I'm talking about the people who post the stories (Hemos, Taco, etc). I have seen a general sympathy towards the little guy from them. I don't speak for all comment posters, since they can be diverse and off-the-wall at times. So no, there is no contradiction concerning groupthink.
I think it has more to do with the "little guy" fighting the "big guy." In case you hadn't noticed, Money makes Right in the US. Slashdot has always been a champion for the underdog and I hope it stays that way..nothing to do with "groupthink."
I think what we have here is some kind of inferiority complex. Why are you wasting so much time insulting Sig11? Just ignore the guy if he bugs you that much. Devoting all of your posts to slandering him make you look like, well, a jealous freak.
You make statements and twist them! I NEVER said computers (property) was important, YOU DID!. I used your words to further make my point/. karma IS unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but if you want to live in your little world, fine. I'm done wasting my time making statements you twist on me and then fail to grasp....good bye
You shouldn't hold back your opinion in fear of "bad/. karma" Say what you are gonna say, and let people flame or praise you for it.
By the way, your analogy is poor at best. We could aruge all day about "x is more important than y". These things are on a continuum of importance. But protecting your computer is a lot more important than protecting you karma. In fact, when you look at the big picture,/. karma is going to fall at the bottom of the list almost every time. "So what?" you ask...well, my point here is don't sweat the small stuff. Your property is important, take care of it. Karma is small, don't sweat it....and go back to my first point. Sheesh yourself
You hit the nail square on the head. It's sad when someone participates in the very activity they condemn so vehemently and so often....hope Zico has enough maturity to see when he's wrong.
I realize that everyone reading this story gets a hardon when you say the word "Doom" and so I can kiss karma goodbye
Take your [incorrect] generalizations somewhere else. There is a part of this story that involves someone being fired which I found interesting, even though I couldn't care less about Doom. And commenting about losing karma only makes you look like you are trying to protect it. Grow up, there are more important things than/. karma.
"Dear Slashdot, I am not on the net when I blink. Is there anyway to give my eyelids IP addresses? Thanks."
I can't find the original Ask Slashdot that this comment appeared in, but it was something very similar to this. (Maybe the one about net access when travelling Europe?) Man, this cracks me up everytime I think about it, heheh.
I heard you could buy the optional Potato Powered Pack (P-3) that will the card for 3 days off 12 potatoes? Anyone confirm this rumor? Maybe Slashdot will post the story on the front page soon...
There is no evidence that Napster decreases record sales. Prove it, and maybe I'll change my mind.
Articles like these prove nothing, and in fact maybe cause me to think just the opposite (napster helps sales). I guess the all the anecdotal examples doesn't mean much, but here's one more anyway: I heard a Paul Oakenfold MP3 on a shoutcast server. I used Napster and got a few more of his mp3s. 2 weeks later I ordered the CD from Borders. And that isnt the only time I've done something like that.
...and I hope you do the same. Why? Because of this, taken from the FAQ:
A: Unfortunately the DVD Forum, Dolby and MPEGLA have proprietary rights to AC3 and decoding schemas (as well as much needed hardware specs). In order to legally develop this program we are going to have to pay a huge licensing fee to each and (on top of that) royalties on every program distriputed. Hence, we have to charge for it, but not too much hopefully.
I will not participate in such a controlling scheme, designed to keep the masses subdued while filling their coffers. Now, I have nothing against closed source software or software that isn't free: If you were to create an MS-Office killing suite for Linux, I would buy it in a heartbeat...but NOT a DVD player. Not when corporations are treating us like crap, trampling our rights and so many principles of freedom are at stake. So to all you people who write "Yay, now I can watch DVDs legally", stop and think for a minute: is it really worth the cost?
Sounds to me like you were a loyal Mac advocate who's gotten a bit bitter about how things turned out. I agree that zealotry can be a very bad thing, and I do my best to show people what a level-headed Linux advocate looks like, but I think you are overstating things. Maybe Macs have been held back a little by the "weirdos" , but if you really thought about it I'm sure you could name a lot of other things (closed hardware, crappy OS, arrogant CEO ?) that have affected it.
