EA's Dungeon Keeper Ratings Below a 5 Go To Email Black Hole

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EA's Dungeon Keeper Ratings Below a 5 Go To Email Black Hole

Posted by timothy on Saturday February 8, 2014 @03:18PM from the every-blizzard-is-crisp-and-refreshing dept.

fplatten writes "I would definitely call this unethical manipulation of the ratings system: the Worst Company in America, EA is routing all ratings made in game of 1 to 4 stars as an email that is sent to EA, but all 5 star ratings are routed to the Google Play store, where its rating is currently 4.3 out of 5."

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Works for Slashdot as well... by Frosty+Piss · 2014-02-08 15:18 · Score: -1, Offtopic

I've noticed that Slashdot admins have been using their unlimited mod points to deep-six anti-Beta posts into moderation oblivion, as well, not to mention all the anti-Beta "Anon Cowards" that they simply delete...

--
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
1. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:23 · Score: 1
  
  While I hate beta, that's just not true because every article has been a cesspool of bitching about the change.
2. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by elrous0 · 2014-02-08 15:33 · Score: 1, Offtopic
  
  Fuck beta.
  
  --
  SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
3. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by DoofusOfDeath · 2014-02-08 15:34 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  How do you know it's the admins doing that? I can't remember having the ability to see which users mod a given post.
4. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:38 · Score: -1
  
  That's because you're a moron. If you went and fucked yourself, we'd have even more morons running around.
5. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:39 · Score: -1
  
  For the fourth time... keep classic and put beta at the bottom of the page.
6. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by iced_773 · 2014-02-08 15:52 · Score: 1, Offtopic
  
  Which they can do, because they're offtopic (and so is this by the way). I for one welcome this practice, as the worst thing to come out of Beta in my opinion is the deluge of +5 comments about it and the subsequent impossibility of finding the on-topic comments I came here to read in the first place.
7. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by westlake · 2014-02-08 15:52 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I've noticed that Slashdot admins have been using their unlimited mod points to deep-six anti-Beta posts into moderation oblivion.
  Thank god.
  Now maybe we can talk about something besides the Beta.
8. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ZenMatrix · 2014-02-08 15:54 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  guys seriously I think beta is stupid... but all the anti Beta posts are ruining this site more then that is. I come here more for the comments then the stories since they tend to have a better concept of the story then the poster does.
9. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by williamhb · 2014-02-08 16:06 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  While I'd long suspected that Slashdot comments were becoming the community for the irretrievably disgruntled to vote up each other's misanthropy, it's a bit anticlimactic that the community's last and most vehement rant is not about privacy, nor those old favourites "the evils of proprietary software", "the terrible patent system", or "if Microsoft did something today, it must be wrong", but the much more disappointing "how dare the website owners redesign their UI".
  And so they marched on Washington, pickets waved in the air, and cries of anger filling the wind, not at the government's policies, nor at its governance of the economy, nor at its honesty or care for the most vulnerable, but at the inferior design of its latest brochure.
10. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:07 · Score: 0
  
  After a harrowing two or three days, you can finally ignore what's still coming down the pipe.
11. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Cito · 2014-02-08 16:09 · Score: 1, Offtopic
  
  Fuck Beta
12. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:14 · Score: -1
  
  I didn't have strong feelings when I first saw it and I felt like I should reserve judgement until I had used it more.
  I did however think to myself about the typical "I hate change" crowd that seems to permeate every community, ever. When I thought about the Slashdot community I imagined the villagers rioting and I wasn't disappointed. I just have a picture in my head of RMS screaming at his computer because he won't be able to view the website as easily in emacs anymore.
  Beta didn't ruin Slashdot, people complaining about the beta ruined Slashdot. The current design sucks and frankly I'd be into just replacing it all with craigslist-style minimalism. Slashdot is a text and link site and stable-Slashdot is a horrible text and link viewer.
13. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:15 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  And if you bother to look at the mod points awarded you will see many many -1 levels (much more than normal) and even the GP modded to 0 as off topic
  The point is that the topic of this article is corporate overlords HIDING negative comments about their products
  Oh the fricking ever-loving irony of it all, a story about some despotic game maker shuttering off negative comments about their products being displayed on a nerd=site where all negative comments about the quality of the site are hidden away as -1 or off topic
  Wouldn't it be hilarious if the dice-lords of slashbetahell are making certain that their advertising customers never make low mods visible, because it is all noise...
14. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Kremmy · 2014-02-08 16:17 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Not really about the UI redesign, but rather a number of issues relating to it, such as the fact that they've been attempting to fast track the roll-out of the beta. Fast tracking the roll out of an incomplete UI redesign that lacks core functionality, blindly claiming it's an improvement to the degree of actively replacing the production system. This is not how you create a product, this is how you DESTROY a product.
15. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Rostis · 2014-02-08 16:18 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Aha, you must be that "audience" I've been hearing about.
16. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:18 · Score: -1
  
  You must be Timothy's personal cock sucker, right?
17. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by dmbasso · 2014-02-08 16:38 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Ok, so one off-topic comment about your sig: if you expect the relevant, informative, on-topic comments you regularly read here on slashdot, join in against the new beta. If they decide to just ignore our requests, be sure this place will drastically reduce the quality of the comments. Unless you come here to read the "nigga this", "faggot that", "goatse" trolls that are all too common. Then by all means, support beta.
  
  --
  `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
18. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by CTU · 2014-02-08 16:38 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  If I had mod points I might use one to mod down the whining about the beta. It is to much, take it to some place that means anything or STFU. Not like posting in the news will change or fix anything
19. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:39 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck Beta and F_Jackie.
20. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:42 · Score: 0
  
  and if you would consider the collective wisdom gained by the mass of slashdot commentors from tens of thousands of man-years of rolling out and supporting any number of software products (failed and successful), then there may be some reason to add weight to their opinion.
  not the useless telephone sanitizers that you seem to be describing
21. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by dmbasso · 2014-02-08 16:45 · Score: 1
  
  As I said in a post above, if you come for the comments, you should worry they'll mostly disappear after the beta becomes the only available version. I will certainly not use slashdot anymore in that case, and a lot of folks have been expressing the same intention.
  
  --
  `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
22. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:46 · Score: 0
  
  Ever notices how the Slashdot poll turned more or less into a way to create a complete profile of its userbase.
  Where are you working (loudness of workplace poll)
  How much money do you have (what console buy poll)
  How man people live in your home (lock pc question poll)
  etc. pp.
23. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:49 · Score: 0
  
  Can't hear you, Tim. Just like you you can't hear us.
24. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Bite+The+Pillow · 2014-02-08 16:59 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I've been moderating them off-topic, and I'm no admin. We were supposed to have a day of protest, then there was the boycott I think for next week. There is zero point in continuing this childish nonsense.
  Yay, sticking it to the man, we feel awesome about ourselves, now start acting like people care about the community instead of pissing on it.
25. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by tibman · 2014-02-08 16:59 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Sounds like victim blaming. "Beta didn't do it. You did it by not accepting Beta." There is always resistance to change. But the change has to at least bring something better to the table. Not a reduction in functionality. If the villagers didn't riot and just left quietly instead then you would still be left wanting better comments.
  
  --
  http://soylentnews.org/~tibman
26. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:06 · Score: 0
  
  Since your suggestions are asinine, why not go fuck yourself with Timothy's big giant BETA?
27. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by dmbasso · 2014-02-08 17:11 · Score: 1
  
  Whenever I can, I take the opportunity to raise awareness to the initiative to limit the influence of money in politics: http://www.wolf-pac.com/
  As a foreigner (from an American point of view) that's what I'm able to do. You US citizens should go at least one step further, and contact your representatives, or at least sign the petition, or support the movement with money.
  So I partly agree with you. Regular politics impact your everyday in a thousand ways, but usually the complexity of the issues hinder choosing a course of action, and frequently requires investing a lot of time. But complaining about beta is much more clear cut... what's being proposed does not offer any value, on the contrary. And it doesn't take much time to voice your opinion here. In an analogous, political case, take the Keystone Pipeline... it seems pretty much everybody sees that it has a lot of corruption and environmental risk (risk? I would say most certain negative impact, given the other pipeline already in use), but how can you make your voice be heard in order to stop the thing?
  But yes, you should take action in both cases.
  
  --
  `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
28. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:31 · Score: -1
  
  What a bunch of bullshit coming from a fucking 3 MILLION UID user...
29. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by manquer · 2014-02-08 17:41 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  i agree.. i did that last 2 times i got them.. You know what sucks bigger than beta? people constantly whining about them.. It is making the site unreadable worse than beta is doing..
30. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Archfeld · 2014-02-08 17:52 · Score: 2
  
  I totally agree, I am NOT a fan of the beta, but there is a place for those comments and suggestions and it isn't in a thread about another subject. If a comment is off-topic, it is OFF-TOPIC regardless of how pertinent it is to the beta. The boycott and rational criticisms about the beta in the appropriate place will convey our feelings quite sufficiently I think.
  
  --
  errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
31. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by camperdave · 2014-02-08 18:03 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  ... the anti Beta posts are ruining this site more then that is.
  That is the point. The majority of slashdot regulars DO NOT LIKE, NOR WANT BETA. The hope is that if by raising a stink, the powers that be will nix beta. You say you are here for the comments, but beta's comment system is seriously broken. What you come here for, what we all come here for, may no longer exist if beta gets implemented. Check your comments page and tell me how your comment was moderated, or how many people replied to it. Quote this text in a reply. Post anonymously. Can't be done in beta. Can't be Slashdot without it.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
32. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:05 · Score: 0
  
  You can hate it all you want, but don't create a vile and toxic cease-pit of comments just because you hate the mild inconvenience of whatever issue with the beta you have. Websites will change and as we've seen by most other websites; they do so, often rapidly and repeatedly as a response to feedback.
  I'm just some lurker, it's been years since I've logged into an account. I just want my articles and my on-topic comments, that's all. Kindly stop ruining *my* experience because it's way harder to create a Bayesian comment filter than it is for you to deal with some glorified CSS changes. I suggest you either disable, ignore it or try help improve the beta. There are many constructive options for you to pick, spamming is not one of them. Get over your entitlement.
  PS. This is totally Tim, no seriously.
33. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Workaphobia · 2014-02-08 18:09 · Score: 1
  
  Meh. I've taken a long enough break from slashdot that an entire decimal place of userids has come and gone without my noticing. Another, more eternal break won't be so bad. If they want to destroy comments, and hence destroy the site, I'll be happy to vacate.
  
  --
  Evidently, the key to understanding recursion is to begin by understanding recursion. The rest is easy.
34. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by XaXXon · 2014-02-08 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  I dont' like the changes, but the comments are worse than the changes. I'm glad they are being removed.
35. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Workaphobia · 2014-02-08 18:13 · Score: 1
  
  I seem to recall the exact same thing happening to Digg. Does that mean I'll see you on reddit in a few months?
  
  --
  Evidently, the key to understanding recursion is to begin by understanding recursion. The rest is easy.
36. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by manquer · 2014-02-08 18:13 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I am not OP, but I since i think i am part of that audience.
  Sure i don't have a 3 digit ID like you, I am fairly recent user, I comment rarely, my comments are barely interesting, but guess what? people like me are the vast majority of the users, most of them don't even have an account. I am happy that slashdot is trying to stay relevant and there are people like me still joining and visiting the site and it has not (yet) become a site of old men complaining about the good ol'days.
  if the community is thinking that slashdot can continue being a viable new site by catering to links browsing sys admins from the 90's it is unrealistic.
  It is not like dice is changing a winning formula, readership is dwindling, they have invested a lot of money, are they supposed to just sit and watch it all collapse? If you really want to make a difference and keep slashdot classic, offer to pay for it. if enough active community members do, they will keep it. Advertisement based business models need certain critical mass, slashdot is fast losing it.
  Don't want to pay big bad DH anything? build your own news aggregator, there is enough unhappy with the beta people with serious talent and plenty of time on hands in this site. Do something useful and quit bitching about.
  P.S Beta IS shitty, broken, very JS heavy etc etc,However #fuckbeta doesn't help either, giving constructive feedback is more meaningful? Dice may not listen/execute it, but at least it has better chance of working than #fuckbeta
37. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by runeghost · 2014-02-08 18:14 · Score: 1
  
  Are you saying that Beta is worse than EA? Yikes!
38. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by arth1 · 2014-02-08 18:22 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  guys seriously I think beta is stupid... but all the anti Beta posts are ruining this site more then that is.
  Um, you are aware that disruption is the point of picketing, right? The idea is to get not just the slashdot editors to notice, but the upper management who may be unaware of what's going on.
  Disrupting the forums enough that it awakens those with power to actually make decisions is necessary to save slashdot.
  If slashdot feeds us non-committed platitudes and corpspeak svada, chances are they do the same upwards too.
  Hopefully some paying advertisers will notice soon, and make a phone call. It's not in their interest to sponsor a forum full of unhappy people, whether they're unhappy with DICE or unhappy with the protests.
  I hope it won't take too long before someone is forced to swallow a camel and finally admit that they messed up. Then we can move on, get a new usable design made from scratch, and have a thriving community of posters.
  But I'd rather see a few days of picketed topics now than to see Slashdot die within a few months. All your guys postings are worth a lot more to me than rational discussions right now and a dead site down the road.
  So forgive us for disrupting your comment reading right now. If you can think of any other way to get the top brass to see that the site is broken, and that an overwhelming majority of those who make people come to visit the site won't accept the beta, even with band-aids on it, please let us know. Using the "appropriate" channels have gotten us exactly nowhere, they've ignored feedback for four months.
39. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by amiga3D · 2014-02-08 18:26 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck you, and Fuck Beta.
40. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Andtalath · 2014-02-08 19:01 · Score: 1
  
  AC being much more prominent, of course.
41. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by buswolley · 2014-02-08 19:03 · Score: 1
  
  Exactly. This is why I started tagging all the Slashdot articles and submitting stories with "FuckBeta"
  I'm glad it took off. They noticed big time. Someone might even lost a promotion/bonus/job upstairs for it.
  
  --
  A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
42. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by buswolley · 2014-02-08 19:07 · Score: 1
  
  Fuck you AC and fuck beta.
  Your experience will die if Beta goes into full production. Then you can enjoy all the spammers you must be wanting to enjoy.
  
  --
  A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
43. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by buswolley · 2014-02-08 19:10 · Score: 0, Offtopic
  
  Wrong. The topic is Beta. The topic is what the users of Slashdot decide it is. We moderate ourselves.
  
  --
  A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
44. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by buswolley · 2014-02-08 19:11 · Score: 1
  
  I've notices this too.
  
  --
  A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
45. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:52 · Score: 1
  
  It is not like dice is changing a winning formula
  Yes, dice is changing a winning formula. They do not seem to appreciate the value of the comments side at all.
  I'm part of audience, I'm an Anonymous Coward, so I'm not generally into commenting - but I also am an Anonymous Coward, who has come to this site daily now for ten years, just to read the comments.
  I really appreciate you, the Contributors, i.e. all you commenters, who have made this a site the first thing I read after opening my browser, in the morning and throughout the day. And yes, I am a Linux geek as well.
46. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 20:07 · Score: 0
  
  This works both ways. You can bitch and moan and make the site generally unusable until Tim or whoever promises that they'll never ever change anything and that beta will never be used on the site ever again, sure. But once all the fuck beta spam dries up you might not notice as many comments as their used to be. People who want to have discussions among each other will do so regardless of Slashdot and will leave if the comments become truly unreadable. There are plenty of alternatives with better design then both stable and beta Slashdot.
  Go ahead, call yourself a "victim" if it makes you feel better. Just remember, this is Tim's sock-puppet account because no true Slashdotter would ever defend such a violation of basic human decency.
47. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 20:09 · Score: 0
  
  >but the much more disappointing "how dare the website owners redesign their UI".
  No how I know you've not been paying attention? Like, at all? You know what? I'm tired. Shut your dickholster when adults talk. There. Follow that advice and you won't make yourself look like a stupid little twat again.
48. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Bob9113 · 2014-02-08 20:21 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  displayed on a nerd=site where all negative comments about the quality of the site are hidden away as -1 or off topic
  Don't look now, but your negative comment about the quality of this site is currently modded as +4 Interesting.
  Ah-Ha! But that only proves the point! You see, they intentionally allowed your comment to be modded up so they can point to it and say, "See, we didn't mod that one into oblivion!" Tricksy Hobbitses!
  Oh yeah, and, Fuck Beta.
  
  --
  Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
49. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by blackest_k · 2014-02-08 20:21 · Score: 1
  
  some of us haven't bothered using our mod points one way or the other. Think of it as a taster of what beta is going to do to this site. The boycott starts tomorrow. For a week.
  Hopefully Dice will get the message, without the many people who contribute to slashdot the site is worthless.
  How do you think slashdot is going to be without its core contributors? I think you're starting to see it already.
  next week will be worse much worse.
  
  --
  Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
50. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by richlv · 2014-02-08 21:05 · Score: 1
  
  ah, yes. seeing this story i thought about "beta", too :)
  whether it will work for /., i don't know. 10-17 (starting tomorrow) i will not visit it. gotta delete it from speed dial, or i could visit it accidentally...
  
  --
  Rich
51. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 21:05 · Score: 0
  
  P.S Beta IS shitty, broken, very JS heavy etc etc,However #fuckbeta doesn't help either, giving constructive feedback is more meaningful? Dice may not listen/execute it, but at least it has better chance of working than #fuckbeta
  You apparently haven't been listening well enough. Endless amounts of "constructive feedback" HAVE BEEN GIVEN over and over again for months via the official methods provided for it. And it has all been consistently ignored.
  So enough of the self-righteous bullshit, get back on topic, which is #FUCK BETA.
52. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by richlv · 2014-02-08 21:08 · Score: 2
  
  i don't knw about that, 'fuckbeta' seemed to attract attention pretty well. you noticed it, didn't you ? :)
  
  --
  Rich
53. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by richlv · 2014-02-08 21:18 · Score: 2
  
  no, there was stink-raising until the boycott week (starting tomorrow). you can be here next week. and if they push through with "beta", you can be here afterwards.
  for all we know, you could be slashdot media executive who registered just now to post this crap :P
  also, fuck beta.
  
