I'm sorry, but there is nothing special about this news story. This happens all the time. Just last winter (1999-2000) I had a job at the local Toys'R'Us. At the end of the holiday season I was fired, but it was never made clear to me until I asked about it. They simply stopped giving me hours to work.
So... basically... you're telling me that I could have a slashdot story if I wrote about that? I don't think so. I think we all know where slashdot like's their news articles to come from..... (Well maybe not, but it sounded good at first.)
Mention freedom in relation to file-sharing and Napster, and 300 comments are to follow. Mention freedom in relation to file-sharing and patriotism, and 700 comments are to follow.
Maybe our heads are on straight after all. I just wanted to comment that I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of intelligence I've discovered reading [most] of the comments under this article. Keep it up, guys.
As for my opinion, I'm also a bit worried about our increasing tendency to censor that which takes away from the big businesses. Remember, this government was created by the people for the people, not for big business. Someone in charge needs to get that through some important skulls...
However, my next laptop will very likely have a Celeron processor in it. Then again, my current one has an AMD K6-2 300, and I've never had a problem with any chip...so who knows?
I also submitted this article, so I can't really think of much to say that wouldn't be duplicating the thoughts of he who's submission was not rejected. I guess I can just direct you to my site, or more specifically to the page on my site dedicated to the seemingly endless Napster Debate.
Censoring one offensive item and not another is very similar to censorship of some racist remarks but not others.
I know that I'm asking for it, but believe me, I'm not a racist. I honestly don't care what color anyone's skin is... if they treat me well, I'll treat them well, and I hope for vice versa. But tell me something... Why is it that Reverend Jesse Jackson, supposedly the blacks spiritual leader, can use ethnic slurs and racist remarks when addressing other cultures, but anytime any whites (or any non-whites, for that matter) use the n-word, he goes on a rampage? And furthermore, why is it so horrible for whites to use the word when blacks use the word?
And so I'm not just using blacks as an example, the same goes for any whites or orientals or any others that may use cultural slang against others. I'll end this with a George Carlin quote: "It's not the words that are bad; it's the racist using them."
I know this is slightly off-topic, but it does relate, and it is an argument worth discussion. Does anyone care to try to turn this into a/. article? I can promise some long conversations.:-)
They can't even finish paving the main street in my hometown to the Interstate highway, a two-year project that's been "pending" since 1993. Then again, this isn't the United States or a state's government we're talking about... Maybe, finances supporting, they won't slack off for 2-pi years.
And on the financial issue, wouldn't Alaska/U.S. be inclined to help out with this rail a bit? Sure it's their idea, but imagining the good it could bring to Alaska, I would imagine that the U.S. would be coughing up quite a bit of cash too. Just a thought. And it still doesn't explain where all the cash is going to come from.
I'd just feel bad for the construction workers... It's cold. It's wet. It's underwater. Ick.
"7.1.2 post or transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, indecent, profane, hateful, bigoted or otherwise objectionable information of any kind, including without limitation any transmissions, constituting or encouraging, conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, national or international law, including without limitation U.S. export control laws and regulations..."
Um, so in other words, you can't do a damn thing without potential intervention from the men in black (or whatever color the Spring boys wear). Or more exactly, you can do exactly nothing and still have them show up at your door. Sprint's invented a time machine and taken us to 1984...
In section 9.5:
"...SPRINT, ITS AFFILIATES OR ITS SUBCONTRACTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SERVICES OR TO ACCESS THE INTERNET..."
That basically means Sprint isn't responsible... for anything. So much for tech support.
"It's interesting to note that open source projects are way ahead of AOL in developing a full featured AIM client for GNU/Linux."
Perhaps it is also interesting to note that this could mean the beginning of the end for monopolies (or semi-monopolies, or whatever the hell Microsoft and AOL are). In a time in which open-source is continually pushed and bettered while huge companies like Microsoft and AOL sit on their ass because the competition just isn't there, it's only a matter of time before that which keeps both of the companies alive is compromised by the free programming movement. All, in favor?!
(On the other hand, watching Microsoft and/or AOL die might not be a good thing. As much as they own, they are somewhat of a backbone for an industry... gradual steps must be taken in any case.)
Hah! Always count on the Simpsons to have a situation to relate to any story! I could challenge someone to relate at least one Simpsons scene to every/. article... that could get interesting.
