We're already tumbling head first down that slope, hitting our head on each rotation a la Homer Simpson. All this means is that jerk Flanders falls down with us.
Boo hoo for you, did you consider that maybe 13 other people submitted it before you, it's maybe 200 submissions down on the queue, and it might get posted later? Sorry your story got rejected and you don't get any karma, but please. Enough with the ragging on people because they talk about other stuff besides your pet topic.
I doubt the original poster cares about karma; he's complaining about the fact that the editors just have no apparent ability to pick stories anymore. Gould was a brilliant scientist whose passing should be major news. Instead we get an endless succession of stories about file sharing and wireless networks. Interspersed, ironically, with self-congratulatory stories about how brilliant, well-rounded, and scientifically literate geeks in general are.
There are still games coming out for the Neo Geo too; obsolescence doesn't mean it doesn't function.
From what I've heard the Euros were creating (and selling at retail) Amiga and Sega Master System software years and years after they disappeared in the US. Poor provincials.
All I knew was that there was a fight, which really did ruin it partially for me. I didn't even read that much, just a review or two, but still it came up.
Oh, they were definitely worse. I'm just saying the superior attitude we get from the other side of the pond just isn't warranted; there are plenty of shameful acts over there too.
Of course there's a cultural bias in the way people approach things; I just don't see evidence of it here. It's this sort of arbitrary dividing of the world into East and West that just doesn't accurately portray reality. You were saying that Westerners would have trouble accepting a game that ended with consensus, but I just don't see why this would be true.
Personally I think it lost its charm after the third season. It's kind of like the Pretender; both series started out strong, but were secret-conspiracied into soap opera silliness.
As long as one is aware that it is a generalisation then there's nothing wrong with it. It is fair enough to say that Americans prefer American Football to Association Football as long as you are not saying "All Americans", The former is a reasonable generalisation and the latter is racism.
But we're talking about 2 different things; the popularity of the football games is something external and concrete that can be measured. Saying there is a cognitive limitation on westerners that inhibits their understanding of the game isn't.
No, it is a real fact of the rules. Chess has a finite length (1500 turns) beyond which the players can not possibly prolong it, Go does not.
But the point still is the decision to end the game has to be mutual. And chess can be played until infinity as far as I know, though I don't really involve myself with the game that much. Picture a board with only 2 kings and a rook on it; either player can keep it going on to infinity. Now either player can demand (and receive) a draw if certain requirements are met (50 moves without a capture or pawn moved for example), but neither side is obligated to demand it.
Go is Chinese, Shogi is Japanese.
I stand corrected. But still, Japan and China still aren't the entire "East".
I think that's a generalization that isn't really warranted. I always get very suspicious when people make sweeping declarations about the thought processes of the "East" and the "West".
Many people respond to rules like "The game ends when both players agree" with "well, what if I refuse? Huh? What are you going to do about it?".
That's not really a problem with the rules as with simple English comprehension. Answer that phrase with "then both players wouldn't be agreeing, would they?" and roll your eyes.
There are two examples here (Go and Shogi) of such games from the East, can you name similar game rules from the West that appear in games played for money?
These are two games from Japan, not the East. And two games aren't really enough to do a comparison, but the basic mechanism extends to most "Western" games as well. In Go, when both players agree to end the game, then one player most likely knows he or she has lost, simply by looking at the board. The losing player has basically conceded the game, and simply requires his or her opponent to agree to the concession. In chess it's basically the same thing, only the winner's concession is automatically agreed to.
Many, many chess games (for money) end well before a defined endpoint (or checkmate). Many end in a draw.
In Shogi you apparently can't offer a draw; I'd say that it is even less consensus-based than chess--the rules take precedence, and you need a definite endpoint, something which I don't think you'll find in most Western games (where an ability to forfeit is implicitly granted).
Easy come, easy go. I just got my karma back up to 50, might as well go on a troll shopping spree. I mean, what's the point of having it if you can't misuse it?
It's good to be popular, or for people to suddenly discover you. It gets you more money, more opportunities, and with greater exposure comes greater influence. Look at Open Source and GNU/Linux - as it's popularity has risen, business have been forced to compete, support, and develop for the system. Like the article mentions with Country Music, sometimes there's an entire market waiting to be tappd.
More importantly some authors will actually stop writing because the work involved just isn't worth it. Barry Hughart who writes excellent historical fantasies supposedly stopped writing because his books just weren't doing well enough (despite being very well-received by sf critics).
All sf writers have this problem, with the possible exception of the more popular extruded fantasy series authors.
Robert Sawyer (an excellent author, btw) actually is better off than a lot of American authors; the average US bookstore will most likely have at least one or two of his books (at least in softcover), which can't be said of all sf authors.
Slashdot Mirror
With full 3D conventions here now, can a holodeck really be that far off?
Yes.
We're already tumbling head first down that slope, hitting our head on each rotation a la Homer Simpson. All this means is that jerk Flanders falls down with us.
Boo hoo for you, did you consider that maybe 13 other people submitted it before you, it's maybe 200 submissions down on the queue, and it might get posted later? Sorry your story got rejected and you don't get any karma, but please. Enough with the ragging on people because they talk about other stuff besides your pet topic.
I doubt the original poster cares about karma; he's complaining about the fact that the editors just have no apparent ability to pick stories anymore. Gould was a brilliant scientist whose passing should be major news. Instead we get an endless succession of stories about file sharing and wireless networks. Interspersed, ironically, with self-congratulatory stories about how brilliant, well-rounded, and scientifically literate geeks in general are.
Good lord, like I give a damn. I can't believe how sad some people are, placing so much value on karma.
There are still games coming out for the Neo Geo too; obsolescence doesn't mean it doesn't function.