When an anything gains popularity like Linux has the last year or so, there's always going to be an increase in the number of stupid people. I think most intelligent people can see past that immaturity and make a decision based on what meets their needs, not based on what the vocal minority is ranting about.
I hardly see a "slashdot mainstream" on this issue. There are plenty of posts for, against, and everything in between. BTW, why dont you read a few of the posts earlier in this discusion because I think they address your concern: This is about letting people know about the witchhunt that took place after Columbine, not about absolving Dylan from killing people.
And one final note. Your "role" as devil's advocate here on slashdot is needed from time to time, but it does wear thin, and I sympathize with the poster who asks if you ever post something positive. I rarely see a blatant problem with groupthink, and that's something I look for actively. I think you've become a little stuck in your way of thinking. Time to diversify.
..but it never seems to catch on. In high school (8 years ago now) all my math/science classes used metric. Same goes for college. I think most scientific communities use metric now. BUT, the problem comes with everyday use. I am used to seeing MPH on the highway. When I'm going 75mph I know I'm speeding. When you say 75kph, I have no freaking clue unless I think about it. 60C? What the heck is that?? I know 60F is a cool day in a second. People don't want to think about these things - they want to see a number and know what it means instantly. So maybe your "inertia" idea is a good one too. At my college, the cafeteria is called "SAGA". The Saga food service company hasnt been there for 10 years, but every freshman class learns to call it SAGA from the upperclassmen. They tried to force us to stop (Mariott was the company that didnt like us calling them that) but how can you?? hehe, I'm rambling now, but you get the idea:)
Logical Positivism has long since been abandoned as a vaild philophical idea. Why? Because it fails its own criteria.
"If you can't observe and deduce it, you can't say anything about it at all with certainty."
I can't observe or deduce anything about "logical positivism" therefore nothing can be certain about it. What a worthless concept. I guess you must have missed this day in PHIL 101.
Too bad this is an old article and the discussion is dead, oh well.
There's a big difference between removing posts people create, and preventing them from posting troll spam. I don't know of ANY post that's ever been removed once it's been submitted to slashdot.
...but if you are intelligent and proactive about the things you hear and see noone will be able to brainwash you. Are you so afraid that big bad Dan Rather is going to convince you that Elian should be sent back to Cuba, and that you should smoke Camels, drink Bud and buy Nike?
Ok, we are getting offtopic, but I can't resist biting at this one:) I don't watch TV (ok, I'll admit an occational Simpsons:), and my radio listening is minimal (I won't listen commercials.) But as you can see, I do participate in the internet. A discrepency? I don't think so. I see the internet as fundamentally different from TV. The internet allows me to choose my content and view it when I want. TV says "You will watch X program at X time. VCR taping is hardly practical The internet allows me to filter my content. I block banner ads. I use search engines like Google that don't use ads at all. TV, however, bombards you with ads every 10-15 minutes. Where are the TVs that block commercials?? You'll never see one as long as the Networks have total control over the medium. And finally, my biggest reason I support the internet over TV: Interaction. Slashdot may have it's share of problems, but where else can you dialog with so many diverse people than on the internet? TV is 100% passive, no interaction, you take what you are given. Have a problem with how the news is reported on ABC? Tough, there's no forum for you to post your dissention, or read about others views on the news.
I'm sorry, but TV is a tool use to push propaganda and keep people from thinking for themselves. Yes, I agree that intelligent people can "fight the brainwashing" but even the best of us can be swayed over time without knowing it...and I don't think most people (Americans in this case) fall into that category. One of my favorite web sites on this is here: Kill your TV
And its what most people resort to without even realizing it. If the issue of copyright and IP involves someone else, then IP rights be damned!....but as soon as the issue hits closer to home, all the trolls come out to say "that's mine!" I get the impression that most of the people doing the loudest whining are not the ones who are likely to be quoted. It's a sad commentary on/. these days....