Homer's brain: Use reverse psychology. Homer: Oh, that sounds too complicated. Homer's brain: Okay, don't use reverse psychology. Homer: Okay, I will!
Then again, relating the Simpsons to every/. article could get old...
For more of Homer and his infinite wisdom, go here. And here. And especially here.
"I get 3250 miles to the gallon on this hog... traded it for the wagon."
As long as it takes for trips to Jupiter and Saturn, I'm beginning to realize that I will never see the day that a human walks on any of either planet's moons (39 between them, right?). Landing on the moon was great, but that was before my time. No one's walked on Mars yet, so hopefully I'll see that. No one will ever walk on Jupiter, I realize this. Com'on NASA, all I want for Christmas is to hear about some John Smith walking on the moon... yeah that moon about 200 million miles away. Talk about a leap for mankind...
What exactly is accomplished with a planet "flyby" anyway?
... "that can put out such a powerful burst of radio-frequency energy it will destroy or disable electrical and electronic systems for miles around without killing anyone."
I hope no one thinks I'm crazy for saying this, but if electrical and electronic systems are disabled for miles around, who are they to say that it won't kill anyone? People use machines frequently every day, and some are big, fast, or some other adjective that could potentially compromise the health of anyone nearby in case of a sudden disabling. Perhaps, then, they only meant to say that they *can* do it without killing anyone. This doesn't mean that the positions the people are in when they activate the charge won't compromise themselves. I guess they didn't care to include that detail.
Personally, I think it would be a better idea to attempt to tap the resources of those "heavenly bodies" we're a little more familiar with (and no, I'm not talking about Victoria Secret models, though I would love tapping those resources). I'm talking about Mars, Venus, or even our own moon. I don't see how we can gain much on any single planet if we're spreading out so much. We need to focus on a single goal and shoot for it. Spreading our focus means we give a minimum effort for each, providing much less room for error and much less expectation for great success.
Such is the way in which our government likes to work...
"Let all acquaintance be forgot...."
What the hell? Forget your friends for the new year? What a load of crap! Enjoy your new year, be safe, and remember the people that are there for you and made you who you are and put you where you are! Ignore that stupid tradional song and enjoy life.
And I'm off to play Super Mario World...
I don't know one way or the other myself, but my father is a government worker and was really involved in the Y2K cleanup of a little over a year ago. So many people in January of this year pitched such a fit because "the Y2k bug turned out to be a Y2k dud." Let me tell you something... had such an effort to fix the problem before it came a problem not been made, the Y2k bug had the potential to wipe out entire economies. I won't pretend that I have numbers and statements to back this up, but I'd be willing to bet the farm and anything else not worth betting that the only reason the Y2k bug turned out to be a dud was the hard work put into fixing it. You people complaining about wasted attempts to fix a non-problem are, well, stupid.
<gump>And that's all I have to say about that.</gump>
Speaking of futurism, imagine the futures being imagined back in the 16th and 17th centuries when some of the early modern technological discoveries were made. The discovery of gravity (not technology, but still), the microscope, pasteurization, etc. Healthcare took giant leaps in the 1600s, I would say leaps just as significant as those taken in this past century. And something to think about: no matter how far we progress ourselves, we will always introduce newer, greater challenges, and that which was previously accomplished and acquired will always be taken for granted eventually. As this progressions continues, our perpetual views of the future will expand, become greater in number, combine, and separate. With so many more options to choose from, the future can be seen from a nearly infinite number of angles.
One promise I can make for you... it will all come to the same end.
You know what they say... or maybe you don't. Actually, I can't think of it either. But something progressing exactly the way it was planned is nearly impossible today, especially with so many parties involved. I agree that this is a royal mess, and in it I see very many opportunities for disaster.
eBay, don't take this the wrong way, but quit being a Microsoft. You're not big and powerful enough to get everything just the way you want it. The people out number you far too greatly for you to control their actions revolving around your services. I think eBay's just jealous. The people making sales through eBay but not using eBay's service are making money directly and selling items more cheaply than they would leaving the item on an auction for six days... eBay wants their cut. Sounds like a Microsoft way of thinking to me, wanting their cut of just about every major market on the planet. Most notably right now, the console gaming market.
Oh, and so you know, I've never had a problem with Microsoft. I've never disagreed with their "questionable" methods of business. However, I will not be buying an Xbox. No, I shall be getting a GameCube... Just to clarify the parallelism of Microsoft and eBay...
