I vehemently disagree, as does most of the computer using community, since most menus (quite sanely) scroll vertically. Horizontally-expanding menus completely usurp the user's desktop, and that is always a bad interface implementation. If I want to keep the menu to a single column, I am forced to keep a very limited number entries- the choice is not mine anymore, but is made by virtue of the implementation.
in the US, most of your choices for something average-to-nice come down to traditional construction
I'd have to disagree. Traditional construction was quality work. From what I've heard, Most of the new homes built today are very expensive pieces of crap. Chalk it up to builders who have mastered the art of moving into an area and within a matter of a few months, filling it with low quality cracker-box houses built on small lots. Consider it the fast food of the construction industry. You can get a quality home built by a custom builder, but you will pay dearly for the privilege.
Blizzard uses BitTorrent or a derivation thereof to distribute all of its patches and updates. As popular as World of Warcraft is, this probably saved them a BUNDLE. As more entities realize these benefits, it might start putting some pressure on ISPs (especially the larger ones) to give in a bit on the upload bandwidth. The reason its limited is by convention. It's an arbitrary restriction put in place to limit costs. But then again, some major telcos are still trying to convince people that a 1.5Mb DSL connection is a good deal, when you can get twice the bandwidth for about the same price with cable. Hmmmm...it might be a while.
What Microsoft is attempting to do is patent one of the uses intended for XML from the very start. One of the mandates put forth by the XML working group was that XML shall support a wide variety of applications,. Given this, I'm puzzled at how anyone at Microsoft could even consider such a move. Wait....no I'm not. Just the same, if this patent is approved, something is very, very wrong.
To claim that this is forced on us by Bush is moral cowardice. The buck stops here.
I fail to see the value in trivializing what has happened under Bush's regime, simply because he was voted into office. The fact is that someone has to run the country...unfortunately, we always get stuck with people who are FAR better politicians than they are leaders.
Take a grayscale image, and you already have the brightness and value for each pixel. All you do is add the hue component based on the color "scribbled" by the user. Stop filling with that color when you hit something that marks a definitive boundary.
Rebates are the equivalent of a flexible pricing plan that allow those people that care enough about the $20 to go through the hassle of completing the transaction. At this point most consumers are fully aware of the annoyance level and factor that in to their buying decision.
Remember that because of the griwing "invisiiblity" in this culture, where everything is for sale, any time you provide your name, address, and whatever else to another entity you're setting yourself up for more abuse via junk mail, phone calls, etc. And, as always, there is no telling where this information will utlimately end up. Best thing to do: refuse the rebates...let the retailer know that you'd buy at rebated price, but you will not apply for one. You may have to walk away empty handed, but is the information you have to provide them, and the time you have to wait, only worth the small amount that you'll save?
It almost sounds like it might be time to "p2p-ize" a chat client. A combination of torrent/AIM-like functionality that relies on all of its users to provide the service to each other. That might make AOL very happy, but their paying customers are still stuck with an outrageously invasive policy. Oh, the irony.
If you have more than a certain number of bookmarks in your Bookmarks menu, for example, instead of scrolling vertically like any sane menu implementation, it starts a new column. If that column fills up, it creates a third, etc. In a nutshell, it's quite lame.
Konqueror has its own little disaster - the horzontally-expanding menus that take over your entire screen. I will not use it until that is fixed or at least an option is provided to disable it for those of use that prefer a more efficient use of screen space.
Therein lies the irony...when it comes to issues involving your identity, you are guilty until proven innocent. And that guilt often sticks even if it can be proven that you weren't the responsible party. It's a horrible climate- we're at the mercy of anyone who has this information, and the government has done nothing to address it.
However, I don't think the comparison with giving away a TV is accurate. One's name, address, phone number, social security number, drivers license number, etc., are attributes that are retained by the one who owns them. This information is simply provided under various circumstances. The fallacy here is that businesses and other entities have taken it upon themselves to decide that the mere act of provision extols upon them a right of ownership. While there are not yet any laws that clarify this, I maintain that it does not, Be that as it may, people must be proactive about how this information is used. Insist that it not be used for anything but the transaction at hand.
That only means one thing...the bri^H^H^H contributions haven't gotten big enough. Blow enough of the green stuff up congress' collective ass, and you'll see mountains moving.
The DMCA passed. The Patriot Act passed. The copyright extension law passed. The law allowing software patents passed. Let's face it...there is no END when it comes to the ineptitude of politicians with a pen in one hand, and boatload of self-interest in the other (which is most of them).
Personally, I think highlighting text to copy it is rather lame. There are so many times when I'd prefer to past OVER something- an existing URL for example. CTRL-C/CTRL-V is much more consistent, and allows you more freedom to do what you want. Copying on highlight is one of those incidents where the programmer is second-guessing the user- those situations almost never work out very well, at least by my experience. I'd like to see the whole copy-on-highlight/middle-click-paste paradigm relegated to the status of "Tried that, didn't work", and have it replaced with something more viable (CTRL-C/CTRL-V).
Copy and paste is such a fundamental element that it would be self-defeating not to accommodate the most accepted methods. Middle-click is a linux-ism that has unfortunately stuck, like several others that I find annoying. There's nothing magical about CTRL-C/CTRL-V, but like it or not, it is what the vast majority of computer users are accustomed to seeing. This is one area where adherence to a standard would most likely result in a positive outcome.
Slashdot Mirror
I vehemently disagree, as does most of the computer using community, since most menus (quite sanely) scroll vertically. Horizontally-expanding menus completely usurp the user's desktop, and that is always a bad interface implementation. If I want to keep the menu to a single column, I am forced to keep a very limited number entries- the choice is not mine anymore, but is made by virtue of the implementation.