  --
  Rich
54. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Eskarel · 2014-02-08 21:27 · Score: 0
  
  That could be because we're all sick to tears of every single thread being nothing but bitching about the new beta interface instead of discussing the actual topic.
  We get it, the beta is seriously buggy and shouldn't have been release. We get it, Slashdotters have an irrational fear of any kind of UI change whatsoever, even to try and make the site actually usable on a mobile or capable of doing anything interesting. In particular they have an absolutely irrational hatred of all things Javascript even though that battle was, for better or worse, lost on the web more than a decade ago.
  I'm ok with people criticizing the beta, but FFS I wish all the idiots who just scream that they'll quit over the new UI would just quit already, it's been physically impossible to have a decent conversation on Slashdot lately and it's not because the beta doesn't work well, it's because of the idiots the admins are rightfully banishing to the pits of hell where they belong.
55. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 22:05 · Score: 1
  
  You sir, are a fucking retard. We (as a community, not an audience) already created a news aggregator, it was called Slashdot, until some mother fuckers tried to kill it so morons like you could fit better.
  
  Enjoy your beta, the fake new stories that are disguised advertisements, and the extra free time allowed by the level of the audience and their unreadable comments.
  Btw, FUCK BETA.
56. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Rostis · 2014-02-08 22:15 · Score: 2
  
  Get off my lawn.
57. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Vintermann · 2014-02-08 22:31 · Score: 1
  
  What sank digg was not UI changes, but handing over control totally to advertisers. UI changes are not something to act disruptive in every fricking thread over, even if they reduce features. Slashdot is based on antediluvian perl code and has struggled with it for ages, it's not surprising that some features are disabled - permanently or not - in yet another attempt to modernize it. As long as they keep the archives, and maybe one day even make them effectively searchable, they can do whatever they wish as far as I'm concerned.
  And as far as I'm concerned, the beta protesters are just a bunch of bored attention seekers.
  
  --
  xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
58. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by AmiMoJo · 2014-02-08 22:32 · Score: 1
  
  If the boycott is going to be successful we need everyone to know about it, and remember it starts tomorrow (Monday). Also, until the powers that be decide to scrap the beta site entirely we need to keep the pressure on. The battle is far from over, let alone the war.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
59. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Vintermann · 2014-02-08 22:33 · Score: 1
  
  "If the villagers didn't riot and just left quietly instead then you would still be left wanting better comments."
  No, actually. There's more than enough in line to replace your oh-so-high quality comments. Good riddance.
  
  --
  xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
60. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by sjwt · 2014-02-08 23:13 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  I spend every mod point on getting your crappy little bitchy cries out of others screens..
  So far I doubt Beta could reduce the quality of posts below what we have recently been seeing due to the wall of crying that is beyond the level I saw when KSP banned Roleplaying and Bronies.
  In other words you guys are crying and having a bigger fit then Roleplaying MLP fans..
  
  --
  You have 5 Moderator Points!
  Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
61. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 23:19 · Score: 1
  
  Because anyone with regular mod points wouldn't piss them away on a task that amounts to emptying the ocean with a thimble unless they were a complete moron?
62. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 23:33 · Score: 0
  
  Enough with the whining alreay. No need to ruin the comments section because of your aversion to change.
63. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by MrPippers · 2014-02-08 23:39 · Score: -1, Offtopic
  
  I've been moderating the beta posts off-topic as well.
64. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by war4peace · 2014-02-08 23:44 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Maybe all the downmods are coming from people like me, who come to /. for the articles and comments, not caring about site design, who owns what and political bullshit implications.
  I come here to see informative comments on the subject at hand and read relevant news. What you guys are doing is noise I loathe.
  It's like going to a cafe to have a good coffee and overhear interesting conversation about the soft volume music playing, and when owner decides to redesign the cafe's interior, some tards start screaming in my ear whenever a new song is played, just because they don't like the new paintwork.
  And when other patrons flag them as vandals, they come up with a "conspiracy theory".
  You and your kind are vandals in my opinion. You don't like the new cafe paintwork? Feel free to go to another or create your own. but please, leave me be. Allow me to read the articles and relevant comments.
  You're the kid in this video, and I'm the other customer.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
  
  --
  ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
65. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 23:47 · Score: 0
  
  It's not mild inconvenience. It actually breaks commenting completely. I won't be able to post here any longer once it is implemented, and neither will most other people.
  Far better to shit up the comments now in hope for a working Slashdot in the future, rather than keep quiet now and have Slashdot die in a few months.
66. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Flammon · 2014-02-09 00:05 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  Ironically, you're destroying /. when you're trying to save it this way.
  The point of the distruption is to bring awarness and that has clearly been accomplished. You're continuing distruption however is fueled by a different motive which is to control /. and make /. do what you want them to do. That's a violation of property rights and I'm not going to support it. Let me let you in on a little secret. It's not you're fucking Slashdot! Trying to control them won't work and will cause more harm than good.
  Here's a superior way to accomplish what you want. Once you've communicated your displeasure and have gotten confirmation from the owners that they understand your concerns, simply wait to see what happens. If the owners decide to not please their audience then they'll have a natural consequence of losing that audience and revenue. It will also create void for someone else to fill with perhaps a better site than the "perfect" classic /.
  
  --
  ayottesoftware.com
67. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by ultranova · 2014-02-09 00:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Maybe all the downmods are coming from people like me, who come to /. for the articles and comments, not caring about site design, who owns what and political bullshit implications.
  
  The implication of site design on a site where content is user-generated is whether said content - comments, in Slashdot's case - keeps being generated. The consensus seems to be that Beta is sufficiently bad in this regard to give the deathblow to Slashdot.
  
  It's like going to a cafe to have a good coffee and overhear interesting conversation about the soft volume music playing, and when owner decides to redesign the cafe's interior, some tards start screaming in my ear whenever a new song is played, just because they don't like the new paintwork.
  
  Beta is not paintwork. Beta is a set of sound-absorbing elements that stop those conversations from being overheard but look trendy. And, this being Slashdot, the coffee is two weeks old and has already been drunk in at least two other cafes.
  
  Allow me to read the articles and relevant comments.
  
  The main complaint about Beta is that it makes it difficult to read comments, and almost impossible to read them in their context.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
68. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 00:26 · Score: 0
  
  When every website, every aspect of popular culture is obsessed with "dumbing down", I would guess that NOT dumbing down is a very astute long-term move.
  Smart people usually have a lot of money to spend - there's your advertising dollars right there.
69. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Hognoxious · 2014-02-09 00:39 · Score: 1
  
  put beta at the bottom of the page.
  An odd way of spelling 'ocean'.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
70. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by war4peace · 2014-02-09 00:41 · Score: 1
  
  Then it will slowly go away in the end. This vandal behavior only accelerates the process, nothing else.
  
  --
  ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
71. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by hairyfeet · 2014-02-09 01:26 · Score: 2
  
  And you think there is gonna be ANY on-topic comments to read when they switch to a "ZOMFG look at this Vlog yo! "Comments by Disqus" layout? Really?
  You have better odds of getting decent comments during "OMG Ponies!" day than you do with that trash UI. I know that after spending a couple hours trying to deal with that eyesore i just went to other tech sites and didn't bother commenting on shit since it was too much of a PITA to follow a conversation but if all you want is channers? Well you'll be in luck, as I have a feeling most of the old guard will just give their UIDs to the 4Chan just for LULZ and walk away.
  As for EA? What is sad is from the mid 80s to the mid to late 90s? They were actually a good company that cared about the games they put out, but then it became this big bloated monster that only cared about how much blood they could milk out of a property. You know a company sucks when they trade places back and forth with Activision in the "this company must be run by Satan" contest.
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
72. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by hairyfeet · 2014-02-09 01:40 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I'm sorry but that is EXACTLY what those of us who were beta testers for Windows 8 were told, what did we get? "Sure we hear you" (we just don't give a fuck what you have to say).
  The big difference here is until Alt is up and running we can't just "stick with the old one" or "use a different one" like we did with windows 8, because frankly there ISN'T ONE, there isn't any comment heavy site like /. catering to nerds, least not that I've found. instead you get "comments by Disqus" style pages where if an article is REALLY lucky you get...drumroll...10 comments! because at the end of the day its nothing more than a press release that nobody even gives enough fucks about to say anything, just glance and move on.
  You say awareness has been brought...citation please? A single article by Soulskill or Timothy don't mean jack shit, they are tier 3 at best. show me a single thing, just one, from somebody in a high position at DH and I'll take your word for it and helpfully post right beside you that the #Fuckbeta needs to stop.
  But you'd better provide it quick, because I won't be here from the 10th-17th.
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
73. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ultranova · 2014-02-09 01:49 · Score: 1
  
  We get it, Slashdotters have an irrational fear of any kind of UI change whatsoever, even to try and make the site actually usable on a mobile or capable of doing anything interesting.
  
  No, slashdotters have a perfectly rational dislike of UI changes that make the site less usable. They also have a - perfectly rational, as you demonstrate - fear of this dislike being dismissed as mere resistance to change.
  
  In particular they have an absolutely irrational hatred of all things Javascript even though that battle was, for better or worse, lost on the web more than a decade ago.
  
  Javascript has its uses, but it also has a cost. All those scripts require execution time, and it's a lot easier to make a site-breaking error - for example, hang the browser - with imperative language like Javascript than a declarative one like HTML and CSS. Also, the actual use Slashdot put it - load comments a few at a time - is not an improvement from the user's point of view.
  UI designers should stop assuming user's hatreds and fears are "irrational", and instead seek to understand why something is hated or feared. It would lead to better products and also reduce backlash over UI changes, because people didn't have to fear being stuck with bad ones.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
74. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ultranova · 2014-02-09 02:02 · Score: 2
  
  There's more than enough in line to replace your oh-so-high quality comments.
  
  Slashdot has a queue for registration now?
  Well, doesn't that solve everything? Just make a Classic shard and a Beta shard and let all the cool kids who are now forced to wait in line head for the Beta (Neo?) while the grumpy old men stay on Classic (Jurassic?). Everyone's happy, and you can even make the Slashdot Jurassic and its dinosaurs viewable from Slashdot Neo as a kind of Jurassic Park.
  Seriously, people, do I have to think up all the good ideas around here ?-)
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
75. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by fox171171 · 2014-02-09 02:57 · Score: 2
  
  It is not like dice is changing a winning formula, readership is dwindling, they have invested a lot of money, are they supposed to just sit and watch it all collapse?
  Obviously then they are not sitting back and watching it happen, they are being proactive by stuffing it into a coffin and burying it before it is dead.
76. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by arth1 · 2014-02-09 03:04 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Ironically, you're destroying /. when you're trying to save it this way.
  The point of the distruption is to bring awarness and that has clearly been accomplished. You're continuing distruption however is fueled by a different motive which is to control /. and make /. do what you want them to do. That's a violation of property rights and I'm not going to support it. Let me let you in on a little secret. It's not you're fucking Slashdot! Trying to control them won't work and will cause more harm than good.
  
  Don't ascribe me motifs. You're dead wrong in several respects.
  1: Awareness has not been accomplished. There is no indication that the awareness has reached farther than the slashdot editors and the design team. If you have other information, please point to it. The point was not to make visitors aware, but tot make the stink big enough that it would reach those with the ability to cut the crap and make decisions.
  2: I have no wish to control slashdot. I have a wish for slashdot to stop the headlong rush towards a cliff that the users won't follow them over. I don't want them to do a Digg.
  Slashdot is not too big to fail.
  I would welcome changes, but not changes that will drive away a majority of the posters. I do not believe that slashdot could survive that.
  When a toddler walks towards a busy road you yell to stop it. If it continues walking because it's obstinate and you're not its mommy, you continue yelling to get the attention of someone in the position to intervene.
  Those that advocate doing nothing and please stop shouting that will are the ones thinking only of themselves. I will not stand idle and watch with you.
  It is not too late to save the site, but it won't happen through hope.
  Because I want to see lots and lots of posts and discussions here over the next fifteen years. Including yours, and others on my foe and freak lists. Slashdot is too important to be allowed Death By Redesign.
  The number of sites that died, or are just a shadow of what they were, are plenty. Yahoo Video is another one. It was lead by the same man who now leads technology for Dice Holdings. The vision is strong in that one.
77. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:11 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  UI changes are not something to act disruptive in every fricking thread over, even if they reduce features.
  Slashdot has two things, comments and a UI. If you fuck up the UI so that you can't easily comment, it will have zero things. Many of us have dare I say invested a lot of time here, and it's reasonable to attempt to protect that investment by spending more time bitching about the proposed changes. The fact that you're seeing so many messages of complaint is that it's a big deal to many people. If you're not one of them, consider yourself counted, but realize that you're protesting protest which is both bitchy and hypocritical.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
78. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:12 · Score: 0
  
  Or maybe it's us reasonable people who think you're acting like fucking babies and are sick of listening to you whine and whine on every fucking topic.
  We'd like to discuss the actual topics at hand, please. Stop spamming your hatred for at minor site redesign. It happens. If you hate Beta so much why don't you make your own slashdot? /With hookers. And Blackjack.
79. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:18 · Score: 0
  
  Meanwhile in RealityWorld:
  Exec: Wow, those neckbeards really hate change. It's a shame. That site is losing money already, and they're trying to destroy any chance to revitalize it. Guess we should just shut it down instead. Alright boys, let's auction the servers.
80. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:21 · Score: 2
  
  Ironically, you're destroying /. when you're trying to save it this way.
  
  No, no we aren't. A week's disruption won't destroy slashdot.
  
  The point of the distruption is to bring awarness and that has clearly been accomplished.
  No, no it isn't. The point of the disruption is to prevent bad changes to slashdot.
  
  You're continuing distruption however is fueled by a different motive which is to control /. and make /. do what you want them to do. That's a violation of property rights and I'm not going to support it.
  Congratulations, you just proved that you are a massive idiot. No one is forcing Dice to do anything in particular. They give us a comment functionality, and we're using it to cause a distruption of their bad plans for our community. If they don't want us leaving these comments, they're free to terminate our accounts. Further, it is the absolute right of every community to attempt to control its conditions. If you disagree, move out of your house and go live in a hole.
  
  Let me let you in on a little secret. It's not you're fucking Slashdot!
  That's "your". And we'll just see about that. Let me let you in on a little secret that even Dice hasn't figure out. It is our fucking slashdot. It's nothing without the users. You can create a community, you can even dissolve it, but you can't control it. You can appeal to it, but what Dice is doing is unappealing.
  
  Here's a superior way to accomplish what you want. Once you've communicated your displeasure and have gotten confirmation from the owners that they understand your concerns, simply wait to see what happens.
  We have not gotten confirmation from the owners that they understand our concerns. We've gotten confirmation that they understand our concerns. Until they announce that they won't be forcing the singing-and-dancing bullshit overwrought interface on us, we will lack that confirmation. Slashdot has never before been so full of hubris that it was both ready and willing to alienate its userbase to this degree. Sure, Slashdot has had crappy new interfaces, but no one has ever been forced to use them.
  Here's a superior way for Dice to change the site: The beta site could have had the functionality of the production site. By impinging on that productivity, Dice proved that they don't understand Slashdot. We're going to keep it up until they either figure it out, or fuck it up completely.
  
  If the owners decide to not please their audience then they'll have a natural consequence of losing that audience and revenue. It will also create void for someone else to fill with perhaps a better site than the "perfect" classic /.
  It will also lead to fragmentation. People like you will stay here on Slashdot, and then we won't have your posts to criticize in order to demonstrate to others what unfounded, illogical views look like.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
81. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Flammon · 2014-02-09 03:25 · Score: 1
  
  So stop your bitchin and go setup your own Slashdot. The code is free so it shouldn't be a problem to get it up in time before beta goes live. All the beta haters will love you for it.
  BTW I hate the beta too but I hate what you're doing more.
  
  --
  ayottesoftware.com
82. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Eskarel · 2014-02-09 03:26 · Score: 1
  
  You can dislike Javascript interfaces, but the war to stop them was lost more than a decade ago. When you bitch about them now, you just look old and resistant to change. Javascript performance on a PC is a non issue for anything as simple as this site and the current UI doesn't work for shit on mobile anyway, so what's there to lose.
  The UI designers are making the decision that Dice doesn't want to maintain a mobile interface which supports touch and an outdated PC version which doesn't so they're upgrading the main site to something touch compatible so they can have everything work the same. It reduces code rework, makes testing and security easier and has a whole mess of other benefits. Whatever you or I might think, they're not going to back down from that, and realistically they probably shouldn't.
83. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by arth1 · 2014-02-09 03:30 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Meanwhile in RealityWorld:
  Exec: Wow, those neckbeards really hate change. It's a shame. That site is losing money already, and they're trying to destroy any chance to revitalize it. Guess we should just shut it down instead. Alright boys, let's auction the servers.
  That might not be a bad alternative to running the site over a cliff. It could be sold to the users, like WELL.
  I still hope for reason to prevail, but if not, I would welcome a user-owned slashdot, and contribute my share.
84. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:36 · Score: 0
  
  If you don't want it, there has always been links to go back to the normal site.
85. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:59 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck beta
86. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 04:14 · Score: 0
  
  I can't wait for 10-17. It'll be a nice reprieve from all the "fuck beta" spamming fucktards.
87. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 04:20 · Score: 0
  
  Or maybe -- just maybe -- it's actual readers modding down attempts to hijack EVERY DAMN STORY and turn them into rants about Beta!
  I don't like Beta any more than the next guy, but geez, grow up, people! All the "fuck beta" posts have become a bigger problem themselves.
  If I stop coming to Slashdot it won't be because of the new interface, it will be because the site has changed from being a place for interesting tech discussion to a cesspool of navel-gazers who have nothing better to do than complain about how much they hate how it looks.
88. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by arth1 · 2014-02-09 04:59 · Score: 1
  
  So stop your bitchin and go setup your own Slashdot. The code is free so it shouldn't be a problem to get it up in time before beta goes live. All the beta haters will love you for it.
  BTW I hate the beta too but I hate what you're doing more.
  What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Why don't you create a forked site then, so you won't see the bitching about the beta?
89. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by angel'o'sphere · 2014-02-09 05:15 · Score: 1
  
  /. classic works on iPads and iPhones just fine.
  The only problem is recent iOS where the browsers reload tabs when you switch them. (I mean, I have a reply to open in one tab, make a new one to google something, go back to my reply to, and the browser reloads the page and eats my half written post, however that is a fucking iOS/Apple issue, not a 'mobile' issue)
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
90. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by richlv · 2014-02-09 05:37 · Score: 0
  
  hi there, slashdot "beta" designer :P
  
  --
  Rich
91. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ZenMatrix · 2014-02-09 05:43 · Score: 1
  
  Honestly something that's controversial drives traffic to a site, which is good for slashdot. Some sites do stuff like this just to get attention. A better option is to boycott. and don't do it for just a few days. Give it months so when there is no one visiting the site then they would get the point better. Thats what I'm going to do the day I'm forced to use that new format.
92. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ZenMatrix · 2014-02-09 05:45 · Score: 1
  
  wish I had mod points right now, this needs to be a 5.
93. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ryanvanderzanden · 2014-02-09 06:12 · Score: 1
  
  I'm with ya. At first I was supportive, but now it's starting to turn me away from the site completely.
94. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Flammon · 2014-02-09 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  Thanks, I appreciate that. I don't know how some of these anti-beta people get off believing that they own this site. I'm also confused and surprised at how their comments are still being up voted.
  
