Slashdot Mirror
Can Technology Make The Money For You?
Crais writes: "Using JetBlue, the Mens' Wearhouse, and others as examples, this article out of Newsweek shows how tossing money into new technology, and giving employees nice benefits/perks can actually make your business profitable, and pleasurable to work for. Sheesh, I just want my company to buy some real networking equipment..."
Is that a cock or are you unhappy to see me?
at the top of the article. This is a technology company marketing the concept that injecting more technology into your company will help it succeed.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
897123123th post!!!
she's a slut.
but i love you.
for 20 seconds....
--
pants ahoy
"Sheesh, I just want my company to buy some real networking equipment..."
Please don't tell me you work for my ISP. Some how I'd believe you.
Get your Unix fortune now!
Follow Jon Katz' Example! Promote your cause on Slashdot now! And mod up this comment -- if Katz deserves free advertising, so does this comment!
This FAQ is designed to give tips on trolling on Slashdot, created in celebration of Blackout Week. It is dedicated to all hard-working trolls and crapflooders.
What are some good trolling tips?
Trolling is all about making people think you care, and so winding up those who care for real. Think of it like shooting a deer in front of an anti-hunt protester, or eating a Big Mac in front of a vegan. Here are some ideas for making your troll work:
How do I crapflood?
A crapflood is an (intentionally) content-free post. Here are some suggestions for the source of your crapflood -- remember to take care with repetition, odd characters, or repetition, to get past the lameness filter:
How do I widen pages?
A method is known and delivered to us by the beautiful Klerck which currently works in Internet Explorer alone. This will therefore ruin the browsing experience of by far the majority of Slashdot readers. Start with the text:
http://www.eveeieyhfgfcdoosammgwsnboivvbsczxlzgabc /
then repeat /ooieiabdcdjsvbkeldfogjhiyeeejkagclmieooionoepdk /
several times, remembering to avoid the compression filter trap by using different random characters.How do I karma whore?
"Karma whoring" is the practice of gaining moderation points for their own sake. It is particularly useful in techniques for defeating the moderation system. Some tips for karma whoring are:
How do I defeat the moderation system?
The moderation system is far from flawless. Here are some ways to devalue it:
How do I defeat authentication?
Don't. The FBI will arrest you for being a terrorist. Instead, make an authoritative nick like CmdrTaco (editor). The majority of people are easily fooled, and will be likely to take notice of and respond to your post, and even moderate it up. Think of it like Lunix Turvalds walking into the room -- people listen to what he has to say, and don't dare disagree.
How do I defeat the goatse link early warning system?
Simple -- use one of the many foolishly implemented redirector URLs hosted on well-known sites. Here's an innocuous recent example which pretends to link to the highly informative about.com, but in fact links to a site of the popular 90's lesbian band The Spice Girls: Informative link which will get me karma
What are some excellent sites to sneakily link to?
Mostly, you should link to gay porn. If you are reading this FAQ, you already know the URLs, so I don't need to supply them, except to say that it's almost an initiation ceremony in Slashdot trolling to link to goatse.
Administrativa
How do I justify the existence of this FAQ?
Slashdot is full of people who support unlicensed weapons ownership and dissemination of bomb creation documents -- in short, they support freedom, even when that freedom could cause harm. This document should be considered as that very freedom in action. Indeed, to disparage or moderate down this document would be un-American, and the FBI are likely to arrest you for being a terrorist.
How do I add to or change this FAQ?
Simply re-post the FAQ on Slashdot, adding an appropriate question, and incrementing the version number by 1. Before doing so, please try to ensure you have the latest version, and remember to keep this post W3C compliant!
How else can I help with the Troll and Crapflooding Cause?
Moderate this post up, re-post it, put it in your journal, and upload it on your website. Thanks!
and more words
and fewer words
how come the word short is longer than the word long?
--
pants ahoy
One little perk of technological progress is that the price of technology relative to the cost of human labour goes down over time. So it will only become easier to satiate your employees with the latest and greatest toys.
On the other hand, a bloated management structure will become more and more costly. Hooray for progress!
Websurfing: The Next Generation - StumbleUpon
I've noticed over the years that businesses tend to wait until something is broken before trying to fix it. Communication breakdown occurs much quicker when companies refuse to accept that new(er) technologies can increase productivity and correct problems. Alas, they don't realize it until it is too late because they don't want want to open their pocketbooks.
What speed of service is available from MSN Broadband? Return to top
MSN Broadband offers different speeds depending on your local telephone company. See below for details:
vary depending on several factors including location of your home, computer performance and configuration, network or Internet congestion, Web sites accessed and current phone line conditions. Speed of service, uninterrupted and error free service is not guaranteed. Some customers may require professional installation which may be obtained for an extra charge.
What are downstream and upstream speeds? Return to top
Downstream speed is the speed at which you can download data from the Internet. Upstream speed is the speed at which you can upload data to the Internet. Thus downstream speed refers to the speed at which you view information on the Internet and download Web pages. Upstream speed refers to the speed at which you can send e-mail messages or files. In most cases, downstream speed is the more important factor to consider in your decision to purchase DSL, since downstream speed affects the rate at which you can view Web pages, receive e-mail, or download music. Both speeds of MSN Broadband are much faster than a dial-up connection.
What is Microsoft's IntelliSpeed(TM) technology and what are the benefits? Return to top
Developed by Microsoft exclusively for MSN Broadband customers, IntelliSpeed technology is an innovative broadband technology platform that combines rich software, a premium transmission network, and high-quality hardware to provide MSN Broadband subscribers with a superior broadband experience. Benefits include:
Installation of MSN Broadband is a breeze. IntelliSpeed technology interprets a user's system configuration for easy hardware and software setup. One easy-to-use CD does it all.
Optimized performance and reliability. IntelliSpeed technology monitors a user's DSL line and retunes itself for performance and reliability.
Updates to help subscribers stay on the cutting edge of technology. As newer service features are developed, IntelliSpeed technology makes it easy for subscribers to access them.
Higher-quality audio and video. IntelliSpeed technology senses a user's connection and serves high-quality video and audio at optimized speeds.
What do I get when I subscribe? Return to top
Your MSN Broadband subscription includes the following:
Unlimited high-speed access to the Internet.
Free technical support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All the necessary hardware and software.
10 free hours of dial-up Internet access each month.
Access to your e-mail from any Internet connection and up to 9 unique e-mail addresses for members of your family.
The flexibility to connect via a USB or ethernet port on your computer.
Free MSN Explorer, the all-in-one Internet software.
Exclusive content and services such as MSNBC MarketCast and MSNBC NewsCast.