Why do you always insist on being such an instigator? Well, anyway, if you had thought a little more about your comment instead of rushing to be the first post, you would have realised: the moderation system is not censorship. If posts were removed, that would be censorship. As it stands, moderation is peer review, allowing people to choose how they want to sift through all the posts. Of course, there are problems a-plenty with it, but don't insult our intelligence by calling it "censorship."
Since (almost) all stories posted to slashdot are submitted by people in their own words, personal opinion is going to be a part of *every* story. Since slashdot authors choose to post a particular story, there's another example of bias. It's time to face reality: there is no such thing as "unbiased" reporting. The best we can do is read from more than one source and see what other people are saying (slashdot comments are great for this).
In light of this, I have no problem with/. authors commenting on a story.
If you are going to insult a group of people, it's best to make the insults either a) truthfully accurate b) funny, or c) both. You failed on all 3 counts.
I've read a couple of complaints like yours in previous posts, and frankly, I'm annoyed by them. Maybe you're talking about netorks like EFnet or some of the other big ones, but your statement about "everybody on IRC" is flat out wrong. The IRC network I use (openprojects) has almost *none* of the problems you talk about. And I know many other of the smaller ones are like that. Just like some neighborhoods in a city may have problems, that doesn't mean the ENTIRE city is a waste. Let's stop with the gross generalizations.
If you see more than cat do you say "Oh look, a herd of cat?" You're logic is pathetically flawed. Some nouns in English work like "sheep" and some work like "cat". The way most people use a word is how it becomes defined as acceptable use in dictionaries, etc. Language is flexible and changes as people use it. Take a look at how silly the French are when they try to tell their people how to speak. From what I've seen and heard, *most* people call it "Legos" but those who dont, fine.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm talking about the people who post the stories (Hemos, Taco, etc). I have seen a general sympathy towards the little guy from them. I don't speak for all comment posters, since they can be diverse and off-the-wall at times. So no, there is no contradiction concerning groupthink.
--------
I think it has more to do with the "little guy" fighting the "big guy." In case you hadn't noticed, Money makes Right in the US. Slashdot has always been a champion for the underdog and I hope it stays that way..nothing to do with "groupthink."
--------
And yet you continue to read it and post comments...interesting.
--------
I think what we have here is some kind of inferiority complex. Why are you wasting so much time insulting Sig11? Just ignore the guy if he bugs you that much. Devoting all of your posts to slandering him make you look like, well, a jealous freak.
--------
You make statements and twist them! I NEVER said computers (property) was important, YOU DID!. I used your words to further make my point /. karma IS unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but if you want to live in your little world, fine. I'm done wasting my time making statements you twist on me and then fail to grasp....good bye
--------
You shouldn't hold back your opinion in fear of "bad /. karma" Say what you are gonna say, and let people flame or praise you for it.
/. karma is going to fall at the bottom of the list almost every time. "So what?" you ask...well, my point here is don't sweat the small stuff. Your property is important, take care of it. Karma is small, don't sweat it....and go back to my first point. Sheesh yourself
By the way, your analogy is poor at best. We could aruge all day about "x is more important than y". These things are on a continuum of importance. But protecting your computer is a lot more important than protecting you karma. In fact, when you look at the big picture,
--------
You hit the nail square on the head. It's sad when someone participates in the very activity they condemn so vehemently and so often....hope Zico has enough maturity to see when he's wrong.
--------
I realize that everyone reading this story gets a hardon when you say the word "Doom" and so I can kiss karma goodbye
/. karma.
Take your [incorrect] generalizations somewhere else. There is a part of this story that involves someone being fired which I found interesting, even though I couldn't care less about Doom. And commenting about losing karma only makes you look like you are trying to protect it. Grow up, there are more important things than
--------
"Dear Slashdot, I am not on the net when I blink. Is there anyway to give my eyelids IP addresses? Thanks."