I would like someone to tell me exactly how that post was redundant. I understood when I pressed the "submit" button that there was a good chance someone would take it down to zero, but for redundancy? You've got to be kidding! And really, who holds the patent for patents? Who invented the patent?! It's a legitimate question!
"Is it just me, or my g-g-g-generation, or does new music really suck? What are you listening to?"
I'm under the impression that new music never sucks. Music always changes and your tastes never change that much from what you were initially introduced to. Right? Well, not necessarily, but for the sake of argument, let's just say that our tastes don't stray *too* much. Despite the fact that the music "sucks" in your opinion, people have to understand that music caters to the changing of the times and the evolution of musical taste. I'll admit that modern rock pissed me off in the early nineties. I grew up in the late eighties and I loved Def Leppard, Don Henley, New Kids On The Block *dips head in shame*... Then my dad got me into seventies rock. And wow, it still kicks ass. In the last year or two, I've gotten into modern rock such as Metallica, Creed, and lesser known bands like Dust For Life and American Pearl. 95% of the people in this country probably thing American Pearl sucks. I love them. Sorry... that's the way things go.
What's my point? My point is that music is about individualism. It isn't about pleasing everyone that hears it. So what if 75% of Americans hate Britney's music. If even one tenth of that other 25% buy one of her albums, that's about 6 million record sales. And by today's standards, that doesn't suck. In conclusion, we should not decide what music sucks and what doesn't popularly. I say, if music is good enough to make it to the mainstream, even if only for a moment, then it doesn't suck.
Then there's all the factors of why this band or that song or this genre... sucks. It's a bunch of crap. Music only sucks when individuals don't want to hear it. But just because Bing Crosby sucks by today's standards, does that mean his music sucks? No. It's his creation. It's his art. (arguably) And that can be said about all musicians and their music. It doesn't have to conform to anything, and you don't have to listen to anything you don't want to.
So those of you complaining about music that sucks so horribly, why don't you stop your bitching and go out and listen to something you like. (or make your own?)
So these are the top fifteen most influential games of all time? Okay, top twenty-five even, including the ten runners-up. I find it hard to believe that they could pick a set of twenty-five games that I have never played... But, I guess that means I haven't played the influential ones - just the ones based on that influence. (Sim City 3000, for example.) Half-Life is a game that I've wanted for two years now, but I just haven't had the money or the urge to buy it when I've been given the chance. I guess it doesn't help that I'm not much of a PC gamer.:-) Oh well. Excellent list, and a fun article to read.
Now I want to see the top fifteen console games of all time. Super Mario Bros., anyone?
"An example of chip talk from the Pentium 4 press release: "The Rapid Execution Engine allows frequently used Arithmetic Logic Unit instructions to be executed at double the core clock." Hey, thanks." (full article)
Hey, I like this guy. I also like this guy's article. Not only is he to the point, but he's honest and shows no [obvious] bias towards any chipmakers. He dishes out the facts and avoids the computer jargon that 90% of humans wouldn't understand. In other words, he makes it easier for me to explain all of this to my dad, by providing the simple translation that I could otherwise never come up with.
As for the difference in chips' speeds, I expected that a chip would eventually be slower than its predecessor sooner or later. Sometimes we need to take a few steps back in order to really move forward. (Maybe that's what Windows ME is all about... I use it, I would know.)
Most of the "smart" geeks know that there is more to computer speed than just clock speed - RAM, cache, blah blah blah. I'm not going to pretend that I know everything about that. But given all the numbers, I know what makes one system better than another... for my purposes.
I think I speak for a fairly large portion of the/. population when I ask, "Who really reads those things anyway?" I guess this is evidence that perhaps we should at least skim through... Maybe. Sometimes. Or just doin't use Page Creators' service...
I don't feel like running two OS's on this machine. I had a hard enough time getting it working again. Thanks though. I have run Linux and Windows on other machines before...:-)
Slashdot Mirror
So... basically... you're telling me that I could have a slashdot story if I wrote about that? I don't think so. I think we all know where slashdot like's their news articles to come from..... (Well maybe not, but it sounded good at first.)
Mention freedom in relation to file-sharing and patriotism, and 700 comments are to follow.
Maybe our heads are on straight after all. I just wanted to comment that I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of intelligence I've discovered reading [most] of the comments under this article. Keep it up, guys.
As for my opinion, I'm also a bit worried about our increasing tendency to censor that which takes away from the big businesses. Remember, this government was created by the people for the people, not for big business. Someone in charge needs to get that through some important skulls...