How does MSN Broadband work? Return to top
MSN Broadband splits your ordinary telephone line into 2 lines; one for your regular telephone service and the other for high-speed Internet service. MSN Broadband will not affect your telephone service. You can even talk on the phone while you are surfing the Internet at high speeds. If you have an answering machine or a fax machine connected to your telephone, you can keep them connected.
What is the difference between dial-up and MSN Broadband? Return to top
Speed and convenience. Most ordinary dial-up modems allow you to surf the Web at a maximum speed of 56Kbps (Kilo bits per second). MSN Broadband provides speeds ranging from 256Kbps to 1.5Mbps.* MSN Broadband also provides you a constant connection to the Internet, so you don't have to dial-up, experience delays, or lose your connection as is common with a dial-up connection. Further, with MSN Broadband you can surf the Web and talk on the phone at the same time.
* Actual speeds over DSL lines will vary depending on several factors including location of your home, computer performance and configuration, network or Internet congestion, Web sites accessed and current phone line conditions. Speed of service, uninterrupted and error-free service is not guaranteed. Go to the MSN Broadband FAQ for more information on speeds.
Do I need to install a new phone line to get MSN Broadband? Return to top
No. MSN Broadband is installed on the same line you currently use for your telephone service. MSN Broadband splits your ordinary telephone line into 2 lines, one for your regular telephone service and the other for high-speed DSL.
Click here to find out if your phone line qualifies for MSN Broadband.
I currently have 2 telephone lines. Can I still get MSN Broadband? Return to top
Yes. In fact, you may be able to save money by canceling your subscription to the second phone line, since MSN Broadband lets you talk on the phone and surf the Web simultaneously on one phone line.
Click here to find out if your phone line qualifies for MSN Broadband.
Will MSN Broadband affect the quality of my telephone service? Return to top
No. With MSN Broadband you can make phone calls while surfing the Web, and your phone reception is just as crisp and clear as always. Your phone will work even if your computer or the DSL modem is turned off.
I have a home security system. Can I get MSN Broadband? Return to top
If your home security line and your MSN Broadband line are on two separate lines, then you should have no problem. If you have a home security system, check with your security company to see what they recommend to ensure that your home security system and MSN Broadband will work successfully together on your telephone line.
Can I use my laptop computer for my MSN Broadband connection? Return to top
Yes, as long as it is connected to your DSL line via an available Ethernet or USB port on the laptop. Your laptop will need to meet the minimum computer system requirements for MSN Broadband.
How do I check to see if my computer meets the minimum system requirements for MSN Broadband? Return to top
There are two locations that you will need to check to see if your computer meets the minimum requirements: one for available memory, the other for available disk space.
To check available memory:
On your desktop, double-click the My Computer icon.
On the Menu bar, click Help.
On the Help menu drop-down list, click About Windows.
On the About Windows dialog box, the available memory will be displayed next to Physical memory available to Windows.
To close the dialog box, click OK.
To check available disk space:
On your desktop, double-click the My Computer icon.
Place your pointer over your (C:) drive icon. After a few moments, a pop-up box will display the available Free Space and the Capacity of the disk.
What are the required steps to get MSN Broadband? Return to top
First, make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements for the service. Next, check to see if MSN Broadband is available in your area and sign up for the service. Then, MSN will work with your local telephone company to provision your telephone line for DSL. MSN will also mail you a self-installation kit. Once you have installed MSN Broadband, you are ready to surf the Web at high speed.
How long does it take to get MSN Broadband? Return to top
Approximately 10 to 20 working days, depending on your local phone company. During this time, MSN works with your telephone company to provision your telephone line for DSL. Once this occurs, MSN will mail you a self-installation kit that lets you set up MSN Broadband on your computer, without a technician. Home installation is easy and quick.
How can I upgrade from MSN dial-up Internet Access to MSN Broadband? Return to top
Upgrading to MSN Broadband is easy. Simply click on the signup button and follow the instructions on the screen. You will be required to type in your current MSN username and password. Once you do, the sign-up process will take you through the appropriate steps.
If you pre-paid for or received 1 year of free MSN Dial-Up Internet Access and you wish to move to MSN Broadband, you can easily upgrade to MSN Broadband by going through the MSN Broadband sign-up process. The system will recognize your account and guide you through the process. However, due to the different monthly prices and benefits of MSN Broadband, the benefits from your dial-up plan, free months or pre-paid months, do not carry forward to your MSN Broadband plan and you will be required to pay the full monthly fees of MSN Broadband.
If you are an MSN Dial-Up Internet Access customer and agreed to a term commitment, you will be able to sign up for the currently available MSN Broadband offers under their respective terms and conditions. The months that remain on your MSN Dial-up Internet Access term commitment will be transferred to MSN Broadband. You must continue your subscription for MSN Broadband until you have completed your entire term commitment or you may be subject to termination fees. (Please refer to the original terms of your particular promotional program for details on termination fees.)
I currently have dial-up access from another Internet Service Provider. Can I switch to MSN Broadband? Return to top
Yes. Once you are sure your computer meets the minimum requirements for MSN Broadband, check to see if MSN Broadband is available in your area. After you sign up for MSN Broadband, MSN will work with your local telephone company to provision your telephone line for DSL. Once your telephone line has been activated for DSL, we will mail you a self-installation kit. Once you have installed MSN DSL, you are ready to surf the Web at high speed. You may now cancel your dial-up service from the other provider. We recommend you do so in writing in addition to canceling the service via the phone.
Your other ISP may charge you a cancellation fee. Please check with your provider.
Will I miss any e-mail messages when I switch to MSN? Return to top
Not if you sign up for the special e-mail forwarding offer from Re-route. After you switch to MSN, you can sign up to get one free month of Re-route e-mail forwarding service. Re-route will redirect messages sent to your old e-mail account to your new MSN account--automatically. Also, the person sending you the e-mail message will receive a "change of address" message notifying him or her of your new address. For more information about Re-route service or to sign up, please visit the Re-route Web site.
More... Return to top
To read more Frequently Asked Questions about MSN Broadband, please visit MSN Support Services.
If we don't fight for ourselves no one will.
Gee, most of the dot-coms gave their employees all kinds of perks and they folded anyway!
I'm pretty dang lucky. I work from home. If I ask for technology, I typically get it.
It makes financial sense. My boss does'nt need to provide office space for me, his overhead is lowered, and I'm happier.
I asked for a wireless network in my home. Out of all the reasons I wanted it, the reality was 'So I can sit at the bar down the street and work while having a beer'. The response: 'Well, don't get too drunk'.
