I'm not saying that fingerprinting is necessarily the way to go, but there is merit to the idea of at least allowing high-tech devices like iPods to be lockable in some way.
Most people would've just suggested using a PIN... Just as breakable via a firmware update, and doesn't add to the cost of the device. In addition, if I want to send my MP3 player with my fiance to work, I don't have to remove my finger...
I assume at some point in the next 50 years the word "freedom" will have been completely redefined but it will have happened so slower that nobody knows.
Just ask George Orwell; 1984 discusses exactly how the word "freedom" will change.
Who here on slashdot would be willing to sign up?
For a good explanation of why I wouldn't, reference Randall's and Dante's conversation with the contractor about the Death Star in Clerks
While I have no trouble slamming MS for something like this, it's not just THEIR problem. Two medical/dental packages I'd worked with [from the same company] used this strategy: Fix glaring bugs, call it a "feature upgrade", and charge clients for it.
FUD seems to be the new replacement for marketing. While researching other restaurant point-of-sale systems, I came across THIS page. I called them and asking about their info. They insisted it was correct, and sounded insulted that I'd point out obvious errors. If you look around that site further, you'll easily see what I mean.
I believe Scott Adams labeled it best: Weasel Words.
I'd like to tweak it a bit, run it, and sit Ballmer in front of it until he foams at the mouth....more so than usual, anyway:
10 LET M$ = "Microsoft"
20 PRINT M$;" put too much DRM in Windows Vista. ";
30 GOTO 20
40 END
Level II basic indeed.
As for BR vs. HD? The sooner the suits embrace Kwak's philosophy, the sooner their sales will pick up. With RIAA's power on the wane, we'll find that the savvier companies will drop their tired ol' line faster than a red-hot vibrator.
What's scary is they've not updated the English side of their website yet.... In fact, when I clicked on the Ordering tab, it took me here to order a one....
...because instead of shoving a hundred tons of (almost) homemade solid fuel into a bigger iron can that sits behind an iron can with a chute e.t.c. and kicking goddamn thing into orbit they spent their time and money on useless crap that merely jumps not-so-high but ohhhhh it's reusable!
THAT is why they did it. You didn't mention the X-Prize at all, or you would've come to that conclusion. Ask for a reusable suborbital craft and that's what you get.
And SC've spent way over the prize amount.
...Which I pointed out in the another post, if obliquely. They spent around double that, but for good reason: Proof of Concept.
That was a pointles competition - the thing has no use. Richard Branson, Paul Allen, and Virgin Galactic care to disagree with you. SC's work is a shame from any possible point of view, and all the hype they create just baffles me.
Could you give an example of their shameful engineering? Many of their projects perform above-spec; which ones are YOU referring to? As for hype... You might find this surprising, but marketing departments really exist. Hype IS their job.
Scaled Composites did nothing, because instead of shoving a hundred tons of (almost) homemade solid fuel into a bigger iron can that sits behind an iron can with a chute e.t.c. and kicking goddamn thing into orbit they spent their time and money on useless crap that merely jumps not-so-high but ohhhhh it's reusable!
I guess you didn't look at the Ansari X-prize design goals... The rules quite clearly stated that the competition was for a reusable spacecraft. Could they have built a one-shot-wonder for less? Sure! That craft, however, could not have been flown in the the X-prize competition.
Another point to consider: Using half the money that the Starr report cost, SC designed, built, and tested a reusable suborbital craft. Show me ANY other public or private space agency that's done the same. I don't work at SC, nor do I believe their crap is odorless; a design flaw that vented fuel aborted one Global Flyer flight and almost jeopardised that round-the-world shot by Steve Fossett... but it didn't. Even losing around 2885 pounds of fuel, they still made it.
I like good engineering, not one trick ponies. Burt may not be any sort of deity, but he DOES know a bit more than most do about aerospace, and has had years in the industry. The DC-X project and others really, IMHO, can only help enhance Scaled's reputation as a quality aerospace design firm.
Good for you speaking up, way to use those rights that were defended by soldiers...
That's the biggest reason I'm happy to get modded down; I know my rights, know the people that defend those rights as best able, and am delighted that I have the right to "unpopular" speech... Personally, I think it's funny as hell that while they can gripe about my posts being flamebait or trolling, and even mod me down for it, they can't tell me WHY the OP was supposed to be "funny", or why I was supposed to accept it as such without debate.
