Wow, that's about as enlightening as saying bars and nightclubs lead to more casual sex. People socializing more, and it leads to sex? No shit. Doesn't really matter how the contact is made, does it?
I would propose a counter-argument: By giving teens responsibility (and consequences) in getting themselves ready and to school on-time, you speed up their maturation because if they do not get to school on-time, well, there are... wait for it... consequences.
Teach kids responsibility, and don't treat teenagers like toddlers. It's bad enough that many adults today don't even know what personal responsibility means, let's not raise a whole new generation of even less-responsible adults. All you have to do is look at the 'blame game'. Every time something bad happens, the first thing many so-called 'adults' do is try to find someone or something else to blame. Wreck your car; sue the car manufacturer. Burn your lips on hot coffee; sue the restaurant. Someone says something you don't like or agree with; sue them for libel. I could go on and on...
Today it's all about blaming someone or something else when something doesn't turn out the way you think it should, rather than taking personal responsibility for your own actions or mistakes. We all make mistakes and it's the fool who does not learn from them.
And yes, I have kids, two in fact. I treat them with respect and let them make most of their own decisions. They are responsible young adults and do not need to be supervised 24/7. I was home alone quite a lot during my childhood, but my parents taught me responsibility. I have done the same with my kids. I have a very successful career and still have all my fingers and toes, shocking as it may sound.
Funny, when I read parent's post I immediately thought of XP mode in Windows 7. However, I get the feeling the response would be different without the Reality Distortion Field...
I do believe that MS got one major thing wrong with XP mode, in that they include it only in the non-consumer versions of the OS. It should be available in any flavor of Win7. I do appreciate that they recently removed the hardware requirement for virtualization. This could at least help those with crippled Intel CPU's that do not support hardware virtualization.
Intel deserves some blame here, since they market chips with the same model number, but different features... they did this in several Core 2 models although I am not sure if this has continued with Core i3-5-7. I surely hope not.
Hard drives: so unreliable, when tapes are a much better option in most cases...
Seriously, tapes are proven at least an order of magnitude more reliable than spinning disks. Why would you backup something likely to fail with exactly the same device that is just as likely to fail?
Sure, hard drives are cheap, but backup should not be chosen based solely on cost. You have to consider longevity, reliability and readability of the backup medium. Sure, you could replace those hard disks every year to try and beat the odds of a failed disk, but hard disks are just as likely to die on day two as day two-thousand. Why take the chance?
I wasn't commenting on the PSPgo, you are correct there. However, I don't really consider game consoles relevant because they ALL use some form of proprietary locked-down media format for commercially released games. That's not likely to change either.
A few key points about non-console Sony products:
- Blu-Ray disc; say what you want about open-ness, but it IS a standard. - New cameras will use SDHC cards, not memory stick. - They dropped the proprietary ATRAC and mini-disc formats a couple years ago. - UMD discs were dropped from the PSPgo.
The move to SDHC in mass-market cameras is quite significant, as it implies they are finally preparing to move beyond their own memory stick format. That's where the volume is and where they could make a significant amount of money selling proprietary memory stick media.
Re:Oh great, Sony
on
I Want My GTV
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
2005 called and wants it's memory back.
You do realize that Sony has been moving _away_ from proprietary formats for the last couple years? Honestly, Sony bashing on/. has become almost as much of an art as Apple and MS bashing.
Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, removing a bad DRM from a game X weeks after release is at least an improvement over not removing it at all. Maybe it gives the publisher a warm fuzzy feeling that they are fighting piracy at release. Although we all know the reality that the game is often cracked within hours of release and in some cases it's cracked before release.
But from a customer perspective, I still feel like I'm getting screwed by the publisher if I go out and buy a new game shortly after release. Consider the following questions:
1. If I wait X weeks until they remove the DRM, why should I _need_ to patch my game to remove the DRM. 2. Why is the DRM even there to begin with? Does it really do any good? 3. Referring to question 1, how many Joe Sixpack's patch their games at all, unless the game goes online and checks routinely? 4. Why am I buying intentionally defective goods? 5. How much extra cost goes into implementing, testing and supporting the DRM? This number has got to be huge for the publishers. Not to mention the licensing cost the publisher has to pay to the DRM licensor.
