Yes, I'm very glad to finally see Linux applied to the field of medicine. Even if it is for something so common as cholesterol monitoring.
You know, you just can't overlook the benefits of having your High Density Lipid levels measured on a robust, scalable, secure and (most importantly for the HMO's) FREE Operating System...
It's more likely to depend on wether or not the author(s) 'got any' as teens. Were they popular, socially successful and well adjusted individuals, or repressed, snobby off-spring of right-religious neo-puritan freaks. You know, those that spell out the word S.E.X. in front of their kids until they're grown and married.
In my experience, teen sex was pretty damn great! Even with a partner (doh!).. Tastes and experiences differ, and tantric love-making is certainly not the same as fornicating with the stab-wounds of the departed, but I digress.
We can infer a lot about the psychological repression of the author(s), just by observing their language as it's used in the article. That, coupled with the remnants of a repressive society what would have jailed Alan Turing for being gay rather than having him assist in the deciphering of the Enigma engine, had he 'come out' publicly during his career. Silly islanders.
One can only hope that saner minds will prevail and this gets exposed as the ignorant sensationalism that it is. And that this never crosses the pond, since in the U.S. saner minds are shouted down by the likes of Jerry Falwell and Tipper Gore.
'Paying-off Karma at an accelerated rate' - Susan Ivanova
"Bite me. Call me. bCandid" Wow, Rob! What an appropriate banner ad...
My office uses WWII generals - it's a small work group so it's not really an issue.
Personally, I feel that since we are an international company, something more universal would be appropriate. I favor celestial bodies. Pick the scale depending on the network size (server count).
Stars if there are many servers, planets if there are few. This also works well with constellations, Greek/Roman mythology... Then go Assyrian, Egyptian, Hindu, Norse.
Ancient religions are particularly apropos for global (or multi-OS) companies, since they can suggest the geographical location of the server (or divvy up the servers thematically by OS), as well as denoting their function. You may have to do some digging to find the name of the Egyptian messenger god for your North African SMTP server, but it's a learning experience, and you'll never forget it. A firewall named Charon is cool as hell, as is a web server named Arachne...
You're absolutely right. Cryptic, machine server names take the joy out of it. The network naming conventions should reflect the personality of it's handlers and of the organization they serve.
For those interested in this, and movies in general, visit Ain't It Cool News.
The site is dedicated to movie industry news and rumours, and the search engine should point you to past rumblings about Mononoke and anything else at all..
Don't forget to check out the buzz on Pitch Black.
That's one thing that natural selection in bacteria (and virii) can't compensate against.
Once we are able to design a micro-machine capable to recognising a disease carrying agent, and physically tearing it apart from the inside, resistance via natural selection ceases to be a factor.
Of course, assuming the 20 minute generation of bacteria, these would have to be some very nimble little nanites - but still, we can dream.
And the new possibilities of nanotech-based diseases... The mind boggles.
I'm sorry to all the MP3 zealots out there, but it seems like a waste of tech to me.
4.6GB of storage in a portable the size of a Pilot?? And it's used as what? A Walkman?
I say slap a color LCD and some decent battery life on that puppy!! Make it a computing device, not an audio playback device.
Certainly, entertainment has driven technology more than any other single pursuit (short of DoD interests), so something like my PDA on 'roids is probably waiting in the wings, but still..
Seems like misdirected effort to me. Then again, I'm not that much into MP3 just yet to see the full glory of two man-weeks of continuous music.
Am I misunderstanding that they're trying to patent the patterns within human DNA? Is that really what they're trying to do? Lay claim to gene sequences? Nucleotides?
If that's the case, when will someone pattent the unique hydrogen-oxygen arrangement of water molecules? That being the universal solvent should yield royalties up the wazoo!
Or maybe patent the unique structure of ozone - thereby collecting a huge fee from corporations that release ozone-destroying chemicals, for destroying private property.
Where is the common sense in the legal/patent system? Once a system becomes so full of loop-holes that it begins to resemble Swiss Cheese(TM) it should be Innovated(TM).
