Clearly under DMCA he is guilty of a crime. Not for what he said but when he saved the eBook as an unencrypted PDF. However he could not have done this alone, he used Adobe's software. The DMCA makes it illegal to manufacture software that removes encryption is such a way. Adobe is the cause of the crime. Sklyarov should make an immunity deal and testify against Adobe.
big 'click me ads' taking up space on a web page are an awful idea but 'explore within this space' is actually an idea that's quite useful. But few are using it the right way yet. It's most often being used as a multi-page ad. Sooner or later the halfway interested viewer will click the wrong thing and a new window unexpectedly appears or the hooked viewer gets tired of the clicking the ad without getting to the real page. It needs to be made a browser window within the browser and have an 'open in new window' or 'ok I'm hooked show me the page' so the viewer has the choice.
But what about allergic reactions
on
Golden Rice
·
· Score: 1
The rice uses fish genes. Millions around the world are allergic to fish. Has there been antiquate testing to find out if golden rice can produce an allergic reactions in people that can eat normal rice?
Apple tried this. It was a colossal failure. Apple surrounded kids with Apple equipment and software in the hopes that they would be hooked and buy Apple when they left school and went into the real world. Kids largely had the attitude that they were using kids computers and left them behind along with kids' text books and kids' lunch boxes. With any luck, microsoft will push it's software to kids till they are convinced that microsoft just makes kids' software.
I care not about privacy concerns about my name and birth date being used in online voting. But it concerns me greatly someone can enter in my name and birth date and steal my vote. Not only mine but anyone's. Anybody with an Internet connection can steal votes easily. The number of Internet voters will easily out number dead voters
I want a faster cheeper connection here, in the northwest
Re:Some of us worked our way through art school...
on
Life as Video Game Art
·
· Score: 1
And I suppose you don't buy anything either, such as fruits, vegetables, cereal, computers and equipment. You've never shipped or received a package by mail. You don't drink milk. Your house is not made out of wood that come from trees and does not contain metal nails from a mine. No, you grow your own food, raise your own cows, tan your own leather, build your shelter out of sod and manufacture your own holistic medications. You are completely self sufficient and have never in your life used a product that was SHIPPED INTO YOUR AREA BY TRUCK!!!.
Ralph Bear patented Television Gaming Apparatus and Method". Basically all videogames had to be licensed from Sanders Associates, Inc (Mr. Baer's company). The fact that this was allowed can be chalked up to ignorance. No one person or group should be blamed, there was enough ignorance to go around. While everyone could understand saucer shaped crafts that fly, this was not the case with videogames. No one, not even Mr, Bear himself, had a clue how prevalent videogames would become and no one else knew what they were.
As I understand it, the court case involving pong (just one of the things I mentioned) was not so much about any specific games (Hockey vs Pong) but rather Mr. Baer's 'videogame patent' was being defended. The similarity between hockey and pong was just a damaging bit of evidence against Mr. Bushnell and supported the claim that he deliberately stole the idea as opposed to the claim that any resemblance between Magnavox's product and Atari's was purely coincidental. I do admit I have not read the entire court transcripts from beginning to end but I'm pretty sure I got the important details right.
I'm not bitching that PONG was second hand, just stating the facts. Willy Higinbotham invented it, Ralph Bear patented it, Nolan Bushnell successfully marketed it. Magnavox took Atari to court, where the name Willy Higinbotham was never mentioned. Nolan Bushnell technically lost, but managed a slick licensing deal out of the mess. Videogames began their rise to total entertainment domination. That leads to the present, where many people continue to think Nolan Bushnell invented videogames and don't hesitate to pass on this false rumor, often in credible forums.
That's it! That's the precision term I've been looking for all these years! Correcting the misuse of the term "hacker" and "cracker" is a lost cause. But "witch", there's little doubt of the definition when used in context. Someone who has never laid eyes on a computer can call me a witch and I can proudly exclaim. "Why yes! I am a witch! Give me access to a computer! Watch as I preform magic that you cannot, and wield powers you don't understand! Maw-ha-haaa!" . From this day forth, let it be known; I am a computer witch.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of s***ch, or of the press; or the right of the people ***ceably to ***emble, and to pe***ion the Government for a redress of grievances.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of s***ch, or of the press; or the right of the people ***ceably to ***emble, and to pe***ion the Government for a redress of grievances.
