Thanks to all of you that have pointed out that the system is in fact on Sun's web page! It was not there at the time of my visit, and I was simply quoting the article. Sorry for the confusion I have created, but thank you! If I were genuinely interested in purchasing one, I would have just received more help in doing so than I could have ever hoped for!
Most of the hardcore nerds (I would guess about 10% of the slashdot population fall under that label) understand or have the capacity to understand the cryptography anyway. I think a certain level of cryptography is necessary and will always be necessary. Anticryptography is a good thing, but don't expect an "age" to be named for it or anything.
(I tried to reply to this earlier today, and the server went down as I clicked on it. Funny how that works...)
As a college freshman and an Information Technology major (that's my plan, anyway), this topic and the ensuing conversation is a great help to me. I have long been interested in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, but I've never really known the specifics of the two. (I've never really bothered to look.)
Majoring in Information Technology, I get a more basic computer education that applies to the business world, but I'm not sure if that's all I want. Besides, I know all the basics. I've been looking for a major (or two or three) to add to Information Technology... Business Management is a good one for anyone to have, for that prepares you for and all but plants you in the business world. I've considered education, journalism, and philosophy and psychology, but the lattest two are the only that really interest me.
What's a college freshman to do? I'm just sticking to my classes, watching the technology world to make sure I'm not setting myself up for a field that won't exist, and, for the most part, just enjoying myself.
(Disclaimer: Likeness of subject to a one Michael Jackson song of same title is unintended.)
So what are they saying? Something "alive" was once on that rock? It looks to me like someone's throwing shit at us. They know we're here. That was a warning shot. Who knows how long before the next one?
I'm not in law school or anything, but isn't the RIAA teeter-tottering on the edge of false advertising? I guess the correct term here isn't really "false advertising," but they are certainly bending the facts. Actually, they are completely leaving out the facts.
How can they get away with this? And for you lawyers out there, what are some ways that someone can put a stop to this? I would really like to know.
Although I am slightly biased toward the free internet side of things, I wouldn't mind seeing the RIAA come out on top of this perpetual battle, IF THE TRUTH IS ON THEIR SIDE. Of course, the same goes for Napster, and at the moment the truth seems to be on their side...
maybe it was routine downtime..
on
Cool Case
·
· Score: 1
Routine downtime. Bad route. Whatever. It's back now. And now I want one of those cases. I wonder if it will fit in the lower left hand side of my desk... I had this awesome desk years ago to fit an old case for a Pentium 166 system, but all the newer cases are about two inches wider, and barely do not fit... ugh.
As wonderful as that sounds, it seems as though the article linked to has gone down. After three attempts to load the page, I have come to the conclusion that the server was insufficient to carry the load requested by slashdot's linkage.
Now would be a great time for that server to use one of those spiffy cases mentioned in this article... With all that space and more blowholes, it would have been able to run bigger, better, and faster, and it would not be in the situation that it is now.
They should practice what they preach. (I say that as if I am not a hypocrite. Hah!)
I have never used Blogger. I have always used raw HTML to update my site. (It's my sig, so go see it. It's mine, not yours, so don't tell me it sucks.) To this end, I coined the word "weblogger." To weblogger is to update a site labeled as a weblog by adding an entry to it, whether through the raw code, PHP, etc... Adding a journal entry to a web journal. To weblogger. Too much webloggering in the world. No, not enough.
My weblog is filled with my thoughts on current issues, my life, those around me, etc. I think it's a nice, simple environment that you will either like for the information or hate for the lack of "stuff." I update it fairly often.
My weblog's purpose is to provide me with memories of the present as the past in the future. (That's a good quote!) So, to this end, I try to convey what I feel about anything as I feel it in order to provide myself with an accurate history of my life later.
So much has happened and so much has been said that I don't know what to think any more. On one hand, open everything is good. On the other, intellectual property is intellectual property. And to be quite frank, I'm getting tired of reading all the BS spewing back and forth from every person or company with a voice under the sun.
Creativity is not what counts on its own, but ingenuity and innovation and tradition along side it (to some degree(s)). Creativity and brand new ideas can be good in games, but sometimes a very new game idea fails miserably. Why? If it is too creative or too distinguishable from the norm, then no one will play it. This does not mean that the game failed because it sucked, but perhaps because people may not have been ready for such a change. Innovation in games, such as that which is being preached against here, is not a bad thing. Too much all at once is in the same manner that too much creativity is.
But oh, the traditional aspects of games - that's where it's at. Take Mario, spice him up a bit, change the character, throw in some innovative effects, some creative plotlines (but not too zany), and suddenly you've got Metroid. Or rewrite the engine, add some new enemies, take some away, use the same boring plot with a few interesting twists, and we've got the new and improved Mario 64 (which I hated actually - I prefer the Mario side-scrollers of old).
There are too many factors that go into making good games, and they cannot all be considered here, or not all by myself, anyway. Great games are going to be released, as are the not-so-great games. All I can do is wait for them!