In rich countries, where afluent people enjoy their high standard of living, adding a child means more expenses. Most people, who have the choice, would rather have two luxury sedans than a mini-van and a Civic. Understandably so. Also, in afluent countries, education and material possessions are a matter of fact. Providing your kids with a nominal standard of living in an afluent country is very costly. They have to have their own wardrobe, their own school supplies, their own little-league uniform... Their own phone (line), their own TV/VCR/PC... Their own car and college fund. Otherwise, you are a despised parent, for denying your kids that which their peers take for granted.
In poor societies, where feeding the child is the biggest, and often only concern, the cost is much lower. A loaf of bread can be sub-divided a little more finely, cheaper and hand-me-down clothes have longer life-spans, and worn out shoes are the norm.
Poor countries (and poor people in rich countries) tend not to keep up with the Joneses to the same extent that the rich do. Their value systems are different - less material and more familial.
As a 20-something with a 3kGT, I'm in no hurry to trade it in for a station wagon, Mercedes or otherwise. There's yer cause.
And now we can settle all of the world's great debates on the framework created by iD software...
It's The War Over Creationism - Special Kansas edition, where the good 'TeleVangelists' can bible-thump the evil Darwinians over the head with oversized editions of the KJV Bible, while picking up coin 'power-ups' donated by sheeple clones!
It's PC v. Mac, where little likenesses of Bill Gates and Andy Grove run around throwing open-market components at a totem of Steve Jobs, while picking up 'power-ups' of 'business partner' IPOs.
Finally, a forum to settle the Republican vs. Democrat issue once and for all, with animated jackasses kicking the budget surplus out of lumbering pachyderms, eating subpoenas and depositions, while the elephants try to stomp their little donkey heads into the ground.
Will it be a Bull market, or a Bear market? YOU DECIDE!!!
Well, with the religious slant, at least we know what BFG really stands for. Big Freakin' God!
Hey, bible-boy! My diety's minions have fragged all of your diety's minions... Since killing is wrong, you don't stand a chance. Burn in Hell Gabriel!! Hahaha!!! Metaphorically, of course - please don't hurt me with that burning sword there.
I guess when it comes to making a buck, literally nothing is sacred. Sad.
This thing (software) maps a virtual keyboard to the writing tablet, and you put an overlay film in place to tell you where the keys are. Then points of pressure on the tablet are interpreted as key presses. Hmmm...
Sounds an awful lot like the T9 text input option that my Nino came with. (I know it's dead, and I know it's WinCE. Gimme a break, I'm weak)
You know, it's long been my opinion that the writing tablet on the Pilots should be virtual, a'la WinCE. In fact, this single reason is why a chose the Nino. It buys a little extra screen space, and you can tweak your interface without carrying a bunch of little plastic overlays.
[rant] In retrospect, a mistake. But a virtual writing space is a cool feature, and I'd pitch the WinCE PDA out the window tonight, if I could get a Pilot with it tomorrow. [\rant]
No, seriously... Well, maybe not the Doom model, but something like Ultima.. Think about it. To change directories, you go to a different room. The objects in it are files. The 'people' are processes.
Killing a process is just the beginning. Imagine a man process that will have a conversation with you. Or a grep, that looks like a dog, which you send into a village to thrash around and bring back that file (scroll) that you forgot...
I like the fact that rm -Rf * is there when I need it, but a OO, interactive, VR interface to Unix (Linux) would be a Gates killer.
Theres a whole lot of code to look at in there, just to win a little book.
*sticks tongue in cheek* Just be sure to run it all thru a code beautifier first. Then: cat source and watch the pretty patterns scroll by...
What? Whad'ya mean design patterns? It's open source fer chrissakes! You think it's designed ???
Re:Reading by reference
on
Snow Crash
·
· Score: 2
Would you also do away with public libraries, prefering that individuals keep their own, (relatively) small collections instead? As a cultural niche, we are defined by our attitudes, likes and dislikes. It would be an interesting project, to define the common ground.
Some of the most useful web resources came to my attention on/. Had I made my own Linux/Computing oriented site, I wouldn't have had the insight of others to broaden my horizons. Repositories are good.