However, my next laptop will very likely have a Celeron processor in it. Then again, my current one has an AMD K6-2 300, and I've never had a problem with any chip...so who knows?
I also submitted this article, so I can't really think of much to say that wouldn't be duplicating the thoughts of he who's submission was not rejected. I guess I can just direct you to my site, or more specifically to the page on my site dedicated to the seemingly endless Napster Debate.
I know that I'm asking for it, but believe me, I'm not a racist. I honestly don't care what color anyone's skin is... if they treat me well, I'll treat them well, and I hope for vice versa. But tell me something... Why is it that Reverend Jesse Jackson, supposedly the blacks spiritual leader, can use ethnic slurs and racist remarks when addressing other cultures, but anytime any whites (or any non-whites, for that matter) use the n-word, he goes on a rampage? And furthermore, why is it so horrible for whites to use the word when blacks use the word?
And so I'm not just using blacks as an example, the same goes for any whites or orientals or any others that may use cultural slang against others. I'll end this with a George Carlin quote: "It's not the words that are bad; it's the racist using them."
I know this is slightly off-topic, but it does relate, and it is an argument worth discussion. Does anyone care to try to turn this into a /. article? I can promise some long conversations. :-)
And on the financial issue, wouldn't Alaska/U.S. be inclined to help out with this rail a bit? Sure it's their idea, but imagining the good it could bring to Alaska, I would imagine that the U.S. would be coughing up quite a bit of cash too. Just a thought. And it still doesn't explain where all the cash is going to come from.
I'd just feel bad for the construction workers... It's cold. It's wet. It's underwater. Ick.
Ehh, I didn't include enough detail with that second part. So nevermind that. Heh.
Oooh, my favorite part:
"7.1.2 post or transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, indecent, profane, hateful, bigoted or otherwise objectionable information of any kind, including without limitation any transmissions, constituting or encouraging, conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, national or international law, including without limitation U.S. export control laws and regulations..."
Um, so in other words, you can't do a damn thing without potential intervention from the men in black (or whatever color the Spring boys wear). Or more exactly, you can do exactly nothing and still have them show up at your door. Sprint's invented a time machine and taken us to 1984...
In section 9.5:
"...SPRINT, ITS AFFILIATES OR ITS SUBCONTRACTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SERVICES OR TO ACCESS THE INTERNET..."
That basically means Sprint isn't responsible... for anything. So much for tech support.
Perhaps it is also interesting to note that this could mean the beginning of the end for monopolies (or semi-monopolies, or whatever the hell Microsoft and AOL are). In a time in which open-source is continually pushed and bettered while huge companies like Microsoft and AOL sit on their ass because the competition just isn't there, it's only a matter of time before that which keeps both of the companies alive is compromised by the free programming movement. All, in favor?!
(On the other hand, watching Microsoft and/or AOL die might not be a good thing. As much as they own, they are somewhat of a backbone for an industry... gradual steps must be taken in any case.)
Homer's brain: Use reverse psychology.
Homer: Oh, that sounds too complicated.
Homer's brain: Okay, don't use reverse psychology.
Homer: Okay, I will!
Then again, relating the Simpsons to every /. article could get old...
For more of Homer and his infinite wisdom, go here. And here. And especially here.
As long as it takes for trips to Jupiter and Saturn, I'm beginning to realize that I will never see the day that a human walks on any of either planet's moons (39 between them, right?). Landing on the moon was great, but that was before my time. No one's walked on Mars yet, so hopefully I'll see that. No one will ever walk on Jupiter, I realize this. Com'on NASA, all I want for Christmas is to hear about some John Smith walking on the moon ... yeah that moon about 200 million miles away. Talk about a leap for mankind...
What exactly is accomplished with a planet "flyby" anyway?
I hope no one thinks I'm crazy for saying this, but if electrical and electronic systems are disabled for miles around, who are they to say that it won't kill anyone? People use machines frequently every day, and some are big, fast, or some other adjective that could potentially compromise the health of anyone nearby in case of a sudden disabling. Perhaps, then, they only meant to say that they *can* do it without killing anyone. This doesn't mean that the positions the people are in when they activate the charge won't compromise themselves. I guess they didn't care to include that detail.
Such is the way in which our government likes to work...