But slashdot CENSORED me!
Or rather they restriced me
(restriction != ban)//for narrow definitions of ban
It really agitates me to know there are Americans out there spewing fourth vacuous dribble from their tiny little minds and they have no idea why they are allowed to do this. Not that you, Anonymous Coward, have a tiny little mind. You are allowed, if you are not from the USA. But I know there are Americans out there that don't have a clue about the first amendment and that just pisses me off!
Maybey I should just erase my sig, and enter this manually.
I seem to recall hearing somewhere that in Australia, voting is mandatory. If you don't vote they fine you a considerable amount of cash. Is this true? What do people think about this. What do Australians have to say? On the one hand, making it mandatory would put it in a similar epitome as taxes or jury duty (the average person doesn't like it and would rather it weren't so). On the other hand I believe voting is just as important a duty as the other things mentioned, and like them, should be mandated. I am proud to say I have voted in every single local, state and national election for which I am eligible since turning 18. Despite the overwhelming discouragement from the media saying how I belong to a group that doesn't vote and doesn't (implied shouldn't) care. And despite overwhelming discouragement of the choices offered. Even when California had the open primary, the second stupidest voting idea to ever be purposed, I still voted. Rarely has there been candidates I wholeheartedly supported. But I still voted for someone in every box, sometimes for the lesser evil, but often I felt it necessary to write-in a name. I think the "None of the Above" option is the stupidest voting idea to ever be purposed. We already have the write-in option to express our displeasure with the choices offered. Many times I have voted for Cynthia Ann Crawford, and in each case I absolutely stand by my conviction she'd do a better job than any of the choices offered. I've been know to lose my temper when I get a phone call asking for my opinions for a poll and I'm offered only two choices, both of which I disagree with. Here's a conversation I had (names changed to protect the guilty):
"I'm conducting a poll for the upcoming gubernatorial race. Will you be voting in this election?"
Fighting a monetary urge to giggle at 'gubernatorial', I exclaim, "Absolutely!"
"Uhm, Good. Will you be voting for [A] or [B]."
"My choice is not on the poll," I say.
"So, you're undecided?".
"No, I've decided. You just haven't listed my decision in your poll."
"I don't understand," she pleads.
"It is quite simple," I say, "I won't be voting for [A] or [B]. I've decided to vote for [C]. If you want to include me in your poll, you'll have to add [C] to the list of choices because that's who I'm voting for."
"Uhm... [A], is the Democrat. [B], is the Republican."
Her choice of words, much more than her lack of understanding, miffed me just a bit. So I got just a touch sarcastic, "The Democrat and the Republican? I suppose that would make [C], the American?"
"So... I guess I'll, uhm, put you down as not voting. You won't be included in our poll."
"If the accuracy of this poll is that unimportant to you then go ahead. But it'll be on your conscious, knowing you lied and said someone was not voting when they clearly stated [extremely short pause] five times now they are voting, and four times now, stated the name of [C] as the person they are voting for."
"Sir, your being very rude."
"I'm trying to express my opinion when asked to. This is a poll right?. I guess Democracy just sucks-for-you." With that I hung up. I figured the call, at that point, could only turn nasty and accomplish nothing.
Later that evening on the local news I see the results of the poll. 49% [A], 51% [B]. No indication of undecided, not-voting or an "Other" option.
The hub router I have, mainly for sharing my cable modem with every computer on my network, has a firewall built-in. Just enter a few numbers, and tada, the firewall is active. Of corse, I then have to enter more if for IRC and stuff, but I'm off the subject. If a hub router can have a firewall built-in, why can a broadband modem have a firewall built-in?
The sphere would begin moving under it's own power almost the same time the user started to move. Kind of like force feedback in reverse, the program being run would have preconceived notion as to what movement a user would make based on certain conditions. Say, there's a dragon lich directly in front of the level 1 user. Forward movement is unlikely, left or right movement is likely, backward movement is most likely, medium to maximum speed is likely, maximum speed is most likely. Then the computer would sense the position of the users feet, how the user was balanced, etc, and determine which movements the user was in position to preform easily, eliminate likelihoods and refine the notion. The instant the user began to move the computer would react and move based on the refined notion. Almost as immediately, the computer could sense if the user had done something unexpected. Such as, the user was poised to run but charged the dragon lich instead. In which case the computer would implement plan B, the dragon lich stomps, or does something spectacular to explain why the user feels the ground move under him, and perhaps this also serves to distract the user from the inconstancy. An AI that recorded and analyzed the user's reactions to situations would be helpful in predicting the user's next movement.
