Thank you. I've been reading and posting for 3 days, seeing page after page of strawmen. I agree with you completely, but I couldn't seem to put it so eloquently.
They've already killed secondhand ownership by publishing updates every year that colleges insist on forcing students to purchase. Besides, if there's any kind of product that is appropriate for a rent/license business model, it's textbooks - Do you really care if you can keep your Calc 1 textbook, or one of a half-dozen literature compilations that you'll read before graduation? Keep the cost and weight down (easier to do when they don't have to fight the used market for share), and I don't really care if I can only use the dry instruction of 6 bored PhD contributors for 3 months.
See, that's the thing - I like this idea... hell, every time I lug 5 books on campus I fantasize about just having one thin, readable ipad in my satchel along with a notebook or two. But this is still a new product...I can't imagine that this is fiscally responsible - especially since I don't think the primary benefits are going to show up in test scores ( which doesn't mean it isn't beneficial). I suppose in the long run this might encourage more licensing from the academic publishers and benefit everyone in the long run, but this just doesn't seem like the ideal testbed.
Not all technology is progress - for every new hardware system that adds to the utility of entertainment, there are several that fall flat. B&W -> Color is not analogous to Flat -> Stereoscopic in any way other than sentence structure. Novelties do, and have existed... The difference this time is the insane marketing push... I don't think I've ever seen the hardware industry try so hard before. Maybe they're as afraid of a dying fad as we are of a sustained one. The next time you hear an industry insider talk about 3d as the 'next big thing', do yourself a favor and think 'Smell-o-Vision', not HDTV.
ATT Customer here, been enjoying free wi-fi at Starbucks for a long time...it's not a difficult setup, and only done once. That said, I'm not a fan of exclusivity deals, so if Starbucks is making it easier, more power to them. Hopefully the "Starbucks Digital Network" partnership with Yahoo that is most assuredly funding this free wifi isn't going to be too intrusive.
Wait, wait. Now I know I'm late to the party, but how did THAT post get +3 insightful? Gratuitous quotation marks, the insinuation that all manual laborers are dumb monkeys ( or equivalent to them), and the apparent belief that the dominant subculture on slashdot is a big bunch of basement losers: a stereotype perpetuated by 80s-90s media, but on the decline, as that generation has grown up, so to speak. We have jos, families, homes, and well-honed opinions on technical subjects...that's why we're here. Grishnakh, we at/. appreciate your technical expertise, if indeed you are an engineer, but unless and until you have something to say with more insight and less slander, FUCK OFF.
It is indeed a self-limiting disease, and thus not on everyone's priority list, but if the summary is correct, this is great news not only because it prevents an extremely deadly disease, but because it may give insight into combating RNA viruses as a whole, historically a difficult problem.
Indeed. While I approve of their activation method (I like steam), The removal of LAN play says more about Blizzard's fear of piracy than their less-intrusive-than-UBI DRM. I don't mind copy protection on principle, merely on a case-by-case basis, but lets not pretend that no-LAN isn't part of that protection, and thus QUITE restrictive, by comparison.
From Article: It would take 10 ships 20 years to measure all the ocean-floor depths with an echsounder, according to published U.S. Navy estimates.
"That would come to about $2 billion," Smith says. "NASA is spending more than that on a probe to [the Jupiter moon] Europa."
Right, it costs more to send something into space. There are a lot of scientific pursuits less expensive that space travel. I'm confused...what's this comparison trying to say? If the quote had been "Nasa is spending less than that on a probe....", then it would have offered commentary on how prohibitively expensive the project is (if true). Instead, it costs less to image the earth than image Europa. What are they saying?
Actually, that's a good point - how is using such a low-power infrastructure (even as a starting point) any easier than starting from scratch? Are they just re-purposing the pipes and sheaths from the old landlines?
In addition to providing a (hopefully representative) test of content that we as gamers pay quite a premium for, free demos are extremely useful for benchmarking how a new title will run on a custom-built machine. I cannot stress this enough - I don't buy a title unless I have some idea of how it will run on my rig, and an in-game demo is far more useful than a theoretical advert on the side of the box/website. Eliminate this source of info, and you have some gamers who won't take the risk that a new title will perform adequately on an older custom built, and some other, more vocal gamers who -will- take the risk and then be extremely annoyed and dissatisfied - especially if a title isn't well optimized compared to similar titles with similar theoretical requirements (See: Mass effect 1 vs Mass effect 2)
The suggestion that free demos aren't of benefit is insulting.
It's a pretty good idea, and one people have been tying to get right for a while, but dude - what's with the name? How is anyone ever going to take you seriously? Nobody wants to see "4,768 Peepoo's" on an invoice.
My mistake, I thought you were being conspiratorial. The use of copyright law to suppress undesirable, but otherwise not infringement-related, dialogue is the very definition of libel chill. I quite agree. The question here is whether the DMCA was actually invoked as justification for the takedown. If not, then I see only an ethical dilemma, not a legal one. The right of google to remove or cease hosting videos at their discretion is analogous to any other business's 'refusal of service' . And while the law is clear on what constitutes inappropriate discrimination at a restaurant or other place of 'public accommodation', it is less clear on how much of the internet is in direct service to the public, and thus subject to uphold essential liberties. Is it truly chilling or discriminatory to remove a comment one doesn't like, from one's own website? That's where it gets muddy, for me.
