Why now, since this flies in the face of the Obama administration's softening stance on Cuba?
Because Microsoft is not the Obama Administration! If Microsoft is ordered by the federal government to open Messenger to Cuba, then we can complain. But until then, the two are not (at least officially) in conflict with one another. If Microsoft sees reason to deny Messenger service to Cuba, then they can. It's Microsoft's product; there's no good reason that I can see for why they cannot do this.
Sorry, I know that the whole "corporations are evil" bit is a popular meme on Slashdot, but those of us older than 17 realize that corporations actually run by this odd mammal known as "people", and these mammals need to be held responsible for their own actions.
"Corporations are evil" can only reasonably apply to business practices, because corporations exist solely to make money, which then gets distributed to the employees and shareholders. The Corporation is a concept rooted in greed, caring nothing for where the money comes from or what it takes to get it, so long as the numbers work out.
This clearly is the fault of a human who can be separated from the corporation. I wholly agree that the person who decided not to activate the phone should be given any penalty that can be sought.
By the way, I'm new here. Just in case it looks like it all, I can confirm that I am, indeed, new here.
What do they do? Pull an Apple and tell everyone to go out and buy the newest version of all of the software that was working just fine on the previous version of the OS?
If it's accompanied by a drastic price drop (like, 55%-75% price cut) and 99%-100% malware incompatibility, then yes.
I figure a price drop that big should be more than enough to convince a lot of users to purchase Windows, instead of pirating it and searching for cracks.
Competing unfairly in ways like only offering discounts to companies that don't stock competing products - discounts so large that anyone who wanted to stock a competing product basically could not hope to sell anything by Microsoft at a competitive price.
That, I say, was a lucky gamble on Microsoft's part. If there had been a viable alternative that didn't cost anything, it would have been naturally cheaper than Microsoft Windows on the same hardware, and I imagine that Microsoft wouldn't have risen to the imperial power that it is today if it had had to deal with that kind of competition. Maybe Microsoft would still be a competitor, if this alternate universe had happened, but for that to be true, Microsoftware would have to have been a lot more focused on stability.
Given that Windows 3.0 was 1990 and Windows 3.1 was 1992, Linux was just a little late to the party. MS was just in the right place at the right time. And people are now so ingrained in Windows that viruses, license costs, IE, and daily application crashing are simply realities of computers, rather than shortcomings of Microsoft; these users who refuse to search for other options or learn different systems are the only reason that Microsoft still holds its power today. If the market were still a competition, instead of just ignorant users listening for a select few words, there would be a lot more pressure on Microsoft to deliver stable Microsoftware.
What part of history am I missing here? I'm sure that companies tried to compete with Microsoft back in the late '80s and early '90s, but what went wrong? Why was Microsoft, specifically, so appealing to sell?
I like point #1 in your list. With Adblock Plus on my Firefox, site content looks so much more focused on whatever subject is at hand. GameFAQs looks focused on games, Slashdot looks focused on geeky stuff, and it all looks like people care about the web.
And then occasionally, I try a new browser (like Chrome), and I see the ads. And they are EVERYWHERE! It's impossible to concentrate on the site!
If the masses blocked ads, the web would, in fact, be much more awesome.
I have a question: If there are instructions on how to build it in Linux, why can't Google just build it, brand it, and release it?
I tried but failed to successfully build the application in Linux, so I don't know how it runs, but it seems to me like it would take just some building and testing to make sure everything works. What could the problem possibly be?
Actually, I don't think that was much of an attack. If a goblin is "gnome-like", I would expect goblin to be, at best, a spinoff project based on GNOME, as a similar but different UI (similar to how different Linux distros, like Ubuntu, are based on Debian, but are clearly distinct operating systems).
Could it be a "GNU Object-Based Linux Interface with Networking"?
Quite possibly a Windows PowerUser(TM) who discovered that Linux file systems don't require the daily defragmentation that Windows' NFTS does, and is now having trouble finding something to do.
And what is this? Initially, I misread it as "NTFS", which is the Windows filesystem, and the post would have made sense. But what's NFTS? The "New-Fangled Technological Stuff" that will be introduced in Windows 7? Will this finally break backwards compatibility with viruses and other malware, giving Windows 7 a much-needed security boost?
Why this mad obsession with checking a filesystem? What is so exciting about sitting there and having your computer make sure that you disks are consistent and not broken and stuff?
This topic highlights why nerds don't have friends. Normal people are tolerant of others. Nerds use knowledge as a weapon. I suppose it's a coping mechanism or some such thing.
Honestly, I wish to use knowledge to dialogue with others about interesting topics, and do something productive if the opportunity arises.
However, when people wish to act like they have knowledge that they clearly do not, they should expect their ignorance to be called out, especially if resolving their ignorance leads to something productive.
I wholly expect to be mocked if I go to a car mechanic and try to string together a bunch of car words that I might know. I'll instantly give myself away as a n00b who doesn't know what he's talking about, and the mechanic has every right to laugh at me or teach me or do whatever he chooses.