From what I've heard the Euros were creating (and selling at retail) Amiga and Sega Master System software years and years after they disappeared in the US. Poor provincials.
(and most space stations are positioned outside it (well, inside it, relative to Earth))
Space stationS? Uhh, you are aware that there's only one space station currently up there, you know?
All I knew was that there was a fight, which really did ruin it partially for me. I didn't even read that much, just a review or two, but still it came up.
Oh, they were definitely worse. I'm just saying the superior attitude we get from the other side of the pond just isn't warranted; there are plenty of shameful acts over there too.
Yes, I'm quite aware of that.
And I know most people here are kind of young, so they don't realize that that's not really that long.
Besides which the Europeans have ALWAYS criticized us about this, considering us a nation of prudes.
But of course the Brits criticize us over OUR skewed views on sex...
Of course there's a cultural bias in the way people approach things; I just don't see evidence of it here. It's this sort of arbitrary dividing of the world into East and West that just doesn't accurately portray reality. You were saying that Westerners would have trouble accepting a game that ended with consensus, but I just don't see why this would be true.
Personally I think it lost its charm after the third season. It's kind of like the Pretender; both series started out strong, but were secret-conspiracied into soap opera silliness.
As long as one is aware that it is a generalisation then there's nothing wrong with it. It is fair enough to say that Americans prefer American Football to Association Football as long as you are not saying "All Americans", The former is a reasonable generalisation and the latter is racism.
But we're talking about 2 different things; the popularity of the football games is something external and concrete that can be measured. Saying there is a cognitive limitation on westerners that inhibits their understanding of the game isn't.
No, it is a real fact of the rules. Chess has a finite length (1500 turns) beyond which the players can not possibly prolong it, Go does not.
But the point still is the decision to end the game has to be mutual. And chess can be played until infinity as far as I know, though I don't really involve myself with the game that much. Picture a board with only 2 kings and a rook on it; either player can keep it going on to infinity. Now either player can demand (and receive) a draw if certain requirements are met (50 moves without a capture or pawn moved for example), but neither side is obligated to demand it.
Go is Chinese, Shogi is Japanese.
I stand corrected. But still, Japan and China still aren't the entire "East".
I think that's a generalization that isn't really warranted. I always get very suspicious when people make sweeping declarations about the thought processes of the "East" and the "West".
Many people respond to rules like "The game ends when both players agree" with "well, what if I refuse? Huh? What are you going to do about it?".
That's not really a problem with the rules as with simple English comprehension. Answer that phrase with "then both players wouldn't be agreeing, would they?" and roll your eyes.
There are two examples here (Go and Shogi) of such games from the East, can you name similar game rules from the West that appear in games played for money?
These are two games from Japan, not the East. And two games aren't really enough to do a comparison, but the basic mechanism extends to most "Western" games as well. In Go, when both players agree to end the game, then one player most likely knows he or she has lost, simply by looking at the board. The losing player has basically conceded the game, and simply requires his or her opponent to agree to the concession. In chess it's basically the same thing, only the winner's concession is automatically agreed to.
Many, many chess games (for money) end well before a defined endpoint (or checkmate). Many end in a draw.
In Shogi you apparently can't offer a draw; I'd say that it is even less consensus-based than chess--the rules take precedence, and you need a definite endpoint, something which I don't think you'll find in most Western games (where an ability to forfeit is implicitly granted).
Both games have a strange aspect which westerners and programmers find tricky to handle
Huh? "Westerners" have trouble handling it? Why exactly?
Japan has Sony, Nintendo, Panasonic etc etc the consumer gods of planet earth. Why do we like them ? Because they work EVERYTIME.
Never owned a Sony, eh?
Don't be lulled into a feeling that they can't build things better in Japan.... imagine Honda v Harley Davidson in a race.
Image Honda vs. Harley Davidson in a game of chicken...
Great, maybe congress can infuse a little enthusiasm into NASA, whose lofty goals involve a few decades of launching incrementally better satellites.
Wonder if they think charging for it will make people more likely to use it.
Everyone does know that the only reason Sun bought StarOffice was to have something to annoy Microsoft with, right?
What's wrong with "conservatory"?
Here goes the last of my posting bonus...
Easy come, easy go. I just got my karma back up to 50, might as well go on a troll shopping spree. I mean, what's the point of having it if you can't misuse it?
This is slashdot, I don't have to read or correctly cite the article if I don't want to.
nyah nyah.
"Jornada killed, IPAQ to live on"? That sounds mighty suspicious to me...
Alright, I think the Jornada did it, in the conservatory, with a compact flash memory card.
The great thing about widespread voice recognition use is the chance that it could improve the speaking skills of all the humans who have to use it.
Imagine walking down the street, and hearing everyone speaking in perfectly enunciated, grammatically flawless English.
Well, I probably would have, if you hadn't just told us the ending.
Next time try spoiler space.
It's good to be popular, or for people to suddenly discover you. It gets you more money, more opportunities, and with greater exposure comes greater influence. Look at Open Source and GNU/Linux - as it's popularity has risen, business have been forced to compete, support, and develop for the system. Like the article mentions with Country Music, sometimes there's an entire market waiting to be tappd.
More importantly some authors will actually stop writing because the work involved just isn't worth it. Barry Hughart who writes excellent historical fantasies supposedly stopped writing because his books just weren't doing well enough (despite being very well-received by sf critics).
All sf writers have this problem, with the possible exception of the more popular extruded fantasy series authors.
Robert Sawyer (an excellent author, btw) actually is better off than a lot of American authors; the average US bookstore will most likely have at least one or two of his books (at least in softcover), which can't be said of all sf authors.