Ah, games. I do not play many games these days. Most of them suck. They are either too easy, too hard, too childish, or too... not my type. What makes a game a good game to me? Gameplay. I would say there are three very important factors to consider: graphics, sound, and intrigue. Graphics and sound are obvious, I think. Intrigue refers to those other mysterious forces that really reel the gamers in: plot, character development, setting, etc. This can easily be dependent on graphics and sound, as well.
Difficulty is a very large part of this "intrigue" category. If a game is too easy, people will be done too quickly and not care for it. If it is too difficult and requires cheats, then people will likely complain about that. A game needs to be difficult, or somewhat puzzling, but not so much so that strategy guides or friendly tips are needed every few minutes.
A game like Perfect Dark is a good example. If played through the way Rare intended, one would start by going through on Agent [easy] mode. One would play the levels without much resistance and learn the controls and the settings. Then one would advance to the Special Agent [moderate] mode. The levels are slightly expanded and the difficulty is increased, but because of previous experience it is not too much to handle. Finally, one should give a go at Perfect Agent [expert] mode. Perfect Agent in Perfect Dark was incredibly difficult, but not so much that I needed any cheats, tips or tricks... I had just developed my skills, and through patience and determination, I was able to beat the game.
(On a side note, I would like to add that Perfect Dark is the only game that I have ever beaten all the way through without any cheats or tips or guides - all others I have had some form of outside help. Yes, even Mario, but that was years ago. *dips head in shame*)
So you see where I am coming from. There is an innumerable supply of factors that can make a game more or less enjoyable, but just the right blend is required to put the game on my must-play list.
And again, good visual and sound effects are great, but not necessarily required. Think of it in terms of the United States government - checks and balances. The legislative, judicial, and executive branches work together and check up on each other to provide the most efficient government possible (arguably). Graphics, sound, and gameplay/intriguing factors work together in much the same way to make a game what it is.
Oh, it's not for acquiring the music, but in the way that we acquire it. So, let me get this straight. It's a crime to use software to combine zeroes and ones in such a manner that sound can be reproduced... It's a crime to use someone else's creation, the software, that does this, even though there were no laws existing previously saying that this was illegal.
Here in the United States, there is something called the ex post facto law...
Michael, you shouldn't have thrown that last part in there. Now all I see when I read this article is Mouse asking Neo if the machines really knew what tasty wheat tasted like.
Maybe they got it wrong...
Maybe that's why chicken tastes like so many other things...
So we can now patent the methods through which we fix things? Ya know, these patents can only go so far before we run out of things to patent... then what?
Dr. Robinson: Hmm. We may have miscalculated slightly. One 10000th of an inch never mattered anyway!
Computer: Warning! The Earth is now on course for instant combustion to take place in exactly 216,438 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 11 days, 12 minutes and 42 seconds!
Think about this. If you're a Christian, and you're cloned, what does that make your clone? A Christian, right? But what would God think when you're clone died and requested service from St. Peter? I see St. Peter now, dissing the clone, with a likely response being, "You're not on any of my lists."
Ignoring the religious side of things, cloning human beings is still unnatural. Now if we were to create bodies and use Albert Einstein's brain to see how he reacts to things in today's environment (and a new body, for that matter), then I might be a little more intrigued.
As for simple cloning of humans, I think it's the most pointless operation ever to grace scientific theory and thought. Worse than the atom bomb. No offense, Al.
Aside from the fact that it stimulates the economy and it is a great cure for over-population, war sucks. It is not necessary. It is perhaps the most wasteful activity, if I can call it that, that the human race particpates in.
I have a friend who likes to argue that war is necessary and inevitable. I like to argue that it is neither, but very probably considering machoism and miscommunication... blah blah blah... I don't like this subject.
Justin Timberlake was born Jan 31, 1981. 18 years old.
Josh "JC" Chasez was born Aug 8, 1976. 24 years old.
Joey Fatone was born Jan 28, 1977. 23 years old.
Lance Bass was born May 4, 1979. 21 years old.
Chris [long last name] was born October 1971. Okay so he's old.
Slashdot Mirror
See, there is good in the world.
Movements, maybe. Not an age.
As a college freshman and an Information Technology major (that's my plan, anyway), this topic and the ensuing conversation is a great help to me. I have long been interested in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, but I've never really known the specifics of the two. (I've never really bothered to look.)
Majoring in Information Technology, I get a more basic computer education that applies to the business world, but I'm not sure if that's all I want. Besides, I know all the basics. I've been looking for a major (or two or three) to add to Information Technology... Business Management is a good one for anyone to have, for that prepares you for and all but plants you in the business world. I've considered education, journalism, and philosophy and psychology, but the lattest two are the only that really interest me.
What's a college freshman to do? I'm just sticking to my classes, watching the technology world to make sure I'm not setting myself up for a field that won't exist, and, for the most part, just enjoying myself.
We should all just enjoy ourselves.
Either way, I'll stick to faster systems...
*snarf*
So what are they saying? Something "alive" was once on that rock? It looks to me like someone's throwing shit at us. They know we're here. That was a warning shot. Who knows how long before the next one?
