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Build Your Own Arcade Kit
Shawn Walters writes "Xgaming, Inc., has announced availability of the new X-Arcade BYO Arcade KIT, a $60 solution designed to allow users to create an authentic arcade machine in their home powered by any PC, Mac or game console, no advanced technical skills required." Heck of a lot easier than building your own.
I am still banned, aren't I?
Mod parent down, shock site.
Violate the groupthink and get your ass bannated.
Yes it is a shock site MORON! Stop wasting my time on /. for fucks sake!
I wonder what happens once the hype of Half Life 2 dies off, that is in a couple of years, when they are crazily interested in a game, would they actually demolish their half life 2 artwork and put the pc in a ?
I've always had a decent case, one that does not break easily.. but one that looks simple, and I am happy. Just wondering what these guys do when all the hype has died away.
WTF do you want to be AC for this sort of stuff?
Slashdot is known to "bitchslap" (via a perl script of the same name) people who are openly yet honestly critical of the site or the editors. If I use any of my accounts I'm just asking to AT THE VERY LEAST be modded down for going against the flow on this site. I've already had other posts of mine in this thread modded down (as well as up, but only once).
First of all, since that disclosure is given, (Granted, it's given by carefully noticing the submitter's email address.) isn't that journalistic responsibility being displayed?
No. You're asking the userbase to become some sort of investigative force in determing the responsibility of a post. The burden should be on the editors to plainy state what the true nature of the post is if there is anything non-obvious about it.
Slashdot continues to be run in many ways like the hobbyist site it was originally.
No, it's much worse than it was. I've been here since 1998. It was a hobbyist site then. It isn't now, given the OSDN-now-OSTG sponsorship. The inclusion of Taco's buddies as editors, none of whom even try to show any level of objectivity, have turned this into a geek circlejerk, elevating those that agree (moderation) and filtering out those who are GENUINELY dissenting (not trolling).
Now, call me too trusting, but I think all of these conspiracy theories about planted ads are a bit ridiculous.
What conspiracy theories? Some of us simply would like a straightforward explanation from the editing staff regarding "is so-and-so posting some sort of sponsorship or 'Friend Of Taco' thing?" That's all. We won't get it though, since voices like mine just aren't important to them. They ask people to subscribe, some do, but they can't be bothered with some simple ethics questions.
Whether or not such a proper editorial/advertisement policy was posting as you suggest wouldn't mean much. Honorable journalistic behavior, as you note, is somewhat expected. So, with or without a stated policy, the key is whether you actually trust the Slashdot editors to provide you with that unbiased viewpoint. I'm not sure a stated policy would make any difference.
Unbiased? You're joking, right? A policy would be a start. They should at least make an effort. I'll choose to believe them or not when they actually attempt Step 1.
You're referring to this script which you can read in the CVS. It hasn't been used in years. You would know really well if you were bitchslapped because every single one of your comments would have its score manually set to -1 and your karma would instantly be "Bad". /. editors have a few better things to do than bitchslap users.
But, anyhow, posting AC does not separate you from your comments or your actual accounts. To prevent trolling and crapflooding, the MD5'd IP of posters as well as the MD5'd subnet is stored with comments. It would be trivial for editors who wished to do so to associate a given AC with posters from the same site, unless you're using multiple proxies that don't happen to get picked up by Slash.
But, yes, such paranoia is totally unncessary. As I relayed in my previous comment, either this site is run properly with ethics or it's not. If you believe the former case, there's no bloody reason for you to be hanging around, because of all of these evil editors and mean old Tacos are out to get you. If the latter is the case, such covert attempts are at best naive and whimsical. Further, if the latter is the case, you're likely just getting modded down by other more moderately minded users of Slashdot, such as myself.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'm communicating that last point well, because you totally read past it in your response above. The last two paragraphs of your response indicate a fundamental disconnect. Do you disagree or simply not understand what I'm saying here?
Just because the site was bought up by OSDN doesn't mean the place is run differently. I'd appreciate any evidence to the contrary. Heck, if your presumption that the site is "a geek circlejerk" is correct, it would indicate that the site is more the same hobbyist, small time affair it's always been.
Those of us who came here and stayed, stayed because we liked what we found. Those of us who moderate, moderate the way we think is correct. Any community is going to be self-reinforcing, including this one. So, yes, if you scream against the status quo, you will be modded down unless the quality of your posts is above par. If you want to criticise what most others think is working just fine, it would behoove you to not be an ass about it. It would behoove you because you're trying to convince everyone else here that they're wrong, and you're right.
You like splinters in your crotch? -Jon Caldara