You are incorrect - various bank ATMs here in Japan still allow cash transfers ("genkin furicomi") without an ATM card or anything. Although there are some which don't..depends on the bank and how big the ATM corner is.
Yeah, and you can tell how successful its been here in Japan - there hasn't been any new model release based on it for nearly 2 years. And I don't think anyone actually stocks it anymore.. I suspect it was a bit of a flop..
Incorrect. Anyone can apply for and receive Japanese citizenship if they meet some basic requirements (minimum of about 5 years residence in Japan is the main one. Japanese by ancestry is not.) There are a number of causasian and others who are not Japanese by ancestry, who are Japanese citizens.
Sure they still exist. A bit stricter now though. You can still find vending machines which will give you anything up to the 1 or 2 liter cans, as well as cup sake etc.
But in order to cut down on under-age drinking, alcohol vending machines now require a special card to be used. The card can only be obtained by showing your drivers license or proof of age at a store (usually a licquor store which is usually where the machines are anyway) Don't know if they still shut down at 11pm though.
No, I implied that many, not all, MS certification holders produce poor software. If it makes you more comfortable, add the word "all" to my original statement:
If licensing improved the quality of software, then all MCSEs would be turning out works of art. And I think that we can all agree that it's not happening.
That was my point. You were making a blanket statment about MS certified people. Thank you.
I have worked with several MCSD-certified software developers. Their code was, to put it politely, not top-notch.
This is what I am talking about. Based on this small sample you make a blanket assumption about all MS cerified people (based on your original comments)
Don't get me wrong here - I don't think MS certification methods are the greatest, by any measure - it just bothers me when people go around making blanket statements about peoples abilities because they are certified.
Yes, there is a wide variation - but there is a wide variation in many certification systems. It is extremely difficult to accurately test knowledge and skill.
My point is, don't trash all who have a certification, just for having that certification. Trash the certification system itself by all means.
But again - you make generalisations about Harvard or Yale graduates. I've met people with Harvard qualifications, and I wasn't impressed with what I saw. But that doesn't mean they are all like that.
If licensing improved the quality of software, then MCSEs would be turning out works of art. And I think that we can all agree that it's not happening.
This isn't a generalisation, implying that MS certification holders lack ability? Um, sure looks like it to me. Again, you are making the generalisation that MCSDs (what you meant, I believe) do not currently produce quality software ("works of art") Obviously we don't all agree.
Now where in that did I state that holding a Microsoft certification implies a lack of ability? MS certification holders are not, as a group, turning out the highest quality software ever seen
Where's your proof of this? How would you have any idea of the quality of software being done by people worldwide who happen to be MS certified. Again, generalisation. What is it about an MS certification that makes you believe anyone holding one is of a lower skill level than someone not holding one? Why pick on MS certifications?
Please note my point here is not that MS certified people are great. But you cannot make a generalisation like that about such a large group of people. Like any group there is a huge variation of skill and ability.
As you stated with your analogy, this is the case in many areas.
You were making the mistaken generalisation that holding an MS certification implies lack of ability. Which is incorrect.
I can make the same analogy with Linux - there are a lot of skilled people out there, but there are also a lot who bought (or not!) a copy of Linux, installed it and played with it. Don't expect real network/system admins to be impressed just because you've played with Linux at home.
You cheapen your statement by making unnecessary generalisations (although given the audience here, a poke at MS cetification is probably worth an extra mod point..)
What do MCSEs have to do with software development? The MCSE qualification is aimed at system and network administration, not development. Perhaps you're thinking of the MSCD..
But then, this is Slashdot. When in doubt, trash MCSEs some more. Newsflash - there *are* MCSEs who are experienced, skilled people (I happen to consider myself one of them). But then what would half of the Slashdot readership know about that (the half that are 16yr old kids playing with Linux in their bedroom, and wouldn't have a clue about managing a real computer room) Fight generalisation with generalisation, I say.
The Arc AAA is a great little light that is very rugged, waterproof, runs off a single AAA battery with good longevity (using a step-up voltage regulator) and *very* bright. I have a couple of these - been carrying one on my keyring for about 6 months and its never failed me. White LEDs are great..
If I had any mod points, you'd be getting them. I live in Tokyo, and you hit the nail(s) on the head.
Yes folks, most of the shops/shopping in Akihabara is in fact aimed at local Japanese (shock, horror!)
3 hours in Akihabara will just scratch the surface - there are heaps of small shops, many further away from the main train station where rent is cheaper, with more interesting bargains.
Anyway, Akihabara has variety but not necessarily the best prices - because it is 'Akihabara', rent is high, and shops price stuff accordingly.
I'm still laughing that this guy was actually surprised/disappointed to find lots of Japanese PDAs and PCs with Japanese keyboards in Japan of all places...