On principle, I am still strongly against invasive DRM. Assassin's Creed 2 and future Ubisoft titles are on my do-not-buy list thanks to their draconian, invasive DRM. I will not download cracked versions of these games either, I will just not play them. Until the publishers wise up and realize they are only shooting themselves in the foot, I will not buy their games. Here is my list of unacceptable practices:
- game requires activation over the internet - single-player and non-online games that require an internet connection to run - games that can only save to online game servers operated by the publisher - games that cannot be played in 5 years because they depend on some online service/server that has been taken offline by the publisher - games that limit the number of installations - games that check their activation status periodically - games that cannot be installed to more than one PC (not equal to running them at the same time) - games that are locked-down to the hardware signature on which they were originally installed - installs any hidden services, software or devices in my system with or without my explicit authorization (this includes Starforce and SecuROM)
My list of acceptable practices:
- basic disc checks, or - Steam-like content delivery services, which can be used in offline mode, do not limit number of installs and do not require an internet connection except during installation, etc.
However, combining the above 2 practices is unacceptable. There are probably few if any new commercial games anymore that meet my requirements. Have I bought games which violate some of my unacceptable practices; Yes, unfortunately. I'm afraid there is no easy answer or solution to the problem.
- What if your car is disabled as you are going through a railroad crossing? And there is a train coming... - What if your car is disabled and you get into an car accident, and the doors are remotely locked? How do you get out of the car? - What happens if the system itself fails or malfunctions? - What if someone hacks the system? (TFA gives a good example here)
I could go on and on. This type of system is wide open for abuse and the risks are very high and very real. No way I would buy a car with one of these systems installed. It's literally a ticking time-bomb. Not to mention if the system is anything less than 100% reliable there could be very serious implications. Yes, even a 0.001% failure rate is far too high with this kind of system, where human lives are at stake in a moving vehicle. Even in a legitimate use case, the person pushing the disable button has no freaking clue of the environment and circumstances around the vehicle. Pedestrians, other traffic, etc. This is just such a bad idea gone wrong on so many levels...
Seriously, the problem with statistics is that they can be manipulated to mean whatever the presenter wants. Taken out of context, which is how a lot of statistics are presented, enhances the problem. I wouldn't trust any statistic unless I can examine the data behind it.
Statistics are not inherently bad, but I think they are over-used in many areas and often present a purposefully distorted view of something. Statistics do not address causality.
Good idea, but if I remember correctly, Scientology doesn't like to talk about itself to the general public. Followers tend to be fairly secretive. Any time someone tries to talk about the "church" to the general public, that person is painted as a liar and worse by this so-called church.
Scientology does not like public scrutiny of any kind. As far as I'm concerned it is no more than a cult.
As long as big-business and the media companies control the politicians of both parties through lobbyists and "campaign contributions" (graft, anyone?), nothing is likely to change. Reform the system so politicians cannot benefit directly these organizations, and the system will likely repair itself. As long as graft and bribery are permitted, the politicians will continue to tow the line. Entities should not be allowed to influence politics directly.
Replace the antiquated system. Taxis should only ever be either a metered service paid according to the time/distance it takes to get from A to B, or a fixed pre-determined price. Zone-based systems and higher rates which the driver can tack on indiscriminately are begging for abuse. The only extra fees allowed should be for extra passengers (clearly shown on the meter), tolls and the like.
Here in Finland all taxis are metered, extras are clearly shown on the meter and I can see the meter at all times. There is only one metered rate. It would be very difficult to abuse the system although it's probably possible. Of course a metered system cannot prevent a taxi driver taking a longer route, but that does not seem to be an issue with NY taxis according to TFA. If you pay attention, you should know if the driver is taking a longer route. Know the route, Google maps is your friend.
Because everyone voting in an election would be in prison on Federal "electing a fucking moron" charges? Do the words elected official and intelligence even belong in the same sentence? Kind of like military intelligence. Or jumbo shrimp. What was I saying again...?
Another standing ovation here. Glad to see the MEP's using some of the power they gained in the Lisbon treaty. ACTA is far from over yet, but at least the MEP's are not letting the media companies steamroll them like the politicians in the US.
Citizens of the EU, let your MEP's know you support them in this and get your voices heard.
The root problem with 3-strikes is that it is typically used against you before you have been proven guilty in a court of law. You merely need to be accused of violating copyright, and the ISP can shut off your access to the internet. There is no burden of proof on the part of the media companies. The whole innocent until proven guilty thing is thrown out the window and there is no due process.
Combine that with the track record of the media companies actually getting valid evidence of real copyright violation and it's a recipe for disaster.
We can all hope, but frankly there is no sign of change on the horizon just yet. The 2 party system is seriously f'ed up and until that is fixed, well... not much will change.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow, that's about as enlightening as saying bars and nightclubs lead to more casual sex. People socializing more, and it leads to sex? No shit. Doesn't really matter how the contact is made, does it?
You can thank the corn lobby. There is a reason why HFCS is used in practically everything consumed in the US.
And neither of those are particularly good things.
Holy crap, flying manatees? What else have we got to prepare for in the future when this GPS thing goes into service by the FAA?