Using technology to accomidate workers, to provide for them a better work envrionment is a no-brainer. I remember one place I worked at.. the boss would see me sitting outside smoking a cigarette. "What are you doing?" 'I'm waiting for a download to finish. Theres really nothing I can do until it's done'. He would'nt buy broadband for the office, and as a result, not only annoyed me, but waisted far more paid man hours then the cost of putting a decent connection and network into the office.
The Internet is generally stupid
"The most unusual time-saving feature of the new registers is a fingerprint scanner that lets managers make returns and exchanges more swiftly because the computer instantly recognizes them."
I see. Mens Warehouse discriminates against the fingerless in managerial roles! Can this boy work for them and hope for advancement? I personally don't like the idea of passwords that can be stolen with a regular pair of tin snips.
Yes, if you buy a color photocopier.
It's funny how an article that says businesses can save money by developing software with new technologies has an ad for Microsoft .NET at the top.
My company told me to write this computer program for windows 2000. Not only do I still not have 2000, I didn't have a compiler to use.
Then I found the dev c compiler and it works great and its free. Check it out at www.bloodshed.net
I should go work for the government, they always have the best equipment... the state just got new color laser printers they dont need...
I didn't read the entire article. I was too intrigued by JetBlue's reservation agents working from home. My wife currently stays home with our 9 month old baby, and it would be great if she could work from home at the same time. So I went to JetBlue's web page. I was sad to see they had no listings currently. I also noticed when you hit the drop down for the location, there was no home or telecommute option. The article said you had to pay for 2 phone lines, and they'd provide the computer. Why can't you have 1 phone line and high speed internet? Can't they set up a VPN access or something? Sheesh.
It's easy to stand out when the general level of competence is so low.
XML causes global warming.
"I need wireless so I can work while on the 'tank". One TV-tray, a pcmcia card, and a WAP later I have the most, er, fragrant work area on the planet.
Please note the "sponsored by Microsoft" image at the top of the article. This is a technology company marketing the concept that injecting more technology into your company will help it succeed.
We need more basic research.
Wow. This post looks familiar.
Oh yeah, because I originally posted it here [slashdot.org].
Only there, it had my name as the author of the post...
A hint: Please include credit for the original content if you are going to repost a comment. Otherwise it is called plagarism.
Some things good, some not so good.
JetBlue is only paying $9/hr.? A little low, even for part-time. Good to see a company that's finally figuring out that there are benefits (and not all economic) to telecommuting.
The guy who isn't patenting BigFoot sounds very cool.
The virtual queuing was extremely cool. Too bad they are charging for it though ($10 a PERSON???). Should be included.
Just some thoughts.
I own a small-medium sized business, and this type of reinforcement simply doesn't work.
Most of my employees tell me that people in the technology sector really don't consider having a nice suit as a benefit. While this may be in correlation to the hygenic habits of techies, I'm not sure.
What I am sure of is that the only reinforcement is negative reinforcement.
I have often thought about working from home, and could probably justify doing so with my work (Electronic Records Management) but I have two little problems - a 2.5 yr old daughter and a 10 months old son. I love them both incredibly and spend a lot of time with them outside of work, but I see how little my wife sometimes can get done if the kids are demanding a lot of attention. In addition, I still think that getting out and working outside of the house is a nice break from the family and allows me to appreciate them even more.
These are what I see as the secrets behind JetBlue:
- Their ticket prices are very reasonable.
- They fly non-stop to their destinations.
- Their main hub is based close to a(the) major metropolitan city (New York).
- They don't serve crappy meals just snacks.
- Each seat has its own TV with 24 channels.
- They fly out of a notoriously annoying airport at off-peak hours making the airport far less of an issue.
- They have a new fleet of jets that are quiet and in excellent condition.
Where does their IT actually improve their product? They are a relatively small airline and they are bound to the scheduling and baggage routing procedures of the airports that they fly through and they don't have to schedule in flight meal delivery. As a JetBlue customer it seems more like their IT is barely relevant. Then again that can be a sign of excellent IT infrastructure.
-- Button up, your ignorance is showing
Presented for your entertainment
THE (HOPEFULLY) GREAT SLASHDOT CROSSWORD PUZZLE!
Now's your chance to see just how well you've been paying attention during the past four years of chips, dips, Micro$loth, Napster, IPOs, BSD, rights online, editor censorship, and of course Linux, Linux, Linux! Complete the following professional-quality crossword puzzle chock full of trivia on Slashdot, Open Source, and geekiness in general for not only posterity but GREAT PRIZES!! Prizes include the following:
A fresh box of QUAKER GRITS !
Your very own SLASHDOT CRUISER !
A hot date with NATALIE PORTMAN !
A genuine VA Lin^H^H^HSOFTWARE STOCK CERTIFICATE !
It doesn't get much better than this, folks! Here's how to play:
Fill in the crossword completely. No incomplete (or incorrect) solutions will be considered.
Once you're sure you have the crossword completely figured out, submit it to slashdot_crossword at engineer.com. If you indeed have the solution, one of the above four prizes are yours! The prizes are in limited supply (well, except for the VA stock certificates), so get those solutions in early!
The winners will be announced on 2002/04/28, to be praised in -1 crapfloods for all eternity (or at least until the crapflooders get bored and go back to posting gay Slashdot editor fanfics).
While we fully assert that this crossword is professional quality, there are of course some variations from the standard crossword form to make things more interesting for the Slashdot crowd. Some answers are used more than once. Digits (0-9) exist in some answers. Some clues are repeated with different answers. Many of the answers are acronyms or initialisms; if the answer that comes to mind doesn't fit, try thinking of common abbreviations for it. And, of course, the crossword indices are all in hexadecimal (this is Slashdot, after all!)
So, without further ado, here comes the crossword! Plain HTML is admittedly ugly and unpleasant to look at, so you may download and print a nice PDF version here. Good luck!