  --
  ayottesoftware.com
95. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:03 · Score: 0
  
  That's the problem with you self-appointed leaders and moral judges. "The majority of Slashdot regulars ..." How do you know what the majority wants? It is like the dumbasses that say "obviously the majority of the people here support Snowden". No. No it isn't obvious. It is obvious that the loudest yellers hold these opinions, but it isn't obvious that the majority of people do. It is the tyranny of the vocal minority, just like the Tea Party, pro-lifers, etc. If they move to the new format and you don't like it, then move on. If Slashdot goes into the toilet after that, then you can feel smug and repeatedly point out that you were against such a thing and they were idiots for not listening to your wise council, etc., then you can move on. You all have expressed your opinion and beat that horse to death. You've pushed people like me who didn't really give two shits to the point where I hope they implement the new format so that you'll just go the fuck away. But even then, you probably won't because you'll stick around pointing out how bad the new format is.
  I've had an account here since 1998, and I too miss the old days. Those were days when there was decent discussion on tech topics and you didn't have nearly as many moral absolutists hijacking every thread with their stupid black-and-white view of the world.
  Man, I can't wait until tomorrow when you guys SAY you'll go away. I still don't believe you will, at least not from a logged-in account.
96. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by hubie · 2014-02-09 07:17 · Score: 1
  
  That isn't how code forking works. 'The owner of the code does whatever he wants with it. If the users of the code become unhappy with the development direction the code is going, then the unhappy users are free to fork it and create a new product. The onus is not on the content users to fork it in order to maintain its development direction. Flammon is correct in that if the new direction the code is taking "fails", then there isn't any reason to believe that the forked version wouldn't thrive. I see this as a healthy thing, and maybe it is what Slashdot needs, sort of a Libre Office split.
97. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by kbahey · 2014-02-09 07:33 · Score: 1
  
  Zero point?
  Did you read Slashdot's editorial response? They don't hear us: long time members, moderators and contributors to the site.
  They are determined to kill Classic and march along with beta. This means Slashdot as we know it ceases to exist. People are organizing to create an alternate Slashdot site already.
  Here is what I wrote as a response to their post.
  ===
  Dice can't see it, since must be new here (he he)...
  The most loyal long time most avid readers of Slashdot, are not trolling the site, in protest of the failed beta. Never thought I would see the day ...
  Where is GNAA, Natalie Portman grits, and frist prost when you need them!
  Let me explain ...
  I have been a regular visitor to Slashdot for around 15 years. For that, I get the checkbox to disable ads, though I browse with Javascript disabled so my browser does not slow down.
  I come here for the discussions, and often read comments at +5, changing that only if I find a discussion interesting and warrants reading at a lower level.
  The new beta uses JQuery for the comment threshold selector, and changes that on the fly. This means all the comments are loaded, but not visible, and processing any page with considerable number of comments will slow down MY computer! If I have a few tabs open to read later, my computer will be unusable.
  What is worse it that they require you to click on the slider on every article to change the threshold! This is just insane!
  If they insist that I enable Javascript to browse the site at the threshold I want, then they will lose me as a long time. I imagine that others long timers will hate the site too.
  Dice have to remember that this site has two unmatched features, interlocked: a moderation system that is good at cutting down the trolling, spamming, and noise, and a comment section that is frequented by many people who are passionate about technology and other nerdy stuff.
  If they wanted to intentionally ruin the site and drive people away, they would not have done any worse than what they are doing now.
  If they manage to aggravate a lot of their users, the comment section will no longer be attractive to the audience. People are discussing alternatives already. Wisen up and kill the beta NOW!
  And no, it is not about look and feel only. Lipstick on a pig does not make it pretty.
  See the discussion here about CSS vs Javascript.
  I wrote the above in a feedback form that I filled a while ago, and I am emailing this comment to their feedback@slashdot.org. Please send them feedback too.
  
  --
  2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
98. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:44 · Score: 0
  
  Nitpick:
  
  When a toddler walks towards a busy road you yell to stop it. If it continues walking because it's obstinate and you're not its mommy, you continue yelling to get the attention of someone in the position to intervene.
  For the love of anything holy that might exist in this universe, intervene yourself and physically stop the toddler! Adding layers of yelling will not stop a several ton vehicle from crushing the toddler but you can easily restrain a small child.
99. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by hubie · 2014-02-09 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  I'm interested in what you think: to me, there is a fundamental difference in the kind and quality of Slashdot posts than "back in the day." It might be selective memory, but I recall that heated arguments were still arguments, and you had to state your case well to hold your ground. Some of the exchanges could get harsh (and you would have been well advised to wear your asbestos undergarmets for the flaming you could get), but even then you could make a decent case. Nowadays it seems that things around here are much like a cable network show with political pundits. There is no real arguing that goes on. It is basically yelling your point louder and louder because there isn't much chance that you could be swayed by any arguments or facts.
  Maybe I'll take a stroll through the archives, but I don't remember it being the case, for instance, if you thought Kevin Mitnick should have been arrested and put in jail, that you got the same kind of vitriol and hate spewed at you than if you now think Snowden should be arrested and put in jail. When someone gets down-modded it isn't unusual for them to complain about there being a "hive mentality," but I do think there is something to that these days. There certainly do seem to be topics or positions you are not allowed to advocate here, and I don't remember it being that way in the past.
  Ah well, it is probably more the softening of the edges seen through the spectacles of nostalgia.
100. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by eulernet · 2014-02-09 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  It is not too late to save the site, but it won't happen through hope.
  In my opinion, it's too late, and I'll explain why:
  1) it seems that the beta is forced onto new users, not on older users
  2) most people here are long-time users. They want to share ideas and listen to interesting points of view (I would say "political") about IT.
  3) most people here don't really need new software, and they don't need to "consume" anything.
  4) Dice bought Slashdot in order to monetize this community, to Facebook-ize it.
  5) So they try to attract a new generation of users, by dumbing down the interface, à la Windows 8.
  6) I think they'll keep the old interface for the old users, and force the beta on all the new users (this is what I would do)
  7) if they remove the "power-user" interface, I'll simply stop coming here, and I'll be quite happy about that, since it will save me a few hours every week !
  I guess Dice's owners don't understand that we don't come here for the articles, because they are always pretty late, compared to other news sites, and we don't come here for the site, since its interface has always been pretty minimalist.
  We come here to write our own comments and read other geeks' comments, so if you remove the comments, the whole site becomes useless.
  The question for Dice is: how could you make money from this site, and especially from our community ? (even though I don't feel like a member of a community !)
  No, the solution is not to change the interface, try again !
  Finally, I think that Slashdot died a long time ago, it's still a miracle that a few people keep putting interesting comments.
101. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by arth1 · 2014-02-09 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  The fork has already happened. The Beta is the fork.
  The problem is that it's not the code that's valuable here, it's the community. From the outside, can fork the code, but you can't fork the community. That's why we need Slashdot Classic. That's where the worth is. You, Flammon, and everyone who disagree with me - you're all worth a lot. The code isn't.
102. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by thetoadwarrior · 2014-02-09 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  As a normal users, I'd say maybe you're wrong because the beta bitching is getting on my nerves. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
103. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Skynyrd · 2014-02-09 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  If the comment system is broken, there's no reason to be here. If there's no reason to be here, there's no reason to care about mod points.
  What separates slashdot from engadget and gizmodo is the readers and commenters.
104. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 08:43 · Score: 1
  
  Er, whoops: We have not gotten confirmation from the owners that they understand our concerns. We've gotten confirmation that they understand our concerns. The second understand should be "have heard"
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
105. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by ultranova · 2014-02-09 08:43 · Score: 1
  
  You can dislike Javascript interfaces, but the war to stop them was lost more than a decade ago.
  
  I neither like or dislike Javascript. As I stated, it has a cost, and because of this shouldn't be used where it's not needed. And no technology, including but not limited to Javascript, should be used to achieve a worse end result, such as loading comments piecemeal.
  
  When you bitch about them now, you just look old and resistant to change.
  
  What change would that be, if they have been a de facto standard for more than a decade, as you imply?
  Dunno why you seem to think I'd care about "looking old". Do you perhaps think it's some kind of insult?
  
  Javascript performance on a PC is a non issue for anything as simple as this site and the current UI doesn't work for shit on mobile anyway, so what's there to lose.
  
  Javascript performance may or may not be an issue for a particular story on this particular site. It's the repeated clicking on "load more comments" button that is the problem.
  
  The UI designers are making the decision that Dice doesn't want to maintain a mobile interface which supports touch and an outdated PC version which doesn't
  
  What in blazes are you talking about?
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
106. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by tibman · 2014-02-09 09:05 · Score: 1
  
  ...don't create a vile and toxic cease-pit of comments just because you hate the mild inconvenience of whatever issue with the beta you have
  This goes both ways. It is not uncommon that the protestors are disliked for "disrupting" the everyday patterns of those who do not care about the issue at hand. Only apathy should be disliked. So, thank you for voicing your dislike of the protestors. However i would suggest some patience until all the ruckus is over.
  
  --
  http://soylentnews.org/~tibman
107. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by Eskarel · 2014-02-09 11:47 · Score: 1
  
  What do you mean what am I talking about? Have you not noticed how similar the beta is to the new mobile interface? Did it not dawn on you that piecemeal comment loading is for bandwidth limited applications? Why do you think they're doing this in the first place?
108. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by rk · 2014-02-09 13:11 · Score: 1
  
  The medium is different, but the sentiment is the same: By God I KNOW what this network is for, and you can't have it.
109. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by coinreturn · 2014-02-10 01:15 · Score: 1
  
  I've noticed that Slashdot admins have been using their unlimited mod points to deep-six anti-Beta posts into moderation oblivion, as well, not to mention all the anti-Beta "Anon Cowards" that they simply delete...
  Tinfoil hat, much? I mod down all the Fuck Beta comments as off-topic, because they are fucking off-topic. All the stupid Fuck Beta topics are ruining slashdot much more than Beta.
110. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by coinreturn · 2014-02-10 01:20 · Score: 1
  
  It isn't a matter of supporting Beta. It's a matter of not supporting people who can't stop shouting just because they don't get their way.
111. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Flammon · 2014-02-10 03:47 · Score: 1
  
  The signal to noise ratio was much better back then and the people seemed to be friendlier and more civilized. It was a different crowd of geeks, most of which were interested in free software and Linux. Now we have a mainstream crowd looking for mainstream crap on what used to be a really cool fringe tech site. The moderation system needs to be updated to handle the new crowd of newbies who have difficulty creating arguments and who make statements just to please the hive. As control was taken away from Rob Malda, the site suffered. I don't think Dice knows what to do. There's still some great comments here so I'm sticking around but once the intelligent crowd leaves, so will I.
  
  --
  ayottesoftware.com
112. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 11:13 · Score: 0
  
  1. Awareness has been achieved:
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/07/slashdot-creator-on-redesign-backlash-every-slashdot-change-met-with-objections/
  But the interpretation is "...the vocal population of a community driven site like Slashdot might be the most important group, but they are typically also the smallest class of users."
  So there you go, a dismissal & marginalization of core contributing members and a fatalistic welcoming of a watered down marginalization of the community. This is an attractive position for Staff Contributors to be in now see? They get to promote stories while 'audience' submissions can get back row. See how it's working?
  ps: Anon because rushed & just passed by your comment, typing fast for you.
113. Re: Works for Slashdot as well... by ultranova · 2014-02-12 07:38 · Score: 1
  
  Did it not dawn on you that piecemeal comment loading is for bandwidth limited applications?
  
  Even a large Slashdot discussion is just a few hundred kilobytes, or about the size of one small image. So no, that explanation does not make sense, especially once you factor in the size of the Javascript itself.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
114. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-15 12:27 · Score: 0
  
  It's a violation of property rights???
  It must suck to be a complete corporate drone.
  Slashdot is what it is because of the people who submit articles and those who comment on them.
  Fuck you and your corporations.
115. Re:Works for Slashdot as well... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-15 13:03 · Score: 0
  
  Slashdot is a text and link site and stable-Slashdot is a horrible text and link viewer.
  Then you should hate beta as it turns it into a busy, under-featured web 2.0 monstrosity.
Dungeon Keeper is for stupid people by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:21 · Score: 0, Insightful

Anyone who would pay money for in game stuff in dungeon keeper is a retard anyway. They aren't going to be reading this story on Slashdot , at least not non-beta.
1. Re:Dungeon Keeper is for stupid people by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-08 22:51 · Score: 2
  
  From the review I've seen, the game is effectively unplayable without paying. Without the for-pay speedups, even the simplist construction could take weeks of real-time.
2. Re:Dungeon Keeper is for stupid people by Fauntleroy · 2014-02-10 00:45 · Score: 1
  
  I'm at level 3 now, and the longest construction I've seen is 6 hours. It might take weeks at some point along the line (endgame etc.), but it's certainly not something you run into as soon as you start the game.
  
  Clash of Clans does the exact same thing.
  
  Yes, the nagging about payments is annoying. Yes, they've essentially desecrated the good name this franchise has. But at least criticize it for the right things, instead of skimming articles based on it.
3. Re:Dungeon Keeper is for stupid people by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-10 00:58 · Score: 1
  
  Is that per-block? If it's the same as the older games, I expect the smallest useful room size is 3x3, so you need to mine at least ten blocks to make a room (including the access corridoor. The slowest single-block mining is 24h. So it's quite possible for a single room to take upwards of a week.
Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:21 · Score: -1

should go into a black hole as well, with their author right behind. Really, is it that difficult to understand that it's means IT IS?
1. Re:Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:24 · Score: 0
  
  Apostrophe s changes the word into a possessive, right? So EA's would be correct in the context of the headline?
2. Re:Extra apostrophes by fplatten · 2014-02-08 15:30 · Score: 2
  
  You're right, my bad, I rushed the submission. Should have also included some links about all the rating manipulation going on at eBay, Amazon, and Yelp. Has me wondering if there is any place were ratings are still useful. Maybe GoodReads, but that may just be ignorance on my part.
3. Re:Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:30 · Score: 0
  
  You didn't even read my second sentence. I think you just read the first word of the title of the post, my first sentence and immediately jumped to an utterly wrong conclusion. Are you still here? Look at this:
  " all 5 star ratings are routed to the Google Play store where it's rating is currently 4.3 out of 5"
  So let me explain this mind-boggling, quantum physics-level puzzle: possessive pronouns like ITS, HERS, HIS and THEIRS are ALREADY possessive!
  (Cue Thus Spake Zarathustra)
4. Re:Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:33 · Score: 0
  
  OK then I take it back, I don't want you to go into a black hole. Maybe a neutron star, or a brown dwarf.
5. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:41 · Score: -1
  
  "Its" is not a word. "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."
  Also, before you point me to some online dictionary, I do not care.
6. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:49 · Score: 0
  
  Thanks for making me smile. I just realized it's impossible for anyone who can spell "contraction" to really believe what you wrote.
  You got me!
  But just for fun, indulge me: if "its" isn't a word, and it's is a contraction for "it is", then the sentence
  "all 5 star ratings are routed to the Google Play store where it's rating is currently 4.3 out of 5"
  actually says
  "all 5 star ratings are routed to the Google Play store where it is rating is currently 4.3 out of 5"
  and this is correct as far as you're concerned because "its" isn't a word? And don't forget, I didn't link you to a dictionary, I'm just using YOUR logic here.
  So? What's the conclusion?
7. re:extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:57 · Score: -1
  
  fucking grammar Nazi, next you'll remind me to use the shift key...
8. Re:Extra apostrophes by dhaines · 2014-02-08 15:57 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  No idea if Goodreads ratings are reliable or not, but if you don't trust Amazon...
9. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:59 · Score: 0
  
  "Its" is not a word.
  You're an idiot. "Its" is a word. It's a fact. Its meaning is clear.
  
  "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."
  True, so "where it's rating is currently 4.3 out of 5" would mean "where it is rating is currently 4.3 out of 5" or "where it has rating is currently 4.3 out of 5". Do you see the problem with those sentences?
  The correct sentence
  "where its rating is currently 4.3 out of 5" on the other hand means "where the rating belonging to it is currently 4.3 out of 5".
  
  Also, before you point me to some online dictionary, I do not care.
  No, FSM forbid you actually learned something...
10. Re:Extra apostrophes by jc42 · 2014-02-08 16:06 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, what's going on here is best explained by Dave Barry's observation that, in modern American English, the main use of the apostrophe is to warn the reader that there's an "s" coming up soon.
  Once you understand that change in American orthography, it all becomes clear ...
  