I suspect this conversation is no longer ongoing, but thank you for the insight.
"Indirect enforcement is still enforcement...Free speech rules apply. "
Not legally, or legislatively. It's true that there is a certain gap in personal rights when it comes to corporate motivation, actions of self interest, or even strong-arm tactics, but it doesn't extend to the level of collusion, in my opinion.
Where people get particularly offended and start ruffling about free speech is when the DMCA is used as a shorthand for 'we don't like this'. It moves the discussion from corporate prerogative to legal certainty, and that's not O.K. If googletube wants it down, they should just take it down, perhaps with a 'your video has been flagged as inappropriate' and not stoop to using the DMCA as a hammer. Having said that, it has not been confirmed that the takedown was even related to DMCA; there could be any number of reasons, from playing-it-safe to legal grey areas unrelated to the subject matter, such as the broadcasting of those who do not wish their likeness used, none of which impede free speech. Time will tell, but by then we'll have forgotten about it, and the internet will route around this supposed suppression in either case.
This does have a certain stink to it, though. They have to know this is a hot button issue. Why risk offending people about it? Lord knows we can't risk offending anyone else in this country.
Well, my first response is "F*** That!". But on further reflection, I seriously doubt it's something to worry about, except in our most Orwellian of nightmares. Who'd approve such an extreme approach, save those desiring world domination? More importantly, who'd drink it?
I suspect the study had more to do with curiosity than malicious intent. All of the conspiracy laced subtext appears when a news reporter gets a hold of it. Sensationalism sells, and that's all this is.
Waving the censorship flag is a bit overzealous. IMO google is choosing carefully which books to include in its project. They're neither a library, nor a government - why should they archive every book under the sun? Did any of us expect to be able to find and search every book ever published?
It's more a question of merit. Why waste the space on children's origami books, or every edition of "Upgrading and Repairing PCs". However, I would still like to see that list. It would shed some light on the opinions and thought processes of those in charge at google.
It's frustrating trying to find a good deal here in the US. Much like cellular services, the major ISPs offer no financial incentive, only slight feature differences at the same price range. Competitive pricing is non-existent where I live.
Slashdot Mirror
Thank you. I've been reading and posting for 3 days, seeing page after page of strawmen. I agree with you completely, but I couldn't seem to put it so eloquently.
They've already killed secondhand ownership by publishing updates every year that colleges insist on forcing students to purchase. Besides, if there's any kind of product that is appropriate for a rent/license business model, it's textbooks - Do you really care if you can keep your Calc 1 textbook, or one of a half-dozen literature compilations that you'll read before graduation? Keep the cost and weight down (easier to do when they don't have to fight the used market for share), and I don't really care if I can only use the dry instruction of 6 bored PhD contributors for 3 months.
See, that's the thing - I like this idea... hell, every time I lug 5 books on campus I fantasize about just having one thin, readable ipad in my satchel along with a notebook or two. But this is still a new product...I can't imagine that this is fiscally responsible - especially since I don't think the primary benefits are going to show up in test scores ( which doesn't mean it isn't beneficial). I suppose in the long run this might encourage more licensing from the academic publishers and benefit everyone in the long run, but this just doesn't seem like the ideal testbed.
Not all technology is progress - for every new hardware system that adds to the utility of entertainment, there are several that fall flat. B&W -> Color is not analogous to Flat -> Stereoscopic in any way other than sentence structure. Novelties do, and have existed... The difference this time is the insane marketing push... I don't think I've ever seen the hardware industry try so hard before. Maybe they're as afraid of a dying fad as we are of a sustained one. The next time you hear an industry insider talk about 3d as the 'next big thing', do yourself a favor and think 'Smell-o-Vision', not HDTV.
ATT Customer here, been enjoying free wi-fi at Starbucks for a long time...it's not a difficult setup, and only done once. That said, I'm not a fan of exclusivity deals, so if Starbucks is making it easier, more power to them. Hopefully the "Starbucks Digital Network" partnership with Yahoo that is most assuredly funding this free wifi isn't going to be too intrusive.
Wait, wait. Now I know I'm late to the party, but how did THAT post get +3 insightful? Gratuitous quotation marks, the insinuation that all manual laborers are dumb monkeys ( or equivalent to them), and the apparent belief that the dominant subculture on slashdot is a big bunch of basement losers: a stereotype perpetuated by 80s-90s media, but on the decline, as that generation has grown up, so to speak. We have jos, families, homes, and well-honed opinions on technical subjects...that's why we're here. /. appreciate your technical expertise, if indeed you are an engineer, but unless and until you have something to say with more insight and less slander, FUCK OFF.