+-+- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +-+- +
|1 |2 |3 |4 |##|5 |6 |##|7 | |8 |##|9 |##|0a| |0b|0c|##|0d|
+-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+-+- +- +- +- +-+- +- +-+- +
|0e| | | |##|0f| |10| |##| |##|11| | |##|12| |13| |
+-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +- +-+-+- +- +- + +- +- +-+- +
| |##|##| |##|14| | | |##|15|16| |##| |##|17| | | |
+- +- - +- +- +-+-+- +- +- +- - +- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +
|##|18| | |19|##|##|1a| |1b| | |##|##|##|1c|####|##| |
+- +- +-+- +- +- +- - +- +- +- +-+-+- +- +- +- +- +-+- +
|1d| |##|##| |##|1e| | | |##|1f|20|21|22| |23|##|24|##|
+ +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- - +- +- +-+- +- +-+- +
|##|25|26|27| |##|##| |##|28|29|##|2a| | |##|2b|2c| |##|
+- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +- +-+
|##|2d| | |##|2e|2f|##|##|30| | | |##| |##|31| | |##|
+- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +-+- +
|##|##|##|32| | | |##|##|##| |##|##|33| |34|##| |##|##|
+-+- +- +- +- ++- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- + + +- +- +-+- +
|35|36|37|##|##|38| |39|##|3a|##|##|3b| |##| |##|3c| | |
+-+-+- +- +- ++- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- - +- +- +- + +- +
|3d| | | |3e|##|##|3f| | |##|40|##|##|41| | | |##|##|
+-+- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +-+- +- +- + - +- +- + +-+- +
| |##|##|##|42| |43| |##|44| | |45| | | |##|46|47|48|
+- +- - +- + +- +- +-+- +- +- + +- +- +-+- +- +- +-+- +
|49|4a| | | |##|4b| | | |##|4c| |##| |##|##|4d| | |
+- +- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- + +- +
|##| |##|##| |##| |##|##|4e|4f| |##|50| |51|##|52| | |
+-+- +- + +- +-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- + +- +- + +- +- +
|53| | | | |##| |##|54| | | | |##|55| | |##|##| |
+- +- +-+- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +- + +- +
|56| |##|##|##|57| | |##|##|##| |##|##| |##|##|##|58| |
+- +- +- - +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +
|59| |##|##|##|##| |##|5a| |5b|##|##|5c| |5d|##|5e|##| |
+- +- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- - +- +- +-+- +
| |##|##|5f| |60| |##| |##| |##|61| |##|62|63| | |##|
+- +- +- + +- +- +- +- +- - +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +
|##|64| | |##| |##|65| | | |##|##| |##|66| | |##|##|
+- +-+- +- +- +- - +- +- +- +- +-+-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +
|67| |##|68| | |##|69| |##|6a| | | |##|6b| | | |##|
+- +- +-+- +- +- +- + +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- +- +- +-+- +
|6c| | |##|##| |##|6d| | | |##|##|6e| | | | |##|6f|
+-+- +- +- +- +- +-+ +- +- +- +- +- +- +-+- +- +- +- +-+
THE CLUES:
Across
1. This band must've been desperate for publicity to give an interview to Slashdot!
5. Crapflooder impersonated well by Silicon Simian.
7. A special treat you earn for Bad Posting.
0A. Sean Kelly's ex-lover and former SlashNET IRCop.
0E. Ew! Between the eyes!
0F. This dog won't mess your carpet, shed fur all over the place, or do much else besides consume batteries.
11. Living proof that you get what you pay for.
12. The soundtrack for the World Wide Web.
14. Disney makes money to destroy free speech on the Internet every time you buy ____ on DVD.
15. Slashcode's overglorified killfile.
17. You were writing FOX about "The Tick" when you should've been writing your congressman about this bill.
18. A very Snotty troll.
1A. This young Afghan loves watching movies and JonKatz on his C64.
1D. The best text editor EVER!
1E. What you say!! If you say it one more time, I'll bludgeon you to death!
1F. These guys gave Linux mono.
25. These shiny discs feed money into a bloated media cartel and stifle fair use rights, but you buy them by the millions anyway.
28. Slashdot's top comment poster and story submitter.
2A. These networks "disrupt" artists' cash flows.
2B. Open Source codeword for amphetamines.
2D. RAM type optimized for Extended Data Output on old Pentiums.
2E. Hillary Rosen knows you're just itching to steal Charley Pride's __.
30. A hack to get a kernel designed only to boot off floppy disks to boot off a hard drive.
31. ___ BREAK HEAD WITH OPEN-SOURCE CD!!!
32. Marketers who resort to this tactic are worse than Hitler and should be tortured and killed.
33. This desktop environment kicks GNOME's ass!
35. Microsoft sold off this Unix, and it's gone downhill ever since.
38. An essential e-mail utility for child pornographers and terrorists.
3B. (0A Down)'s lucky number.
3C. It's not Unix, and it shows.
3D. Preface for 90% of Slashdot comments, and 100% of CmdrTaco's personal ads.
3F. Where non-free software goes on your file system.
41. You better mark all the comments as ____ in metamod unless you want to lose karma.
42. This international standards body, no matter what you may think, does NOT read Slashdot.
44. Head bitch of the RIAA.
46. A primitive chat program superseded by AOL Instant Messenger.
49. An online webzine which demonstrated that online subscriptions don't work to everybody except CmdrTaco.
4B. If you moderate in a way CmdrTaco doesn't like, you earn this special database flag.
4C. vi does a poor job of emulating this standard Unix text editor.
4D. To B or not __ _.
4E. You won't get much use out of this text-recognition technology if all you use your scanner for is scanning your ass.
50. The sound Michael's head makes when he's stuffing it up his rectum.
52. Unique index for a whole LIST of babble.
53. The world's best operating system!
54. Father of Methuselah, or old-school Slashdot troll.
55. You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict this operating system's future.
56. Most geeks sleep through this half of the day.
57. This open-source man was Natalie's first.
58. Carly's mission is to steer this company into the ground.
59. mimbleton's favorite subject prefix.
5A. Chewing this might help your babbling problem.
5C. Programming language named after Lord Byron's daughter.
5F. Dead drummer for CmdrTaco's favorite band, or ridiculous Liberal myth.
61. Every Slashdotter's dream is to get one of these.
62. The Firm that is spelling Armageddon for free speech on The Net.
64. These networks are the beginning of Disorganized Crime.
65. Shitty "bitch band" whose leader likes to bitch about the RIAA.
66. The only Adequacy editor with a real PhD.
67. I think 7 over 22 is both backwards AND wrong.
68. Mentioning this droid (and others) is what is keeping you from getting laid.
69. Two-letter country code for Oman.
6A. Giving a ____ Necklace involves "coming" on Heidi Wall's bosom.
6B. What people who can't afford Visual Studio use to search text files.
6C. This hacker tool is often used to replace "characters" in "strings".
6D. QueenTaco's maiden name.
6E. The best text editor EVER!
6F. The PDP-11 assembler that thinks it's a programming language.
Down ...
1. Taco thinks that a purchase of his publicly traded company's services is a ___.
2. The self-centered Windows 9x release after 98SE.
3. 3D Tamagotchi game designed by Peter Molyneux.
4. A crippled Photoshop wannabe.
5. Lock your penis bird in a cage to protect it from this text-outputting animal.
6. Russian Geeks in Space.
7. If your karma surpasses 25, you have this and a problem.
8. Luckily, michael was born too late to join THIS party.
9. If this Slashdot section's color scheme doesn't drive you away, Michael's snotty editorial remarks will.
0A. Suffering cerebral palsy didn't stop him from becoming Surprised by Wealth.