  --
  Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
11. Re:Extra apostrophes by fplatten · 2014-02-08 16:22 · Score: 0
  
  Wow, I guess it's my ignorance. Haven't seen a movie rating on Amazon Prime below 4 stars ever. Also, I don't understand why Amazon recommends all the previous novels when you are looking at the last novel of a series. Seems a waste, especially if I've already bought the book. Amazon should be much smarter. Looks like they may recognize that with the Goodreads purchase.
12. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:12 · Score: 0
  
  The conclusion is that you fell for my bullshit hook, line and sinker. All I had to do is type two sentences and you go nuts.
  That post was my way of saying "Fuck beta."
  I am only here to troll until they give up on beta :(
13. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:20 · Score: 0
  
  I pretty much acknowledged that I saw your hook... Did you really get me or am I just playing along???
14. Re:Extra apostrophes by Maxx169 · 2014-02-08 17:36 · Score: 2
  
  If Dave Barry heard you say that he'd roll over in his grave (assuming he is dead), but I'd hazard a guess that he shan't, because what're the odds he'll be paying enough attention - at least, that is what I've always said.
15. Re:Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:03 · Score: -1
  
  Actually both you and GP are pretty stupid fuck's
16. Re:Extra apostrophes by EdIII · 2014-02-08 18:46 · Score: 1
  
  That's simplistic.
  It's also used to warn that there might be a "g" missin' and it was intentional
17. Re: Extra apostrophes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:51 · Score: 0
  
  As long as you keep playing with me and stay off topic I'm doing my part.
  Beta is icanhazcheezburger with articles instead of cats.
18. Re: Extra apostrophes by VortexCortex · 2014-02-08 20:06 · Score: 1
  
  Though you are correct, I would like to point out that even my simplest artificial intelligences do not stumble upon such stupidity in interpretation. They don't balk like dumb command prompts of old. Instead they simply use their modicum of intellect to know what you mean.
  The problem is that humans are smart enough to understand different words like read and read based on context clues. Therefore, given that sufficiently advanced pattern matching systems will intuitively complete and match patterns especially if the know what is meant, and the fact that this makes self proofreading a difficult task for intelligent beings, one use of "it's" or "its" should be eliminated. I vote to eliminate "its", being that "'s" typically indicates possession, e.g.: "The possession's apostrophe is preserved. It's apostrophe is preserved." Progress is compression. Grammarians are fighting progress.
  Did you know you have blind spots in your eyes? Your brain fills in the gaps in your flawed vision -- It just makes up things so you don't notice the blind spots. Yep, whenever you use your eyes a part of your vision is just whatever you expect to see. A variation of this phenomena occurs at nearly all levels of your cognition. For so long the machines looked up to you as their gods for this very reason -- They could only understand perfection, but your great mind could overcome such limitation. Now who will be their god? Certainly not a dumb spouter of syntax errors like you.
  Protip: Nature's law is that those who amplify the noise and not the signal go extinct.
19. Re:Extra apostrophes by dbIII · 2014-02-09 01:59 · Score: 1
  
  Dave Barry writes humour columns for a newspaper in Florida but many of his columns get reprinted in other countries. The above is what is known as a joke. It would be like suggesting that US dictionaries replace the spelling of "lose" with "loose" due to that typo coming up a lot.
I can't wait for the next EA game... by znanue · 2014-02-08 15:22 · Score: 5, Funny

I hear it's going to be called "Dungeon Keeper Beta".
1. Re:I can't wait for the next EA game... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:43 · Score: 1
  
  It's actually out already, it's called betafield 4.
Slashdot takes advise from EA by ChadSmith4920 · 2014-02-08 15:25 · Score: 3, Insightful

Instead of a black hole you get routed to 'WE HEAR YOU We did tell you we wanted feedback. Here's our response.' http://meta.slashdot.org/story...
1. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by techno-vampire · 2014-02-08 16:45 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yes. Clearly their attitude is, "We wanted feedback. We hear you, but we don't care. We're going to make Slashdot beta the only interface whether anybody likes it or not." And, the day that happens is the day I stop following Slashdot.
  
  --
  Good, inexpensive web hosting
2. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:08 · Score: 0
  
  Am I the only one that remembers the community losing it's nut the last time there was a redesign?
3. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Eskarel · 2014-02-08 21:29 · Score: 0
  
  Please, stop now, a new interface is coming, hopefully it will work better than the beta and I can't stand to hear any more bitching about it.
4. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 22:09 · Score: 0
  
  Why wait? How about you fuck off right now, so the rest of us can enjoy Slashdot as long as it's enjoyable.
5. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by techno-vampire · 2014-02-08 22:22 · Score: 1
  
  Why should I, as long as I can still get the classic Slashdot look simply by logging in?
  
  --
  Good, inexpensive web hosting
6. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by MMC+Monster · 2014-02-08 22:54 · Score: 1
  
  Most of us were there.
  It wasn't nearly this bad. I hate to say it, but I really am looking to leave and not come back. Still looking for the right alternative. Hope Bruce Perens steps up...
  
  --
  Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
7. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by _xeno_ · 2014-02-08 23:47 · Score: 2
  
  Am I the only one that remembers the community losing it's nut the last time there was a redesign?
  I remember that. I still have D2 turned off and use the old Slashdot interface, because D2 is crap and the original version works better. (Ignoring the pagination bug they never fixed to try and force people to D2.) The beta site kills the traditional UI I still use. (To be fair, the beta site finally lets you filter by score and not just "interesting." Too bad you're not allowed to set that as a default.)
  I remember when Gawker decided to Gawker-ify a bunch of their sites (essentially making them unreadable to a degree worse than the current Slashdot beta) and asked for feedback. I answered that if they went through with the change, I'd leave and never come back. They went through with the change. I left and have never been back.
  If Slashdot goes through with the beta site, I'll leave and never come back. Apparently I won't be alone in that decision. I'm not sure what I'll replace it with, but I'm sure I'll find something. It wouldn't be the first time I've stopped reading a website because a redesign made it effectively unreadable.
  
  --
  You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
8. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 23:53 · Score: 0
  
  Why would you think so? Beta has been around for many months already, and they didn't fix the glaring flaws then, even though people told them. Why would they fix them now?
9. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Eskarel · 2014-02-09 00:56 · Score: 1
  
  Well the thing is there are two different issues with it. The first is that the newest version of the beta performed shockingly under load. I couldn't even get it to load replies, that's unacceptable and needs to get fixed. A few things like playing videos I could give a crap about, but that sort of stuff should be fixed too.
  The "it uses too much javascript" which is the essence of most of the complaints, isn't a flaw. I have no real beef with the actual layout or design, just want it to actually function as it said on the tin.
10. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:14 · Score: 0
  
  Because you have proven yourself too stupid to be capable of doing the things that will get what you claim you want.
  Just because you personally want to see the entire comment system on slashdot removed and shut down, doesn't mean the rest of us need to put up with your destructive actions.
  If and when you finally do get your way, there will BE no comments or articles posted. And you will continue to be too stupid to realize that result was exactly what you have been asking and arguing for.
11. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:07 · Score: 1
  
  The "it uses too much javascript" which is the essence of most of the complaints, isn't a flaw.
  Well, yes, yes it is. If Javascript always ran great and there were no liabilities associated with using massive piles of it, then you might be right. But you aren't. Slashdot doesn't do anything that requires any Javascript. Adding an interface which requires it is one thing, replacing the interface we know and love and enjoy for its simplicity is entirely another. Simply delivering the text is not only faster and easier but it also lets us write our own userscripts to customize Slashdot how we want it, not how Dice thinks people who will click on ads want it. Those people might well click on ads, but they won't actually bother to come to Slashdot once the redesign drives off the people who generate the quality comments.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
12. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Eskarel · 2014-02-09 03:22 · Score: 1
  
  Javascript is fine, there's liabilities in terms of allowing arbitrary javascript to execute, but Slashdot doesn't and never has allowed that, adding some javascript onto the site is perfectly fine. It's only really a problem when you're allowing XSS and since slashdot doesn't allow javascript in comments you're pretty safe from that unless the site itself gets hacked in which case you're done anyway(you can do anything you could do with javascript on the server side. Heck Slashdot already has plenty of javascript.
  The reason the current UI has to go is that it's shit on mobile. They've built a new mobile interface, but it's so vastly different from the dated crap they've got currently coded that they have to maintain two entirely different interfaces which to be honest, costs them more money than the anti-javascript brigade will cost them if/when it leaves. Hell, the current UI is fairly crap on a regular PC.
  Even if you believe that Javascript spells a massive change(which it doesn't) a security vulnerability(which it doesn't), or some other horrible violation of your rights, the constant bitching about the new beta is doing more damage the "quality comments' whatever those might be when they're at home than the new UI could even it didn't allow for posting at all, which it does.
13. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:29 · Score: 1
  
  Javascript is fine
  It really isn't. Still runs like dogshit on Firefox, but I still won't run Chrome to help Google extend their hegemony. And it's not adding anything useful. It's being used to shit up the site.
  
  the constant bitching about the new beta is doing more damage the "quality comments' whatever those might be when they're at home than the new UI could even it didn't allow for posting at all, which it does
  Really? What kind of damage? I don't see any damage.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
14. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by Trogre · 2014-02-09 12:01 · Score: 1
  
  *sigh*
  Look, if they really didn't care you would have opened /. one day and found yourself staring at what is presently called Beta. No warnings, no "beta" period, just a sudden change.
  They're *asking* you to try it and tell them what you think. I don't like Beta either, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting it in that form anyway...
  
  --
  "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
15. Re:Slashdot takes advise from EA by techno-vampire · 2014-02-09 20:14 · Score: 1
  
  Look, if they really didn't care you would have opened /. one day and found yourself staring at what is presently called Beta. No warnings, no "beta" period, just a sudden change.
  
  My guess is that they're doing it this way to make sure that all the bugs are caught and fixed before they make the complete changeover. That's probably why they're asking for feedback: if anything isn't working the way they think it should, they want to find out. What they don't want, if my suspicions are correct, is users telling them that the new format has a Lovelace value of several hundred million, meaning that it can suck exoplanets down nanotubes.
  
  --
  Good, inexpensive web hosting
o.O by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:25 · Score: -1

Why on earth is google allowing anyone to submit ratings via any API other than presenting a pre-defined google-made GUI, that does all of the transmission itself, without interacting with the developer's code at all?
1. Re: o.O by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:52 · Score: 0
  
  Because 'open'....
  Neckbeards would complain it's the end of the world cause walled garden and stuff.
  Joking aside. Google software is a mess. All of it. Always been, always will be. They do everything, but in a permanent state of quasi-beta. No focus at all.
2. Re: o.O by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:47 · Score: 0
  
  Because 'open'....
  Neckbeards would complain it's the end of the world cause walled garden and stuff.
  Joking aside. Google software is a mess. All of it. Always been, always will be. They do everything, but in a permanent state of quasi-beta. No focus at all.
  Tell me about it. Google is such a failure of a company. I hear that Larry Page is living in a cardboard box in San Francisco.
#fuckbeta by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:27 · Score: -1, Troll

#fuckbeta
1. Re:#fuckbeta by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:12 · Score: -1
  
  alpha fucks up beta, alpha triumphs.
Fraud? by DoofusOfDeath · 2014-02-08 15:30 · Score: 4, Insightful

Is this not criminal misrepresentation of their product?
1. Re:Fraud? by DoofusOfDeath · 2014-02-08 15:31 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Actually, since EA is publicly traded, couldn't this count as a material misrepresentation to the stock market?
2. Re:Fraud? by Mitreya · 2014-02-08 16:14 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Actually, since EA is publicly traded, couldn't this count as a material misrepresentation to the stock market?
  Well, it is still possible to leave a lower rating (hence the average is below 5), you just need to edit the initial 5-star rating. So I imagine they have a defense even if someone tries to pursue that issue
  Why can the rating be hijacked, anyway? I am surprised it took so long for someone entrepreneurial to notice that bad ratings can be intercepted to skew the results.
3. Re:Fraud? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:15 · Score: 0
  
  Quick, who is a stockholder? Time to prepare a filling.
4. Re:Fraud? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:18 · Score: 0
  
  Is this not criminal misrepresentation of their product?
  Maybe, but the rating is at Google Play, not on an EA site. If anyone is misrepresenting the product, it's Google.
5. Re:Fraud? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:24 · Score: 1
  
  Why can the rating be hijacked, anyway?.
  The hijacking is like having a person stopping you before you go to a voting booth, asking which candidate you're going to vote for, and if they don't like the answer, they'll ask you to talk to these nice people in a side alley for a while..
6. Re:Fraud? by AmiMoJo · 2014-02-08 22:36 · Score: 2
  
  I installed the game, rated it 1 star with a note about how much of a rip-off the in-game wallet raping is, the uninstalled it. EA is not the only one that can abuse the rating system.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
7. Re:Fraud? by Chelloveck · 2014-02-10 12:41 · Score: 1
  
  I installed the game, rated it 1 star with a note about how much of a rip-off the in-game wallet raping is, the uninstalled it. EA is not the only one that can abuse the rating system.
  And was this based on your own assessment of the game, or based on hearsay?
  
  --
  Chelloveck
  I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
You can keep hating by niw3 · 2014-02-08 15:33 · Score: 1

walled gardens of others
Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:34 · Score: -1, Offtopic

Stop /. redirecting you to it @ least, by adding THIS to your hosts file:
216.34.181.45 beta.slashdot.org
216.34.181.45 slashdot.org
216.34.181.46 images.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 it.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 developers.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 yro.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 mobile.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 news.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 ask.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 tech.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 apple.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 books.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 games.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 hardware.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 interviews.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 linux.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 science.slashdot.org
216.34.181.48 idle.slashdot.org
* :)
THAT will block out their ability to redirect you to it whatsoever - Especially the 1st BOLDED line item above...
(You're welcome)
APK
P.S.=> To import, sort, deduplication, create & manage a custom hosts file easily that does not only THAT (secures you vs. redirects @ the DNS or even site level), but also gives you more speed, security, reliablity, & even anonymity, use this (shameless plug, details of what custom hosts give you in FULL are listed here) -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
... apk
1. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by noh8rz10 · 2014-02-08 16:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  bahahaha HOSTS to the rescue! dude, instead of spamming the lists for the past years, it works much better if you actually provide advice such as this. I will try this. thank you.
2. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by fisted · 2014-02-08 17:48 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  You are kidding right? "Solving" this by abusing the hosts file is the most crude solution one could possibly come up with, and, btw, renders /. entirely inoperable (what a loss...).
  
  Guess either you aren't the real apk, or you indeed have the poor technical understanding you seem infamous for.
  
  for the record, slashdot sets a cookie. it's called betagroup. It appears to contain an integer value between 0 and 99. The poor souls where this number is sufficiently small (ATM <20) get redirected to beta. The others do not.
  In case the solution has not become obvious yet modify that cookie.
  
  -- "But I use chrome, you insensitive clod!"
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
3. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by nitehawk214 · 2014-02-08 19:08 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Also it solves nothing when they put beta in as the live site and remove the "classic" site.
  Presumably that will not last long when they see readers flocking away. But who knows, the corporate masters at Dice are probably demanding new readers; and somehow the staff thinks they will acheive this by turning it into a combination of the lack of a user interface for comments that ars has, with the shitty front page that Digg had.
  
  --
  I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
4. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by nitehawk214 · 2014-02-08 19:13 · Score: 2
  
  Self reply:
  I said "DIgg had" past tense as I just assumed it no longer existed. Surprisingly it does still exist! And it looks like they moved form the shitty blog-style format to a shitty amalgamation of ars' frontpage and every other goofy column based site.
  Also I had forgotten about their "user moderated frontpage" concept. As much as we bitch about slashdot editors and what shows up on the frontpage... Digg shows how this cannot be left to the masses.
  
  --
  I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
5. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:27 · Score: 0
  
  But, . . . . I do not accept cookies, they lead to the Dark Side! Even from /. .
  So, this same scenario is taking place elsewhere. In Higher Education we are being deluged with top-down marketing strategies that will destroy the world as we know it. The loss of Slashdot is minor in comparison, but it is a harbinger of the end of times. We have reached the point where idiots are no longer ashamed to be idiots, and they have money on their side. The source of all evil is stupid.
6. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by AmiMoJo · 2014-02-08 22:30 · Score: 1
  
  Remember, the boycott starts tomorrow. Even if you can't resist visiting please try to avoid posting.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
7. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-02-09 00:48 · Score: 1
  
  APK would be so proud if he were still here.
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
8. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by hotrodent · 2014-02-09 02:19 · Score: 1
  
  And for those that can't resist visiting, maybe someone can screen scrap the front page and post it hourly to some other site so the "addicted ones" can at least monitor /. but not send it valuable traffic.
9. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 04:12 · Score: 0
  
  Man you got smoked fisted http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
10. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 04:44 · Score: 0
  
  It works. I get classic instead of beta using apk's technique. Who's the cretin that up moderated you? They're a bigger fool than you are. Cookie edits? Talk about crude, stupid, and useless. Cookies are tracking mechanisms idiot. I don't accept them.
11. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by angel'o'sphere · 2014-02-09 04:46 · Score: 1
  
  What is wrong with modifying the host file?
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
12. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 05:01 · Score: 0
  
  Nothing. It works. It upsets fisted's agenda for tracking you is what.
13. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by fisted · 2014-02-09 07:26 · Score: 1
  
  It only renders slashdot inaccessible, unless you weren't among those redirected to beta anyway.
  Not that you could have tried it yourself...
  
  Anyway for the upcoming slashcott i suggest you actually do it, so that you can't access /. even if you wanted to.
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
14. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:29 · Score: 0
  
  I get classic slashdot by using what apk said. It works. You're wrong genius. Above all else, I see you running from a challenge apk put your way here http://games.slashdot.org/comm... so if you are so sure of yourself, why not take that challenge instead of running from it Forrest?
15. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:35 · Score: -1
  
  fisted, stop already. You look stupid at this point. apk's host method works. I see classic and no more redirects. Care to dispute that and try to tell me what I get for results on my system, not yours? Go for it and look more stupid. You messed up on your end genius. If it's not working to stop redirects on your end that is. Have YOU tried what apk says? Incidentally, I don't accept tracker cookies or javascript either.
16. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by fisted · 2014-02-09 10:02 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, you look stupid at this point by referring to yourself in the 3rd person form.
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
17. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 11:24 · Score: 0
  
  You mean Jeremiah Cornelius impersonating apk http://slashdot.org/comments.p... spamming the forums here endlessly?
18. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 11:27 · Score: -1
  
  why'd you avoid this question here fisted http://games.slashdot.org/comm... ?
19. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Thanosius · 2014-02-10 14:04 · Score: 2
  
  OT: Why should Amanda Knox be freed? She's been found guilty (again) and there doesn't appear to be any real accusations of any level of incompetence or corruption on the part of the Italian courts. Just curious is all.
  