Grishnakh, we at
It is indeed a self-limiting disease, and thus not on everyone's priority list, but if the summary is correct, this is great news not only because it prevents an extremely deadly disease, but because it may give insight into combating RNA viruses as a whole, historically a difficult problem.
Indeed. While I approve of their activation method (I like steam), The removal of LAN play says more about Blizzard's fear of piracy than their less-intrusive-than-UBI DRM. I don't mind copy protection on principle, merely on a case-by-case basis, but lets not pretend that no-LAN isn't part of that protection, and thus QUITE restrictive, by comparison.
I'll miss you, spawn mode.
From Article: It would take 10 ships 20 years to measure all the ocean-floor depths with an echsounder, according to published U.S. Navy estimates.
"That would come to about $2 billion," Smith says. "NASA is spending more than that on a probe to [the Jupiter moon] Europa."
Right, it costs more to send something into space. There are a lot of scientific pursuits less expensive that space travel. I'm confused...what's this comparison trying to say?
If the quote had been "Nasa is spending less than that on a probe....", then it would have offered commentary on how prohibitively expensive the project is (if true). Instead, it costs less to image the earth than image Europa. What are they saying?
...So I just stand here in front of this ray-gun looking thing, right? Actually, you go first.
Actually, that's a good point - how is using such a low-power infrastructure (even as a starting point) any easier than starting from scratch? Are they just re-purposing the pipes and sheaths from the old landlines?
In addition to providing a (hopefully representative) test of content that we as gamers pay quite a premium for, free demos are extremely useful for benchmarking how a new title will run on a custom-built machine. I cannot stress this enough - I don't buy a title unless I have some idea of how it will run on my rig, and an in-game demo is far more useful than a theoretical advert on the side of the box/website. Eliminate this source of info, and you have some gamers who won't take the risk that a new title will perform adequately on an older custom built, and some other, more vocal gamers who -will- take the risk and then be extremely annoyed and dissatisfied - especially if a title isn't well optimized compared to similar titles with similar theoretical requirements (See: Mass effect 1 vs Mass effect 2) The suggestion that free demos aren't of benefit is insulting.
It's a pretty good idea, and one people have been tying to get right for a while, but dude - what's with the name? How is anyone ever going to take you seriously? Nobody wants to see "4,768 Peepoo's" on an invoice.
My mistake, I thought you were being conspiratorial. The use of copyright law to suppress undesirable, but otherwise not infringement-related, dialogue is the very definition of libel chill. I quite agree. The question here is whether the DMCA was actually invoked as justification for the takedown. If not, then I see only an ethical dilemma, not a legal one. The right of google to remove or cease hosting videos at their discretion is analogous to any other business's 'refusal of service' . And while the law is clear on what constitutes inappropriate discrimination at a restaurant or other place of 'public accommodation', it is less clear on how much of the internet is in direct service to the public, and thus subject to uphold essential liberties. Is it truly chilling or discriminatory to remove a comment one doesn't like, from one's own website? That's where it gets muddy, for me. I suspect this conversation is no longer ongoing, but thank you for the insight.
"Indirect enforcement is still enforcement...Free speech rules apply. " Not legally, or legislatively. It's true that there is a certain gap in personal rights when it comes to corporate motivation, actions of self interest, or even strong-arm tactics, but it doesn't extend to the level of collusion, in my opinion. Where people get particularly offended and start ruffling about free speech is when the DMCA is used as a shorthand for 'we don't like this'. It moves the discussion from corporate prerogative to legal certainty, and that's not O.K. If googletube wants it down, they should just take it down, perhaps with a 'your video has been flagged as inappropriate' and not stoop to using the DMCA as a hammer. Having said that, it has not been confirmed that the takedown was even related to DMCA; there could be any number of reasons, from playing-it-safe to legal grey areas unrelated to the subject matter, such as the broadcasting of those who do not wish their likeness used, none of which impede free speech. Time will tell, but by then we'll have forgotten about it, and the internet will route around this supposed suppression in either case. This does have a certain stink to it, though. They have to know this is a hot button issue. Why risk offending people about it? Lord knows we can't risk offending anyone else in this country.
Well, my first response is "F*** That!". But on further reflection, I seriously doubt it's something to worry about, except in our most Orwellian of nightmares. Who'd approve such an extreme approach, save those desiring world domination? More importantly, who'd drink it? I suspect the study had more to do with curiosity than malicious intent. All of the conspiracy laced subtext appears when a news reporter gets a hold of it. Sensationalism sells, and that's all this is.
Waving the censorship flag is a bit overzealous. IMO google is choosing carefully which books to include in its project. They're neither a library, nor a government - why should they archive every book under the sun? Did any of us expect to be able to find and search every book ever published? It's more a question of merit. Why waste the space on children's origami books, or every edition of "Upgrading and Repairing PCs". However, I would still like to see that list. It would shed some light on the opinions and thought processes of those in charge at google.
It's frustrating trying to find a good deal here in the US. Much like cellular services, the major ISPs offer no financial incentive, only slight feature differences at the same price range. Competitive pricing is non-existent where I live.