Don't kid yourself. We've been on GFG4 for the past few years, they've just updated the version. So I'd say this year, we're going to see GFG4.4, as I figure every year since 2004 has been the same freaking game.
Judging by the amount of spammers I get on my Invision Power Board forums, which have been through two different styles of CAPTCHA, I'd file this one under the "No Shit" department.
When I called the consumers that waited in queues for this monstrosity and then started complaining morons, I got modded down. Now, we see more articles like this, where people - who were made well aware that the battery was irremovable - are going "oh noes! Apple is overcharging us! Whatever will we do!:(". What the fuck did anyone expect? All of the problems this thing had were ignored by idiots who wanted to be the Cool Kid On The Block(TM).
I said it before, I'll say it again, and I don't care who thinks it's flamebait: anyone that queued for this thing that complains now is too stupid to be able to say anything, and I personally hope they have nothing but problems. I hope this costs these people over a thousand dollars, and becomes famous as an all-time worst bust, for the way Apple abuses their consumers, people who are too enamoured by pretty gadgets to realize how badly they're getting screwed.
"We'll allow you guys to soak up even more money that you don't deserve, as long as you contribute to our Big Brother-like atmosphere!"
Should I take solace that this will almost certainly get laughed off by Labour?
* I would believe the "better/less expensive product" statement if I believed that Microsoft, or any major corporation that outsources jobs was going to take that extra profit and throw it back to the consumer. Instead, no, recent history has shown that they are padding their bottom line with that. That's going to the shareholders, not the dumb fuck that's buying Vista. * I couldn't care less about jobs for immigrants. It's to the point in this country where these types of jobs are a land-mine that smart people avoid. We're bemoaning that "oh my goodness, the American market is drying up for programmers and quality computer science grads!", and... well, why wouldn't it? I wonder why... * I did state above that the shareholders get money out of this. That's not a bad thing in a Capitalist system (I'll spare you my feelings on Capitalism), but I think the margin is swung too far in favour of the shareholders for me to support moving a building to Canada for the sole purpose of bringing in dirt-cheap foreign help. * Again, the reality of the situation is that these large corporations have been getting tax breaks from our current administration that render this ideal moot. Trickle down economics is good in theory, but it's at best a highly noble ideal that fails in the face of reality.
I think you bring good points, and I see where you're coming from, but the reality of the situations we're presented with are highly different from these ideals.
Anyone that waited 36 hours in line without doing a modicum of research to find out that most Apple products tend to have a grace period in terms of being glitchy as all get out - and that Apple doesn't give a fuck about your problems, they have your money already - and basically doing it to be the cool kid on their block... they deserve what they got, and I hope the fuckers never work.
No, Nintendo released a gimmick that has captivated the casual gaming market. Who cares if it's an over-clocked Gamecube that doesn't actually provide shit except a new way to blame game loss on shitty controls? It took the market by storm, and therefore made Nintendo - and people like the poster in question - a LOT of money.
Even if the Wii falls off the face of the earth as game makers fail to make anything remotely interesting that doesn't involve Mario and Co., the money's been made, and smart investors can sell now while it's high. And don't forget the DS's stranglehold on the market, either; the only thing the PSP really has going for it is RPGs in that aspect.
Saying it's because of what the MAFIAA will say is a fucking cop-out. Why would you want anyone to virtualize your $100 - $400 operating system when they can just buy a new one? Especially with their Draconian licensing agreements. They want to pass the buck, plain and simple, and the MPAA/RIAA are more than willing to take that buck and run with it.
"Content provider revolt" is a pitiful excuse that no one with a brain really buys.
I think those might have been before the ESRB went with their current ratings standards (as in, "E" was "KA" back then), but then, we're getting into semantics.
The people that were angry at China, in China, at the official view of Hu Yaobang, went to protest against it, and by extension the way China was run, starting in May of 1989. This turned into the Tienanmen Square Massacre of June 4, 1989; it's safe to say that over 1,000 people were killed by fellow Chinamen during this event. Zhao Ziyang, for opposing the hardcore measures that his party would eventually take, was placed under house arrest until the day he died, and then allowed to nearly disappear from Chinese history with barely a mention.