0B. The market leader in megahertz lies.
0C. Statement used to declare variables in Visual Basic.
0D. Media cartel dedicated to protecting Britney Spears from dirty hackers.
10. Once the greatest Karma Whore ever, now a suicidal loser seen only on (33 Down).
13. Game console that bankrupted its parent company because of hackers making free games for it.
16. The only Unix understandable by non-geeks.
18. (40 Down) likes his pages ____.
19. Do many eyes make all bugs shallow, or do too many cooks spoil the broth?
1C. Research? Linux? Software? Whatever!
20. The first step towards failure for Linux companies.
21. Every Slashdotter's duty (except those marked with (4B Across)).
22. Apple's stylish new IP theft device.
23. (43 Down)'s employer.
24. A flaky Open-Source knockoff of (38 Across).
26. ESR's birthday present to RMS.
27. This primitive operating system denies any service to its users.
29. Unique index for a particular piece of babble.
2C. A tasty breakfast treat -- down your pants!
2E. You hit this once you get 50 karma points.
2F. This marketing guy troll sure is dumb!
33. This site is decidedly not Slashdot.
34. An easy way to lose all your karma is to offer your account for sale on this popular auction site.
35. Unfortunately, this famous online Nazi's treatment of the Censorware Project wasn't just a game.
36. Two-letter country code for the 51st state.
37. A geek's computer is always __.
39. ____, Lover, Aesthete, Programmer. There is no contradiction.
3A. The XP makes it go faster!
3E. The world's worst operating system!
40. The only troll with a freaks list longer than JonKatz'.
41. The OS all the cool people use now that Linux isn't trendy anymore.
43. A top-flight IT consultant who somehow manages to find time in his busy schedule to post to Slashdot.
45. What comes after as(1) and before strip(1) in the C build process.
47. VA Software has the world's worst ___.
48. This Senate bill comes closer to passing every time you go to see Lord of the Rings again.
4A. Legalized child pornography.
4F. What the Greeks went to Delphi for, Geeks go to this state for.
51. The Hellmouth should've eaten you here.
53. This rocker's battle against file-sharing networks won't end until he can Kill 'Em All.
5A. This desktop environment kicks KDE's ass!
5B. This modest and self-effacing troll was one of the first on Slashdot.
5C. You'd have to think different to justify spending money on this company's overpriced products.
5D. A game console which thought it was a full-featured computer system.
5E. Cofounder of Chips 'n' Dips.
5F. It may not have the best sound quality, but at least it's better than Ogg Vorbis.
60. Preface for the 10% of Slashdot comments not prefaced with (3D Across).
63. Apple stole all their ideas from this research group.
64. Bye bye, miss USian ___, drove the Cruiser like some loser who starts posts with a *sigh*
65. A dynamically updated list of the biggest losers on Slashdot.
67. Standard programming language implemented by most high-end printers.
6F. This language's lack of bounds checking is responsible for 90% of software security holes out there.
fin
--
What happens when you outlaw guns
is just giving them my name not enough when i want to return a suit? save a few seconds of typing by keeping my fingerprint on file? NO THANKS
Of course technology can make money for you. However, using technology in the duplication of monetary bills is considered a crime ;-)
He who has no
The first section in the article discusses Jetblue Airways' efforts to allow employees to work at home. Half of the technology will actually allow an employee to work at home: phone lines to handle calls and dial into the booking system, Laptop computers, etc. On the flip side, the other half of the technology used by employers will make sure that telecommuters actually do work. While some of this is certainly justified, I wonder how far it will be pushed. The author makes practically no mention of this.
Bottom Line: Office-technology is not all-good and wonderful. What about the increasing surveillance of employees? We need to hear about the bad parts too.
While this would probably work, I know at my job we put a high price on the security of our information. (I.E. You can bring a personal notebook with you, but if you hook it up to the internal network you'll have the IT department on your ass.) If this involves customer accounts I would be very concerned that someone would be devulging personal information to outside sources as there is no way to truley monitor activity like this without a supervisor occasionally walking through, or other employees around to report unusual behavior. And what about those friendly children that might be more than happy to go play with Mom or Dad's company notebook and lose my resevations or payments. I'd feel better as a consumer knowing that my account was handled in an office enviroment rather than while the customer service rep is on the can.
But, if you read the account, a bit of intellectual property made freely available by its creator is partly responsible for one success (the creator's own).
:) Since I vote with my checkbook (especially if it involves alcohol), I'm off to buy a bottle.
The "Big Foot" mentioned in the snip from the article below is the technology:
His solution: Big Foot, a 1,000-pound, pneumatically controlled, microprocessor-driven grape stomper. Big Foot and its three stainless feet move on a rail system above a dozen tanks, stomping each tank for about 20 minutes, two to three times a day, for about two weeks. "It's so perfect because these plunges are gentle and replicable, whether it's 7 in the morning or 10 at night," says Laurent Montalieu, the head wine maker. Lacroute won't patent Big Foot, preferring to give the specs away. The device is used in wineries in Washington, California and New Zealand.
Now that, that I like, who says you can't make money if you give away your IP. And
If it wasn't for cell phones and pdas and the new hip technology of "a paper bag over the head" I would have a damn tough time pimpin' out your mother.
mass mounds of mctasty manchowder
She likes to be fingered.
Liberate your mind in two clicks or less.
Own a computer?
Make Money Fast at home
45,000$/yr pt - 100,000$/yr ft
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"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Another example of that thinking: Neeleman gives all JetBlue pilots and technicians a laptop computer so they can get procedure changes online from the FAA. That way, there's no chance they'll miss a memo
So we'll have pilots playing quake in the cockpit, that doesn't sit well with me.
"The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows." -Aristotle Onassis
If you look at those varied companies, the underlying theme is not technology, but two words: Customer Service.
If you listen to your customer's needs and wants, you will be successful most of the time. Bad service is the one thing that will drive me away from a company, even if the product/service they are selling is good. There are usually plenty of others selling "good stuff" too.
At the top of the article. This is a technology company marketing the concept that injecting more technology into your company will help it succeed. Pshaw!
mass mounds of mctasty manchowder
or just fucking stupid? I suggest you read this:
;-), Homer mentions to
from Jon Katz, pot smoker supreme:
I smoke marijuana, by Jon Katz
Courtesy of About 420
Connotative Use/Meaning
420 is a phreak's (and not just a hippie's) favorite number for a
variety of reasons, or maybe for no reason at all, but colloquially
the number says pot -- "let's smoke pot", or "someone's smoking
pot", or "gee, i really like pot", or "time to smoke pot", either by
time (4:20 a.m. or p.m.), date (April 20th), or otherwise (e.g. State
Route 420). April 20th at 4:20 is marked by annual events in
Mount Tamalpais, CA (an informal gathering); Marin Conty, CA
(the 420 Hemp Fest); Ann Arbor, MI (the Hash Bash); and
Washington, D.C. (buildup towards the July 4th Smoke-In).