I would propose a counter-argument: By giving teens responsibility (and consequences) in getting themselves ready and to school on-time, you speed up their maturation because if they do not get to school on-time, well, there are... wait for it... consequences.
Teach kids responsibility, and don't treat teenagers like toddlers. It's bad enough that many adults today don't even know what personal responsibility means, let's not raise a whole new generation of even less-responsible adults. All you have to do is look at the 'blame game'. Every time something bad happens, the first thing many so-called 'adults' do is try to find someone or something else to blame. Wreck your car; sue the car manufacturer. Burn your lips on hot coffee; sue the restaurant. Someone says something you don't like or agree with; sue them for libel. I could go on and on...
Today it's all about blaming someone or something else when something doesn't turn out the way you think it should, rather than taking personal responsibility for your own actions or mistakes. We all make mistakes and it's the fool who does not learn from them.
And yes, I have kids, two in fact. I treat them with respect and let them make most of their own decisions. They are responsible young adults and do not need to be supervised 24/7. I was home alone quite a lot during my childhood, but my parents taught me responsibility. I have done the same with my kids. I have a very successful career and still have all my fingers and toes, shocking as it may sound.
Funny, when I read parent's post I immediately thought of XP mode in Windows 7. However, I get the feeling the response would be different without the Reality Distortion Field...
I do believe that MS got one major thing wrong with XP mode, in that they include it only in the non-consumer versions of the OS. It should be available in any flavor of Win7. I do appreciate that they recently removed the hardware requirement for virtualization. This could at least help those with crippled Intel CPU's that do not support hardware virtualization.
Intel deserves some blame here, since they market chips with the same model number, but different features... they did this in several Core 2 models although I am not sure if this has continued with Core i3-5-7. I surely hope not.
Hard drives: so unreliable, when tapes are a much better option in most cases...
Seriously, tapes are proven at least an order of magnitude more reliable than spinning disks. Why would you backup something likely to fail with exactly the same device that is just as likely to fail?
Sure, hard drives are cheap, but backup should not be chosen based solely on cost. You have to consider longevity, reliability and readability of the backup medium. Sure, you could replace those hard disks every year to try and beat the odds of a failed disk, but hard disks are just as likely to die on day two as day two-thousand. Why take the chance?
I wasn't commenting on the PSPgo, you are correct there. However, I don't really consider game consoles relevant because they ALL use some form of proprietary locked-down media format for commercially released games. That's not likely to change either.
A few key points about non-console Sony products:
- Blu-Ray disc; say what you want about open-ness, but it IS a standard.
- New cameras will use SDHC cards, not memory stick.
- They dropped the proprietary ATRAC and mini-disc formats a couple years ago.
- UMD discs were dropped from the PSPgo.
The move to SDHC in mass-market cameras is quite significant, as it implies they are finally preparing to move beyond their own memory stick format. That's where the volume is and where they could make a significant amount of money selling proprietary memory stick media.
2005 called and wants it's memory back.
You do realize that Sony has been moving _away_ from proprietary formats for the last couple years? Honestly, Sony bashing on /. has become almost as much of an art as Apple and MS bashing.
I agree totally and have donated one of my mod points to your cause!
Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, removing a bad DRM from a game X weeks after release is at least an improvement over not removing it at all. Maybe it gives the publisher a warm fuzzy feeling that they are fighting piracy at release. Although we all know the reality that the game is often cracked within hours of release and in some cases it's cracked before release.
But from a customer perspective, I still feel like I'm getting screwed by the publisher if I go out and buy a new game shortly after release. Consider the following questions:
1. If I wait X weeks until they remove the DRM, why should I _need_ to patch my game to remove the DRM.
2. Why is the DRM even there to begin with? Does it really do any good?
3. Referring to question 1, how many Joe Sixpack's patch their games at all, unless the game goes online and checks routinely?
4. Why am I buying intentionally defective goods?
5. How much extra cost goes into implementing, testing and supporting the DRM? This number has got to be huge for the publishers. Not to mention the licensing cost the publisher has to pay to the DRM licensor.
On principle, I am still strongly against invasive DRM. Assassin's Creed 2 and future Ubisoft titles are on my do-not-buy list thanks to their draconian, invasive DRM. I will not download cracked versions of these games either, I will just not play them. Until the publishers wise up and realize they are only shooting themselves in the foot, I will not buy their games. Here is my list of unacceptable practices:
- game requires activation over the internet
- single-player and non-online games that require an internet connection to run
- games that can only save to online game servers operated by the publisher
- games that cannot be played in 5 years because they depend on some online service/server that has been taken offline by the publisher
- games that limit the number of installations
- games that check their activation status periodically
- games that cannot be installed to more than one PC (not equal to running them at the same time)
- games that are locked-down to the hardware signature on which they were originally installed
- installs any hidden services, software or devices in my system with or without my explicit authorization (this includes Starforce and SecuROM)
My list of acceptable practices:
- basic disc checks, or
- Steam-like content delivery services, which can be used in offline mode, do not limit number of installs and do not require an internet connection except during installation, etc.