Eighteen years later, families of those that were directly affected by that dark day are given increased surveillance by China's version of the Secret Police; some are even put under a house arrest that's unlawful even by their own standards. Anyone that speaks out even remotely against the government is either put under surveillance, house arrest, or just arrested, sometimes never to be seen again. It's gotten to the point where younger people in China don't even KNOW what happened, or even that June 4 1989 was a significant day in Chinese history; remember, a person working for a newspaper was fired for letting through an obscurely worded advertisement mentioning the Mothers of 64 (64 = June 4), and she'd never even HEARD of the Tienanmen Square massacre; those that try to find it on search engines are either blocked/reported, or given China's "official" (read: lies) opinion on the days' events (essentially, that it was a public uprising that needed to be quelled). The common man in China lives in poverty, intentionally kept down by a government that uses them to further their own personal ambitions, with one or two token executions per year of "corrupt" officials. Essentially, China has become the modern day equivalent of Orwell's astute observations.
If China can effectively whitewash one of the most brutal subjugations of all time, and essentially wipe it from history, what the hell do you think it's thinking of what the article states? They're not worried one iota over what public perception is of how they handle Flickr, or any other website that doesn't play by China's rules. The people don't know any better; they just know that "oh, this can't be reached now:(", they let it ferment, and then they go about their lives, which are usually problematic enough as it is. They do this because they are kept stupid by their government, with almost no way to get real information, or at least no knowledge of how to obtain it, and also a lack of time and resources to obtain said information should it be known how to go about it. This is the reason China's ostensibly trying to build their own fucking internet, for God's sake!
Eventually, peoples' opinions will dull on this matter, because time fades all memories. This will not affect China in one way whatsoever. Everyone from around the world can decry their censorship all they want, but they're always going to be outsiders; China will never let them "pollute" their pool, so to speak. And when the Great Firewall of China filters out anything unpleasing, what will the people know of what the world feels about their country, and their leadership? Eventually, mention of what REALLY happened at Tienanmen will be regarded by the majority of the Chinese populace the way we in America regard anyone that feels the JFK killing was a massive CIA conspiracy; it will be regarded as a massive conspiracy theory to do nothing but get attention and revel against the Man, and the person saying it will be effectively ostracized by his peers, and be put under watch by the government (something that's unlike us here in the US).
Depends on who you are.
Professionally, I'm a systems administrator. In my free time, I also play console based video games. So for me, it's equal parts Sony and Microsoft. The difference is that I also can run Linux whenever I choose to as my computer, and I can also choose not to play Sony based systems.
For me, it's a matter of choice. However, for some lusers out there, it's not. I worry more about them, and corporations being backed up against a wall by proprietary software and hardware choices (Therefore influencing the lusers), then I do about what these companies do to me personally.
It's a game. GAME. What, you pissed off because someone spent money to get what you spent all your hard-earned (ha!) time acquiring?
I'm guessing, due to your statements that you're a hardcore player. I'm also guessing you have little else going for you in life, outside of maybe a trivial job. You need some perspective. Or a different hobby.
Woah, woah... rooting for Sony over Microsoft is much like rooting for someone to shoot you in one foot over the other. Either way, you're hurting the same way no matter what happens.
I like your ideal, but realistically, I think there are problems.
For one, that's an EXTREMELY bold move by a public owned company like Yahoo that could backfire. Remember that Yahoo is trying to work hand in hand with Microsoft, and they don't really want to isolate themselves like that by taking such a proactive stance. It wouldn't fly at a shareholder meeting, let's put it that way. If just saying "censorship is wrong" doesn't work, I don't think "censorship is wrong, and FUCK CHINA AND THE WHORES THAT SUPPORT THEM!!!" will fly, either.
Secondly, the damage on a global market has been done on Yahoo's side. If they were suddenly to about-face like that, no one - at least anyone that can read - would be fooled. Even the jingoist morons that would do a Hacksaw Duggan "HOOOOOOOO! USA! USA!" routine would realize what was up when analysts did their job and exposed such an about-face for what it was: damage control.
Do I think Yahoo SHOULD tell China to fuck itself? Absolutely. Do I think they WILL? The loss to stock price would be a bit much to bear for the greedy whores that are capitalist stock traders.
They don't know any better. They don't know that their wages are horribly below what they should be getting in a global market. They don't know that their government treats them like pawns. They don't know that American capitalist companies are giving them table scraps for jobs simply because they're so cheap and expendable. They don't know ANYTHING other than propaganda and lies and what the state tells them. Younger people don't even know anything happened in Tienanmen Square on June 4 of 1989. They simply DON'T KNOW.
