The copyright holder should have the ability to try to stop illegal sharing of their works. Making it illegal for them to do this would be as terrible as making it illegal to not have DRM'd content.
Just as Linux is available to people who don't like Windows, so is non-DRM content available to people who don't like DRM. What people here at slashdot really want is the content that the copyright holder doesn't have the ability to determine how their content is distributed. Unfortunately for such people copyright law exists and it gives the copyright holder (holder, not owner. No-one owns copyright except as a whole, we simply surrender our rights (for way too long IMO) for a limited time to a particular person or organization) the ability to decide the format. People here should be either looking to overturn copyright law and destroy it completely or to limit the length so they don't have to wait as long for works to be put into the public domain. Because every copyright holder should have the ability to choose what format they present their works in to the public.
As I said to the above poster here's an example that illustrates my point clearer (requires Excel and OOo).
Open a spreadsheet in Excel and label 6 cells from A1-A6. Now select row 5 right click and select cut. Select row 1 and right click and select "Insert Cut Cells." You still have 6 labelled cells, the order they're in is simply different. Now trying doing this very basic activity in Calc and see if you get the same results. Nope, you don't.
I'd say Calc is the inferior product in being unable to perform this very basic activity.
There is no much choice. You cannot go to a shop and ask a DVD without encryption I can however go to non-DRM'd sources. The big media companies have decided to use DRM, many independents have chosen not to use it. The public now supports one (or both) of these business models causing one (or both) groups to thrive. Currently big media is thriving a lot more then the independents, as such DRM obviously isn't as big of an issue as many here at slashdot claim it is.
Let's face it, consumers cannot *choose* to turn off the DRM... there is no checkbox in the Vista control panel for 'do not cripple digital media output' They can, however, choose not to buy DRM'd media. But no, people don't want that choice. They want to be able to buy whatever media they want and then use it whatever way they want, even if it means breaking the law.
Open a spreadsheet in Excel and label 6 cells from A1-A6. Now select row 5 right click and select cut. Select row 1 and right click and select "Insert Cut Cells." You still have 5 labelled cells, the order they're in is simply different. Now trying doing this very basic activity in Calc and see if you get the same results. Nope, you don't.
I'd say Calc is the inferior product in being unable to perform this very basic activity.
now open office and variants are practically de facto office suites of future. Which is a shame because the latest version of Open Office Calc is inferior to Excel 2003 (as I said here). I hope that IBM's support for OOo can make it a better program so that it quickly surpasses the old "de facto office suite" in functionality and use.
Calc simply isn't as good as Excel even for casual users. I cut and paste entire columns on a regular basis and Excel actually removes those columns and pastes the columns where I tell it to. Calc on the other hand simply cuts the data out and places the data where I tell it to, overwriting whatever data was originally there. So no, you can't convince an advanced user to switch from Excel to Calc as Calc being better if you're honest.
Morally, these scumbags gave up any claim to anything a long time ago. Morally, they all deserve to be soundly beaten and left for dead on some island somewhere so they can learn to play nice with each other or starve. Because that's sadly illegal Get some perspective and grow up. They tried to stop people from infringing on someone's copyright and yet you want them to starve on an island. You truly are a sad specimen of the human race.
Actually in courses where I didn't use a laptop (e.g. Maths) I did sit next to those who used laptops and again didn't find it intruding on my learning.
These are very good points. In programming courses these days the teachers are saying that learning the language isn't as important as learning the concept, but then they teach it in a very language-oriented manner and often are unable to get the concept across clearly. So I think more and more people are realizing how important conceptual learning is, but they don't know how to teach beyond rote memorization.
Inferior does not imply bad, simply not as good. People use to ride around on perfectly healthy and usable horses for a long, long time. I'd still call them inferior to travelling by an automobile though.
Perhaps, but why should other students in your classes suffer? Laptops in the classroom are just obnoxious In your opinion. I've never found laptops to intrude on my learning.
It does seem to me that using a computer really isn't a replacement for learning to write legibly. I can guarantee you that there isn't going to be an innovation in the near future which will make handwriting completely obsolete in most cases. You're right, it isn't going to come, it has come. I find the times when I have to write by hand are growing less every day as I grow older. As such my writing is getting worse as I get older. I am not sadenned at losing this ability as I've always been able to type faster. I'm happy to be having less times when I must write by hand.
By your own examples the technology isn't causing people to become antisocial. Its simply changing where the socialization happens. Those that are uncomfortable with change will of course have a wide range of reactions including mild discomfort and proclaiming all new technology to be the work of the devil.
Some people find humor and death are perfectly appropriate together, others think such is the lowest of low blows I did not detect any humor in the parent's comment.
That's not always true. I've seen a lot of professors who were able to capture the students' attention, and actually have them learn the material quite well, with only a blackboard and a piece of chalk. I find it largely depends on the course. I find maths must be written by hand as the layout of the formula and notes on the page can be just as important as the information itself and trying to replicate this on a standard computer is simply too time consuming. But anything else I find tedious to do by hand.
