Slashdot Mirror

Its more complex than everyone makes it seem. DRM is annoying and is getting more so (my itunes purchase won't play in my car cd mp3 player without jumping through hoops). DVDs are adding more copy protections etc. Nothing more annoying than having to jump through more hoops to get the stuff you paid good money for to play on the device of your choosing.

However the alternative is
http://www.plocp.com/images/vista_MG_3800.jpg

and bootlegs are everywhere. Maybe if they didn't charge close to 20$(in Mexico) a CD people would be more apt to buy them legit. Its completely out of control when ps games are like 3$ US and 2-3 movies per DVD is common. This is such a small scale compared to the bootlegging on the internet (although I'd bet a lot of these things are downloaded before sold).

But being the good consumers/capitalist we're trained to look for as cheap as possible, more so than thinking about all the people who worked on the media who need jobs and a paycheck. Ultimately if it gets bad enough look for much less variety in what gets released.

I understand what DRM is trying to do, but ultimately people will want the format that is cheaper and more flexible. Basic economics indicate they'll have to step up enforcement of illegal activity, there is no economic advantage to being honest and supporting what you like in todays society.

http://www.plocp.com/images/vista_MG_3800.jpg

seeing as ps2 games where going for 200->300 peso (2-3$)in mexico right next to the PC software, I'd say piracy is alive and well.

I had my doubts but after traveling abroad a lot this year (armenia and central america), I'd say piracy is actually a more significant concern than I'd previously though.

Vista is here and cheap (well at least at night in mexico)...see link

http://www.plocp.com/images/vista_MG_3800.jpg

  But what do I know, I've been MS free for 5 years now and still surviving..

It did wonders for the PSP

http://www.plocp.com/user/aramc//nyc_december_2005 /images/_MG_7058.jpg
http://www.plocp.com/user/aramc//nyc_december_2005 /images/_MG_6743.jpg

It did wonders for the PSP

http://www.plocp.com/user/aramc//nyc_december_2005 /images/_MG_7058.jpg
http://www.plocp.com/user/aramc//nyc_december_2005 /images/_MG_6743.jpg

The one thing google does really well is harness the "collective intelligence" of the web. Basically it assumes that people creating the web pages and links by hand have some skill and will only link to "reputable" sites. For the most part this works pretty well, although I've been pointed to excellent technicall references that google hasn't found.

Searching for documents on your computer is different. People aren't hotlinking your documents. The computer has to try and summerize that 20 page report or just do a straight text match web search. (Maybe using some semantic tricks.) To do this right is really hard. I worked for a start up that used Ontology based searching, trying to understand the text and match it to search criteria. It kinda worked sometimes which isn't nearly good enough.

I've been tagging my stills. I have little illusion that anything but me typing in descriptions into the metadata files which are kinda like xml ,will work. Searching through them can be made better than just a text match.

The only way this video might work is that video is sent in "packages" ie lots of video to edit down and a story. Close captioning would be usefull as well. Indexing on the text part and matching the video would be a great and very useful thing to these companies.

I'm late to the party with this post but for those that haven't seen the size of the car I took this picutre. They're small and tall compared to the cooper and gold and would seem to be easy easy easy to park.
Smart car size

I was wondering the same thing when in Munich and I came across this sign for the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property Competetion and Tax Law.

Was Max also an expert on Tax Law?? I also wondered why the sign wasn' in german..

I agree to a point..

There is a minimum functionality that is required for certain shots (obviously in low light a disposable or really cheap 5-20$ camera won't do.) I used to shoot a lot of concerts and events and expose by eye because I knew about what to expect and my camera meter was primitive and easily fooled by backlighting etc. My camera was primitive and I used manual focus fixed lenses which wern't great with the manual wind it wasn't the fastest shot.., but I think I got some good results. I was limited by only shooting 400 speed film too (pushed to 800-1600 at times because we needed too). don't think I would have don't much better with a better camera or better film.

However sometimes you can get good shots with a point and shoot. too. They have there place.

I agree to a point..

There is a minimum functionality that is required for certain shots (obviously in low light a disposable or really cheap 5-20$ camera won't do.) I used to shoot a lot of concerts and events and expose by eye because I knew about what to expect and my camera meter was primitive and easily fooled by backlighting etc. My camera was primitive and I used manual focus fixed lenses which wern't great with the manual wind it wasn't the fastest shot.., but I think I got some good results. I was limited by only shooting 400 speed film too (pushed to 800-1600 at times because we needed too). don't think I would have don't much better with a better camera or better film.

However sometimes you can get good shots with a point and shoot. too. They have there place.

I agree to a point..

There is a minimum functionality that is required for certain shots (obviously in low light a disposable or really cheap 5-20$ camera won't do.) I used to shoot a lot of concerts and events and expose by eye because I knew about what to expect and my camera meter was primitive and easily fooled by backlighting etc. My camera was primitive and I used manual focus fixed lenses which wern't great with the manual wind it wasn't the fastest shot.., but I think I got some good results. I was limited by only shooting 400 speed film too (pushed to 800-1600 at times because we needed too). don't think I would have don't much better with a better camera or better film.

However sometimes you can get good shots with a point and shoot. too. They have there place.

I agree to a point..

There is a minimum functionality that is required for certain shots (obviously in low light a disposable or really cheap 5-20$ camera won't do.) I used to shoot a lot of concerts and events and expose by eye because I knew about what to expect and my camera meter was primitive and easily fooled by backlighting etc. My camera was primitive and I used manual focus fixed lenses which wern't great with the manual wind it wasn't the fastest shot.., but I think I got some good results. I was limited by only shooting 400 speed film too (pushed to 800-1600 at times because we needed too). don't think I would have don't much better with a better camera or better film.

However sometimes you can get good shots with a point and shoot. too. They have there place.

I agree to a point..

There is a minimum functionality that is required for certain shots (obviously in low light a disposable or really cheap 5-20$ camera won't do.) I used to shoot a lot of concerts and events and expose by eye because I knew about what to expect and my camera meter was primitive and easily fooled by backlighting etc. My camera was primitive and I used manual focus fixed lenses which wern't great with the manual wind it wasn't the fastest shot.., but I think I got some good results. I was limited by only shooting 400 speed film too (pushed to 800-1600 at times because we needed too). don't think I would have don't much better with a better camera or better film.

However sometimes you can get good shots with a point and shoot. too. They have there place.

I did nothing... S/He left the pages as is and wasn't trying to sell them or anything.. I was surprised it happened. I was kinda flattered actually. I had forgetten about it till this article

Original
http://www.plocp.com/user/Test/wtc/index.htm

Copy..

Basically if everyone acts unselfishly they do better. But from each individuals perspective they do better when they act selfish, so it all falls apart. Its interesting stuff and the prisoners dilema game algorithms are interesting.

Prisoners Dilema

Play the dilema game online

My photos are here

also Here is New York has many good photos as well.