Three reporters were recently let go from a paper for letting an advertisement go from some group, something like the Mothers of 64 (64 = June 4). One of the people let go didn't even know what the significance of that was because she didn't know of the Tienanmen Square massacre. No wonder they're trying to censor their people! If I had the wool pulled out from my eyes and was made to see that I was being abused like the Chinese people, I'd revolt, too!
Any company based out of America that supports these autocracies by sending jobs to them or bending to their will show where their true loyalties lie. And they should be punished in any way possible for their transgressions.
Yahoo! is deeply concerned by efforts of some governments to restrict communication and control access to information. Yahoo! also firmly believes the continued presence and engagement of companies like Yahoo! in these markets is a powerful force in promoting openness and reform.
Translation: Yahoo will give a brief second's thought to the plight of the common person in China before diving back into their Money Bin, Scrooge McDuck style.
This isn't news. I just went back and checked the first DRMed piece of music I bought in the iTunes Music Store, and it had my full name and email address that I use for my iTunes files. Soooooooooo... how is this news? Or is this just another attempt to RAIL AGAINST THE MAN!!!!
I wouldn't live in the Deep South if someone doubled my pay to go. Hard to believe that's possible, considering I live in Connecticut, but that's where I stand on that.
I live in a rural area of Connecticut that's in a fairly deep recess; wireless is a bitch to get consistently here (I'm out of cell phone range), and the idea of getting my neighbours - all standard lusers - to buy into a T1 line is sardonically humourous.
We have people trying to get Yahoo DSL in my neck of the woods (it's laughable; my Uncle has Yahoo DSL, and we're "out of range". He lives DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET), but the thought of switching from Comcast to Yahoo because it's "better" makes me laugh out loud. That's much akin to getting fucked in the ass, but choosing the dildo beforehand that does the deed.
You can't just "cancel" your contract in a lot of cases. I know in my area, you have three choices: 1) use the cable provider (Comcast), 2) use dial-up, 3) go fuck yourself. It's a selective monopoly, and it seriously hurts a lot of consumers in a lot of less urban areas.
Slashdot Mirror
I'll just stick to my own domain's email, thanks.
Don't kid yourself. We've been on GFG4 for the past few years, they've just updated the version. So I'd say this year, we're going to see GFG4.4, as I figure every year since 2004 has been the same freaking game.
Judging by the amount of spammers I get on my Invision Power Board forums, which have been through two different styles of CAPTCHA, I'd file this one under the "No Shit" department.
Oh, don't worry, that's coming eventually.
When I called the consumers that waited in queues for this monstrosity and then started complaining morons, I got modded down. Now, we see more articles like this, where people - who were made well aware that the battery was irremovable - are going "oh noes! Apple is overcharging us! Whatever will we do! :(". What the fuck did anyone expect? All of the problems this thing had were ignored by idiots who wanted to be the Cool Kid On The Block(TM).
I said it before, I'll say it again, and I don't care who thinks it's flamebait: anyone that queued for this thing that complains now is too stupid to be able to say anything, and I personally hope they have nothing but problems. I hope this costs these people over a thousand dollars, and becomes famous as an all-time worst bust, for the way Apple abuses their consumers, people who are too enamoured by pretty gadgets to realize how badly they're getting screwed.
"We'll allow you guys to soak up even more money that you don't deserve, as long as you contribute to our Big Brother-like atmosphere!" Should I take solace that this will almost certainly get laughed off by Labour?
* I would believe the "better/less expensive product" statement if I believed that Microsoft, or any major corporation that outsources jobs was going to take that extra profit and throw it back to the consumer. Instead, no, recent history has shown that they are padding their bottom line with that. That's going to the shareholders, not the dumb fuck that's buying Vista.
* I couldn't care less about jobs for immigrants. It's to the point in this country where these types of jobs are a land-mine that smart people avoid. We're bemoaning that "oh my goodness, the American market is drying up for programmers and quality computer science grads!", and... well, why wouldn't it? I wonder why...
* I did state above that the shareholders get money out of this. That's not a bad thing in a Capitalist system (I'll spare you my feelings on Capitalism), but I think the margin is swung too far in favour of the shareholders for me to support moving a building to Canada for the sole purpose of bringing in dirt-cheap foreign help.
* Again, the reality of the situation is that these large corporations have been getting tax breaks from our current administration that render this ideal moot. Trickle down economics is good in theory, but it's at best a highly noble ideal that fails in the face of reality.