Original Source(s)
Conventional wisdom: The most common tale is that 420 is the
police radio code or criminal code (and therefore the police "call")
in certain part(s) of California (e.g. in Los Angeles or San
Francisco) for having spotted someone consuming cannabis
publicly, i.e. "pot smoking in progress"; that local cannabis users
picked up on the code and began celebrating the number temporally
(esp. 4:20 a.m., 4:20 p.m., and April 20); that the number became
nationally popularized in the late 1980s and, more ferverently, in
the early- to mid-1990s; and is colloquially applied to a variety of
relaxed and/or inspired contexts, including not only pot
consumption but also a "good time" more generally (in contrast to
the drug war surrounding).
Conventions are legends: 420 is not police radio code for
anything, anywhere. Checks of criminal codes (including those of
the City of San Francisco, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles
County, the State of California, and the federal penal code) suggest
that the origin is neither Californian nor federal (the two best
guesses). For instance, California Penal Code 420 defines as a
misdemeanor the hindrance of use ("obstructing entry") of public
lands, and California Family Code 420 defines what constitutes a
wedding ceremony (Marco). One state does come close: "The
Illinois Department of Revenue classifies the Alcoholic Liquor Act
under Part 420, and the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax
Act are next, under Part 428." (RB 5/19/99)
True story?: "According to Steven Hager, editor of High Times,
the term 420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971,
among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who
called themselves the Waldos. The term 420 was shorthand for the
time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis
Pasteur, to smoke pot. ``Waldo Steve,'' a member of the group who
now owns a business in San Francisco, says the Waldos would
salute each other in the school hallway and say ``420 Louis!'' The
term was one of many invented by the group, but it was the one
that caught on. ``It was just a joke, but it came to mean all kinds of
things, like `Do you have any?' or `Do I look stoned?' '' he said.
``Parents and teachers wouldn't know what we were talking about.''
The term took root, and flourished, and spread beyond San Rafael
with the assistance of the Grateful Dead and their dedicated cohort
of pot-smoking fans. The Waldos decided to assert their claim to
the history of the term after decades of watching it spread, mutate
and be appropriated by commercial interests. The Waldos contacted
Hager, and presented him with evidence of 420's history, primarily
a collection of postmarked letters from the early '70s with lots of
mention of 420. They also started a Web site, waldo420.com. ``We
have proof, we were the first,'' Waldo Steve said. ``I mean, it's not
like we wrote a book or invented anything. We just came up with a
phrase. But it's kind of an honor that this emanated from San
Rafael.''" Maria Alicia Gaura for the San Francisco Chronicle,
4/20/00 p. A19; and thanks to Noah Cole for the submission
Alternate explanations
There are a variety of other explanations, all much more interesting
than "police code", and many plausible. Some are more likely uses
of the 420/hemp connection rather than sources of it, such as the
score for the football game in Fast Times at Ridgement High,
42-0.
Known Myths: It isn't police code (see above). There are 315
chemicals in marijuana, not 420. And although tea time in
Amsterdam is rumored to be 4:20, it is actually 5:30 (Gerhard
den Hollander).
Sixties Songs: For instance, Bob Dylan's famous "Rainy Day
Women #12 and 35" is a possible reference, or source --
12x35=420. And Stephen Stills wrote (and Crosby Stills Nash
& Young performed) a song "4+20" (first recorded 7/16/69,
released on Deja Vu 3/11/70) about an 84-year-old
poverty-stricken man who started and finished with nothing.
(Thanks to Sherry Keel 12/6/98.) Dylan aslo mentions "4 and
20 windows" in "The Balland of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"
(on John Wesley Harding).
Older Verse: But 420 in poetry is older than that - Greg
Keller notes the old nursery rhyme line, "four and twenty
black birds baked in a pie". Revelation 5:14 (in the King
James Version of the Christian Bible) reads, "And the four
beasts said 'A-Men.' And the four and twenty elders fell down
and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." (Travis
Spurley 2/15/99) And in Midnight's_Children, Salman
Rushdie wrote, "Inevitably, a number of these children failed
to survive. Malnutrition, disease and the misfortunes of
everyday life had accounted for no less than four hundred and
twenty of them by the time I became conscious of their
existence; although it is possible to hypothesize that these
deaths, too, had their purpose, since 420 has been, since time
immemorial, the number associated with fraud, deception and
trickery." (Comet 2/14/98) Comet's "best guess is that this
refers to something in Indian mythology or numerology, since
the book is set in India and frequently involves Indian history,
culture, and religion. Given the high interest in Eastern
religion among the phish/dead community, this seems a likely
origin of 420's current significance."
Temporal Significance: "Hands on analog clock at 4:20 look
like position of doobie dangling from mouth" "Larry in
Tuscan" and Alex Mack 5/19/99). Disruptive students are out
of detention and safetly away from school by 4:20, also
rumored to be "the time that you should dose to be peaking
when the Dead went on stage" Hart. "The Waldos" were a
group of teens back in the 70's that lived in San Rafael, CA.
420 was the way they talked about pot in front of teachers,
non-smoking family members etc. Also it was the time of day
they could just go relax, and get baked." ("PhunkCellar")
Jamaicans purportedly "worked till 4 then walked home then
lit up. They would talk 420 like our parents talked about after
5. That's when partying began" "Larry in Tuscan"). Albert (not
Abbie) Hofmann supposedly first encountered LSD at 4:20
p.m. on 4/19/1943 (Bart Coleman citing Storming Heaven by
Jay Stevens, recommended by Mickey Hart in Planet Drum).
Surrealist painter Miro was born April 20, 1893. And
www.filmspeed.com says the propoganda film Reefer
Madness has a copyright date of April 20, 1936 (i.e. 4/20).
(Patrick Woolford)
Misc: Could be that it comes from hydroponics, the practice
of cultivating plants in water often used by indoor marijuana
cultivators, since 4 is used for H on a calculator (420/H20).
(Nick Lowe 3/30/00) The number 80 (eight) is "quatre vingt"
(pronounced "cah-truh vahn"), meaning "four (times} twenty".
Dan Nijjar 1/27/00 (No connection yet between the number
80 and pot. A quarter pound is roughly 120 grams, rounding
quarter-ounces to 7.5.) The titanic was supposed to arrive
4/20/1912. (Thanks to RB.) Perhaps the heavy use of vt420
terminals in the Berkeley area is to blame? (BTW, 420 in
binary code is 110100100.)