Few of us have the gift of synthesizing new knowledge from vacuum, and fewer still have the clairvoyance to know what sci-fi books they'll like, just be reading the cover.
It is true that someone could refer to such a (cultural) resource as a 'community list of suggested readings' in an effort to take on the characteristics of a geek (as cool as that that may sound for a fad-hound these days). So what of it? Maybe that's another convert. Maybe they would benefit from the new perspective. Maybe they would recognize in geekdom, a community that appreciates people for their talent and contribution, not their clothing, check-book or hair-style.
And a vast majority of geeks would certainly find something of value in there too. Nobody ever said 'required reading' in the compulsory sense. No one would excommunicate anyone for flatly refusing to read Neuromancer, or for not knowing the last verse of Jabberwocky - or why that poem is significant. No one is proposing that we cover a book in red leather, and devise a pledge of allegience.
It's just an idea for a place people like us can go to in order to find something new, that they are likely to enjoy. Sheesh!
Cultures are defined by (drum roll) their culture. And nothing serves as well as a library, to define a particular culture.
Books provide the cultural staples and social archetypes which we use to communicate, relate, and advance as a culture. They contain the semantic templates and roots for our language, jargon and style. They are our memetic petri-dish.
Considering English-speaking cultures, we are to a great extent defined by the English works of literature. Shakespeare comes to mind. Try conveying the sense of Hamlet or Romeo to a Zulu. To a cultural peer, all you have to say is "like Hamlet", and you're both on the same page.
Yes, one of the most interesting attributes of the geek culture is it's breadth of reference, but we share some common threads. We subscribe to certain ideals and values and concepts that are well exposed in various works of 'geek culture'.
We do need a (peer reviewed) list of 'essencial readings' that we are defined by. Perhaps a slashdot-like mechanism, where people can submit their items. Others can review what's there and concur or counter (a'la moderation), so that a stable set of agreed upon 'must', 'should' and 'see also' items emerges.
This way, someone interested in the geek community could skim the 'must' list and get the jist.
I know it's been mentioned before, long ago, but while on the subject of the depth and breadth of the O'Reilly library, here's another one that's sure to be useful to most of us.
The whole 'typo' issue aside... Mark me Offtopic if you want.
I find the whole idea of restricting access for everyone to anything, because it is not appropriate for a subset of those interested - nauseating. Posting that idea on slashdot is sure to be marked Redundant, fire away.
How are we to protect ourselves from those seeking to protect us from ourselves?
As with the MPAA, TV ratings and music, is it not the parents responsibility to monitor what their kids are into?
[rant] I realize that there are plenty of ingenious teens and pre-teens out there, able to pull the wool over their parents eyes - I was one of these myself. But if this is the case, than it is a failing of the parents. How can someone who does not put in enough effort to stay aware, raise a child? How can a child from such a home grow up with any sort of respect for authority (boss, law, peers) if they see their own parents as full of ignorance, incompetance and apathy. [/rant]
Yes, technology moves fast, and working parents have a hard time keeping up with it - while kids have plenty of disposable time. But really, is it so difficult to talk to your kids, peek in on the lucky few that have their own PCs? Stay aware?
Conversely, as a future parent (God willing), after I approve a game for my kids entertainment, I want them to be able to go and get it themselves. I want the decision about what they can and can not do to be made at home, and not in a board room or a court room.
Frankly, the whole politically correct and sue-happy attitude is starting to trouble me. Cinema managers requiring that parents be present, after they permit their kids to see South Park? Clerks policing who can and can't buy a video game? You can't send a kid to school with aspirin, because it is a drug, and we know what school rules say about dealing drugs in school. Five year olds getting thrown out of kindergarten for kissing a classmate on the cheek...
It looks like this (video game availability over the counter) is going to become another instance of parents abdicating control to some organized, rightist organization - just to avoid taking the time to explain to their kids why they feel that blasting people's avatars into oblivion is inappropriate.
Feels like we're reaching critical mass here. But unlike the Japanese uranium workers, I'm starting to see red, not blue.