Beware the depths of the unknown...
How can they get away with this? And for you lawyers out there, what are some ways that someone can put a stop to this? I would really like to know.
Although I am slightly biased toward the free internet side of things, I wouldn't mind seeing the RIAA come out on top of this perpetual battle, IF THE TRUTH IS ON THEIR SIDE. Of course, the same goes for Napster, and at the moment the truth seems to be on their side...
...it's all an illusion...
Good point.
So it goes...
Now would be a great time for that server to use one of those spiffy cases mentioned in this article... With all that space and more blowholes, it would have been able to run bigger, better, and faster, and it would not be in the situation that it is now.
They should practice what they preach. (I say that as if I am not a hypocrite. Hah!)
Next!
(When will they learn?)
My weblog is filled with my thoughts on current issues, my life, those around me, etc. I think it's a nice, simple environment that you will either like for the information or hate for the lack of "stuff." I update it fairly often.
My weblog's purpose is to provide me with memories of the present as the past in the future. (That's a good quote!) So, to this end, I try to convey what I feel about anything as I feel it in order to provide myself with an accurate history of my life later.
Thoughts? Click the link below, and email me.
Didn't Incubus name track ten on their "Make Yourself" album something similar Battlestar Galactica? It's amazing how far the influences go.
Where's Pink Floyd when I need them?
But oh, the traditional aspects of games - that's where it's at. Take Mario, spice him up a bit, change the character, throw in some innovative effects, some creative plotlines (but not too zany), and suddenly you've got Metroid. Or rewrite the engine, add some new enemies, take some away, use the same boring plot with a few interesting twists, and we've got the new and improved Mario 64 (which I hated actually - I prefer the Mario side-scrollers of old).
There are too many factors that go into making good games, and they cannot all be considered here, or not all by myself, anyway. Great games are going to be released, as are the not-so-great games. All I can do is wait for them!
Difficulty is a very large part of this "intrigue" category. If a game is too easy, people will be done too quickly and not care for it. If it is too difficult and requires cheats, then people will likely complain about that. A game needs to be difficult, or somewhat puzzling, but not so much so that strategy guides or friendly tips are needed every few minutes.
A game like Perfect Dark is a good example. If played through the way Rare intended, one would start by going through on Agent [easy] mode. One would play the levels without much resistance and learn the controls and the settings. Then one would advance to the Special Agent [moderate] mode. The levels are slightly expanded and the difficulty is increased, but because of previous experience it is not too much to handle. Finally, one should give a go at Perfect Agent [expert] mode. Perfect Agent in Perfect Dark was incredibly difficult, but not so much that I needed any cheats, tips or tricks... I had just developed my skills, and through patience and determination, I was able to beat the game.
(On a side note, I would like to add that Perfect Dark is the only game that I have ever beaten all the way through without any cheats or tips or guides - all others I have had some form of outside help. Yes, even Mario, but that was years ago. *dips head in shame*)
So you see where I am coming from. There is an innumerable supply of factors that can make a game more or less enjoyable, but just the right blend is required to put the game on my must-play list.
And again, good visual and sound effects are great, but not necessarily required. Think of it in terms of the United States government - checks and balances. The legislative, judicial, and executive branches work together and check up on each other to provide the most efficient government possible (arguably). Graphics, sound, and gameplay/intriguing factors work together in much the same way to make a game what it is.
I have nearly always been in support of Microsoft, but that's a load of crap.
Oh, it's not for acquiring the music, but in the way that we acquire it. So, let me get this straight. It's a crime to use software to combine zeroes and ones in such a manner that sound can be reproduced... It's a crime to use someone else's creation, the software, that does this, even though there were no laws existing previously saying that this was illegal.
Here in the United States, there is something called the ex post facto law...
Maybe they got it wrong...
Maybe that's why chicken tastes like so many other things...
So we can now patent the methods through which we fix things? Ya know, these patents can only go so far before we run out of things to patent... then what?
Computer: Warning! The Earth is now on course for instant combustion to take place in exactly 216,438 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 11 days, 12 minutes and 42 seconds!
Dr. Robinson: DAMN!
Ignoring the religious side of things, cloning human beings is still unnatural. Now if we were to create bodies and use Albert Einstein's brain to see how he reacts to things in today's environment (and a new body, for that matter), then I might be a little more intrigued.
As for simple cloning of humans, I think it's the most pointless operation ever to grace scientific theory and thought. Worse than the atom bomb. No offense, Al.
I have a friend who likes to argue that war is necessary and inevitable. I like to argue that it is neither, but very probably considering machoism and miscommunication... blah blah blah... I don't like this subject.
I want some cheese.
Josh "JC" Chasez was born Aug 8, 1976. 24 years old.
Joey Fatone was born Jan 28, 1977. 23 years old.
Lance Bass was born May 4, 1979. 21 years old.
Chris [long last name] was born October 1971. Okay so he's old.
Either way, none of them are thirty years old.