I can't find the original Ask Slashdot that this comment appeared in, but it was something very similar to this. (Maybe the one about net access when travelling Europe?) Man, this cracks me up everytime I think about it, heheh.
--------
I heard you could buy the optional Potato Powered Pack (P-3) that will the card for 3 days off 12 potatoes? Anyone confirm this rumor? Maybe Slashdot will post the story on the front page soon...
--------
There is no evidence that Napster decreases record sales. Prove it, and maybe I'll change my mind.
Articles like these prove nothing, and in fact maybe cause me to think just the opposite (napster helps sales). I guess the all the anecdotal examples doesn't mean much, but here's one more anyway: I heard a Paul Oakenfold MP3 on a shoutcast server. I used Napster and got a few more of his mp3s. 2 weeks later I ordered the CD from Borders. And that isnt the only time I've done something like that.
--------
...and I hope you do the same. Why? Because of this, taken from the FAQ:
A: Unfortunately the DVD Forum, Dolby and MPEGLA have proprietary rights to AC3 and decoding schemas (as well as much needed hardware specs). In order to legally develop this program we are going to have to pay a huge licensing fee to each and (on top of that) royalties on every program distriputed. Hence, we have to charge for it, but not too much hopefully.
I will not participate in such a controlling scheme, designed to keep the masses subdued while filling their coffers. Now, I have nothing against closed source software or software that isn't free: If you were to create an MS-Office killing suite for Linux, I would buy it in a heartbeat...but NOT a DVD player. Not when corporations are treating us like crap, trampling our rights and so many principles of freedom are at stake. So to all you people who write "Yay, now I can watch DVDs legally", stop and think for a minute: is it really worth the cost?
--------
Sounds to me like you were a loyal Mac advocate who's gotten a bit bitter about how things turned out. I agree that zealotry can be a very bad thing, and I do my best to show people what a level-headed Linux advocate looks like, but I think you are overstating things. Maybe Macs have been held back a little by the "weirdos" , but if you really thought about it I'm sure you could name a lot of other things (closed hardware, crappy OS, arrogant CEO ?) that have affected it.
When an anything gains popularity like Linux has the last year or so, there's always going to be an increase in the number of stupid people. I think most intelligent people can see past that immaturity and make a decision based on what meets their needs, not based on what the vocal minority is ranting about.
--------
I hardly see a "slashdot mainstream" on this issue. There are plenty of posts for, against, and everything in between. BTW, why dont you read a few of the posts earlier in this discusion because I think they address your concern: This is about letting people know about the witchhunt that took place after Columbine, not about absolving Dylan from killing people.
And one final note. Your "role" as devil's advocate here on slashdot is needed from time to time, but it does wear thin, and I sympathize with the poster who asks if you ever post something positive. I rarely see a blatant problem with groupthink, and that's something I look for actively. I think you've become a little stuck in your way of thinking. Time to diversify.
--------
..but it never seems to catch on. In high school (8 years ago now) all my math/science classes used metric. Same goes for college. I think most scientific communities use metric now. BUT, the problem comes with everyday use. I am used to seeing MPH on the highway. When I'm going 75mph I know I'm speeding. When you say 75kph, I have no freaking clue unless I think about it. 60C? What the heck is that?? I know 60F is a cool day in a second. People don't want to think about these things - they want to see a number and know what it means instantly. So maybe your "inertia" idea is a good one too. At my college, the cafeteria is called "SAGA". The Saga food service company hasnt been there for 10 years, but every freshman class learns to call it SAGA from the upperclassmen. They tried to force us to stop (Mariott was the company that didnt like us calling them that) but how can you?? hehe, I'm rambling now, but you get the idea :)
--------
Logical Positivism has long since been abandoned as a vaild philophical idea. Why? Because it fails its own criteria.
"If you can't observe and deduce it, you can't say anything about it at all with certainty."