Is it just me, or does this article (by Katz) and the experience of Jane's, show the way journalism ought to be.
After all, what an unprecedented, radical concept it is to actually research the subject. Such guts and brevor, to verify the sanity of facts with a pool of expertise, rather than basing one's world-view on the opinion of a bias 'expert' interested in putting one's own spin on an issue. Nothin ZD about this.
As with anything statistical, the truth is in large numbers. And for things geek, there's fewer places geeks are found in number than on/.
As always, the media is finally getting a firm grip on reality. Better late than never.
Or an I hoping for too much, and only a small segment of the journalistic dimention has the insight into the fact that they are not themselves experts on their latest spew. Kudos to Jane's in either case. Their respect for their work shows.
_Hackers_ was an embarassment to intelligent computer users. Sure, the girl was cute, and there were several amusing one-liners. The CG were not too corny. But that was absolutely it. Bad acting, bad plot... I mean, the super-vilain arriving on a skateboard?? "Flu-shot"?
Take a look at _Sneakers_. With the likes of Redford in the cast, the acting is definitelly on the level. Granted, the plot is a bit fabularized for the common Joe, but the concept is a Holy Grail of computing. It's an intelligent computer movie, that doesn't use the machine as a deus ex machina device.
Tinylimp has just spun off several small web-sites called: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.com and 1234567890.com, and stated that any website or company using any portion, or combination of constituents, of these site names, will be sued into oblivion.
That international web language is starting to sound like a sensible thing, almost.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, I'm very glad to finally see Linux applied to the field of medicine. Even if it is for something so common as cholesterol monitoring.
You know, you just can't overlook the benefits of having your High Density Lipid levels measured on a robust, scalable, secure and (most importantly for the HMO's) FREE Operating System...
Wha?? Oh, nevemind.
It's more likely to depend on wether or not the author(s) 'got any' as teens. Were they popular, socially successful and well adjusted individuals, or repressed, snobby off-spring of right-religious neo-puritan freaks. You know, those that spell out the word S.E.X. in front of their kids until they're grown and married.
In my experience, teen sex was pretty damn great! Even with a partner (doh!).. Tastes and experiences differ, and tantric love-making is certainly not the same as fornicating with the stab-wounds of the departed, but I digress.
We can infer a lot about the psychological repression of the author(s), just by observing their language as it's used in the article. That, coupled with the remnants of a repressive society what would have jailed Alan Turing for being gay rather than having him assist in the deciphering of the Enigma engine, had he 'come out' publicly during his career. Silly islanders.
One can only hope that saner minds will prevail and this gets exposed as the ignorant sensationalism that it is. And that this never crosses the pond, since in the U.S. saner minds are shouted down by the likes of Jerry Falwell and Tipper Gore.
'Paying-off Karma at an accelerated rate' - Susan Ivanova
"Bite me. Call me. bCandid" Wow, Rob! What an appropriate banner ad...
My office uses WWII generals - it's a small work group so it's not really an issue.
Personally, I feel that since we are an international company, something more universal would be appropriate. I favor celestial bodies. Pick the scale depending on the network size (server count).
Stars if there are many servers, planets if there are few. This also works well with constellations, Greek/Roman mythology... Then go Assyrian, Egyptian, Hindu, Norse.
Ancient religions are particularly apropos for global (or multi-OS) companies, since they can suggest the geographical location of the server (or divvy up the servers thematically by OS), as well as denoting their function. You may have to do some digging to find the name of the Egyptian messenger god for your North African SMTP server, but it's a learning experience, and you'll never forget it. A firewall named Charon is cool as hell, as is a web server named Arachne...
You're absolutely right. Cryptic, machine server names take the joy out of it. The network naming conventions should reflect the personality of it's handlers and of the organization they serve.
For those interested in this, and movies in general, visit Ain't It Cool News.
The site is dedicated to movie industry news and rumours, and the search engine should point you to past rumblings about Mononoke and anything else at all..
Don't forget to check out the buzz on Pitch Black.
Excellent information, and truly interesting. This post deserves a place in the spot-light. Moderators, please, don't let it get lost.