Similarly, I wholly expect that someone is prepared to be corrected when they string together a bunch of tech terms that end up making no sense. If they aren't prepared to directly admit that they don't know computers, they will give it away when they try to sound smart.
This reminds me of a time, a long long time ago, when I went into my college campus's computer store. I told the friendly sales associate that I wanted to look at their hard disks. He handed me a box of 3.5 inch floppies.
Wow.
Wow, indeed. I had no idea that there were retarded employees outside of GameStop. Y'know, the ones who couldn't look up a game, even a Pokemon title, even if you give them the exact name and system?
Why these people don't pass you off to someone who can help, I don't know, but it lowers my faith in humanity and in the company every time I encounter someone like that.
Do you mean ones as easy to spot as "sel" instead of "sell" or "ling" instead of "long"? I mean, yeah, they're typos caused by rapid movement over the qwerty keyboard layout, but it should still stand out enough to fix immediately. There's no reasons for typos this severe and easy to spot to actually live to see the web.
I don't know if I'm just easily offended or a fanboy
Probably a little of both. Decide (1) if you seem to get offended a lot and (2) if you would seriously consider using any other distro.
Ubuntu is a nice introductory distro for the Linux-curious user, but that's really all it is right now - an introduction into the world of Linux.
I wanted to read the Ubuntu point, because, while I may be a fanboy about some things, I like to hear other people's viewpoints, too, just to give them the chance to voice their opinions, no matter how much I may disagree. It was interesting. They had some good points. I would argue that Ubuntu is taking longer than expected to get to its desired position, but it's still working on it. It's a relatively young distro that has exploded into very significant popularity. But, I have my opinion, and they have theirs.
I stopped reading after I found more than one easily-spotted, should-have-been-easily-corrected typo in the article.
Oh. My. God. You mean they make food out of chemicals?
Yes. It's worked for thousands of years, and I bet chemicals could keep our bodies in tip-top shape for a few more centuries (if we choose to use them wisely). After all, no one has yet had any better ideas.
I'd very much like someone to come up with a method of making foods from non-chemicals, and see how it works out.
Slashdot Mirror
He sends one of your servers to the IT department, you send one of his to the morgue.
*exploits bad wording*
What good does it do to send one of his servers to the morgue? Aren't morgues designed to handle people who get shot, not computers?
The Internet looks like shit with Adblock disabled
FTFY
Why now, since this flies in the face of the Obama administration's softening stance on Cuba?
Because Microsoft is not the Obama Administration! If Microsoft is ordered by the federal government to open Messenger to Cuba, then we can complain. But until then, the two are not (at least officially) in conflict with one another. If Microsoft sees reason to deny Messenger service to Cuba, then they can. It's Microsoft's product; there's no good reason that I can see for why they cannot do this.
Sorry, I know that the whole "corporations are evil" bit is a popular meme on Slashdot, but those of us older than 17 realize that corporations actually run by this odd mammal known as "people", and these mammals need to be held responsible for their own actions.
"Corporations are evil" can only reasonably apply to business practices, because corporations exist solely to make money, which then gets distributed to the employees and shareholders. The Corporation is a concept rooted in greed, caring nothing for where the money comes from or what it takes to get it, so long as the numbers work out.
This clearly is the fault of a human who can be separated from the corporation. I wholly agree that the person who decided not to activate the phone should be given any penalty that can be sought.
By the way, I'm new here. Just in case it looks like it all, I can confirm that I am, indeed, new here.
You wanna know why? Well, the bailout money has to be spent somehow, right?
What do they do? Pull an Apple and tell everyone to go out and buy the newest version of all of the software that was working just fine on the previous version of the OS?
If it's accompanied by a drastic price drop (like, 55%-75% price cut) and 99%-100% malware incompatibility, then yes.
I figure a price drop that big should be more than enough to convince a lot of users to purchase Windows, instead of pirating it and searching for cracks.
Competing unfairly in ways like only offering discounts to companies that don't stock competing products - discounts so large that anyone who wanted to stock a competing product basically could not hope to sell anything by Microsoft at a competitive price.
That, I say, was a lucky gamble on Microsoft's part. If there had been a viable alternative that didn't cost anything, it would have been naturally cheaper than Microsoft Windows on the same hardware, and I imagine that Microsoft wouldn't have risen to the imperial power that it is today if it had had to deal with that kind of competition. Maybe Microsoft would still be a competitor, if this alternate universe had happened, but for that to be true, Microsoftware would have to have been a lot more focused on stability.
Given that Windows 3.0 was 1990 and Windows 3.1 was 1992, Linux was just a little late to the party. MS was just in the right place at the right time. And people are now so ingrained in Windows that viruses, license costs, IE, and daily application crashing are simply realities of computers, rather than shortcomings of Microsoft; these users who refuse to search for other options or learn different systems are the only reason that Microsoft still holds its power today. If the market were still a competition, instead of just ignorant users listening for a select few words, there would be a lot more pressure on Microsoft to deliver stable Microsoftware.
What part of history am I missing here? I'm sure that companies tried to compete with Microsoft back in the late '80s and early '90s, but what went wrong? Why was Microsoft, specifically, so appealing to sell?
Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit. You lose.
I like point #1 in your list. With Adblock Plus on my Firefox, site content looks so much more focused on whatever subject is at hand. GameFAQs looks focused on games, Slashdot looks focused on geeky stuff, and it all looks like people care about the web.
And then occasionally, I try a new browser (like Chrome), and I see the ads. And they are EVERYWHERE! It's impossible to concentrate on the site!
If the masses blocked ads, the web would, in fact, be much more awesome.
I have a question: If there are instructions on how to build it in Linux, why can't Google just build it, brand it, and release it?
I tried but failed to successfully build the application in Linux, so I don't know how it runs, but it seems to me like it would take just some building and testing to make sure everything works. What could the problem possibly be?
I'm using Firefox right now. I just tried putting 127.0.0.1 into the location bar. I got the "Failed to Connect" error.
"Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at 127.0.0.1." :(
Actually, I don't think that was much of an attack. If a goblin is "gnome-like", I would expect goblin to be, at best, a spinoff project based on GNOME, as a similar but different UI (similar to how different Linux distros, like Ubuntu, are based on Debian, but are clearly distinct operating systems).
Could it be a "GNU Object-Based Linux Interface with Networking"?
But to be fair to MS
What the- Get out of my Slashdot! ;P
Quite possibly a Windows PowerUser(TM) who discovered that Linux file systems don't require the daily defragmentation that Windows' NFTS does, and is now having trouble finding something to do.
And what is this? Initially, I misread it as "NTFS", which is the Windows filesystem, and the post would have made sense. But what's NFTS? The "New-Fangled Technological Stuff" that will be introduced in Windows 7? Will this finally break backwards compatibility with viruses and other malware, giving Windows 7 a much-needed security boost?
*sees (Score:3, Informative)*
Equally informative: sky remains blue, water remains wet, Pope remains Catholic.
*expects a +5 with some adjective*
Fsck that. Seriously. Fsck. That.
Why this mad obsession with checking a filesystem? What is so exciting about sitting there and having your computer make sure that you disks are consistent and not broken and stuff?
This topic highlights why nerds don't have friends. Normal people are tolerant of others. Nerds use knowledge as a weapon. I suppose it's a coping mechanism or some such thing.
Honestly, I wish to use knowledge to dialogue with others about interesting topics, and do something productive if the opportunity arises.
However, when people wish to act like they have knowledge that they clearly do not, they should expect their ignorance to be called out, especially if resolving their ignorance leads to something productive.
I wholly expect to be mocked if I go to a car mechanic and try to string together a bunch of car words that I might know. I'll instantly give myself away as a n00b who doesn't know what he's talking about, and the mechanic has every right to laugh at me or teach me or do whatever he chooses.
Similarly, I wholly expect that someone is prepared to be corrected when they string together a bunch of tech terms that end up making no sense. If they aren't prepared to directly admit that they don't know computers, they will give it away when they try to sound smart.
Ignorance can be feigned; educatedness cannot.
This reminds me of a time, a long long time ago, when I went into my college campus's computer store. I told the friendly sales associate that I wanted to look at their hard disks. He handed me a box of 3.5 inch floppies.
Wow.
Wow, indeed. I had no idea that there were retarded employees outside of GameStop. Y'know, the ones who couldn't look up a game, even a Pokemon title, even if you give them the exact name and system?
Why these people don't pass you off to someone who can help, I don't know, but it lowers my faith in humanity and in the company every time I encounter someone like that.
Do you mean ones as easy to spot as "sel" instead of "sell" or "ling" instead of "long"? I mean, yeah, they're typos caused by rapid movement over the qwerty keyboard layout, but it should still stand out enough to fix immediately. There's no reasons for typos this severe and easy to spot to actually live to see the web.
I don't know if I'm just easily offended or a fanboy
Probably a little of both. Decide (1) if you seem to get offended a lot and (2) if you would seriously consider using any other distro.
Ubuntu is a nice introductory distro for the Linux-curious user, but that's really all it is right now - an introduction into the world of Linux.
I wanted to read the Ubuntu point, because, while I may be a fanboy about some things, I like to hear other people's viewpoints, too, just to give them the chance to voice their opinions, no matter how much I may disagree. It was interesting. They had some good points. I would argue that Ubuntu is taking longer than expected to get to its desired position, but it's still working on it. It's a relatively young distro that has exploded into very significant popularity. But, I have my opinion, and they have theirs.
I stopped reading after I found more than one easily-spotted, should-have-been-easily-corrected typo in the article.
Obviously, the people who modded you "Funny".
I'm going to respectfully agree. :)
You see? Chemicals do make everything better, when used properly! :D
Remember, everything is made up of chemical elements and chemical compounds.
Oh. My. God. You mean they make food out of chemicals?
Yes. It's worked for thousands of years, and I bet chemicals could keep our bodies in tip-top shape for a few more centuries (if we choose to use them wisely). After all, no one has yet had any better ideas.
I'd very much like someone to come up with a method of making foods from non-chemicals, and see how it works out.
O_O
. . .
Clearly, I need to learn more bash....