"Let all acquaintance be forgot...." What the hell? Forget your friends for the new year? What a load of crap! Enjoy your new year, be safe, and remember the people that are there for you and made you who you are and put you where you are! Ignore that stupid tradional song and enjoy life. And I'm off to play Super Mario World...
Um, 0:00 GMT is 15 minutes away.
<gump>And that's all I have to say about that.</gump>
One promise I can make for you... it will all come to the same end.
You know what they say... or maybe you don't. Actually, I can't think of it either. But something progressing exactly the way it was planned is nearly impossible today, especially with so many parties involved. I agree that this is a royal mess, and in it I see very many opportunities for disaster.
eBay, don't take this the wrong way, but quit being a Microsoft. You're not big and powerful enough to get everything just the way you want it. The people out number you far too greatly for you to control their actions revolving around your services. I think eBay's just jealous. The people making sales through eBay but not using eBay's service are making money directly and selling items more cheaply than they would leaving the item on an auction for six days... eBay wants their cut. Sounds like a Microsoft way of thinking to me, wanting their cut of just about every major market on the planet. Most notably right now, the console gaming market. Oh, and so you know, I've never had a problem with Microsoft. I've never disagreed with their "questionable" methods of business. However, I will not be buying an Xbox. No, I shall be getting a GameCube... Just to clarify the parallelism of Microsoft and eBay...
I would like someone to tell me exactly how that post was redundant. I understood when I pressed the "submit" button that there was a good chance someone would take it down to zero, but for redundancy? You've got to be kidding! And really, who holds the patent for patents? Who invented the patent?! It's a legitimate question!
I'm under the impression that new music never sucks. Music always changes and your tastes never change that much from what you were initially introduced to. Right? Well, not necessarily, but for the sake of argument, let's just say that our tastes don't stray *too* much. Despite the fact that the music "sucks" in your opinion, people have to understand that music caters to the changing of the times and the evolution of musical taste. I'll admit that modern rock pissed me off in the early nineties. I grew up in the late eighties and I loved Def Leppard, Don Henley, New Kids On The Block *dips head in shame* ... Then my dad got me into seventies rock. And wow, it still kicks ass. In the last year or two, I've gotten into modern rock such as Metallica, Creed, and lesser known bands like Dust For Life and American Pearl. 95% of the people in this country probably thing American Pearl sucks. I love them. Sorry... that's the way things go.
What's my point? My point is that music is about individualism. It isn't about pleasing everyone that hears it. So what if 75% of Americans hate Britney's music. If even one tenth of that other 25% buy one of her albums, that's about 6 million record sales. And by today's standards, that doesn't suck. In conclusion, we should not decide what music sucks and what doesn't popularly. I say, if music is good enough to make it to the mainstream, even if only for a moment, then it doesn't suck.
Then there's all the factors of why this band or that song or this genre ... sucks. It's a bunch of crap. Music only sucks when individuals don't want to hear it. But just because Bing Crosby sucks by today's standards, does that mean his music sucks? No. It's his creation. It's his art. (arguably) And that can be said about all musicians and their music. It doesn't have to conform to anything, and you don't have to listen to anything you don't want to.
So those of you complaining about music that sucks so horribly, why don't you stop your bitching and go out and listen to something you like. (or make your own?)
Now I want to see the top fifteen console games of all time. Super Mario Bros., anyone?
Hey, I like this guy. I also like this guy's article. Not only is he to the point, but he's honest and shows no [obvious] bias towards any chipmakers. He dishes out the facts and avoids the computer jargon that 90% of humans wouldn't understand. In other words, he makes it easier for me to explain all of this to my dad, by providing the simple translation that I could otherwise never come up with.
As for the difference in chips' speeds, I expected that a chip would eventually be slower than its predecessor sooner or later. Sometimes we need to take a few steps back in order to really move forward. (Maybe that's what Windows ME is all about... I use it, I would know.)
Most of the "smart" geeks know that there is more to computer speed than just clock speed - RAM, cache, blah blah blah. I'm not going to pretend that I know everything about that. But given all the numbers, I know what makes one system better than another ... for my purposes.
I think I speak for a fairly large portion of the /. population when I ask, "Who really reads those things anyway?" I guess this is evidence that perhaps we should at least skim through... Maybe. Sometimes. Or just doin't use Page Creators' service...
I don't feel like running two OS's on this machine. I had a hard enough time getting it working again. Thanks though. I have run Linux and Windows on other machines before... :-)