However, combining the above 2 practices is unacceptable. There are probably few if any new commercial games anymore that meet my requirements. Have I bought games which violate some of my unacceptable practices; Yes, unfortunately. I'm afraid there is no easy answer or solution to the problem.
There are just so many things wrong here:
- What if your car is disabled as you are going through a railroad crossing? And there is a train coming...
- What if your car is disabled and you get into an car accident, and the doors are remotely locked? How do you get out of the car?
- What happens if the system itself fails or malfunctions?
- What if someone hacks the system? (TFA gives a good example here)
I could go on and on. This type of system is wide open for abuse and the risks are very high and very real. No way I would buy a car with one of these systems installed. It's literally a ticking time-bomb. Not to mention if the system is anything less than 100% reliable there could be very serious implications. Yes, even a 0.001% failure rate is far too high with this kind of system, where human lives are at stake in a moving vehicle. Even in a legitimate use case, the person pushing the disable button has no freaking clue of the environment and circumstances around the vehicle. Pedestrians, other traffic, etc. This is just such a bad idea gone wrong on so many levels...
and statistics.
Seriously, the problem with statistics is that they can be manipulated to mean whatever the presenter wants. Taken out of context, which is how a lot of statistics are presented, enhances the problem. I wouldn't trust any statistic unless I can examine the data behind it.
Statistics are not inherently bad, but I think they are over-used in many areas and often present a purposefully distorted view of something. Statistics do not address causality.
Normal. Running GP-GPU or CUDA apps has no effect on output to the screen. We do it for medical imaging processing.
Good idea, but if I remember correctly, Scientology doesn't like to talk about itself to the general public. Followers tend to be fairly secretive. Any time someone tries to talk about the "church" to the general public, that person is painted as a liar and worse by this so-called church.
Scientology does not like public scrutiny of any kind. As far as I'm concerned it is no more than a cult.
As long as big-business and the media companies control the politicians of both parties through lobbyists and "campaign contributions" (graft, anyone?), nothing is likely to change. Reform the system so politicians cannot benefit directly these organizations, and the system will likely repair itself. As long as graft and bribery are permitted, the politicians will continue to tow the line. Entities should not be allowed to influence politics directly.
Replace the antiquated system. Taxis should only ever be either a metered service paid according to the time/distance it takes to get from A to B, or a fixed pre-determined price. Zone-based systems and higher rates which the driver can tack on indiscriminately are begging for abuse. The only extra fees allowed should be for extra passengers (clearly shown on the meter), tolls and the like.
Here in Finland all taxis are metered, extras are clearly shown on the meter and I can see the meter at all times. There is only one metered rate. It would be very difficult to abuse the system although it's probably possible. Of course a metered system cannot prevent a taxi driver taking a longer route, but that does not seem to be an issue with NY taxis according to TFA. If you pay attention, you should know if the driver is taking a longer route. Know the route, Google maps is your friend.
Plastic heatsinks, just don't get them near heat!
Welcome to the year 2010, personal responsibility was outlawed YEARS ago... (was it really last millennium?)
Because everyone voting in an election would be in prison on Federal "electing a fucking moron" charges? Do the words elected official and intelligence even belong in the same sentence? Kind of like military intelligence. Or jumbo shrimp. What was I saying again...?
Another standing ovation here. Glad to see the MEP's using some of the power they gained in the Lisbon treaty. ACTA is far from over yet, but at least the MEP's are not letting the media companies steamroll them like the politicians in the US.
Citizens of the EU, let your MEP's know you support them in this and get your voices heard.
The root problem with 3-strikes is that it is typically used against you before you have been proven guilty in a court of law. You merely need to be accused of violating copyright, and the ISP can shut off your access to the internet. There is no burden of proof on the part of the media companies. The whole innocent until proven guilty thing is thrown out the window and there is no due process.
Combine that with the track record of the media companies actually getting valid evidence of real copyright violation and it's a recipe for disaster.
Ah, Desqview. And it was Reversi, without the e on the end. Speaking of BBS's, how about Opus?
Am I dating myself a bit?
Xtree rocked. Still miss it today, it was a great file manager.
We can all hope, but frankly there is no sign of change on the horizon just yet. The 2 party system is seriously f'ed up and until that is fixed, well... not much will change.