...and whenever the moron modding me down has the balls to instead *reply* non-AC, I'll accept the downmods. Until you're ready to debate it, however, do NOT expect me to call an extra 3 months in a hostile area away from friends and family "funny".
Hmmm, that's not going to work for me then, I use bear bottles, thus my setup is incompatible with this blinking light of which you speak.
Incompatibilities aside, I've got to ask: How the heck do you manage to bottle a bear?
Flame-bait *this*. As a proud military brat, I'm a little less amused by our folks in uniform being under fire because some moron with no real military service had a mad-on.
Yes I know it's off-topic but laugh, it's funny.
Sure, when you can explain the humor behind our troops facing gunfire, snipers, and bombs every day...
May be because having a net worth equal to three and a half years of NASA's budget is nice and he wants to continue that way?
Pfft. Scaled Composites did it with 20 million. Bill got gypped if all he got was one ride out of that much cash. True, it IS orbital as opposed to sub-, but I'd rather have a reuseable vehicle to KEEP leaving this mudball....
The IT guy isn't the one searching for "SSL tunnel" -- that wouldn't make any sense. ...unless he was trying to figure out their methods for bypassing his "firewall". From the sound of it, however, I doubt it...
funny, just yesterday I tried to go to a thrift store with a (perfectly working) 17" and they refused to take it because 'we already have too many, nobody buys those anymore'
Was it a Goodwill, or a generic thrift store? Goodwill's had this program in for a while, and here's the link from them confirming this.
Beats the hell out of poisoning kids in some third-world country....
"This is also why tossing out a TV tube improperly is a pollution no-no."
Yeah..but, what are you gonna do?
Our shop takes them to the local Goodwill computer store. Those folks are legally bound to dispose of it properly.... And 'cause I can see it coming, yes, the rest of us are similarly legally bound, just a lot less likely to get it to a recycling center.
That wasn't a question, so you forfeit not only your turn, but the game. Thanks for playing, and just for trying, you win a poorly-made copy of our home game!
You could have taken that $100 a month and bought DVDs (and nowadays much stuff on TV is now available on DVD) but instead people are RENTING TV. Why?
Because I can RECORD the rented TV shows so I *can* view them if I stop paying. Next question?
I'll take the odds that you are young and single.
Bad odds you have there... I'm 37, with two kids, and a fiance.
For the rest of us, standing on principle eventually gives way to the need to stay within budget.
If it's not important enough to you to want to stand on principle, sure. I don't automatically stop eating at Chili's because one staff member made a face at me....
....but I *will* hold companies I choose to frequent to a basic ethical standard. If they don't meet those standards, then IMHO they're not trustworthy enough to get my business. Another business example, albeit extreme:
Were you to choose between prostitutes, would you want the $15 one that INSISTS on the condom every time, or the $5 one that tries to make her clients happy by only using them when THEY feel like it?
Cheap, eager to tell you what you want to hear, and customer-friendly....on the surface. Should we sign you up for Ms. Five-Dollar?
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Most people would've just suggested using a PIN... Just as breakable via a firmware update, and doesn't add to the cost of the device. In addition, if I want to send my MP3 player with my fiance to work, I don't have to remove my finger...
Just ask George Orwell; 1984 discusses exactly how the word "freedom" will change.
No more so than Coca-Cola has a secret recipe/process for Coke...
For a good explanation of why I wouldn't, reference Randall's and Dante's conversation with the contractor about the Death Star in Clerks
The Newton...
...and while I'm no fanboy, it DID come out first. ;)
Well said. I would've paraphrased it as "Your right to throw a punch ends at my nose."
While I have no trouble slamming MS for something like this, it's not just THEIR problem. Two medical/dental packages I'd worked with [from the same company] used this strategy: Fix glaring bugs, call it a "feature upgrade", and charge clients for it.
FUD seems to be the new replacement for marketing. While researching other restaurant point-of-sale systems, I came across THIS page. I called them and asking about their info. They insisted it was correct, and sounded insulted that I'd point out obvious errors. If you look around that site further, you'll easily see what I mean.I believe Scott Adams labeled it best: Weasel Words.
10 LET M$ = "Microsoft"
Level II basic indeed.20 PRINT M$;" put too much DRM in Windows Vista. ";
30 GOTO 20
40 END
As for BR vs. HD? The sooner the suits embrace Kwak's philosophy, the sooner their sales will pick up. With RIAA's power on the wane, we'll find that the savvier companies will drop their tired ol' line faster than a red-hot vibrator.