Japanese children are much more mature than American children???
Are you serious? Just because they are able to easily access comics with content that might shock parents in the US, does NOT make them more mature. Far from it. I would say the opposite.
You are mostly correct about the targeted age groups (in a very broad sense) - probably about 80-90% of anime is aimed at age groups up to about the age of 15-16yrs.
It is my understanding that a lot of Asian country citizens are bi-lingual(sp?)
Um, hate to break this to you, but the number of countries in Asia where any significant % of the population speak a decent amount of English as a second language, you can probably count on one hand.
For starters, there's probably, oh, say a billion or so people in China who don't speak a word of English. Not to mention Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, where English isn't as common as people seem to think.
And believe me, generally people in these countries definitely prefer localised versions of software.
Well, I can't offer too many hard facts, but I can offer some info based on personal experience. However, as others have mentioned, you really need to decide what is most important to you - freedom, quality of life, safety - it would be tough to have all 3.
Australia - I'm Australian, so I'm biased, but I think Australia is a great place to live. Various problems with government, but good infrastructure and quality of life (and great weather..) Taxes are high though, similar to that of Canada as far as I know.
Japan - where I am now - lots of fun, but not if you don't speak the language(or aren't willing to work hard to learn). Personal safety is good, but freedom and quality of life vary greatly depending on what you're used to. Americans (the USA/Canada type, I guess) would probably find it a little cramped, unless you're lucky enough to live somewhere other than Tokyo or Osaka.
Singapore - great in terms of safety and, to a good extent, quality of life, but suffers a bit in terms of freedom. Not as bad as everyone seems to think though. Taxes are really low, great infrastructure, easy to travel to other SE Asian countries. But HOT! All year round..
Hong Kong - I was there for a few years before and after the handover to China. Fun, exciting place, but crowded. Still lots of freedom, safety isn't too bad, quality of life is like Japan - depends a great deal on what you're used to.
All boils down to what you really want - as someone else said - safety, freedom, quality of life - pick any two...
Fyi, the 'Power Rangers' style of show originally *came from* anime.
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (or G-Force, or Battle of the Planets, for the lobotomised English version) was the first show with the 5-or-so member team who could 'transform' to fight bad guys. Power Rangers and all those similar live-action series came later..
Umm...I think you're overestimating(or under?) the exchange rate..HK$220 would be more like about US$30 I think..
Not intending to be offensive, but how are you sure the DVDs you got aren't pirated? I used to live in HK, and did a fair bit of DVD/VCD shopping - there is a lot of good quality pirated material still available there, which is probably hard to judge as being pirated.
At the risk of being picky, Evangelion was not originally manga - it was anime 'made for TV' so to speak. Evangelion manga was actually written _after_ the TV series came out.
It would be difficult to say if 'most' anime these days comes from manga - there is a huge volume of manga available, a lot of it mass market crap, and there is also a lot of made-for-TV mass market anime, much of which is also crap (IMHO anyway...) Usually only the really popular manga (or ones with good marketing potential) make it to anime. On the other hand, there's a fair bit of anime made for TV which is purely a money-making machine to sell toys to kids..
Well, from what I can see even those prices are pretty good. Don't know if a lot of US anime fans realize, but collecting anime is _expensive_. More so if you like original Japanese releases. The fact is, anime sold in Japan is actually more expensive than what you get in other countries.
An average new release DVD here is around US$40-50. Even second hand ones don't go for much less than US$30 or so.
Of course, the nice thing about all the DVD releases is that LDs are really cheap here now - I go prowling for second hand LDs a lot, and often get them for 1500yen or less...
"Fully international edition - DVD Region Zero - playable everywhere"
Um, well it's great that its Region Zero and all, but it's also rather annoying that they see fit to call it an 'international edition', when their(www.projectvoyager.com) online ordering system doesn't even allow non-US orders...it would be nice if people overseas could actually _order_ this.
Anyone know if this will be available through the usual DVD distribution channels? I can't find it listed as a pre-order or anything on any of the larger sites..
A few years back after doing some 90 hour weeks working on a project, I stepped back and really thought about why I was working like that.
Since then, I've tried to keep the above saying in mind. I think it helps to think clearly about what you're doing - do you exist on this planet just to do your job, or is your job just a way to support your lifestyle, and allow you to enjoy other things?
Of course, there are grey areas, and it's nice to enjoy what you get paid to do, but I think it boils down to this. Life is short, and my time is limited. When you sell your time to someone else for money, you are selling a part of your life. So my point of view is, don't sell any more of it than you have to. There are lots more interesting things that you can do with it.
Although, if someone is willing to pay you to do something you truly enjoy, then the joke is on them.. ^_^
What makes good anime? The same things that make good entertainment in any other format - good plot, good character development, good acting.