I've also seen a lot of professors with all this tricked out technology and completely fail at teaching, either by not getting the students interested, or completing failing at getting the point of the lecture across. So, while technology can help, especially if the professor understands it, I would say that the majority of professors who are bad, can't be helped by just throwing more technology at the problem. And professors who are already good, don't need high tech gadgets to teach. You're right, no amount of technology can make a bad teacher good, but it can make a good teacher better. Never think that someone is so good at something that they don't need to improve. Otherwise that person will find they do in fact become worse as those around them improve and eventually exceed them.
I feel sorry for your children who have to deal with your inferior methods. For example I write my notes before attending my lecture by reading the lecture notes provided. I can follow along more easily and only have to add what is communicated verbally into my notes.
Actually I tried reading LotR first and never could get past the first book (not the Hobbit, the first book of the trilogy). I did enjoy the movies though.
People keep going on about how slow and long this series was, however it has been an inspiration to me and reminds me very much of the great George R. R. Martin series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which I've only just started reading. The only book I was dissapointed in was Crossroads of Twilight. In serial work not every issue can be a home run. Sometimes you need to make one be a sacrifice to set up the next issues which makes them even better. As a good storyteller, Robert Jordan realized this. Those that want EVERY thing to be issue, episode, whatever to be the BEST one there is, will of course not like this but I have a hard time thinking of any long pieces of serial work that they'll enjoy.
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The copyright holder should have the ability to try to stop illegal sharing of their works. Making it illegal for them to do this would be as terrible as making it illegal to not have DRM'd content.
Well the beauty of bitching publicly is that someone gets to show you a solution. Thanks, I'll resume testing OOo now :)
As I said in my original post on the other article its a feature I use on a pretty regular basis, so its not rarely used for me.
Just as Linux is available to people who don't like Windows, so is non-DRM content available to people who don't like DRM. What people here at slashdot really want is the content that the copyright holder doesn't have the ability to determine how their content is distributed. Unfortunately for such people copyright law exists and it gives the copyright holder (holder, not owner. No-one owns copyright except as a whole, we simply surrender our rights (for way too long IMO) for a limited time to a particular person or organization) the ability to decide the format. People here should be either looking to overturn copyright law and destroy it completely or to limit the length so they don't have to wait as long for works to be put into the public domain. Because every copyright holder should have the ability to choose what format they present their works in to the public.
As I said to the above poster here's an example that illustrates my point clearer (requires Excel and OOo).
Open a spreadsheet in Excel and label 6 cells from A1-A6. Now select row 5 right click and select cut. Select row 1 and right click and select "Insert Cut Cells." You still have 6 labelled cells, the order they're in is simply different. Now trying doing this very basic activity in Calc and see if you get the same results. Nope, you don't.
I'd say Calc is the inferior product in being unable to perform this very basic activity.
Open a spreadsheet in Excel and label 6 cells from A1-A6. Now select row 5 right click and select cut. Select row 1 and right click and select "Insert Cut Cells." You still have 5 labelled cells, the order they're in is simply different. Now trying doing this very basic activity in Calc and see if you get the same results. Nope, you don't.
I'd say Calc is the inferior product in being unable to perform this very basic activity.
Calc simply isn't as good as Excel even for casual users. I cut and paste entire columns on a regular basis and Excel actually removes those columns and pastes the columns where I tell it to. Calc on the other hand simply cuts the data out and places the data where I tell it to, overwriting whatever data was originally there. So no, you can't convince an advanced user to switch from Excel to Calc as Calc being better if you're honest.
You're forgetting marketting costs. Once someone has made it big the cost of marketting is significantly smaller then making them big.
he could give the royalties to a charity. Instead he's keeping the ill-gotten goods.
I did not say what they do is right, I simply said that to wish them death is immature behavior.
You mean MediaDefender comes along and flags me as a suspect for downloading Linux? Fuck. Or do you mean downloading something illegal?
Actually in courses where I didn't use a laptop (e.g. Maths) I did sit next to those who used laptops and again didn't find it intruding on my learning.
These are very good points. In programming courses these days the teachers are saying that learning the language isn't as important as learning the concept, but then they teach it in a very language-oriented manner and often are unable to get the concept across clearly. So I think more and more people are realizing how important conceptual learning is, but they don't know how to teach beyond rote memorization.
Inferior does not imply bad, simply not as good. People use to ride around on perfectly healthy and usable horses for a long, long time. I'd still call them inferior to travelling by an automobile though.
By your own examples the technology isn't causing people to become antisocial. Its simply changing where the socialization happens. Those that are uncomfortable with change will of course have a wide range of reactions including mild discomfort and proclaiming all new technology to be the work of the devil.
I feel sorry for your children who have to deal with your inferior methods. For example I write my notes before attending my lecture by reading the lecture notes provided. I can follow along more easily and only have to add what is communicated verbally into my notes.
Actually I tried reading LotR first and never could get past the first book (not the Hobbit, the first book of the trilogy). I did enjoy the movies though.
People keep going on about how slow and long this series was, however it has been an inspiration to me and reminds me very much of the great George R. R. Martin series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which I've only just started reading. The only book I was dissapointed in was Crossroads of Twilight. In serial work not every issue can be a home run. Sometimes you need to make one be a sacrifice to set up the next issues which makes them even better. As a good storyteller, Robert Jordan realized this. Those that want EVERY thing to be issue, episode, whatever to be the BEST one there is, will of course not like this but I have a hard time thinking of any long pieces of serial work that they'll enjoy.