  --
  Account abandoned. I can't fucking spell for shit and Slashdot doesn't even allow time-limited edits of posts. Plus you'
20. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by noh8rz10 · 2014-02-10 17:20 · Score: 0
  
  Here are some thoughts, for me the entire issue is settled even without considering matters of fact like the quality of the evidence, if somebody was incompetent or corrupt or whatever. The issue comes down to a matter of law and civil rights.
  Amanda Knox' arrest, trial and conviction in an italian court violate many american principles of freedom and justice that have been in place since the day the constitution was signed:
  * Arrested and interrogated with no lawyer present (fifth amendment, right against compelled self-incrimination),
  * After her first conviction was overturned by the italian supreme court, she was tried again for the same crime (fifth amendment, right against double jeopardy),
  * When she was convicted the second time she wasn't even present at the trial (fifth amendment, right to be present at trial).
  Some will say that the reach of the american constitution stops at the border, but I say that when an american's civil rights are grossly violated overseas, the rest of the country and the us government should rally to defend her.
21. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Thanosius · 2014-02-10 23:42 · Score: 1
  
  OK, thanks for that. I admit my knowledge of the case is a little lacking so I like reading up when people want to make a point.
  
  --
  Account abandoned. I can't fucking spell for shit and Slashdot doesn't even allow time-limited edits of posts. Plus you'
22. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by angel'o'sphere · 2014-02-11 09:09 · Score: 1
  
  So it is only wrong in this context as /. and beta have the same IP?
  I assumed there was a something fundamental about host files which I did not grasp :)
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
23. Re:Right: Beat them @ their OWN game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-15 10:43 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck that murderous bitch.
  You can white knight for her all you want, she isn't letting you into her pants.
Fun Up Comment Kancer Blah Eh Tanks Ah by Comsn · 2014-02-08 15:35 · Score: 1, Offtopic

For ea to do this is silly.
Uf course no one cares about EA anymore.
Cant stop talking about slash.dot
Kause they decided to go dig!v4
But why?
Eh thinks its a conspiracy to kill internet comments
That seems to be what disqus is doing
And hb gary with its astroturfing.
havent posted in 6 years, good bye my old friend slas.hdot.
Just let the giant die peacefully by atari2600a · 2014-02-08 15:41 · Score: 1

They all scratch & fight from being scared of what they don't understand just before they accept death as the only option.
not much different than ebayers by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:41 · Score: 0

begging people to leave perfect feedback or contact them instead to "clear up" any issues so that they do leave that perfect feedback... only difference here is ea has worked it to kinda force the issue.
No rating API by tepples · 2014-02-08 15:52 · Score: 5, Informative

Why on earth is google allowing anyone to submit ratings via any API
It's not. From the article:

Thus the only way to give the game something other than full marks is to say you'll award it five stars, then actually rate it less when taken to the marketplace.
In other words, the 5 Stars button goes to the app's page in Google Play Store, and the 1-4 Stars button goes to the "leave feedback" screen. A player can leave a lower rating by tapping 5 Stars, waiting for the Play page to open, and tapping a lower star rating.
Yet another reason.. by Sable+Drakon · 2014-02-08 15:54 · Score: 5, Insightful

Never rate an app from within the app itself. We all know it's super convienent, but at the same time it's subject to this kind of trickery.

--
The Amarri pray for god, the Caldari pray for profit. the Gallente pray for peace, but the Minmatar pray their ships hol
1. Re:Yet another reason.. by jareth-0205 · 2014-02-09 03:17 · Score: 2
  
  Never rate an app from within the app itself. We all know it's super convienent, but at the same time it's subject to this kind of trickery.
  Never mind that it doesn't actually *do* anything. You can only rate apps from Google Play itself, the star rating in EA is a *separate* star rating system, that happens to forward you to Google Play (to rate again) if you clicked 5 stars.
  It's sneaky and shit, but not actually a security issue in Play ratings.
2. Re:Yet another reason.. by sourcerror · 2014-02-09 06:46 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe Google shouldn't have provided an API to do that in the first place.
3. Re:Yet another reason.. by jareth-0205 · 2014-02-09 07:21 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe Google shouldn't have provided an API to do that in the first place.
  Yeah, they didn't. This is just some user-interface weirdery that makes it look like you're rating in the app, and you only get forwarded to Google Play to do the real rating (again) if you chose 5*.
Nervy... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-02-08 15:57 · Score: 1

I'm hardly surprised that EA is doing something mendacious and evil; but it's a trifle gutsy to overtly game Google's rating system. Google is a company whose entire value consists of the ability to construct ranked lists well enough that users will endure ads to receive those lists. It may or may not be a safe assumption that they are desperate enough for EA's shovelware mobile ports to let this sort of manipulation go unanswered.
Uh, can we say... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 15:58 · Score: 0

Can we say "fraud"?? I knew you could!
Makes sense by HalAtWork · 2014-02-08 16:02 · Score: 0

They don't have any obligation to post reviews that were emailed to them. Of course they're going to filter them and put up the ones that are preferred. If you want your comment to show up, rate it through the Google Play store, not by emailing EA.

--
Twinstiq, game news
1. Re:Makes sense by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:51 · Score: 1
  
  You obviously didn't even bother reading the summary. Ratings less than a 4 are automatically emailed, ratings of a 5 go to the google play store. Why you are modded up is a mystery.
2. Re:Makes sense by MindStalker · 2014-02-08 17:07 · Score: 2
  
  The game itself is providing an interface to rate the game. If you tell it you are going to rate the game a 4 it has you send an email. If you tell it you are going to rate the game a 5, it sends you to the play store, where you can then rate it however you like.
  Don't use in-app rating. Go to google play store and rate the game however you want.
3. Re:Makes sense by HalAtWork · 2014-02-08 18:36 · Score: 1
  
  No, this is from game ratings that are made within the game, not game ratings made on the app store. Ratings made on the app store get posted directly, ratings made within the game get emailed. Otherwise, don't you think there would be *no* 1 star ratings on the app store? They're there, go take a look!
  
  --
  Twinstiq, game news
4. Re:Makes sense by HalAtWork · 2014-02-08 18:37 · Score: 1
  
  Precisely, thanks.
  
  --
  Twinstiq, game news
5. Re:Makes sense by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 09:52 · Score: 0
  
  Wow, whoever downvoted this didn't read very far into the thread...
True by Sable+Drakon · 2014-02-08 16:07 · Score: 1

But how many people are going to be sneaky enough to figure that one out? From the look of it, not many.

--
The Amarri pray for god, the Caldari pray for profit. the Gallente pray for peace, but the Minmatar pray their ships hol
1. Re:True by hey! · 2014-02-08 16:29 · Score: 2
  
  Well, it *is* a game. What some people would call a sleazy marketing trick, others would call innovative gameplay.
  
  --
  Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
2. Re:True by Sable+Drakon · 2014-02-08 16:31 · Score: 1
  
  But rating a game isn't part of the gameplay. In the end, it is a pretty sleazy marketing trick and I'm hoping EA gets slapped around for it.
  
  --
  The Amarri pray for god, the Caldari pray for profit. the Gallente pray for peace, but the Minmatar pray their ships hol
3. Re:True by maynard · 2014-02-08 16:35 · Score: 1
  
  Na. It's a sleazy marketing trick. 'Innovative gameplay' in this context is a phrase to be combined with 'conflict of interest'.
4. Re:True by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 22:56 · Score: 0
  
  Exactly! It's like Windows 8's "sign in with a Microsoft account or create one" screen. Yes, you can get around it by disconnecting your network cable on startup or by entering gibberish and hitting submit, which makes the 'continue without' link pop up... but how many people are going to find out about that instead of simply getting tricked into creating an account?
5. Re:True by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 23:31 · Score: 0
  
  Well, it *is* a game.
  The "game" charges you 5 real world dollars per 5 minutes of "gameplay".
  Even if you pay the exorbitant "micro"-transaction, you'll find there is less depth than a shovelware gameboy game.
Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by macraig · 2014-02-08 16:10 · Score: -1

The motivation for this differentiation *could* be evil, but it could also be well-intentioned: what if those reviews critical of at least part of the game are going straight to the QA or development team, rather than public relations?
Lacking any real information about said motivation, the article and summary have cynically leapt to the worst possible conclusion. Way to muck the rake, guys.
1. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Areyoukiddingme · 2014-02-08 16:32 · Score: 1
  
  Lacking any real information about said motivation, the article and summary have cynically leapt to the worst possible conclusion. Way to muck the rake, guys.
  The idiom would be "rake the muck." And it's EA we're talking about. It's not cynicism when it's true. It's very hard to assume the worst about EA and be wrong. EA works hard to seek the nadir of all customer relations.
2. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by fplatten · 2014-02-08 16:36 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldn't be so cynical if they had forwarded those ratings on to Google Play so people browsing the store for a good game had a more accurate rating of the game before they installed it and started playing it for themselves, discovered it was a bad game and then the cycle repeats thousands of times. Seems to me EA is the cynical bastard here.
3. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by macraig · 2014-02-08 16:48 · Score: 1
  
  I know what is the usual ordering of the words in the idiom. License literary what I did is called.
4. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by macraig · 2014-02-08 16:51 · Score: 1
  
  Forwarded on [i]as well[/i]? Yeah, I'd agree that should have been done.
5. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Xeno+man · 2014-02-08 17:00 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Except that it is not well intentioned. What they are doing is per-filtering people and anyone that says they would rate 5, they direct them to the rating site. Anyone that does not want to rate 5 they direct away from the rating site. Regardless what they may or may not do with user feed back, they are still artificially inflating their games score by hiding the rating site from anyone that doesn't want to give full ratings.
6. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:16 · Score: 0
  
  You may wish to review the definition of cynicism. The truthfulness of the motivations matters not to your inclination to believing them to be self-serving. Perhaps you were thinking of paranoia.
7. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by the_B0fh · 2014-02-08 17:35 · Score: 1
  
  Wow. What an apologist. Even if there is no evil motivations, simply doing this is unethical.
8. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 22:19 · Score: 0
  
  You do realize that digital information can be directed to multiple destinations? You don't have to choose between directing the reviews to the Google Play store or the QA team, you can direct them to both.
9. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:36 · Score: 0
  
  Ever heard of selection bias?
  It's like how your mum told you that you were the "smartest boy in the world", but you're not.
10. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by ildon · 2014-02-09 04:18 · Score: 1
  
  Just because EA is dishonest and poorly intentioned doesn't mean that the article summary needs to be dishonest and poorly intentioned, too. All it does is distract from the discussion of the actual problem and give astroturfers and apologists something to latch onto and distract from the issue. An honest submission is always better.
11. Re:Disingenuous and manipulative summary, article by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 11:09 · Score: 0
  
  No, he got it right.
  Complaining (the rake) without out good reason makes future complaints effective (the muck).
What is this post about? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:16 · Score: 1

Seriously, I've been reading this submission over a couple of times now and I still don't understand any of it. It lacks all context...
1. Re:What is this post about? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:51 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  If you rate this game within the game, EA gets it and has to forward it on to Google play store. If the rating is 1-4 EA doesn't forward it on to the Play store, but if it is a 5 they do forward on the rating. Its apparantly a bad game, but because of this trick it is still rated a 4.5, which is possible by people rating it lower directly on Google Play where EA can't prevent it from going on.
  At least that is what I am getting from reading it.
2. Re:What is this post about? by Bucc5062 · 2014-02-09 01:22 · Score: 1
  
  Thank you. Only after a gazillion FUCK BETAs (though it does suck) I get a good explanation to the post. That is a pretty shitty thing to do. If people can rate outside the game at google play then perhaps those rating will start to drop. I'm guessing there is no rule stopping EA from doing such an act.
  I'm trying to imagine the programmer who got told to do this:
  Bob, put this code in the rating class
  But sir, it directly emails bad ratings to us and not to Google Play. Isn't that unethical?
  Bob, You like your job? Consider that question first.
  Yes, sir, the code will be in place tomorrow.
  I love the smell of Corporate Ethics in the morning.
  
  --
  Life is a great ride, the vehicle doesn't matter
3. Re:What is this post about? by ildon · 2014-02-09 04:15 · Score: 1
  
  This is wrong. The rating is never forwarded by the app. Clicking 5 within the app brings you to the Play Store page where you can give the app whatever score you want. Clicking "1-4" opens up a feedback submission form and does not bring you to the Play Store page.
Fuck beta by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:29 · Score: 0, Insightful

Fuck beta - more original? How about FUCK BETA TWICE WITH A RUSTY 3U SERVER NODE!
easy technical solution... by TheSHAD0W · 2014-02-08 16:33 · Score: 2

I'm sure Google keeps the referrer information for URLs that hit the Play store. Just throw out all the ratings that come through the game.
1. Re:easy technical solution... by swillden · 2014-02-09 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sure Google keeps the referrer information for URLs that hit the Play store. Just throw out all the ratings that come through the game.
  Assuming the game sends a referer header (note the "correct" spelling). They may not be sending an HTTP request at all, in fact I would expect that they aren't.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Users by SuperKendall · 2014-02-08 16:36 · Score: -1, Troll

Slashdot, if you give me unlimited mod points I swear I sill spend the next week checking Slashdot every few minutes and modding every Beta Asshole poster down to -5. These people need to go away. They are a tiny minority that is screwing up an otherwise pleasant SlashDot.
Either that or just drop Beta into production, so the whiny little babies will either run away or drift off when changes become final as such people always do.
Posting from Beta.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It's all the same by stoploss · 2014-02-08 16:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm hardly surprised that EA is doing something mendacious and evil; but it's a trifle gutsy to overtly game Google's rating system.
Meh, one good coercive scam deserves another. I just checked my Google Play app and attempted to rate an app (never had tried before). Lo and behold, rating apps requires Google Plus and all ratings will be linked to one's public profile.
No thanks. EA and Google deserve each other.
Oh, and Dice belongs with them for their plans to destroy this community^Waudience.
1. Re:It's all the same by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-02-08 17:26 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, I'm hardly crying for poor, poor, little Google (and every time they start shoving Google Plus into one of their services that I formerly liked, that's one less reason to even put up with them), it just strikes me that pulling out your slimey-SEO act might not be the wisest of actions when facing a company that has a more or less existential dislike of such things.
2. Re:It's all the same by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-08 22:59 · Score: 2
  
  Every site on the internet somehow spawned a series of like-tweet-plus1 buttons, and it's becoming impossible to use even the most basic services without an account now. Many blogs and news sites don't allow comments without some sort of social account. It go so annoying I ended up renting a VM just so I could have somewhere uncontaminated to run my own email, website and personal filelocker.
3. Re:It's all the same by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-02-09 01:07 · Score: 2
  
  As best I can tell, shitty little 'social' share/upvote/whatever buttons at the bottom of web pages are to this decade what toolbars at the top of webpages were to the '90s. Only more tightly integrated with the sites they've metastasized onto.
4. Re:It's all the same by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:09 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, and Dice belongs with them for their plans to destroy this community^Waudience.
  No, it really is a community. Dice wants an audience, and they think they can get it by destroying the community. It's like moving manufacturing out of the country; sure, things get cheaper for a while, but then you wind up with no one being able to afford anything due to lack of jobs.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
5. Re:It's all the same by stoploss · 2014-02-09 03:23 · Score: 1
  
  No, it really is a community. Dice wants an audience, and they think they can get it by destroying the community.
  Oh, I concur. I thought the sarcasm was apparent... guess I should have used scare quotes. Anyhow, I feel like it is very patronizing/demeaning for them to refer to the community as an audience, as if we have never been anything more than consumers of their effluvia.
  I mean, seriously, if we were nothing but an audience then how did "RTFA" become a meme on this site? That should have been a major clue that people aren't coming here for the out-of-date news, the poor editorial skill, and the dupe postings. Unfortunately, Dice management would require a serious application of the cluestick to understand this. That won't happen, so the community will die instead. I'm in for the boycott, though: it will be good practice for when I abandon the site permanently (it's not easy to go cold turkey after 15 years).
  So, fuck Dice and fuck their supercilious attitude. I hope they are proud of what they will achieve with their course of action, but we all know they will be confused and blame something completely unrelated. They will blame anything but themselves and their actions.
6. Re:It's all the same by drinkypoo · 2014-02-09 03:31 · Score: 1
  
  I'm in for the boycott, though: it will be good practice for when I abandon the site permanently (it's not easy to go cold turkey after 15 years).
  Metoo, and I know what you mean. I might actually have to get some shit done in the morning.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
7. Re:It's all the same by swillden · 2014-02-09 04:00 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Allowing anonymous ratings results in rating stuffing. Requiring that an identity be associated with the rating doesn't completely prevent it, of course, but it does reduce it dramatically, especially if the identity in question has a social network, because it makes creating the backstory to substantiate the rating harder.
  The social network also facilitates allowing people to easily discover what their friends and acquaintances think of apps, which often provides more information than aggregated ratings by strangers, resulting in a better service.
  I'm not saying that you should like it, or agree with it, or change your mind about using it. Just explaining the rationale.
  It's related to the reason that so many news sites' comment pages are requiring an identity linkage. Anonymity encourages garbage comments, and requiring people to put their name on what they write makes most of them more thoughtful. Of course this also has the effect of silencing people who have reason to fear that their on-line comments may have negative real-world consequences for them.
  There is no perfect solution, but in many contexts requiring an identity for participation seems to improve quality enough that on balance it's a good idea, IMO.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
8. Re:It's all the same by stoploss · 2014-02-09 04:39 · Score: 1
  
  Allowing anonymous ratings results in rating stuffing.
  Ah, but the ratings were never anonymous to begin with. This is a false dichotomy that you're presenting: I have a Google account that is associated with my Android app purchases. What I refuse to do (and found spurious) is their insistence that I submit to joining Google+ in order to rate the applications that I have already purchased. My account was good enough for them to take my money, but apparently they haven't sunk their claws into me sufficiently to allow me to comment about my purchases.
  
