Environment before embarking on any project. This book explains the factors governing the degradation of materials in light and will allow the designer to discuss proposed lighting levels from a position of knowledge. 

The MIT OpenCourseWare pilot is open: MIT and the OpenCourseWare team are excited to share with you a first sampling of course materials from MIT's Faculty. We invite educators around the world to draw upon the materials for their own curricula, and we encourage all learners to use the materials for self-study.