Just to clarify Willy Higinbotham invented electronic "tennis for two" (Pong) in 1958, but sought no patent. If he had it would have been property of the federal government since he did it while at his job. There's a scary thought, the US government owning videogames. Ralph Baer did patent his electronic Hockey game (Pong) in 1971 and licensed it to Magnavox. Nolan Bushnell saw Ralph Baer's Hockey game at a trade show and later asked Al Alcorn to create a ball and paddle game (Pong). He did not say where the idea came from. Rumors that Nolan Bushnell did not actually see hockey at the trade show are false. He was there, he played it and HE SIGNED MAGNAVOX'S GUEST BOOK. Duffus. Nolan Bushnell also lied to Al Alcorn about a contract signed with General Electric to sell Pong (GE was never even contacted). Al Alcorn programmed Pong.
Nolan Bushnell does deserve much credit for laboring long and hard to put Spacewar (Computer Space) on smaller cheaper hardware and inventing the first electronic arcade game. And he deserves credit for successfully marketing Pong as an arcade and home game. But he did not invent Pong
This is why you burn your own CD instead of buying one, Anonymous Coward. You can include the drivers you need and if down the line you get another peice of hardware you can burn another (or re-burn for a CD-RW) instead of buying one. I can remeber when most games booted themselves (though rarer for IBM-PC games) and this system with the CD-R or CD-RW is much better than those ever where for dealing with different and new hardware.
Gauntlet Legends for N64 has simultaneous 4 player.
Gauntlet Legends for PSX has more levels.
Gauntlet Legends for PC has network play.
This is because systems are different. Some have more RAM or expandable RAM, some have larger storage capacity, some have network interface cards.
What happens to games when one version must be compatible with at least four different consoles. You only get what all the consoles can do. If one of them has less RAM, less storage, fewer ports, less polygons and less control options, then everyone who plays must play a game reduced to lowest possible requirements.
Amazing as it is that talented people can create programs that make your machine think it is another one, despite all the praise they deserve, let's not forget that emulation sucks. Compatibility, sound quality, control options, graphics and peripherals just isn't 100% up to the original.
Fight commercial emulation, not because you think it's wrong to charge for emulation, but because it's wrong to pay for an inferior product.
The Matrix has very little to do with videogames
on
Trigger Happy
·
· Score: 1
Anybody with the slightest clue about American young adult culture in this century should know the influence of videogames on The Matrix was minor when compared to the influence of comic books.
"In its exaggeratedly dynamic kung fu scenes, in which actors float through the air and smash each other through walls,"
This is from comic books, any similarity to videogames is due to the influence of comic books on videogames.
Reminder, it would seem that many Moms Dads and 2.3 kids sat at the dinner table and watched the OJ trial. Atleast enough people watched it to keep it on the air. Where were your comments then, Xerithane?
So viewing photos of an historic event or tragedy is worse or better different than a freeze frame of a video or an abstracted work in videogame style representing it? What does that make a movie or an fully interactive videogame representation of historic event or tragedy? If it was utter foolishness why would you be still be deciding?
Re:Some of us worked our way through art school...
on
Life as Video Game Art
·
· Score: 1
On average, each taxpayer unwittingly allows $0.33 to fund art and about $0.00000067 of that goes to art they would find offensive if they even gave a damn.
But it is not an empty bed. It's a bed that used to have 'nekkid people getting it on' as you say. Neither is it ment to be porn, it is meant to be art.
>hy couldn't he have kept the nekkid people and digitally removed the beds and carpets?
No one is stopping you from posting your idea of art so why don't you do that yourself.
The average videogame player is 22. Certainly some games are targeted at minors but not all and it is ridiculous to restrict and entire industry because some products might possible cause harm to a group that the industry is not only not targeting but actively trying to avoid (with ESRB ratings). Especially when it's parents responsibility in the first place.