What's scary is they've not updated the English side of their website yet.... In fact, when I clicked on the Ordering tab, it took me here to order a one....
Well, you DID say:
THAT is why they did it. You didn't mention the X-Prize at all, or you would've come to that conclusion. Ask for a reusable suborbital craft and that's what you get.
And SC've spent way over the prize amount....Which I pointed out in the another post, if obliquely. They spent around double that, but for good reason: Proof of Concept .
That was a pointles competition - the thing has no use.Richard Branson, Paul Allen, and Virgin Galactic care to disagree with you.
SC's work is a shame from any possible point of view, and all the hype they create just baffles me.
Could you give an example of their shameful engineering? Many of their projects perform above-spec; which ones are YOU referring to? As for hype... You might find this surprising, but marketing departments really exist. Hype IS their job.
I guess you didn't look at the Ansari X-prize design goals... The rules quite clearly stated that the competition was for a reusable spacecraft. Could they have built a one-shot-wonder for less? Sure! That craft, however, could not have been flown in the the X-prize competition.
Another point to consider: Using half the money that the Starr report cost, SC designed, built, and tested a reusable suborbital craft. Show me ANY other public or private space agency that's done the same. I don't work at SC, nor do I believe their crap is odorless; a design flaw that vented fuel aborted one Global Flyer flight and almost jeopardised that round-the-world shot by Steve Fossett... but it didn't. Even losing around 2885 pounds of fuel, they still made it.
I like good engineering, not one trick ponies. Burt may not be any sort of deity, but he DOES know a bit more than most do about aerospace, and has had years in the industry. The DC-X project and others really, IMHO, can only help enhance Scaled's reputation as a quality aerospace design firm.
That's the biggest reason I'm happy to get modded down; I know my rights, know the people that defend those rights as best able, and am delighted that I have the right to "unpopular" speech... Personally, I think it's funny as hell that while they can gripe about my posts being flamebait or trolling, and even mod me down for it, they can't tell me WHY the OP was supposed to be "funny", or why I was supposed to accept it as such without debate.
I never take ANY point for granted.
...and whenever the moron modding me down has the balls to instead *reply* non-AC, I'll accept the downmods. Until you're ready to debate it, however, do NOT expect me to call an extra 3 months in a hostile area away from friends and family "funny".
Incompatibilities aside, I've got to ask: How the heck do you manage to bottle a bear?
Flame-bait *this*. As a proud military brat, I'm a little less amused by our folks in uniform being under fire because some moron with no real military service had a mad-on.
Sure, when you can explain the humor behind our troops facing gunfire, snipers, and bombs every day...
I prefer to call it "Proactive Security Evaluation", but semantics aside, I feel it's the best way to test..... often.
Pfft. Scaled Composites did it with 20 million. Bill got gypped if all he got was one ride out of that much cash. True, it IS orbital as opposed to sub-, but I'd rather have a reuseable vehicle to KEEP leaving this mudball....
Was it a Goodwill, or a generic thrift store? Goodwill's had this program in for a while, and here's the link from them confirming this.
Beats the hell out of poisoning kids in some third-world country....
Yeah..but, what are you gonna do?
Our shop takes them to the local Goodwill computer store. Those folks are legally bound to dispose of it properly.... And 'cause I can see it coming, yes, the rest of us are similarly legally bound, just a lot less likely to get it to a recycling center.
Every time I see this, I find what was actually meant was:
"Breakdown of society occurs when people don't have the same exact moral rules I do."
BZZZZ!
That wasn't a question, so you forfeit not only your turn, but the game. Thanks for playing, and just for trying, you win a poorly-made copy of our home game!
Because I can RECORD the rented TV shows so I *can* view them if I stop paying. Next question?
Bad odds you have there... I'm 37, with two kids, and a fiance. For the rest of us, standing on principle eventually gives way to the need to stay within budget.
If it's not important enough to you to want to stand on principle, sure. I don't automatically stop eating at Chili's because one staff member made a face at me....
Were you to choose between prostitutes, would you want the $15 one that INSISTS on the condom every time, or the $5 one that tries to make her clients happy by only using them when THEY feel like it?
Cheap, eager to tell you what you want to hear, and customer-friendly....on the surface. Should we sign you up for Ms. Five-Dollar?