Ubiquitous?
Now there's a 420 Pale Ale. One of the late-97/early-98 "Got
Milk" ads featured a character eating cookies without milk and
then passing a sign that reads "Next Rest Area 420 miles" (as Ross
Bruning). Reportedly, all of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction
are stuck on 4:20. Shirts with the number 420 on the red-and-blue
interstate highway shield (Interstate 420?) have show up on the
sitcom Will and Grace (Paul Risenhoover 5/14/99) and in several
videos. UPS' labelling software has a "420 postal code" legend for
next-day/2-day deliveries (which is how Phish tickets are sent).
(Jack Lebowitz 10/3/98) MTV's 1997 Viewer's Choice Award (for
the MTV Video Awards) was decided by calls to
1-800-420-4MTV. And by May of 1998, the number was
appearing in so many ads (eg Copenhagen 5/14/98 Rolling Stone
p54, Corvette p55 5/98 Car & Driver) that its presence is
presumed to be intentional. Many songs are around 4 minutes 20
seconds long (since many songs fall between 2:30 and 5:30),
including for example Pink Floyd's "A Great Day for Freedom" (on
The Division Bell, 1994), the Foo Fighters' "My Hero", and
"Smokin'" from Boston's first album. "There have also been some
420 references on The Simpsons. In the re-run episode aired on
April 20th, 1999 at a special time (probably in honor of those
college students staying in the holiday spirit
Flanders that Barney's birthday is April 20th. Also, the jackpot sign
in one part of the casino says $420,000. There are a couple less
concrete ones, but these two have to be legit, especially since they
decided to air THAT particular episode on 4/20/99." (Submitted by
Matt Meehan 4/21/99) And (as of Fall '99) the 60 free minutes that
Working Assets Long Distance offers, at the 7 cents per minute
rate, is $4.20 free. There's even a band named 420, and another
names . In the first fifteen pages of Karel Capek's novel War with
the Newts, a man diving under wonder stayed down for four
minutes and twenty seconds. Grant Garstka 1/6/00 At the
suggested retail price ($3.96) and Michigan (6%) sales tax, a deck
of Uno cards costs $4.20. Nic Boris 4:20 marks the first downbeat
of the drums in Led Zeppelin's epic "Stairway to Heaven." (Dan
Harris) The bill authorizing force after the World Trade Center
attacks of 9/11/01 passed 420 to 1, and news reports in following
months noted many times that there are (or were then, anyway) 420
airports in the U.S. Allan Morris And don't forget that Adolf Hitler
was born on April 20, macabely "celebrated" (or at least
referenced) via the Columbine High School shootings.
Phish-related Occurances
Whatever the origin, the number appears frequently... For the
summer 1997 tour, TicketMaster service charges were $4.20. In
the Fall 1997 Doniac Schvice Dry Goods section, a limited edition
Pollack poster printed on 100% hemp is order number 420P. The
Great Went was 420 miles from Boston (former home of Phish).
The official logo includes 4 gills and 20 bubbles ("Gringo"
11/12/98). As of 6/15/97, including covers and originals, Phish
had performed a total of 420 songs (thought its 486 by 4/24/98).
(David Steinberg). Lawnboy is 420megs of memory. Patrick
Walker Phish's The Vibration of Life underlies a whirling loop
with Seven Beats per second (which makes 420 beats per minute.)
Trey has used the altered line "woke up at 4:20" in "Makisupa
Policeman", which also often indirectly celebrates 420ing, e.g. by
mention of goo balls. One of the funniest shirts around takes light
jabs at both the 4:20 phenomenon and the rumored evolution
(collapse?) of the Phish.Net (especially rec.music.phish) from
being Gamehendge to Flamehendge, and beyond. The first day of
the Great Went started at 4:20 (with Makisupa Policeman. (The
second day started late, at 4:37.) Noah Cole The first single from
Slip Stitch and Pass was played on WBCN 10/14/97 at 4:20 pm.
An uproar at 12/31/96 can be heard on tape during the 2001, in
response to an enormous digital clock (which was counting down
to midnight) reaching 11:55:40 and reading "-4:20". (Yoda)
During the 9-12-00 2001, Trey hits the first riff right at 4:20 into
the intro jam. (Cal 2/25/01) Some mail order tickets for the 1997
New Year's run were in section 420. The first Mass Pike toll
leaving Oswego was $4.20. (Camille Heath ) And the standard
shipping for The Phish Companion through Amazon was
originally $4.20.
420 Shows: Phish performed on April 20 in 1989, 1990, 1991,
1993, and 1994. The first day of the Great Went started at 4:20,
although that was called a soundcheck by Trey after three songs.
The Jazzfest Harry Hood 4-26-96 started at about 4:20 reported by
Trevor. At Big Cypress, "David Bowie" was playing at 4:20 a.m.
And the one event during the "hiatus" (10/8/00 - ?) featuring all
four members - for Jason Colton's wedding - was 12/1/01, 420
from: http://www.phish.net/faq/n420.html:
hmn... letting people try music makes them more likely to purchase? where have we seen that before?
Giving your employees what they need to get their work done really does help there productivity.
I need to show this to my boss!
Star Pirates
Perks and good equipment are two different things, even though it does feel nice to use good tools. How many dot-coms folded because, when the venture capitalists asked where their money'd gone, the answer was "we (or the marketing folks) drank it" ???
Think, write, think, edit, think...then post.
IShitOnThisPost!
Liberate your mind in two clicks or less.
Firstus postus, BEEEEOTCHAE!!!!
Kneel down and worship my scintallating corpulence!!!
pleeeeeease?!!!!
I lit a candle and put it in my ass and positioned myslef to lay over a park bench so all the wonderful children who were trick or treating could see the wondrous glowing orbs of my ass.
mass mounds of mctasty manchowder
In the print copy, the section about the grape smasher mentions that he gave the IP away for free (BSD style). This is direcly oposite the .Net add section.
Bad service is the one thing that will drive me away from a company, even if the product/service they are selling is good.
Exhibit A: RIAA
Exhibit B: MPAA
I wear two hats in that i'm a CAD/Systems Manager and a Job Captain for an architectural firm. I've also done that in the past. Lately with the advent of DSL many small business can allow internet access to the employees. Funny enough this has allows much retension because other small business that dont have it can't satisfy what many employees are nto used to. Believe it or not but having your own e-mail address means alot to people. also being able to check yrou bills and bank online.
a Target credit card embedded with a computer chip, using a card reader that the chain will provide free of charge.
i wonder if this will provide some of the kind of unanticipated opportunities that the CueCat did.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. -- A.E.