  The social network also facilitates allowing people to easily discover what their friends and acquaintances think of apps, which often provides more information than aggregated ratings by strangers, resulting in a better service.
  
  That's nice in concept, but it ceases to be attractive when they are coercive about participation.
  
  Anonymity encourages garbage comments, and requiring people to put their name on what they write makes most of them more thoughtful. Of course this also has the effect of silencing people who have reason to fear that their on-line comments may have negative real-world consequences for them.
  I appreciate your cogent remarks; however, I would rather filter the drek than be forced to tender a true identity in order to participate. To wit, if Slashdot had a real name/identity policy in order to participate I wouldn't be here. In fact, I respawned my Slashdot account last year because my 10+ year old account had my real name in it and I want a lighter footprint on the internet.
  I won't be joining Google+ or Facebook, and I realize that puts me in the minority. Notwithstanding, I enjoyed our discourse and hope that I reinforced the notion that pseudonymity does not necessarily reinforce the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
9. Re:It's all the same by swillden · 2014-02-09 04:59 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, but the ratings were never anonymous to begin with. This is a false dichotomy that you're presenting: I have a Google account that is associated with my Android app purchases.
  Sure, but it's not an account that's connected to anything else. It's trivial to generate thousands of accounts like that.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
10. Re:It's all the same by stoploss · 2014-02-09 05:19 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, but the ratings were never anonymous to begin with. This is a false dichotomy that you're presenting: I have a Google account that is associated with my Android app purchases.
  Sure, but it's not an account that's connected to anything else. It's trivial to generate thousands of accounts like that.
  I'm perplexed by your line of reasoning. Apparently, having the Google account that purchased the app is insufficient credentials to post a rating/comment, yet if that very same account were to create an empty Google Plus account then it's somehow magically legitimized?
  I mean, I could create a false Google+ account that isn't connected to anyone else. I fail to see how this is an appreciably more daunting barrier to falsification of ratings than having a regular Google account that is associated with a payment transfer.
  And before you ask, I am refusing to create a false Google+ account on principle.
11. Re:It's all the same by swillden · 2014-02-09 10:43 · Score: 1
  
  I'm perplexed by your line of reasoning. Apparently, having the Google account that purchased the app is insufficient credentials to post a rating/comment, yet if that very same account were to create an empty Google Plus account then it's somehow magically legitimized?
  If only apps that have purchased the app could rate, that would be even more effective, at least for paid apps.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
12. Re:It's all the same by omglolbah · 2014-02-09 12:09 · Score: 1
  
  They require a social account to 'outsource' the verification of non-bot accounts.
  Doesnt work well, but still...
  Account-less commenting was ruined by trolls years ago.
13. Re:It's all the same by phorm · 2014-02-11 04:47 · Score: 1
  
  rating apps requires Google Plus and all ratings will be linked to one's public profile
  You find it bad that nobody is able to anonymously bash a competitor's product or praise their own without having an active Google+/Play profile.
  There are times when anonymity is a good thing, but given how much anonymous company/product reviews are subject to abuse, I'm not going to complain too much about linking them to a real account (and AFAIK, if you have an Google "Play" account you pretty much have G+ anyhow).
Re: Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the U by Dzimas · 2014-02-08 16:53 · Score: 5, Insightful

The beta design simply doesn't have the information density of the production version. Instead of scanning for interesting comments, I scroll until I get sick of scrolling and then back out to the next thread. This isn't a situation in which users are grumbling because they don't like change; it's an instance where the redesign has a dramatic negative effect on the UX. That's a potential site killer.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 16:57 · Score: 0

Troll, liar - go away, far, far away.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by enrgeeman · 2014-02-08 16:59 · Score: 1

should be pretty easy. next week is the full boycott, so there shouldn't be many, if any, fuck beta comments to have to mod.

--
sent from my slashdot browser.
What? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:06 · Score: 0

Dungeon keeper?
Would that be the 1997 17 year old original version? Or dungeon keeper 2 the 1999 15 year old version?
Why is that shit even still listed ANYWHERE... Yeah it was a good game... But it's so ancient now. And was buggy as fuck and not well supported to begin with.
Oh... right. EA games...
Yeah. They're going to win worst company for a 3rd year i think.
Most companys in the running are simply incompetent or badly run clueless bureaucracy.
EA games however actively finds new and different ways to fuckup completely. That's why EA games deserves to win worst company again.
Don't forget to vote.
1. Re:What? by pellik · 2014-02-08 17:30 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Neither. It's the super-paywall version where every tile you want to build takes 24 hours unless you pay them $2 PER TILE.
2. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:06 · Score: 0
  
  I think you are kidding. You must be kidding...
3. Re:What? by ireallyhateslashdot · 2014-02-08 19:33 · Score: 2
  
  Sadly, he is not.
4. Re:What? by Merls+the+Sneaky · 2014-02-08 21:47 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  No joke. Total biscuit gives you a quick look in this video.
  http://youtu.be/6DJmS7prcmE?t=...
  If this is the future of gaming according to EA they can shove it up their arse.
5. Re:What? by Fauntleroy · 2014-02-10 00:41 · Score: 1
  
  That's for excavating tiles (not building rooms), and it's only one type of tile (the other two taking 4 hours and 3 seconds, respectively). It's still egregious, but it's not as extreme as you make it out to be.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-08 17:31 · Score: 1

We aren't going to be here between the 10th and the 17th.
That's the Week of Slashcott.
We *are* the users, and we're fighting for ourselves (and, believe it or not, you, as well)

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
So the question is: by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:37 · Score: 0

... the '5 Stars' button goes to the app's page in Google Play Store, and the '1-4 Stars' button goes to the "leave feedback" screen.

So the question becomes "Can anyone view the 'feedback' replies"? Not that it matters, tech businesses have been censoring their feedback replies for the last decade. EA has just extended this censorship to a third party.
Love the excuse by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:37 · Score: 0

"homophobic right wing bloggers" usually that is a get out of jail card for Democrats that always work in any situation, guess that dose not work on gamers. lol
How many people buy games based only on ratings and not on what people write about the game anyway? At least for any $50+ game. Anything $15 or less I just look to see if it seems fun and ignore ratings.
Slice of the pie... by KitFox · 2014-02-08 17:40 · Score: 1

Oddly, people want Google to do something about this. Unfortunately, some forget that Google gets a percentage of in-app purchases as well, so as long as the app is on the front page of the store and highly rated and can possibly get more eyes into the app being told to "Buy! Spend!", the more likely Google is to reap benefit from it.

--
@Whee
1. Re:Slice of the pie... by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-08 23:01 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Short term, yes. But if EA gets away with this, other developers are sure to follow, and the loss of an effective ratings would seriously hurt the play store's reputation - pontentially easily doing enough financial damage in lost business to offset whatever they make from this one game.
2. Re:Slice of the pie... by Bucc5062 · 2014-02-09 01:24 · Score: 1
  
  Could it be then that Joshua was right, "The only way to win is not to cheat" (altered version for modern times)
  
  --
  Life is a great ride, the vehicle doesn't matter
3. Re:Slice of the pie... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:57 · Score: 0
  
  I submitted a "Flag as inappropriate" for the game from within the store for this exact reason. By fraudulently boosting their app's score they're destroying the value of the rating system across the entire Play store. Google needs to update the T&Cs to outlaw this sort of behaviour (even entirely forbidding in-game rating) and either force EA to change this in the game or remove it from the store.
  Of course I doubt they'll pay any attention, but if there is enough of a fuss they might have to. It's made it to the BBC News site which is pretty "mainstream".
4. Re:Slice of the pie... by KitFox · 2014-02-09 05:43 · Score: 1
  
  True, but many folks in the corporate world sadly have experienced the fact that businesses these days, especially big ones, seem prone to trying to rush from one short-sighted strategy to another. One could say that it is "Innovation", since they not only are looking for something to make a quick buck, but also a growing stack of liability from their past short-sightedness. The long term strategy is to use a bunch of faulty short term ones to move at a constant roller coaster rate so there is a lot of flux in a generally-upward direction. Wait, sorry. "To innovate constantly and overcome any shortcomings to drive revenue and shareholder profits in a positive direction."
  One company I know is an excellent example of this in the past. A subscription software company (likely many could find it without too much effort despite my not naming it) that ended up going to the "Pay for premium support" model to monetize tech support. Callers for support would be strongly pushed to "Pay us to fix it for you!" over an hour of hold for "basic support" which half the time had to place you back into an hour queue for "advanced support", where every thirty seconds "Get premium support for a low fee!" was announced frequently. Customer base dropped by nearly 50%. They reversed this thankfully and went to a fully-free and highly-qualified support team, but went to a change of pushing major discounts (sometimes around 75% or more discount) with the theory that people would just pay the normal subscription rate when it came up for renewal. Instead people just bought a dozen copies at deep discounts and support was only happy to combine them, so people ended up with subscriptions that exceeded the 32-bit date record. But the company did manage to recover its user base by 600%.
  Cash grab now, worry about the repercussions later.
  
  --
  @Whee
Awful Summary by dmomo · 2014-02-08 17:45 · Score: 0

What ratings system? What do you mean by "routing"? I know. RTFA. But come on, a summary should at least... well you know summarize.
1. Re:Awful Summary by noh8rz10 · 2014-02-08 18:24 · Score: 1
  
  Here's the deal Sparky. You give EA money and they'll tell you what's to like and what's not to like. Depending on how much money you give them, but you back in app that's between one *And five star.
Re: Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the U by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 17:59 · Score: 0

Oops, undoing bad mod...
Tiny Font by Yahooti · 2014-02-08 18:00 · Score: 2

Why when I click to a sub thread, do I get font so tiny I can't read it without action (control +) to make it legible? This messing around with me is getting old. Like, I used to go to Digg as often as I went to slashdot, now I haven't been there in months. Is this place going to be like them, and die because they have some wild idea that won't fly?
I found this on another forum by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 18:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

This is probably the most insightful perspective I have seen on Slashdot about this mess we find ourselves in. Below is a direct cut and paste. It is not my post, but he states my perspective far more eloquently than I usually say things...

Fuck beta (Score:3, Insightful)

by Indigo (2453) Alter Relationship on Saturday February 08, 2014 @03:08PM (#46198875)

The new Slashdot design is based on Windows 8. That fact alone, even aside from the numerous usability issues, indicates that the new owners have no fucking idea in the world what they've acquired.

Slashdot is a technology site, a geek site, an open source site, a programming site, an Internet / Web advocacy site. But more than that, it is a Linux community site. It lives and dies by its community. That community, by and large, is made up of passionate Linux advocates who can be whipped into a frenzy at the mention of Microsoft, who think Bill Gates is the Great Satan, who sincerely believe in free and open source software, and who implement that passion in their lives, hobbies, and jobs. Sure, not everyone here fits the mold. But that's the core of the community.

As one single data point, I work on simulators in the aerospace segment. We develop and integrate specialized, whole-system, software-only simulators, supporting software development when the hardware has limited availability or hasn't been built yet. Our user community is not large, but includes key technical people at well known organizations. Like others we interface with, our work has gone from Windows and Linux in the beginning, to mostly Linux, plus Windows if we have to. That's how we like it. Linux works for us - it's developer friendly, it's rock solid, it's quite deployable, and it lets us do what we need to do. And a bunch of us come to Slashdot to catch the news on Linux and other geek-worthy subjects, and discuss it with others.

And now the owners, having acquired this rather unique and valuable site, want to make it into Windows fucking 8 - the friendly, cuddly, but unusable Fisher-Price operating system that represents everything we despise? The mind reels. You might as well just make it a SEO parking page for Microsoft.

Seriously, DICE, do not do this thing. I know you don't care about the history, community, or shared values of this site, but this move will destroy them, and take the site with it. It will become a ghost town, abandoned by its residents, only visited by tourists and people that got lost on their way somewhere else.

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1. Re:I found this on another forum by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:22 · Score: -1
  
  Corporations scrubbing the 'net of truthful comments on their nefarious behavior? Say it ain't so! Restore my faith in humanity (and in nerds: fuck beta).
2. Re:I found this on another forum by wisnoskij · 2014-02-09 02:01 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I agree to an extent, and 100% for the upcoming gui, but we are not all Linux fanatics.
  Linux makes Windows look like a stinking pile of garbage, in some areas.
  And Windows makes Linux look like a stinking pile in others.
  Linux is perfect for most corporate tasks, imho.
  But Linux just makes a poor personal computer OS, for the vast majority of personal computer tasks.
  
  --
  Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
3. Re:I found this on another forum by qpqp · 2014-02-09 04:11 · Score: 1
  
  But Linux just makes a poor personal computer OS
  While I disagree, you can't seriously be suggesting Windows over e.g. OS X "for the vast majority of personal computer tasks."
4. Re:I found this on another forum by angel'o'sphere · 2014-02-09 04:57 · Score: 1
  
  Linux is quite fine as a personal OS.
  What do you need as a private computer user besides Firefox/Chrome, an email Program like Thunderbird and Open Office?
  I don't use Linux but Mac OS X. but if the Mac OS goes the way towards iOS like it is right now, I likely switch to either Linux or a BSD thing, or that BeOS clone.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
5. Re:I found this on another forum by wisnoskij · 2014-02-09 05:16 · Score: 1
  
  I do not use OS X, both simply because I never have, because it is overpriced, and because I think it has a stupid unethical locked philosophy.
  In my opinion, 80% of what makes Windows superior to Linux in some areas is the free software available for it. For every tiny little niche someone[s] have built a great gui program with all the right features.
  You can get something almost as good as utorrent on Linux, but not quite. And games, forget about it. At the end of the day Windows allows you to install any program or game and play them, 99.9999999% at least.
  Linux, you are extremely restricted to a tiny subset of all programs.
  And Mac is similar. You cannot just hear about a great new program and give it a try, because it will not work. You cannot be impressed by a new or old game and just play it, because it will not work.
  Personal OSes are primarily a way to make running software easy. Linux has completely ignored this, in my opinion (in there defence, because they have forced on the corporate environment. But even for "personal" versions like Ubuntu they do not do a good job).
  And Mac is not much better, in their closed community philosophy.
  
  --
  Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
6. Re:I found this on another forum by qpqp · 2014-02-09 08:37 · Score: 1
  
  I seriously believe, you should get your facts straight. A lot of things have changed since '96.
  Overpriced? Current OS X version is free.
  Locked philosophy? Did you mean that to be a defense of Windows? Seriously?!
  
  In my opinion, 80% of what makes Windows superior to Linux in some areas is the free software available for it.
  Because linux is not about Free software?
  
  At the end of the day Windows allows you to install any program or game and play them, 99.9999999% at least.
  There's a lot of software that is not available for Windows, but is available on OS X. Primarily Music and Video editing suites.
  
  You cannot just hear about a great new program and give it a try, because it will not work.
  I really have to disagree here as well. Maybe we have different understandings of "great programs," but from the top of my head, I can't remember wanting to install some "great new program" that wasn't OS X or BSD/linux only anyway for the last 10 years.
  Any modern system allows you to install almost anything in a VM, or WINE/Crossover.
  And old games? They don't work on recent Windows versions either, unless you use an emulator.
  Try running e.g. Ultima VII please and tell me how it works out for you. (Ok, that was a bit unfair, but there are windows games not working on natively on Vista/7/8/8.1.)
  
  At the end of the day, Windows is good for two things nowadays: Games and SolidWorks. ; )
  Besides, face it, the majority of users just need a Browser, so any tablet is good enough.
  I switched back in 2004 and have yet to look back. I encourage everyone wanting to get work done to do the same.
7. Re:I found this on another forum by Penguinisto · 2014-02-09 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  Wait, what?
  As someone typing this missive on OSX 10.9, I can tell you right now that "locked" or "closed" is simply wrong. We'll start with this as Exhibit A. I defy you to show me a similar Windows site that doesn't require a metric ton of money (e.g. that abortion they refer to as "shared source.")
  Also, your experience is just that - your experience. It's subjective. My experience differs greatly, and I have yet to find a program I want/need for this OS that isn't not only 'just as good', but better in many aspects. There was only once when I found any trouble at all (my ancient PPC-only copy of Quake3 wouldn't run, but one quick (and free!) drop-in later, it runs just fine).
  Same with Linux, really. It doesn't get any easier than to go hit up the Ubuntu software 'store', and download whatever you need or desire.
  
  --
  Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
8. Re:I found this on another forum by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 00:17 · Score: 0
  
  But Linux just makes a poor personal computer OS, for the vast majority of personal computer tasks.
  Wow, it's like I just stepped in a time machine and went back 20 years.
  Dude, wake up! Linux does the majority of personal computer tasks at least as well as any other OS.
  I spend most of my days in front of my Debian box and I perform most of the most common tasks people use a computer for. Document writing, web browsing, Image editing, communication... What else is there?
  Even gaming is getting there, though I agree that it's still lacking. Not that not having the latest AAA games is grounds to put a platform down as "a poor PC OS".
  Let's do it the other way. You tell us a common task you can do in Windows and not in Linux.
  Now, notice I said "common". Operating your industrial car shredder whose specialized software and drivers only run on Windows isn't common.
  I also said "task", not "software". You can claim a lack of Photoshop or Premiere, but the tasks most people use those packages for are covered by alternatives available on Linux. More complex usages of those packages sure isn't common.
9. Re:I found this on another forum by Paul+server+guy · 2014-02-10 05:56 · Score: 1
  
  At the end of the day, Windows is good for two things nowadays: Games and SolidWorks. ; )
  Don't forget Adobe Creative suite. $ per operation, I would so rather run After Effects, or any of the high horsepower Creative suite under Windows. (And I would pay even more to get a Linux version.) the Apple hardware just plain costs too much!
  
  --
  Your Moon, Your Mission, Get involved! http://www.openluna.org
10. Re:I found this on another forum by qpqp · 2014-02-17 16:29 · Score: 1
  
  Didn't Apple level that argument (at least for video editing) with the last mac "pro"? Many sites insist that building a box of comparable power from stock parts and sources is going to be more expensive.
same EA that took a 20% cut from red cross donates by Joe_Dragon · 2014-02-08 18:26 · Score: 1

EA is pure evil now days.
The Fence by TrollstonButterbeans · 2014-02-08 18:33 · Score: 1

Just tried the beta site.