I can't observe or deduce anything about "logical positivism" therefore nothing can be certain about it. What a worthless concept. I guess you must have missed this day in PHIL 101.
Too bad this is an old article and the discussion is dead, oh well.
--------
There's a big difference between removing posts people create, and preventing them from posting troll spam. I don't know of ANY post that's ever been removed once it's been submitted to slashdot.
--------
...but if you are intelligent and proactive about the things you hear and see noone will be able to brainwash you. Are you so afraid that big bad Dan Rather is going to convince you that Elian should be sent back to Cuba, and that you should smoke Camels, drink Bud and buy Nike?
:) I don't watch TV (ok, I'll admit an occational Simpsons :), and my radio listening is minimal (I won't listen commercials.) But as you can see, I do participate in the internet. A discrepency? I don't think so. I see the internet as fundamentally different from TV.
Ok, we are getting offtopic, but I can't resist biting at this one
The internet allows me to choose my content and view it when I want. TV says "You will watch X program at X time. VCR taping is hardly practical
The internet allows me to filter my content. I block banner ads. I use search engines like Google that don't use ads at all. TV, however, bombards you with ads every 10-15 minutes. Where are the TVs that block commercials?? You'll never see one as long as the Networks have total control over the medium.
And finally, my biggest reason I support the internet over TV: Interaction. Slashdot may have it's share of problems, but where else can you dialog with so many diverse people than on the internet? TV is 100% passive, no interaction, you take what you are given. Have a problem with how the news is reported on ABC? Tough, there's no forum for you to post your dissention, or read about others views on the news.
I'm sorry, but TV is a tool use to push propaganda and keep people from thinking for themselves. Yes, I agree that intelligent people can "fight the brainwashing" but even the best of us can be swayed over time without knowing it...and I don't think most people (Americans in this case) fall into that category. One of my favorite web sites on this is here: Kill your TV
--------
And its what most people resort to without even realizing it. If the issue of copyright and IP involves someone else, then IP rights be damned!....but as soon as the issue hits closer to home, all the trolls come out to say "that's mine!" I get the impression that most of the people doing the loudest whining are not the ones who are likely to be quoted. It's a sad commentary on /. these days....
--------
ooo, that drives me nuts :P
--------
Why do you always insist on being such an instigator? Well, anyway, if you had thought a little more about your comment instead of rushing to be the first post, you would have realised:
the moderation system is not censorship. If posts were removed, that would be censorship. As it stands, moderation is peer review, allowing people to choose how they want to sift through all the posts. Of course, there are problems a-plenty with it, but don't insult our intelligence by calling it "censorship."
--------
Since (almost) all stories posted to slashdot are submitted by people in their own words, personal opinion is going to be a part of *every* story. Since slashdot authors choose to post a particular story, there's another example of bias. It's time to face reality: there is no such thing as "unbiased" reporting. The best we can do is read from more than one source and see what other people are saying (slashdot comments are great for this).
/. authors commenting on a story.
In light of this, I have no problem with
--------
If you are going to insult a group of people, it's best to make the insults either a) truthfully accurate b) funny, or c) both. You failed on all 3 counts.
--------
I've read a couple of complaints like yours in previous posts, and frankly, I'm annoyed by them. Maybe you're talking about netorks like EFnet or some of the other big ones, but your statement about "everybody on IRC" is flat out wrong. The IRC network I use (openprojects) has almost *none* of the problems you talk about. And I know many other of the smaller ones are like that. Just like some neighborhoods in a city may have problems, that doesn't mean the ENTIRE city is a waste. Let's stop with the gross generalizations.
--------
If you see more than cat do you say "Oh look, a herd of cat?" You're logic is pathetically flawed. Some nouns in English work like "sheep" and some work like "cat". The way most people use a word is how it becomes defined as acceptable use in dictionaries, etc. Language is flexible and changes as people use it. Take a look at how silly the French are when they try to tell their people how to speak. From what I've seen and heard, *most* people call it "Legos" but those who dont, fine.
--------