Slashdot Mirror
Clearly under DMCA he is guilty of a crime. Not for what he said but when he saved the eBook as an unencrypted PDF. However he could not have done this alone, he used Adobe's software. The DMCA makes it illegal to manufacture software that removes encryption is such a way. Adobe is the cause of the crime. Sklyarov should make an immunity deal and testify against Adobe.
big 'click me ads' taking up space on a web page are an awful idea but 'explore within this space' is actually an idea that's quite useful. But few are using it the right way yet. It's most often being used as a multi-page ad. Sooner or later the halfway interested viewer will click the wrong thing and a new window unexpectedly appears or the hooked viewer gets tired of the clicking the ad without getting to the real page. It needs to be made a browser window within the browser and have an 'open in new window' or 'ok I'm hooked show me the page' so the viewer has the choice.
The rice uses fish genes. Millions around the world are allergic to fish. Has there been antiquate testing to find out if golden rice can produce an allergic reactions in people that can eat normal rice?
Keep it up and soon we'll have no more war. Countries will just play battlebots every so often to settle disputes
Apple tried this. It was a colossal failure. Apple surrounded kids with Apple equipment and software in the hopes that they would be hooked and buy Apple when they left school and went into the real world. Kids largely had the attitude that they were using kids computers and left them behind along with kids' text books and kids' lunch boxes. With any luck, microsoft will push it's software to kids till they are convinced that microsoft just makes kids' software.
I care not about privacy concerns about my name and birth date being used in online voting. But it concerns me greatly someone can enter in my name and birth date and steal my vote. Not only mine but anyone's. Anybody with an Internet connection can steal votes easily. The number of Internet voters will easily out number dead voters
I want a faster cheeper connection here, in the northwest
And I suppose you don't buy anything either, such as fruits, vegetables, cereal, computers and equipment. You've never shipped or received a package by mail. You don't drink milk. Your house is not made out of wood that come from trees and does not contain metal nails from a mine. No, you grow your own food, raise your own cows, tan your own leather, build your shelter out of sod and manufacture your own holistic medications. You are completely self sufficient and have never in your life used a product that was SHIPPED INTO YOUR AREA BY TRUCK!!!.
The existence of certain patents would tend to suggest otherwise. The fact is someone was able to patent making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Ralph Bear patented Television Gaming Apparatus and Method". Basically all videogames had to be licensed from Sanders Associates, Inc (Mr. Baer's company). The fact that this was allowed can be chalked up to ignorance. No one person or group should be blamed, there was enough ignorance to go around. While everyone could understand saucer shaped crafts that fly, this was not the case with videogames. No one, not even Mr, Bear himself, had a clue how prevalent videogames would become and no one else knew what they were.
As I understand it, the court case involving pong (just one of the things I mentioned) was not so much about any specific games (Hockey vs Pong) but rather Mr. Baer's 'videogame patent' was being defended. The similarity between hockey and pong was just a damaging bit of evidence against Mr. Bushnell and supported the claim that he deliberately stole the idea as opposed to the claim that any resemblance between Magnavox's product and Atari's was purely coincidental. I do admit I have not read the entire court transcripts from beginning to end but I'm pretty sure I got the important details right.
I'm not bitching that PONG was second hand, just stating the facts. Willy Higinbotham invented it, Ralph Bear patented it, Nolan Bushnell successfully marketed it. Magnavox took Atari to court, where the name Willy Higinbotham was never mentioned. Nolan Bushnell technically lost, but managed a slick licensing deal out of the mess. Videogames began their rise to total entertainment domination. That leads to the present, where many people continue to think Nolan Bushnell invented videogames and don't hesitate to pass on this false rumor, often in credible forums.
Doesn't anybody remember Air Jammers?
That's it! That's the precision term I've been looking for all these years! Correcting the misuse of the term "hacker" and "cracker" is a lost cause. But "witch", there's little doubt of the definition when used in context. Someone who has never laid eyes on a computer can call me a witch and I can proudly exclaim. "Why yes! I am a witch! Give me access to a computer! Watch as I preform magic that you cannot, and wield powers you don't understand! Maw-ha-haaa!" . From this day forth, let it be known; I am a computer witch.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of s***ch, or of the press; or the right of the people ***ceably to ***emble, and to pe***ion the Government for a redress of grievances.