A billion people infected with TB? ~17% of the world's population? Frightful.
That's one thing that natural selection in bacteria (and virii) can't compensate against.
Once we are able to design a micro-machine capable to recognising a disease carrying agent, and physically tearing it apart from the inside, resistance via natural selection ceases to be a factor.
Of course, assuming the 20 minute generation of bacteria, these would have to be some very nimble little nanites - but still, we can dream.
And the new possibilities of nanotech-based diseases... The mind boggles.
I'm sorry to all the MP3 zealots out there, but it seems like a waste of tech to me.
4.6GB of storage in a portable the size of a Pilot?? And it's used as what? A Walkman?
I say slap a color LCD and some decent battery life on that puppy!! Make it a computing device, not an audio playback device.
Certainly, entertainment has driven technology more than any other single pursuit (short of DoD interests), so something like my PDA on 'roids is probably waiting in the wings, but still..
Seems like misdirected effort to me. Then again, I'm not that much into MP3 just yet to see the full glory of two man-weeks of continuous music.
Am I misunderstanding that they're trying to patent the patterns within human DNA? Is that really what they're trying to do? Lay claim to gene sequences? Nucleotides?
If that's the case, when will someone pattent the unique hydrogen-oxygen arrangement of water molecules? That being the universal solvent should yield royalties up the wazoo!
Or maybe patent the unique structure of ozone - thereby collecting a huge fee from corporations that release ozone-destroying chemicals, for destroying private property.
Where is the common sense in the legal/patent system? Once a system becomes so full of loop-holes that it begins to resemble Swiss Cheese(TM) it should be Innovated(TM).
It's that simple.
In rich countries, where afluent people enjoy their high standard of living, adding a child means more expenses. Most people, who have the choice, would rather have two luxury sedans than a mini-van and a Civic. Understandably so. Also, in afluent countries, education and material possessions are a matter of fact. Providing your kids with a nominal standard of living in an afluent country is very costly. They have to have their own wardrobe, their own school supplies, their own little-league uniform... Their own phone (line), their own TV/VCR/PC... Their own car and college fund. Otherwise, you are a despised parent, for denying your kids that which their peers take for granted.
In poor societies, where feeding the child is the biggest, and often only concern, the cost is much lower. A loaf of bread can be sub-divided a little more finely, cheaper and hand-me-down clothes have longer life-spans, and worn out shoes are the norm.
Poor countries (and poor people in rich countries) tend not to keep up with the Joneses to the same extent that the rich do. Their value systems are different - less material and more familial.
As a 20-something with a 3kGT, I'm in no hurry to trade it in for a station wagon, Mercedes or otherwise. There's yer cause.
And now we can settle all of the world's great debates on the framework created by iD software...
It's The War Over Creationism - Special Kansas edition, where the good 'TeleVangelists' can bible-thump the evil Darwinians over the head with oversized editions of the KJV Bible, while picking up coin 'power-ups' donated by sheeple clones!
It's PC v. Mac, where little likenesses of Bill Gates and Andy Grove run around throwing open-market components at a totem of Steve Jobs, while picking up 'power-ups' of 'business partner' IPOs.
Finally, a forum to settle the Republican vs. Democrat issue once and for all, with animated jackasses kicking the budget surplus out of lumbering pachyderms, eating subpoenas and depositions, while the elephants try to stomp their little donkey heads into the ground.
Will it be a Bull market, or a Bear market? YOU DECIDE!!!
Well, with the religious slant, at least we know what BFG really stands for. Big Freakin' God!
Hey, bible-boy! My diety's minions have fragged all of your diety's minions... Since killing is wrong, you don't stand a chance. Burn in Hell Gabriel!! Hahaha!!! Metaphorically, of course - please don't hurt me with that burning sword there.
I guess when it comes to making a buck, literally nothing is sacred. Sad.
This thing (software) maps a virtual keyboard to the writing tablet, and you put an overlay film in place to tell you where the keys are. Then points of pressure on the tablet are interpreted as key presses. Hmmm...