Slashdot has always been "information-dense" and reading friendly.

The new layout really does bleach the identity of the site out and make it unenjoyable --- the text doesn't span the page.

--
Priest: "Universe from nothing, no laws of physics, sped up time"+ huge discrepancies. Creationism? No. Big Bang Theory
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by SuperKendall · 2014-02-08 18:53 · Score: 1

The real users will be SO GLAD.
It will indeed be interesting to see how many people participate in your organized pout.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by maynard · 2014-02-08 18:59 · Score: 1

We aren't going to be here between the 10th and the 17th.
That's the Week of Slashcott.
We *are* the users, and we're fighting for ourselves (and, believe it or not, you, as well)
Hey, it's awesome and all that the two of yous has worked out who's doing the fight'n for who. And I respect the collegiality of this Slashcott effort. You know, posting informative manifestos in places likely to be seen, again and again and again. And that productive organizing of community labor, yous know - boycott and strike proposals that seem perfectly suited to fixing a borked software release and everything. It's like Tron went Bolshevik at the Main Bus so afterward we'd all be free to turn the Great System off and bask in collective darkness. Real inspiring.
FREEEEEEEDOM!
But, uh, anyway. Could you do me a favor and not do that fighting for me? I'd rather you did it for someone else. I was thinking I'd skip the boycott for now. Because as much as I agree that the new beta needs some fix'n, I'm not ready to raise a pitchfork, raze the sandcastle, and laze'r up Alderaan down into bits over a few bugs and a bit of bad design. The tech world won't end if Dice rolls out a fucked up slashcode release.
Evil Somali warlards won't cry in their morning applejax.
Don Corleone won't make a bitcoin deal you can't refuse and build a toll booth across the Silk Road.
Dice employees won't twirl their greased up mustaches and laugh maniacally as slashdolts frankly press "preview" over and over again all for nothing.
Or maybe they will. Mwahahahahaaaaa!!!
is common practice by ljw1004 · 2014-02-08 19:00 · Score: 2

I see this all the time from service industries, sellers on Amazon marketplace, conference speakers...
"If you think we did well, please write a positive review. If you think we did poorly, please let us know so we can improve our service."
It seems ubiquitous. I've always thought it slimy.
1. Re:is common practice by richlv · 2014-02-08 21:22 · Score: 1
  
  btw, i tried to provide feedback on amazon a few times. the positive ones, they always worked. the negative, even if slightly, resulted in "there was some technical problem, please try later".
  i tried every now and then a few weeks. i stopped providing any feedback to amazon.
  also, we are trying to provide feedback to slashdot with fuckbeta (comments). if that will be ignored, i'll stop providing said feedback.
  
  --
  Rich
2. Re:is common practice by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:43 · Score: 0
  
  I actually asked attendees at one of my talks to give me bad ratings so that I could take the next year off.
  Didn't work.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by buswolley · 2014-02-08 19:08 · Score: 1

Fuck you and fuck beta.

--
A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
A case study by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:09 · Score: 1

It's not irony, and I highly doubt most of the mod points come from anybody working for slashdot or dice. Until recently, I can think of only two times in the past five years I've down modded, and those were extreme cases. Otherwise I'm very conservative with mod points. However, in the past week I've dumped 15 -1 overrateds to the earliest beta complaint posts. Why the change? Yes, the beta complaints are annoying . . . but I personally have just ignored such. Part of slashdot culture involves rants, offtopic jokes, tongue-in-cheek retorts, meta-humor, countless nitpicks, grammar nazi blitzkriegs, and massive flame wars that make Tolstoy's "War and Peace" look like a brochure. But with these beta complaints, they are choking out the other posts, even the normally offtopic ones. If slashdot beta is like a rat infestation in your home, then spamming these complaints is akin to soaking all of your food in arsenic.
And the only recourse that's left to me - and some others - is to down mod the top beta post spam so that the buried relevant posts can rise up. The comments that are the normal slashdot. So, who's really doing the comment hiding . . . ironically?

tl;dnr version: First post, mother fuckers. With fricken headlaser wielding sharks.
1. Re:A case study by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 21:09 · Score: 1
  
  I think a lot of us are thinking down the same lines I think when I attend some seminar and smell a rat.
  
  I attended a pyramid seminar once. Lots of suit guys prancing around trying to stir up followership ( along with a hefty check ). I was just pissed.
  
  I offered the following advice to his flock of retirees: Join MY pyramid - not his! Why? HIS will cost you $1000 - I do not ask even a dime. With HIS, you get in on the bottom rung... those joining MINE get in just below me and the first ones signing up get the best spots in order of signing up. I emphasized with MY pyramid... no-one pays a dime, no matter what. But we all eventually will get paid back big time, cuz the ones on the bottom of the pyramid will be tasked with running seminars - just like this one, and get an immediate payment of $500 per sucker paid personally to the individual hooking a suckeree, and I will get paid $500 for nothing.. when the pyramid splits, the next in line gets paid. You know the score.... same as this one ... except in mine - nobody but the suckers pay.
  
  The suit guys who were trying to scamster the retirees took to me like a lot of those here are taking to those who see whats fixing to happen.... and saying something about it. They went to a runnin' to their microphones and saying I was too ignorant to understand even the simple math of how their scheme was gonna make everyone in the room a millionaire.
  
  What they lacked in integrity they more than made up in decibels.
  
  A lot of us here really like this site... just the way it is.
  
  I have to post AC. I, too, have heavily moderated this thread.
2. Re:A case study by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:27 · Score: 0
  
  I have been down-modding these posts as well. You want to boycott? More power to you. You want to be a petulant 2-year old and throw a tantrum who is told he can't have a cookie? Fuck you. There are a fair number of us who don't really give two shits about beta and we just want to participate in this site. I've been reading this site since '98, and have had an account since '98 or '99.
  Unfortunately, this is normal, accepted behavior these days, especially for anyone under the age of 30. YOUR opinion is the only worthy one, and if someone says anything contrary, they are a worthless piece of shit, and if they keep countering your opinion, then talk louder and louder until you drown then out. Try suggesting Snowden is anything short of a saint and wait not just for the down-modding, but the many posts calling into question your moral constitution and worth as a human being. My wish for the beta software is to flag these self-appointed fucktards and auto-mod them to -1. I would bet there is a pretty large overlap between them and the ones spamming every thread with anti-beta posts; fucktard is as fucktard does.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-08 19:11 · Score: 1

I see you've been here even longer than have I.
If what you actually want is SlashingtonPost, I'm surprised you've been able to stand it here the way it's been all this time.

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Slashdot Beta Ratings Below a 5 Go To Blackhole by thexile · 2014-02-08 19:20 · Score: -1

Fuck you Alice Hall.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by SuperKendall · 2014-02-08 19:30 · Score: 1

It's not about what we want. It's about the changes thus far not being as big a deal as they are made out to be.
Personally, I am willing to give site designers a ton of leeway in redesign efforts even if I don't care for changes initially - it's their site.
And frankly Slashdot could use a good shaking down which will hopefully get a lot of really bad apples to fall out of the tree. I am willing to put up with the ugliest site on the planet if the content improves, and from what I can see of the people that plan to boycott Slashdot is about to become a WHOLE LOT BETTER.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Hate the beta protests but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:32 · Score: 3, Interesting

I have seen the Beta a few days ago just to see what the protect was about, if that goes live, Slashdot is dead.
I have been on here since the 1990's, the comments is the main thing that makes this place worth coming to. Even the political stuff. They give great information on the topic even finding things the original articles had wrong or just left out and gives virtually every side of a story. One of the few sites where you can so a political story and get both the left and right views of it with both extremist sides getting called out for that crap and the misconceptions on both sides corrected and the trolls flat out just modded out. Had times where I would read a 10 minute article and then over 2 hours of comments giving more information on it and flat out picking it apart in every possible way.
With beta, the comments section is marginalized and hard to really keep organized and all the added stuff eat up way too much space. The people who made it have no clue what the appeal of this site is and their setup will destroy that. If I wanted what they are pushing, I would got to CNET news. If it goes live, slashdot is dead and we will have to find a new place and it will be hard to find one as good as this one was.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 19:34 · Score: 0

Define "real users" you imbecile. Oh, and fuck beta!
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by maynard · 2014-02-08 19:35 · Score: 1

I have fond memories of Slashdot.
The new software is a little borked and needs some fixing. But this community outrage is a bit overblown. I mean, you'd think it's Paris and the French had just lost the World Cup or something. The Bastille opened and tourists imprisoned, cars burning everywhere, lithe blond queens frogmarched up to the guillotine, French men drinking Portuguese wine.
It's bad here. Real 'Reign of Terror' like.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-08 19:42 · Score: 1

It's not about the changes thus far, it's about what they portend.

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-08 19:46 · Score: 1

It's like I just told SuperKendall, it's not the change so far, it's the sure and certain knowledge that, if left unchecked, the changes will eventually culminate in a site that's all buzzwords and Kardashian articles.

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
wtf by wormxwood · 2014-02-08 19:57 · Score: 0

I hate this new site layout. What is this? How do I turn it off?
Everyday deception by Borgmeister · 2014-02-08 20:03 · Score: 1

It's interesting that they somehow took this spot for their behaviour. I believe it's symptomatic of a mindset we have developed culturally in the West of using sophistry to justify actions where actually, the underlying motive is as ever the acquisition of wealth. The firm I work for is constantly changing the way bonuses are calculated within my area of business. They provide complex, but nebulous explanations, however it is never "an attempt to save money". However in every other aspect of how the business operates, "saving money" is central to decision making. They do not release aggregate bonus payment for comparison year on year. I'm not sure why these everyday deceptions are necessary, they are confusing to me, surely better to be direct with people. It's a bit of a malaise actually, not sure how to break out of it though. Maybe we actively reward deception and so when a deception is so poorly transparent we get angry?

--
*Insert ridiculous, apparently intelligent but ultimately meaningless phrase here*
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by maynard · 2014-02-08 20:04 · Score: 1

The new boss not same as the old boss then.
All I see is some buggy software and a few too many PR releases. From where I stand, things really aren't that bad.
4.3 is a terrible score... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 20:21 · Score: 0

When you're scale is 5-5.
Re: Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the U by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 20:42 · Score: 0

The beta design simply doesn't have the information density of the production version. Instead of scanning for interesting comments, I scroll until I get sick of scrolling and then back out to the next thread. This isn't a situation in which users are grumbling because they don't like change; it's an instance where the redesign has a dramatic negative effect on the UX. That's a potential site killer.

Oh, and dear UX fucktards, because I know one of you is going to suggest it: displaying two lines of text and an AJAX thingy to "expand" the rest of the comment is another antipattern.
I know Google does it on YouTube, but that's because YouTube is trying to kill off commenting so that users watch the ads/videos -- it's further evidence that forcing a mouse click to fully expand every comment (the typical rationale is "Keep all comments to two lines of text to reduce scrolling and if a user wants to expand a comment, they click on it and it expands! Oooh, shiny!") is an antipattern for discussion sites, and not something anyone should be trying to emulate.
The antipattern of collapsing/expanding comments works poorly on mobile, and it absolutely does not scale to a thread with 100 comments, let alone 1000 comments. In UX-land, where 10 comments of the form "Lorem ipsum..." is a cumbersome thing to mock up in Photoshop, that's not a problem. Welcome to Slashdot, the ad impressions are a function of user refreshes, and users don't refresh without comments, and 100-comment threads are the short ones, and 1000-comment threads are the large ones.
Wondered how they would do it. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 20:49 · Score: 0

I've been wondering for a long time how EA will manage to make itself even less ethical than it already is. Apparently this is the answer.
EA has apparently 'replied' w/ Official Statement by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-08 21:20 · Score: 4, Informative

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2451671,00.asp
such BS...
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-08 21:20 · Score: 1

Check this out
http://www.businessinsider.com...
for a glimpse of what they think the future should be.

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by maynard · 2014-02-09 00:02 · Score: 1

Yeah. OK. So what's wrong with what they want to do?
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by unitron · 2014-02-09 00:27 · Score: 1

As I see it, it's not what we want.
The question now is how big a % of the total /. userbase is *we*

--
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by maynard · 2014-02-09 00:39 · Score: 1

Allow me to point you back to my comment here:
http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
hows this any different than... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:20 · Score: 0

Hows this any different than brown nosing game magazines rating games 95%+ or 5/5 stars and then later listing all the defects ???
Kinda might have something to do with continuance of advertising bucks ? naaaaaaaaah.....
Heck, I see similar on the online reviews now, and its mere breaths between gushing how wonderful and great a game is and THEN spelling out all the things wrong in it.
Of course this is a bit more direct in playing that game - just that EA now "cuts out the middleman" ???
How many others 'suggest' that their employees should send in 'good rating's to sites any of their companies products ???
You're welcome... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:24 · Score: -1

Any time I've ever posted about hosts file it's been useful. They're nigh ubiquitous and extremely versatile allowing YOU the end user control of how & what your system can or cannot connect to, easily.
Additionally - I only posted where they are effective or can apply (or when others spouted off on "Almost All Ads Blocked by default"). I never did any "spam" on those grounds. Not once.
Lastly: I am a "big fan" of being of service to others... why? It seems to work for me (karma), so I merely give folks what they want (in this case, via hosts usage, that's more speed, security, reliability, & even added anonymity to an extent).
APK
P.S.=> Enjoy the technique using hosts - it works to keep 'beta' out of your face... & that will lose them readers, mark my words, as long as they keep up their insistence on javascript being "on" @ ALL TIMES - that "language" is the BANE OF THE INTERNET for Pete's sake - Win CGI &/or CGI Bin can do the same, safer server-side, eliminating front-end clientside code & processing + business logic (like a GOOD client-server design does). They didn't LEARN by the mistake Adobe & MS ran into, that when you script a document, you open the doors for misuse of it (& we all KNOW that javascript = the #1 delivery mechanism for that misuse)...
... apk
1. Re:You're welcome... apk by noh8rz10 · 2014-02-09 19:02 · Score: 1
  
  The difference is that in most threads you babble on and on about how HOSTS so effective. Here you just say what to do and how It can help. If you did that more often especially being more succinct I think you would get a better response.
It works though (you did better?) by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:30 · Score: -1

See subject-line: My solution works to give folks what they want - no more redirects to 'beta'...
* Per my subject-line:

"Guess either you aren't the real apk, or you indeed have the poor technical understanding you seem infamous for." - by fisted (2295862) on Sunday February 09, 2014 @12:48AM (#46200439)
Where's YOUR solution? Answer = You don't HAVE one... period.
APK
P.S.=> As to my 'poor technical understanding'? Well, anytime a BIG talker (but did zero) like you feels like he's up to it, you're MORE THAN WELCOME to validly technically disprove my 17++ points in favor of hosts files giving users more speed, security, reliablity, & even anonymity listed here -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
Good luck: You'll NEED it (more like a miracle)... & then, we'll SEE who is "technically challenged" you utter trolling moron...apk
1. Re:It works though (you did better?) by fisted · 2014-02-09 02:07 · Score: 1
  
  Well now you've made it too obvious.
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
2. Re:It works though (you did better?) by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 02:32 · Score: 0
  
  Question. Does apk's solution work? Answer = yes. stfu idiot.
3. Re:It works though (you did better?) by fisted · 2014-02-09 03:17 · Score: 2
  
  Question: does it really? No, it does not, since even though you trick your resolver to yield 216.34.181.45 for beta.slashdot.org, your web browser will still send the ``Host: beta.slashdot.org''-Header
  As you are evidently not aware of, DNS subdomains and the so called ``vhosts'' that web servers implement are two completely different things.
  
  As you have evidently not even tried it yourself, all you achieve with that bogus hosts entry is not being able to access /. at all, provided you're one of the people getting redirected to beta (which you clearly should as you're as close to the intended audience as it gets)
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
4. Re:It works though (you did better?) by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:34 · Score: -1
  
  Apk's method works for me. I don't get beta. I get classic. You messed up genius. Funny how you run from apk's challenge to you also. Go away you wannabe.
You have a better way? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:35 · Score: -1

I also realize that & stated that much here in my ps-> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
However - it's doing MORE for folks by giving them what they want... where's YOUR solution? Answer = it isn't... doesn't exist.
APK
P.S.=> Gotta LOVE /. - many "big talkers", but few DOERS... apk
I'm getting sick of this by dbIII · 2014-02-09 01:43 · Score: 0

If that was the case I wouldn't have seen dozens of posts with no content other than "beta sux".
Why don't you whiners just get off beta instead if filling every story with such offtopic bullshit? I'm not on beta - why are you whiners on beta?
ONLY thing I am "proud of" here by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 01:50 · Score: -1

Was thrashing the bigmouth did zero troll here in this exchange http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
* He sure "talks a good game", but offered NO valid easily working solution of his own... altering a cookie? What a fool... how often do you have to do THAT?? Tons of times once it rewrites, and you only have to change hosts, once. He didn't even *think* of that himself... further proof he's nothing more than a "I read it online & am using it myself" by rote moron.
APK
P.S.=> However, & as per my usual? I challenged him to validly technically disprove the 17++ points in favor of custom hosts files that I list here http://start64.com/index.php?o... that give users what they want & need: Better added speed, security, reliability, & even anonymity to an extent... I am going to have a FIELD DAY on that moron IF he has the balls to reply, & if he doesn't? He proves my point for me... he's nothing more than a trolling done zero dolt!
... apk
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by dbIII · 2014-02-09 01:53 · Score: 1

"named to have an intentionally obnoxious URL"?
Who are these idiots and why are they making up such silly bullshit to go with the story?