But slashdot CENSORED me!
Or rather they restriced me
It really agitates me to know there are Americans out there spewing fourth vacuous dribble from their tiny little minds and they have no idea why they are allowed to do this. Not that you, Anonymous Coward, have a tiny little mind. You are allowed, if you are not from the USA. But I know there are Americans out there that don't have a clue about the first amendment and that just pisses me off!
Maybey I should just erase my sig, and enter this manually.
I seem to recall hearing somewhere that in Australia, voting is mandatory. If you don't vote they fine you a considerable amount of cash. Is this true? What do people think about this. What do Australians have to say? On the one hand, making it mandatory would put it in a similar epitome as taxes or jury duty (the average person doesn't like it and would rather it weren't so). On the other hand I believe voting is just as important a duty as the other things mentioned, and like them, should be mandated. I am proud to say I have voted in every single local, state and national election for which I am eligible since turning 18. Despite the overwhelming discouragement from the media saying how I belong to a group that doesn't vote and doesn't (implied shouldn't) care. And despite overwhelming discouragement of the choices offered. Even when California had the open primary, the second stupidest voting idea to ever be purposed, I still voted. Rarely has there been candidates I wholeheartedly supported. But I still voted for someone in every box, sometimes for the lesser evil, but often I felt it necessary to write-in a name. I think the "None of the Above" option is the stupidest voting idea to ever be purposed. We already have the write-in option to express our displeasure with the choices offered. Many times I have voted for Cynthia Ann Crawford, and in each case I absolutely stand by my conviction she'd do a better job than any of the choices offered. I've been know to lose my temper when I get a phone call asking for my opinions for a poll and I'm offered only two choices, both of which I disagree with. Here's a conversation I had (names changed to protect the guilty):
"I'm conducting a poll for the upcoming gubernatorial race. Will you be voting in this election?"
Fighting a monetary urge to giggle at 'gubernatorial', I exclaim, "Absolutely!"
"Uhm, Good. Will you be voting for [A] or [B]."
"My choice is not on the poll," I say.
"So, you're undecided?".
"No, I've decided. You just haven't listed my decision in your poll."
"I don't understand," she pleads.
"It is quite simple," I say, "I won't be voting for [A] or [B]. I've decided to vote for [C]. If you want to include me in your poll, you'll have to add [C] to the list of choices because that's who I'm voting for."
"Uhm... [A], is the Democrat. [B], is the Republican."
Her choice of words, much more than her lack of understanding, miffed me just a bit. So I got just a touch sarcastic, "The Democrat and the Republican? I suppose that would make [C], the American?"
"So... I guess I'll, uhm, put you down as not voting. You won't be included in our poll."
"If the accuracy of this poll is that unimportant to you then go ahead. But it'll be on your conscious, knowing you lied and said someone was not voting when they clearly stated [extremely short pause] five times now they are voting, and four times now, stated the name of [C] as the person they are voting for."
"Sir, your being very rude."
"I'm trying to express my opinion when asked to. This is a poll right?. I guess Democracy just sucks-for-you." With that I hung up. I figured the call, at that point, could only turn nasty and accomplish nothing.
Later that evening on the local news I see the results of the poll. 49% [A], 51% [B]. No indication of undecided, not-voting or an "Other" option.
The hub router I have, mainly for sharing my cable modem with every computer on my network, has a firewall built-in. Just enter a few numbers, and tada, the firewall is active. Of corse, I then have to enter more if for IRC and stuff, but I'm off the subject. If a hub router can have a firewall built-in, why can a broadband modem have a firewall built-in?
The sphere would begin moving under it's own power almost the same time the user started to move. Kind of like force feedback in reverse, the program being run would have preconceived notion as to what movement a user would make based on certain conditions. Say, there's a dragon lich directly in front of the level 1 user. Forward movement is unlikely, left or right movement is likely, backward movement is most likely, medium to maximum speed is likely, maximum speed is most likely. Then the computer would sense the position of the users feet, how the user was balanced, etc, and determine which movements the user was in position to preform easily, eliminate likelihoods and refine the notion. The instant the user began to move the computer would react and move based on the refined notion. Almost as immediately, the computer could sense if the user had done something unexpected. Such as, the user was poised to run but charged the dragon lich instead. In which case the computer would implement plan B, the dragon lich stomps, or does something spectacular to explain why the user feels the ground move under him, and perhaps this also serves to distract the user from the inconstancy. An AI that recorded and analyzed the user's reactions to situations would be helpful in predicting the user's next movement.