Does Konqueror still have those horrible menus that expand horizontally rather than scroll vertically like they should?
in the US, most of your choices for something average-to-nice come down to traditional construction
I'd have to disagree. Traditional construction was quality work. From what I've heard, Most of the new homes built today are very expensive pieces of crap. Chalk it up to builders who have mastered the art of moving into an area and within a matter of a few months, filling it with low quality cracker-box houses built on small lots. Consider it the fast food of the construction industry. You can get a quality home built by a custom builder, but you will pay dearly for the privilege.
Blizzard uses BitTorrent or a derivation thereof to distribute all of its patches and updates. As popular as World of Warcraft is, this probably saved them a BUNDLE. As more entities realize these benefits, it might start putting some pressure on ISPs (especially the larger ones) to give in a bit on the upload bandwidth. The reason its limited is by convention. It's an arbitrary restriction put in place to limit costs. But then again, some major telcos are still trying to convince people that a 1.5Mb DSL connection is a good deal, when you can get twice the bandwidth for about the same price with cable. Hmmmm...it might be a while.
FrameMaker was also using its own markup language, MML, long before *ML was a twinkle in Bill's eye.
What Microsoft is attempting to do is patent one of the uses intended for XML from the very start. One of the mandates put forth by the XML working group was that XML shall support a wide variety of applications,. Given this, I'm puzzled at how anyone at Microsoft could even consider such a move. Wait....no I'm not. Just the same, if this patent is approved, something is very, very wrong.
To claim that this is forced on us by Bush is moral cowardice. The buck stops here.
I fail to see the value in trivializing what has happened under Bush's regime, simply because he was voted into office. The fact is that someone has to run the country...unfortunately, we always get stuck with people who are FAR better politicians than they are leaders.
Take a grayscale image, and you already have the brightness and value for each pixel. All you do is add the hue component based on the color "scribbled" by the user. Stop filling with that color when you hit something that marks a definitive boundary.
Damn funny!!
Bush, as the Commander in Chief, has experienced no repercussions WHATSOEVER. He does a damn fine job of paying lip service though.
Rebates are the equivalent of a flexible pricing plan that allow those people that care enough about the $20 to go through the hassle of completing the transaction. At this point most consumers are fully aware of the annoyance level and factor that in to their buying decision.
Remember that because of the griwing "invisiiblity" in this culture, where everything is for sale, any time you provide your name, address, and whatever else to another entity you're setting yourself up for more abuse via junk mail, phone calls, etc. And, as always, there is no telling where this information will utlimately end up. Best thing to do: refuse the rebates...let the retailer know that you'd buy at rebated price, but you will not apply for one. You may have to walk away empty handed, but is the information you have to provide them, and the time you have to wait, only worth the small amount that you'll save?
Thanks for the tip
It almost sounds like it might be time to "p2p-ize" a chat client. A combination of torrent/AIM-like functionality that relies on all of its users to provide the service to each other. That might make AOL very happy, but their paying customers are still stuck with an outrageously invasive policy. Oh, the irony.
I thought this new policy was part of AOL's new business strategy..."piss 'em off, bring 'em on."
I'm not marketing genius, but I'm not too sure this will work. But I guess in a world where differentiation is the key, it's certainly a bold attempt.
If you have more than a certain number of bookmarks in your Bookmarks menu, for example, instead of scrolling vertically like any sane menu implementation, it starts a new column. If that column fills up, it creates a third, etc. In a nutshell, it's quite lame.
Konqueror has its own little disaster - the horzontally-expanding menus that take over your entire screen. I will not use it until that is fixed or at least an option is provided to disable it for those of use that prefer a more efficient use of screen space.
At least the RIAA is diversifying!
All those nice little "fees" and taxes on your phone and utility bills can and do add a nice chunk to the total amount you pay every month.
Therein lies the irony...when it comes to issues involving your identity, you are guilty until proven innocent. And that guilt often sticks even if it can be proven that you weren't the responsible party. It's a horrible climate- we're at the mercy of anyone who has this information, and the government has done nothing to address it.
However, I don't think the comparison with giving away a TV is accurate. One's name, address, phone number, social security number, drivers license number, etc., are attributes that are retained by the one who owns them. This information is simply provided under various circumstances. The fallacy here is that businesses and other entities have taken it upon themselves to decide that the mere act of provision extols upon them a right of ownership. While there are not yet any laws that clarify this, I maintain that it does not, Be that as it may, people must be proactive about how this information is used. Insist that it not be used for anything but the transaction at hand.
It's understandable that governments try to limit this kind of information, because it means fewer taxpayers!
That only means one thing...the bri^H^H^H contributions haven't gotten big enough. Blow enough of the green stuff up congress' collective ass, and you'll see mountains moving.
The DMCA passed. The Patriot Act passed. The copyright extension law passed. The law allowing software patents passed. Let's face it...there is no END when it comes to the ineptitude of politicians with a pen in one hand, and boatload of self-interest in the other (which is most of them).
Personally, I think highlighting text to copy it is rather lame. There are so many times when I'd prefer to past OVER something- an existing URL for example. CTRL-C/CTRL-V is much more consistent, and allows you more freedom to do what you want. Copying on highlight is one of those incidents where the programmer is second-guessing the user- those situations almost never work out very well, at least by my experience. I'd like to see the whole copy-on-highlight/middle-click-paste paradigm relegated to the status of "Tried that, didn't work", and have it replaced with something more viable (CTRL-C/CTRL-V).
Copy and paste is such a fundamental element that it would be self-defeating not to accommodate the most accepted methods. Middle-click is a linux-ism that has unfortunately stuck, like several others that I find annoying. There's nothing magical about CTRL-C/CTRL-V, but like it or not, it is what the vast majority of computer users are accustomed to seeing. This is one area where adherence to a standard would most likely result in a positive outcome.