I think you bring good points, and I see where you're coming from, but the reality of the situations we're presented with are highly different from these ideals.
Anyone that waited 36 hours in line without doing a modicum of research to find out that most Apple products tend to have a grace period in terms of being glitchy as all get out - and that Apple doesn't give a fuck about your problems, they have your money already - and basically doing it to be the cool kid on their block... they deserve what they got, and I hope the fuckers never work.
No, Nintendo released a gimmick that has captivated the casual gaming market. Who cares if it's an over-clocked Gamecube that doesn't actually provide shit except a new way to blame game loss on shitty controls? It took the market by storm, and therefore made Nintendo - and people like the poster in question - a LOT of money. Even if the Wii falls off the face of the earth as game makers fail to make anything remotely interesting that doesn't involve Mario and Co., the money's been made, and smart investors can sell now while it's high. And don't forget the DS's stranglehold on the market, either; the only thing the PSP really has going for it is RPGs in that aspect.
Saying it's because of what the MAFIAA will say is a fucking cop-out. Why would you want anyone to virtualize your $100 - $400 operating system when they can just buy a new one? Especially with their Draconian licensing agreements. They want to pass the buck, plain and simple, and the MPAA/RIAA are more than willing to take that buck and run with it.
"Content provider revolt" is a pitiful excuse that no one with a brain really buys.
I think those might have been before the ESRB went with their current ratings standards (as in, "E" was "KA" back then), but then, we're getting into semantics.
Two console games have ever gotten AO: This, and GTA after Hot Coffee. And Hot Coffee was more or less rated by politicians.
The people that were angry at China, in China, at the official view of Hu Yaobang, went to protest against it, and by extension the way China was run, starting in May of 1989. This turned into the Tienanmen Square Massacre of June 4, 1989; it's safe to say that over 1,000 people were killed by fellow Chinamen during this event. Zhao Ziyang, for opposing the hardcore measures that his party would eventually take, was placed under house arrest until the day he died, and then allowed to nearly disappear from Chinese history with barely a mention.
:(", they let it ferment, and then they go about their lives, which are usually problematic enough as it is. They do this because they are kept stupid by their government, with almost no way to get real information, or at least no knowledge of how to obtain it, and also a lack of time and resources to obtain said information should it be known how to go about it. This is the reason China's ostensibly trying to build their own fucking internet, for God's sake!
Eighteen years later, families of those that were directly affected by that dark day are given increased surveillance by China's version of the Secret Police; some are even put under a house arrest that's unlawful even by their own standards. Anyone that speaks out even remotely against the government is either put under surveillance, house arrest, or just arrested, sometimes never to be seen again. It's gotten to the point where younger people in China don't even KNOW what happened, or even that June 4 1989 was a significant day in Chinese history; remember, a person working for a newspaper was fired for letting through an obscurely worded advertisement mentioning the Mothers of 64 (64 = June 4), and she'd never even HEARD of the Tienanmen Square massacre; those that try to find it on search engines are either blocked/reported, or given China's "official" (read: lies) opinion on the days' events (essentially, that it was a public uprising that needed to be quelled). The common man in China lives in poverty, intentionally kept down by a government that uses them to further their own personal ambitions, with one or two token executions per year of "corrupt" officials. Essentially, China has become the modern day equivalent of Orwell's astute observations.
If China can effectively whitewash one of the most brutal subjugations of all time, and essentially wipe it from history, what the hell do you think it's thinking of what the article states? They're not worried one iota over what public perception is of how they handle Flickr, or any other website that doesn't play by China's rules. The people don't know any better; they just know that "oh, this can't be reached now
Eventually, peoples' opinions will dull on this matter, because time fades all memories. This will not affect China in one way whatsoever. Everyone from around the world can decry their censorship all they want, but they're always going to be outsiders; China will never let them "pollute" their pool, so to speak. And when the Great Firewall of China filters out anything unpleasing, what will the people know of what the world feels about their country, and their leadership? Eventually, mention of what REALLY happened at Tienanmen will be regarded by the majority of the Chinese populace the way we in America regard anyone that feels the JFK killing was a massive CIA conspiracy; it will be regarded as a massive conspiracy theory to do nothing but get attention and revel against the Man, and the person saying it will be effectively ostracized by his peers, and be put under watch by the government (something that's unlike us here in the US).