Just to clarify Willy Higinbotham invented electronic "tennis for two" (Pong) in 1958, but sought no patent. If he had it would have been property of the federal government since he did it while at his job. There's a scary thought, the US government owning videogames. Ralph Baer did patent his electronic Hockey game (Pong) in 1971 and licensed it to Magnavox. Nolan Bushnell saw Ralph Baer's Hockey game at a trade show and later asked Al Alcorn to create a ball and paddle game (Pong). He did not say where the idea came from. Rumors that Nolan Bushnell did not actually see hockey at the trade show are false. He was there, he played it and HE SIGNED MAGNAVOX'S GUEST BOOK. Duffus. Nolan Bushnell also lied to Al Alcorn about a contract signed with General Electric to sell Pong (GE was never even contacted). Al Alcorn programmed Pong.
Nolan Bushnell does deserve much credit for laboring long and hard to put Spacewar (Computer Space) on smaller cheaper hardware and inventing the first electronic arcade game. And he deserves credit for successfully marketing Pong as an arcade and home game. But he did not invent Pong
This is why you burn your own CD instead of buying one, Anonymous Coward. You can include the drivers you need and if down the line you get another peice of hardware you can burn another (or re-burn for a CD-RW) instead of buying one.
I can remeber when most games booted themselves (though rarer for IBM-PC games) and this system with the CD-R or CD-RW is much better than those ever where for dealing with different and new hardware.
Gauntlet Legends for N64 has simultaneous 4 player.
Gauntlet Legends for PSX has more levels.
Gauntlet Legends for PC has network play.
This is because systems are different. Some have more RAM or expandable RAM, some have larger storage capacity, some have network interface cards.
What happens to games when one version must be compatible with at least four different consoles. You only get what all the consoles can do. If one of them has less RAM, less storage, fewer ports, less polygons and less control options, then everyone who plays must play a game reduced to lowest possible requirements.
Amazing as it is that talented people can create programs that make your machine think it is another one, despite all the praise they deserve, let's not forget that emulation sucks. Compatibility, sound quality, control options, graphics and peripherals just isn't 100% up to the original.
Fight commercial emulation, not because you think it's wrong to charge for emulation, but because it's wrong to pay for an inferior product.
Anybody with the slightest clue about American young adult culture in this century should know the influence of videogames on The Matrix was minor when compared to the influence of comic books.
"In its exaggeratedly dynamic kung fu scenes, in which actors float through the air and smash each other through walls,"
This is from comic books, any similarity to videogames is due to the influence of comic books on videogames.
Reminder, it would seem that many Moms Dads and 2.3 kids sat at the dinner table and watched the OJ trial. Atleast enough people watched it to keep it on the air. Where were your comments then, Xerithane?
So viewing photos of an historic event or tragedy is worse or better different than a freeze frame of a video or an abstracted work in videogame style representing it? What does that make a movie or an fully interactive videogame representation of historic event or tragedy? If it was utter foolishness why would you be still be deciding?
On average, each taxpayer unwittingly allows $0.33 to fund art and about $0.00000067 of that goes to art they would find offensive if they even gave a damn.
But it is not an empty bed. It's a bed that used to have 'nekkid people getting it on' as you say. Neither is it ment to be porn, it is meant to be art.
>hy couldn't he have kept the nekkid people and digitally removed the beds and carpets?
No one is stopping you from posting your idea of art so why don't you do that yourself.
Then that would ruin the effect for someone who had previously seen the orginal before seeing this edited version.
The average videogame player is 22. Certainly some games are targeted at minors but not all and it is ridiculous to restrict and entire industry because some products might possible cause harm to a group that the industry is not only not targeting but actively trying to avoid (with ESRB ratings). Especially when it's parents responsibility in the first place.