Sounds an awful lot like the T9 text input option that my Nino came with. (I know it's dead, and I know it's WinCE. Gimme a break, I'm weak)
You know, it's long been my opinion that the writing tablet on the Pilots should be virtual, a'la WinCE. In fact, this single reason is why a chose the Nino. It buys a little extra screen space, and you can tweak your interface without carrying a bunch of little plastic overlays.
[rant]
In retrospect, a mistake. But a virtual writing space is a cool feature, and I'd pitch the WinCE PDA out the window tonight, if I could get a Pilot with it tomorrow.
[\rant]
They're nanites after all.
They can only take little, iddy-biddy, tiny steps.
No, seriously...
Well, maybe not the Doom model, but something like Ultima.. Think about it. To change directories, you go to a different room. The objects in it are files. The 'people' are processes.
Killing a process is just the beginning. Imagine a man process that will have a conversation with you. Or a grep, that looks like a dog, which you send into a village to thrash around and bring back that file (scroll) that you forgot...
I like the fact that rm -Rf * is there when I need it, but a OO, interactive, VR interface to Unix (Linux) would be a Gates killer.
We just have to keep those two separate. Working on both projects at once could be catastrophic.
Theres a whole lot of code to look at in there, just to win a little book.
*sticks tongue in cheek*
Just be sure to run it all thru a code beautifier first.
Then: cat source and watch the pretty patterns scroll by...
What? Whad'ya mean design patterns? It's open source fer chrissakes! You think it's designed ???
Would you also do away with public libraries, prefering that individuals keep their own, (relatively) small collections instead? As a cultural niche, we are defined by our attitudes, likes and dislikes. It would be an interesting project, to define the common ground.
/. Had I made my own Linux/Computing oriented site, I wouldn't have had the insight of others to broaden my horizons. Repositories are good.
Some of the most useful web resources came to my attention on
Few of us have the gift of synthesizing new knowledge from vacuum, and fewer still have the clairvoyance to know what sci-fi books they'll like, just be reading the cover.
It is true that someone could refer to such a (cultural) resource as a 'community list of suggested readings' in an effort to take on the characteristics of a geek (as cool as that that may sound for a fad-hound these days). So what of it? Maybe that's another convert. Maybe they would benefit from the new perspective. Maybe they would recognize in geekdom, a community that appreciates people for their talent and contribution, not their clothing, check-book or hair-style.
And a vast majority of geeks would certainly find something of value in there too. Nobody ever said 'required reading' in the compulsory sense. No one would excommunicate anyone for flatly refusing to read Neuromancer, or for not knowing the last verse of Jabberwocky - or why that poem is significant. No one is proposing that we cover a book in red leather, and devise a pledge of allegience.
It's just an idea for a place people like us can go to in order to find something new, that they are likely to enjoy. Sheesh!
Cultures are defined by (drum roll) their culture. And nothing serves as well as a library, to define a particular culture.
Books provide the cultural staples and social archetypes which we use to communicate, relate, and advance as a culture. They contain the semantic templates and roots for our language, jargon and style. They are our memetic petri-dish.
Considering English-speaking cultures, we are to a great extent defined by the English works of literature. Shakespeare comes to mind. Try conveying the sense of Hamlet or Romeo to a Zulu. To a cultural peer, all you have to say is "like Hamlet", and you're both on the same page.
Yes, one of the most interesting attributes of the geek culture is it's breadth of reference, but we share some common threads. We subscribe to certain ideals and values and concepts that are well exposed in various works of 'geek culture'.
We do need a (peer reviewed) list of 'essencial readings' that we are defined by. Perhaps a slashdot-like mechanism, where people can submit their items. Others can review what's there and concur or counter (a'la moderation), so that a stable set of agreed upon 'must', 'should' and 'see also' items emerges.
This way, someone interested in the geek community could skim the 'must' list and get the jist.
I know it's been mentioned before, long ago, but while on the subject of the depth and breadth of the O'Reilly library, here's another one that's sure to be useful to most of us.
The whole 'typo' issue aside... Mark me Offtopic if you want.