I'll admit I fucked up the context of the post on this one.
Depends on who you are. Professionally, I'm a systems administrator. In my free time, I also play console based video games. So for me, it's equal parts Sony and Microsoft. The difference is that I also can run Linux whenever I choose to as my computer, and I can also choose not to play Sony based systems. For me, it's a matter of choice. However, for some lusers out there, it's not. I worry more about them, and corporations being backed up against a wall by proprietary software and hardware choices (Therefore influencing the lusers), then I do about what these companies do to me personally.
It's a game. GAME. What, you pissed off because someone spent money to get what you spent all your hard-earned (ha!) time acquiring? I'm guessing, due to your statements that you're a hardcore player. I'm also guessing you have little else going for you in life, outside of maybe a trivial job. You need some perspective. Or a different hobby.
Woah, woah... rooting for Sony over Microsoft is much like rooting for someone to shoot you in one foot over the other. Either way, you're hurting the same way no matter what happens.
I like your ideal, but realistically, I think there are problems.
For one, that's an EXTREMELY bold move by a public owned company like Yahoo that could backfire. Remember that Yahoo is trying to work hand in hand with Microsoft, and they don't really want to isolate themselves like that by taking such a proactive stance. It wouldn't fly at a shareholder meeting, let's put it that way. If just saying "censorship is wrong" doesn't work, I don't think "censorship is wrong, and FUCK CHINA AND THE WHORES THAT SUPPORT THEM!!!" will fly, either.
Secondly, the damage on a global market has been done on Yahoo's side. If they were suddenly to about-face like that, no one - at least anyone that can read - would be fooled. Even the jingoist morons that would do a Hacksaw Duggan "HOOOOOOOO! USA! USA!" routine would realize what was up when analysts did their job and exposed such an about-face for what it was: damage control.
Do I think Yahoo SHOULD tell China to fuck itself? Absolutely. Do I think they WILL? The loss to stock price would be a bit much to bear for the greedy whores that are capitalist stock traders.
They don't know any better. They don't know that their wages are horribly below what they should be getting in a global market. They don't know that their government treats them like pawns. They don't know that American capitalist companies are giving them table scraps for jobs simply because they're so cheap and expendable. They don't know ANYTHING other than propaganda and lies and what the state tells them. Younger people don't even know anything happened in Tienanmen Square on June 4 of 1989. They simply DON'T KNOW. Three reporters were recently let go from a paper for letting an advertisement go from some group, something like the Mothers of 64 (64 = June 4). One of the people let go didn't even know what the significance of that was because she didn't know of the Tienanmen Square massacre. No wonder they're trying to censor their people! If I had the wool pulled out from my eyes and was made to see that I was being abused like the Chinese people, I'd revolt, too! Any company based out of America that supports these autocracies by sending jobs to them or bending to their will show where their true loyalties lie. And they should be punished in any way possible for their transgressions.
Translation: Yahoo will give a brief second's thought to the plight of the common person in China before diving back into their Money Bin, Scrooge McDuck style.
This isn't news. I just went back and checked the first DRMed piece of music I bought in the iTunes Music Store, and it had my full name and email address that I use for my iTunes files. Soooooooooo... how is this news? Or is this just another attempt to RAIL AGAINST THE MAN!!!!
I've been stationed in the South, so I know what I'm talking about. If anything, I'd rather go farther up NORTH (I'm originally from Canada).
I wouldn't live in the Deep South if someone doubled my pay to go. Hard to believe that's possible, considering I live in Connecticut, but that's where I stand on that.
I live in a rural area of Connecticut that's in a fairly deep recess; wireless is a bitch to get consistently here (I'm out of cell phone range), and the idea of getting my neighbours - all standard lusers - to buy into a T1 line is sardonically humourous.
We have people trying to get Yahoo DSL in my neck of the woods (it's laughable; my Uncle has Yahoo DSL, and we're "out of range". He lives DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET), but the thought of switching from Comcast to Yahoo because it's "better" makes me laugh out loud. That's much akin to getting fucked in the ass, but choosing the dildo beforehand that does the deed.
China's not invading other countries because they've already done their invading. Ask the people of Tibet how that works.
You can't just "cancel" your contract in a lot of cases. I know in my area, you have three choices: 1) use the cable provider (Comcast), 2) use dial-up, 3) go fuck yourself. It's a selective monopoly, and it seriously hurts a lot of consumers in a lot of less urban areas.