Yes, it sucks that they are trying to charge for it. But that's Six Flags for you. Always doing stuff on the cheap. I'd love to see a better company, like Universal, Disney or Busch, incorporate this technology. Still, I'd pay a few bucks for the child-locating feature.
One pet peeve: It's always frustrating to see reporters blow simple facts in a story. The is no "Little Mermaid" ride at Universal, since "The Little Mermaid" is a Disney property. Makes you wonder what other "facts" the reporter got wrong. Grrrr.
Why is it called COMMON sense when so few people have it?
both chrisd *and* Capt. Lucas fuck will dunn goats!
That new fleet is a huge piece of the puzzle and I hope the people who are buying up their stock are not in it for the long haul.
Well, I got some shares in the IPO of Jet Blue, and I bought it for the long haul, if by that you mean, more than 1 year. Which is long term stock holding. And I was aware of this, so obviously it never stopped me from doing that.
Due to their small size and the fact that they have brand new aircraft- their maintenance costs are incredibly low compared to others. As the fleet ages and grows - this is going to go away. You wont be hiring jet mechanics for $9.00 an hour and they can't telecommute. The more hours you put on an air frame- the more expensive it gets to keep it in the air.
Unless they limit their fleet to specific models. So long as they don't try to do any mergers and acquisitions, but just grow with planes that stick to the model and parts selection they planned on, it's not an issue.
This is akin to why Dell can ship prefab computers cheaply - they don't have an extensive selection of options. Same goes for Apple.
More choices is not always better when trying to compete. That's why MSFT tries to limit your choices - to just their OS. If you don't use their OS, they try to make your life impossible in as many ways as possible.
-
--- Will in Seattle - What are you doing to fight the War?
to print your own of course! I was almost half hoping that's what this article was about.
What?
If they gave damn about the customer they would let you turn those fucking TVs off. JetBlue is all bout shoving advertismets in your face (or getting you to pay an arm and a leg for worthless programming). I was on one of their early flights with the TVs where they gave you all the programming you wanted for free. It sucked and even with my barf bag attached firmly over the TV my head still hurt from off the other TVs in the plane. I will never ever fly JetBlue again.
The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
True telecommuting is doing exactly what you'd do in the office, but at home. As such, just as new parents can't bring the baby in and drop the crib beside their desk, most employers aren't keen on the idea of you doing that at home either, and when it's used as a reason for telecommuting, it's a primary factor why many organizations try to avoid the situation altogether by simply refusing to have any telecommuting whatsoever.
"Virgin may have found an answer. Jan de Jong, the company's vice president for information technology, persuaded his bosses to try out electronic kiosks in Virgin's stores that allow customers to sample 30-second snippets from a database of approximately 250,000 CDs. The experiment began last year in two of the chain's outlets and was considered a huge success. Virgin executives found that when customers come into a store with a specific album in mind, they're three times as likely to actually purchase the product if they give it a test drive. "The biggest problem we have as a music retailer is that we sell a product that is shrink-wrapped," says de Jong. "You can look at it, smell it and see it, but not hear it." The company now has about 15 of the $5,000 kiosks in each of four stores, and plans to install them in every one of its 22 outlets in the United States and Canada by next year."
This is what we've been asking for. Just online.
Hear one song, or a good part of one. Two or three songs from a CD. We're all yours if you do this.
Hahaha, this is great. Mod this guy up, this is the kind of quality trolling we haven't seen since OOG BREAK HEAD! .. Hahahaha. Excellent.
Yes, after post #453 it'll get boring. This deserves some recognition!
..don't panic
Too Funny, give me about $100 per "Old PC" terminal with net access and a fresh download of Mandrake, multiply that by the # of stores add in some custom interface (front end GUI) and I bet I will come in at less than $1 Mil for their pricey $10 mil project.
Suckers
>If a customer needs directions to another store, an employee can immediately link to Mapquest on the Internet.
Peculiar, real men don't ask for directions!!!
Can I get an eye poke?
Dog House Forum
One thing that MicroSoft has suceeded in doing is that they have commoditized the Computer Technology (or IT, ITC, or whatever you wanna call it).
In the beginning, computer technology was with the mainframe. Those working with computers were pointed haired rocket scientists.
Then came the BIY (Built it yourself) Personal Computer. Those hacking it were pointed haired computer scientists.
Then came IBM, with its ubiquitious PC. IBM was successful in filling offices with its PCs.
Then came Microsoft.
It WAS Microsoft which had the world crazed with Computers. Scores
Now, we have MILLIONS of "Computer Literates" coming out of the colleges all over the world, and resulting in many untold thousands having difficulties in finding work !
Now we have this report.
If you look at Computer Technology as commodity, as it already is, you will know that in the future, there won't be so much DEMAND for those who are "Computer Literate".
Look at farming.
How many farmers are needed to operate the farms ?
There may be millions of cows, but it won't take one million of farmers to raise one million of cows.
Same with Computer Technology.
In the future, computer technology will be everywhere - embedded, Internet, whatever.... but the DEMAND for those who run and/or create these things will be LESS than what it is today.
Why ?
Look at HTML.
Used to be that if you want to run a website, you gotta know how to code HTML.
Today, the only requirement for one to set up a website is to know how to click, and what to click.
It's ironic
In other words, the future is NOT BRIGHT.
Forget the report. Whatever the report tells us, it's from Microsoft.
Of course Microsoft wants the world to believe that the world is BRIGHTER THAN BEFORE... only in that way, the world will CONTINUE TO BUY EXPENSIVE SOFTWARES from Microsoft.
If the world knows that the future ain't bright no more, the world will NOT PAY THE HIGH PRICE for the CRAPPY STUFFS from Microsoft.
And that's what I have to say .
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
I know of non-profit agencies where they wanted to be on the "Cutting Edge" of technology and bought into some bad plans. And being a non-profit they didn't have the IT staff to support it so that added to their consultancy costs.
Other agencies are going on the Microsoft bandwagon which they think MS will guide them into the new millennium without fuss or overhead and reduced costs down the road... well I'll leave it at that.
The right technology can be benefit. Too much of the wrong technology can be a detriment. Also without enough trained staff to take advantage of the technology it would be like a child care center installing Beowolf cluster and a T3.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
AFAIK, some/all are programmed to print SPECIMEN or whatever over banknotes, since high-end laser copiers process the image digitally.
As many toys have shown us, whatever is programmed in can usually be programmed out. Although it would likeley not be fisher-price simple... Swearing furbys = bad. Counterfeiting = very very bad. As in copyright violation bad.
Ali
"Windows and Linux can co-exist on the same machine." - Microsoft Corporation.