I find the whole idea of restricting access for everyone to anything, because it is not appropriate for a subset of those interested - nauseating. Posting that idea on slashdot is sure to be marked Redundant, fire away.
How are we to protect ourselves from those seeking to protect us from ourselves?
As with the MPAA, TV ratings and music, is it not the parents responsibility to monitor what their kids are into?
[rant]
I realize that there are plenty of ingenious teens and pre-teens out there, able to pull the wool over their parents eyes - I was one of these myself. But if this is the case, than it is a failing of the parents. How can someone who does not put in enough effort to stay aware, raise a child? How can a child from such a home grow up with any sort of respect for authority (boss, law, peers) if they see their own parents as full of ignorance, incompetance and apathy.
[/rant]
Yes, technology moves fast, and working parents have a hard time keeping up with it - while kids have plenty of disposable time. But really, is it so difficult to talk to your kids, peek in on the lucky few that have their own PCs? Stay aware?
Conversely, as a future parent (God willing), after I approve a game for my kids entertainment, I want them to be able to go and get it themselves. I want the decision about what they can and can not do to be made at home, and not in a board room or a court room.
Frankly, the whole politically correct and sue-happy attitude is starting to trouble me. Cinema managers requiring that parents be present, after they permit their kids to see South Park? Clerks policing who can and can't buy a video game? You can't send a kid to school with aspirin, because it is a drug, and we know what school rules say about dealing drugs in school. Five year olds getting thrown out of kindergarten for kissing a classmate on the cheek...
It looks like this (video game availability over the counter) is going to become another instance of parents abdicating control to some organized, rightist organization - just to avoid taking the time to explain to their kids why they feel that blasting people's avatars into oblivion is inappropriate.
Feels like we're reaching critical mass here. But unlike the Japanese uranium workers, I'm starting to see red, not blue.
Is it just me, or does this article (by Katz) and the experience of Jane's, show the way journalism ought to be.
/.
After all, what an unprecedented, radical concept it is to actually research the subject. Such guts and brevor, to verify the sanity of facts with a pool of expertise, rather than basing one's world-view on the opinion of a bias 'expert' interested in putting one's own spin on an issue. Nothin ZD about this.
As with anything statistical, the truth is in large numbers. And for things geek, there's fewer places geeks are found in number than on
As always, the media is finally getting a firm grip on reality. Better late than never.
Or an I hoping for too much, and only a small segment of the journalistic dimention has the insight into the fact that they are not themselves experts on their latest spew. Kudos to Jane's in either case. Their respect for their work shows.
_Hackers_ was an embarassment to intelligent computer users. Sure, the girl was cute, and there were several amusing one-liners. The CG were not too corny. But that was absolutely it. Bad acting, bad plot... I mean, the super-vilain arriving on a skateboard?? "Flu-shot"?
Take a look at _Sneakers_. With the likes of Redford in the cast, the acting is definitelly on the level. Granted, the plot is a bit fabularized for the common Joe, but the concept is a Holy Grail of computing. It's an intelligent computer movie, that doesn't use the machine as a deus ex machina device.
Rob, I just don't see how you can find that amusing.
It makes a lot more sense than most of what comes out of Hollywood these days.
And I'm not just blowing air thru a cellulose-based beverage container typically used at informal outdoor gatherings.
I can easily see the argument being extended even further, into synonym and implication.
Does a site called whatgoingon.com have to shut down, because the semantic meaning is the same as whatshappenin.com.
Can Oracle now sue Borland for having a product called Delphi? Seems Sun is going in a related direction, now that they hold StarOffice.
Say I create a site called tinylimp.com. Will Microsoft lawyers come screaming to my door, because the name implies theirs?
Maybe someone should just patent the Jungian psych concept of cultural archetypes, and settle it once and for all.
-- What a lovely can-o-worms, umm, container d'grubs, err, am I infringing a Disney trademark? Hakuna Matata!
Tinylimp has just spun off several small web-sites called:
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com,
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.com and
1234567890.com,
and stated that any website or company using any portion, or combination of constituents, of these site names, will be sued into oblivion.
That international web language is starting to sound like a sensible thing, almost.
kreska kropka