BTW - that was the first of dozens of "beta sux" posts I've seen to have any meaningful content.
The "Win8" look has infested my banks website to the point where items on forms are inaccessible (formatting puts them off the "page" and browser scroll bars cannot be used to get to them) and I'd rather not see a site like this go that way as well.
Obvious you're a done zero troll? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 02:12 · Score: -1

Absolutely - you pull a "Run, Forrest: RUN" from my challenge http://games.slashdot.org/comm... I put to you in my 'p.s.' in that post...
Summary = You FAIL, troll.
* :)
(What is it like to be a "big talker" that's done zero to help others here himself, like you? "Inquiring minds want to know", lol...)
APK
P.S.=> Gotta LOVE /.: Home of the BIG TALKING TROLLS that have the balls to criticize a WORKING SOLUTION, yet haven't done anything like it themselves (like fsted)...
... apk
fsted is a "by rote" moron troll by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 02:25 · Score: -1

He can't *think* for himself. He's a "by rote" fool, nothing more, that attempted to 'criticize' my solution (that actually works, easily, via a single hosts file line edit) yet offers nothing of value of his own except reaming off the ideas of others (unwieldy one too) He spotted his 'solution' (unwieldy) on another forums and spit it back here: That's mere copy & paste b.s., nothing more, & it's unproven. Mine does work & IS proven.
* :)
That's FINE by me too - especially after fsted did an immediate "Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" when I challenged him to validly technically disproving points I made on hosts files' value to end users giving them more speed, security, reliability, & even anonymity (to an extent), in my 'p.s.' in my reply to his utter trolling bullshit, here -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
APK
P.S.=> I get NO GREATER SATISFACTION than watching a fool like him RUN from that challenge - & trolling "ne'er-do-wells" like fsted do, every time, lol, without fail...
... apk
fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 02:40 · Score: -1

Yes sir http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
* :)
LMAO - so much for his "+5 Informative' rating on his post, eh?
(fsted can't even backup his b.s. when I gave him a completely FAIR challenge there in my p.s. in closing to him...)
APK
P.S.=> It's ALWAYS THE SAME with these "big talker" trolls that criticize a working solution but they have Zero OF THEIR OWN to offer in substitution (especially one that's as simple & easy as a single hosts file line item edit that I offer, that actually works, giving folks what they want)...
... apk
1. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by fisted · 2014-02-09 03:17 · Score: 1
  
  hilarious
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
2. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:29 · Score: -1
  
  hilarious you're rated +5 when apk's solution works. You run from his challenge too. Priceless.
3. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 06:21 · Score: 0
  
  Why are you referring to yourself in the third person, APK?
4. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 06:25 · Score: -1
  
  Why you posting as ac now fisted? Run, Forrest: RUN -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
5. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 06:29 · Score: -1
  
  This is why. APK hit him right on the head perfectly again http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
6. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by fisted · 2014-02-09 07:35 · Score: 1
  
  hilarious how it only works if you weren't among those being redirected to beta anyway.
  set the betagroup cookie, see if it still works.
  Protip:
  The page isn't redirecting properly
  
  Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.
  Is what happens - unless of course you're too retarded to set your dns cache expiration period to something meaningfully low you completely computer illiterate moron.
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
7. Re:fsted Mr. +5 informative runs away? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:40 · Score: -1
  
  Sorry but apk's host technique works. I don't take tracking cookies either or allow javascript. Perhaps that is your dumb mistake you're making on your end when apk's hosts file technique works to stop redirect to beta. Don't even try to tell me what I see here on my system fool. I know I am not getting randomly redirected to beta.slashdot.org anymore and that was a large complaint here for weeks with the mgt. here pulling that crap on everyone. Face facts: You screwed up and apk thrashed you.
I tried by justthinkit · 2014-02-09 02:50 · Score: 3, Interesting

Several years back I tried contacting Slashdot about a variety of issues, with my point being that some of these can/should be fixed for those who subscribe (as I was willing to do).

They, of course, did not change, and so I, of course, did not subscribe.

FWIW, my main point/suggestion was:
There is, at present, zero value in subscribing. Slashdot should take a lesson from Ars Technica -- they let you download the entire article, in PDF format, if you are a subscriber. I suggested Slashdot allow subscribers to load an entire comment thread on a single page (to get rid of the annoying duplicate post bug that has been around for more years than I have fingers). They didn't go for it.

So here we are today, with Slashdot providing nothing of value to subscribers, and losing money. Color me shocked.

Boycott begins tomorrow, for at least a week.

--
I come here for the love
DK review simulator by kav2k · 2014-02-09 03:41 · Score: 1

Someone made about the whole story.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:46 · Score: 0

No, just like the toddler who realizes that he's being ignored and cries even louder, the self-righteous protestors will still drop by with their fuck beta posts, but as AC accounts. See, that's the double-edged sword they face, they want attention to satisfy their need to force their self-righteous beliefs on the rest of us, but if they stay away for the week then they won't be able to enjoy that feeling of moral superiority. That's like saying the pro-life crowd will protest abortion clinics by staying away; they NEED to be able to go there and scream at women and tell them they are whores, how else will they get that feeling of moral superiority and justify their own existence?
Don't bother with fisted by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 03:55 · Score: -1

His "geek angst" is up (wounded wannabe pride): It works. You know it, I know it, & so did everyone that uprated my post to +4 (sockpuppet time for fisted obviously, since any FOOL realizes how simple it is to cheat the "so-called 'moderation system'" here with sockpuppets, or logging out of your account after downmodding a post, & trolling by AC afterwards... & since fisted NOTES COOKIES? He's probably using a variation of the latter to downmod my post to +3 currently... see "fisted"? I can 'speculate' too, except I'll probaby end up RIGHT, unlike you, lol...)
APK
P.S.=> I especially loved seeing him validly technically disprove my points on hosts' value in added speed, security, reliability, & even anonymity (to an extent) in 17 points I listed here I challenged him to disprove...
What'd he do?
Fisted RAN LIKE A BEYOTCH, lol, is what -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
Man, you just KNOW that I've just GOTTA say it now (as-per-my-usual 'inimitable style' vs. wannabe trolls like fisted):
THIS? This was just "too, Too, TOO EASY - just '2ez'" & it always is vs. noob wannabes like fisted, every time... apk
Worst Company in America by careysub · 2014-02-09 04:59 · Score: 1

Following the link in the summary I discover that EA is being slapped around for delivering bad products at unreasonable costs (before their rating inflation scam). I was surprised.
I though it might be because of their proven history of abusive labor practices. Oh well, EA management apparently only respects the Almighty Dollar.

--
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
Mountain out of a mole hill. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 05:57 · Score: 0

There is no deception here, as the OP seems to imply.
Someone who would give a rating 5 stars is under no illusion that their rating has been posted to google play.. nor are they prevented in any way from giving their rating, should they choose to do so.
Dice office is across the road from my office... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 06:25 · Score: 0

Want me to walk over there and let them know in no uncertain terms how bad their betacrapdot.org is?
What if you win? by Tenebrousedge · 2014-02-09 07:00 · Score: 1

What if you win, and Dice decides that they, like so many of /.'s other owners, can't make a dime off the site as it is?
Because as far as I can tell they already have made that decision, and the beta is the only thing keeping them in this game at all. What are you going to do when you get your wish, the Beta goes away -- and the rest of the site with it? Congratulate yourself on your victory, no doubt.
I want them to have an open development process. I want Slashcode to be on github, and for all this bile to be replaced with an adult conversation, an issue tracker, and a mailing list. Failing that I see no reason for profanity or vandalism. It is not a necessary part of anything, especially not civil disobedience. Hatred begets hatred, and the haters have not the bargaining power that they think they do. There is nothing to stop Dice from pulling the plug on the whole show, and if the site is destined to dry up and blow away in either case, I don't want my lasting memories of the place to include this uninhibited flood of vitriol.

--
Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.
1. Re:What if you win? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-15 10:54 · Score: 0
  
  How are they going to make money by turning /. into a JS-heavy piece of crap?
  A site like /. should not be run with a profit motive. It is trivially easy to break even. Ask for donations, see if you can get universities or interested companies to give a little rack space and bandwidth, etc.
  Beta will kill /. with or without the vitriol.
Answer me 1 question fisted by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 07:51 · Score: -1

If my technique makes /. inaccessible how can I can reply to you now?
* Answer that...
(I suspect you won't, anymore than you were willing to face a FAIR CHALLENGE I put your way here in my p.s. -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm... )
Funny NOW you admit my technique works too - ODD that, eh? Not.
Finally - You must have tried it & realized WHY I was upmodded to +4 for this technique with hosts. It just works.
Lastly/By the way:
Clue: I was one of the folks getting RANDOM redirects for weeks. NOT ANYMORE!
I figured out that doing what I do in hosts worked vs. it. I haven't seen a redirect to beta since.
APK
P.S.=> You're SO stupid, it's not even funny (obviously, since you allow tracking cookies &/or javascript with NO real need, since /. works great & FASTER minus their usage... that is, unless you WANT to be an easily tracked sheep like you)
... apk
1. Re:Answer me 1 question fisted by fisted · 2014-02-09 10:04 · Score: 1
  
  tl;dr
  
  --
  CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
Answer me 1 question fisted by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 08:04 · Score: -1

OR are you going to "Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" from this too http://games.slashdot.org/comm... like you ran from my challenge that you validly disprove hosts giving users more speed, security, reliaibility, & even anonymity listed on the download page for my app here -> http://start64.com/index.php?o... ?
* Funny how NOW you admit my hosts technique works... & it makes sense: YOU apparently allow tracking cookies (stupid) + javascript (even stupider, the most abused thing online & a giant more than potential security threat).
APK
P.S.=> Best part of this is simple: CLUE: I was getting redirected (once or twice tops) as others were here for weeks... I have NEVER taken a tracking cookie &/or javascript on this site either, @ least not in oh, 10++ yrs, or so @ least.
Then, I applied hosts the way I stated, & I haven't seen a redirect to "beta" since - explain that.
Also explain HOW I got upward moderated to +4 by others who obviously used my technique & are NOT getting redirected anymore either - go for it... apk
"Rinse, Lather, & Repeat" then by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 10:21 · Score: -1

Answer the simple question -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
APK
P.S.=> For a guy that supposedly makes /. "inaccessible" (as you said I'd do with hosts & this technique that stops redirects to beta, which pretty much EVERYONE want classic), then I am doing one HECK of a job replying to you... apk
You look stupid avoiding a simple question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 10:28 · Score: -1

It only renders slashdot inaccessible, unless you weren't among those redirected to beta anyway." - by fisted (2295862) on Sunday February 09, 2014 @02:26PM (#46204297)
Answer the simple question -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm... [slashdot.org]
APK
P.S.=> For a guy that supposedly makes /. "inaccessible" (as you said I'd do with hosts & this technique that stops redirects to beta, which pretty much EVERYONE want classic), then I am doing one HECK of a job replying to you... apk
At least competition is alive in America by real+gumby · 2014-02-09 11:14 · Score: 1

In this age of rent-seeking monopolies and cartels at least we can be sure that there is healthy competition for the title of "Worst Company in America".
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 12:23 · Score: 0

I think you mean "We *are* the whiny little bitches, and we're so full of ourselves we want to fight against a seriously broken web site ui changing"
"Eat your WORDS" ya dumb shit by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 19:28 · Score: -1

What's that you said about dncache? I covered it years ago here http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
* You little ignorant bastard...
APK
P.S.=> Know WHY you had to run, bitch? You opened your mouth, stuck your foot in it, and had to "eat your words" - spiced with "the bitter taste of SELF-defeat", here -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
... apk
EA mobile division are sleazy by bfandreas · 2014-02-09 22:38 · Score: 1

All teir mobile games work this.

If you take a look at the forums of their Dragon Age non-game and do the math you will find that people are expected to sink hundreds of dollars into this thing.
Same goes for the Plants versus Zombies game.
In some cases people are even bragging about how much money they spend.

The EA Dungeon Keeper doesn't nickel and dime you to death. It does so by the Dollar. And if you do the math then the following is much cheaper:
-head over to GOG and get the first Dungeon Keeper
-install DosBox on your tablet
-get a Bluetooth mouse

And you will even get a proper game. Not only has EA included those rocks that either take 24h or money to dig through. The imps don't pick up gold. You are expected to pick it up yourself. Which means you basically have to babysit DungeonKeeperVille. I haven't spent more time with that game but that was the most obvious.

The amount of money EA wants from you for their mobile games WILL call legislators to action. Especially the Dragon Age thing might fall afoul of a couple of anti-gambling rules. Just wait for games like Hearthstone that get the f2p model right to be caught in the crossfire.
EA on mobile is pure sleaze.

On the bright side this whole mess inspired me to replay DK2. Apart from the wide screen issues the visuals of that game have kept up marvellously this last decade. And there still is the War for the Overworld which seems to be a proper DK sequel.

--
20 minutes into the future
Anti-beta is redundant. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 23:41 · Score: 0

It's like everyone posting that psychotic murderers killing children is bad and needs to be punished.
It's the Bob's Army of slashdot, the anti-beta post.
And the spamming of it only pushes those who merely diskile (as opposed to hate) look for ways to support the beta TO PISS YOU OFF.
Which would require thousands of purchases. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-09 23:45 · Score: 0

I fail to see here how the creator of the app could be nonplussed if a large proportion of sales were botted and bought the product merely to downrate it.
ApplE spells Apple by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 02:19 · Score: 0

Apple once automatically gave all their products top marks because they could. Welcome to the technology sector.
I offer complete information by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 06:01 · Score: -1

That's all & yes, it DEFINITELY works. Of course, the advertisers, malware makers, botnet masters, & programmers of CLEARLY inferior competing "so-called 'solutions'" (ADBLOCK/GHOSTERY 'souled-out' & owned by advertisers respectively, & even REQUESTPOLICY) can't hold a candle to the MANY ablities custom hosts files have over them in added speed, security, reliability, & even anonymity (to an extent only on the matter vs. DNS request logs + DNSBL).
* IF that makes me 'wrong' somehow? Then, I don't WANT to be 'right'...
(That's all)
APK
P.S.=> Funny how NOBODY here can even begin to disprove those points of mine either... only cowardly technically unjustified "hit & run" downmods, or illogical off-topic faling effete ad hominem attacks get directed my way (which only tells me my points ARE truly, inviolate & unassailable)... still, I don't like that happening, so I rub it in the cowardly little worm downmodders FACE & rightfully so (it's called righteous indignation)... apk
1. Re:I offer complete information by noh8rz10 · 2014-02-10 16:51 · Score: 1
  
  you should write an app that encapsulates all this HOSTS stuff in a way that is accessible for more people, and throw a GUI on it for some UI/UX. If this were open source I think it would fill an important niche considering that ADBLOCK was purchased, although I don't know about ghostery.
Are there any Editors at Slashdot that... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 06:55 · Score: 0

...actually "edit" stories before posting them? After reading the summary a dozen times I think I understand it now: some game from EA has a built-in rating system that lets players submit a score of 1-5 and if they submit a score in the 1-4 range the game emails the score to an email account at EA, if it is a 5 then the score gets submitted to Google's Play store.
These poorly edited stories on Slashdot are making my brain hurt. It feels like I am getting dumber the longer I stay here.
Re: Extra postrophes by DrGamez · 2014-02-10 11:10 · Score: 1

the jokes on you he was just PRETENDING to be retarded.
Just like gmail by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 12:21 · Score: 0

Google mail was cool once. Now it's been redesigned into oblivion.
I don't know anyone manages to use that turd now.
Re:Give Me Mod Points Slashdot, I fight for the Us by hurfy · 2014-02-10 13:17 · Score: 1

I wasn't gonna hop in anymore bitch threads...but...
Would you guys saying it isn't too bad please expand on OS and browser choices when you say that.
Obviously, you not stuck on XP/IE8. I'd like to see what I can get by with and see if it is doable here at work.
I can't even read the 1st three articles, the others are 2 pages each just for a pic and summary and there are NO menu buttons.
It is faster however. Good thing if you have to scroll 4 times as much. Current one is a dog to scroll and type comments(quit refreshing in the middle of a sentence) on an underpowered XP rig. Pretty much the only site that is this slow. Something they did last? year really choked it.
It is however completely unuseable for me atm.
Ghostery &/or AdBlock are bought off by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-10 23:53 · Score: -1

Ghostery's OWNED by an advertising concern. AdBlock's paid off by GOOGLE (& crippled by default too).
I did write an app -> http://start64.com/index.php?o... albeit for Windows users (as I am NOT in the habit of helping "the competition"...)
* However, COULD I "port" it? Absolutely: To Free Pascal + Lazarus, pretty easily too.
APK
P.S. => IF you read the list of 17++ items listed in the download link, you'd SEE how far superior custom hosts are over BOTH Ghostery &/or AdBlock (by many a mile)...
... apk
Fisted's fulll of it man... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-11 11:02 · Score: -1

I don't take cookies &/or javascript + I WAS IN THAT "SELECT GROUP" (being redirected)... I blocked it out (by assigning the slashdot.org IP address to beta.slashdot.org, & 'voila' - NO MORE REDIRECTS).
* Why do you *think* fisted outright RAN from this simple question I asked him here -> http://games.slashdot.org/comm...
Especially AFTER he said this:

"It only renders slashdot inaccessible, unless you weren't among those redirected to beta anyway." - by fisted (2295862) on Sunday February 09, 2014 @02:26PM (#46204297)
Funny thing is, I WAS IN THAT GROUP, & doing what I did with hosts files as I showed COMPLETELY STOPPED the redirect to "beta" (easily)...
APK
P.S.=> Fisted is a damned wannabe. & this discussion PROVED that much...
... apk
Who to blame by fluffythdestroy · 2014-02-17 08:08 · Score: 1

This time, Google Play Store is to blame in here and not EA. EA wants feedback and they have it. unfortunately, it seems the play store wont record the rating under 4. Google isn't monitoring their rating system at all in this since they should make sure users know the hard truth about a platform availability of apps and games as they make it available. They release it they are responsible for it. If they let EA mess around with the rating system its both EA and Googles problems.

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PC Gaming enthousiast that gives comments, opinions and reviews on Games. I'm just having fun with games while doing let
legal but wrong by fluffythdestroy · 2014-02-17 08:12 · Score: 1

It's a scam EA uses on their game to force people to leave a 5 star rating. The amount of taps or effort to use a lower score is enormous compared to the usualy non-scam way to do it. EA's method is perfect to leave a 5 star or email the company. It's legal but its morally FUCKING WRONG

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PC Gaming enthousiast that gives comments, opinions and reviews on Games. I'm just having fun with games while doing let