The greatest animation in the world can't make up for a crappy plot or worthless characters.
For a great example, watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. 20 year old animation, but a great story with lots of depth, extemely well developed characters you really get to care about, and good voice acting.
This is a series which really deserves to be called classic. A shame it isn't readily available overseas (ie outside Japan) in its entirety. It would need very accurate translation. I speak Japanese so I'm pretty biased to the original though..
The android saga of DBZ?
Now you'll get to find out why DBZ is known as 'Drag-on Ball'...(not that the android saga is much different to any of the other big fight sequences..)
Slashdot Mirror
You are incorrect - various bank ATMs here in Japan still allow cash transfers ("genkin furicomi") without an ATM card or anything. Although there are some which don't..depends on the bank and how big the ATM corner is.
Yeah, and you can tell how successful its been here in Japan - there hasn't been any new model release based on it for nearly 2 years. And I don't think anyone actually stocks it anymore..
I suspect it was a bit of a flop..
Incorrect. Anyone can apply for and receive Japanese citizenship if they meet some basic requirements (minimum of about 5 years residence in Japan is the main one. Japanese by ancestry is not.) There are a number of causasian and others who are not Japanese by ancestry, who are Japanese citizens.
Sure they still exist. A bit stricter now though. You can still find vending machines which will give you anything up to the 1 or 2 liter cans, as well as cup sake etc.
But in order to cut down on under-age drinking, alcohol vending machines now require a special card to be used. The card can only be obtained by showing your drivers license or proof of age at a store (usually a licquor store which is usually where the machines are anyway)
Don't know if they still shut down at 11pm though.
This is news? My electric toothbrush has a linear motor..
e rs onal_care/oral_care.asp#technobrush
http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/p
No, I implied that many, not all, MS certification holders produce poor software. If it makes you more comfortable, add the word "all" to my original statement:
If licensing improved the quality of software, then all MCSEs would be turning out works of art. And I think that we can all agree that it's not happening.
That was my point. You were making a blanket statment about MS certified people. Thank you.
I have worked with several MCSD-certified software developers. Their code was, to put it politely, not top-notch.
This is what I am talking about. Based on this small sample you make a blanket assumption about all MS cerified people (based on your original comments)
Don't get me wrong here - I don't think MS certification methods are the greatest, by any measure - it just bothers me when people go around making blanket statements about peoples abilities because they are certified.
Yes, there is a wide variation - but there is a wide variation in many certification systems. It is extremely difficult to accurately test knowledge and skill.
My point is, don't trash all who have a certification, just for having that certification. Trash the certification system itself by all means.
But again - you make generalisations about Harvard or Yale graduates. I've met people with Harvard qualifications, and I wasn't impressed with what I saw. But that doesn't mean they are all like that.
If licensing improved the quality of software, then MCSEs would be turning out works of art. And I think that we can all agree that it's not happening.
This isn't a generalisation, implying that MS certification holders lack ability? Um, sure looks like it to me. Again, you are making the generalisation that MCSDs (what you meant, I believe) do not currently produce quality software ("works of art")
Obviously we don't all agree.
Now where in that did I state that holding a Microsoft certification implies a lack of ability? MS certification holders are not, as a group, turning out the highest quality software ever seen
Where's your proof of this? How would you have any idea of the quality of software being done by people worldwide who happen to be MS certified. Again, generalisation. What is it about an MS certification that makes you believe anyone holding one is of a lower skill level than someone not holding one? Why pick on MS certifications?
Please note my point here is not that MS certified people are great. But you cannot make a generalisation like that about such a large group of people. Like any group there is a huge variation of skill and ability.
And your point is...?
As you stated with your analogy, this is the case in many areas.
You were making the mistaken generalisation that holding an MS certification implies lack of ability. Which is incorrect.
I can make the same analogy with Linux - there are a lot of skilled people out there, but there are also a lot who bought (or not!) a copy of Linux, installed it and played with it. Don't expect real network/system admins to be impressed just because you've played with Linux at home.
You cheapen your statement by making unnecessary generalisations (although given the audience here, a poke at MS cetification is probably worth an extra mod point..)
What do MCSEs have to do with software development? The MCSE qualification is aimed at system and network administration, not development.
Perhaps you're thinking of the MSCD..
But then, this is Slashdot. When in doubt, trash MCSEs some more.
Newsflash - there *are* MCSEs who are experienced, skilled people (I happen to consider myself one of them). But then what would half of the Slashdot readership know about that (the half that are 16yr old kids playing with Linux in their bedroom, and wouldn't have a clue about managing a real computer room)
Fight generalisation with generalisation, I say.
Check out http://www.arcflashlight.com
The Arc AAA is a great little light that is very rugged, waterproof, runs off a single AAA battery with good longevity (using a step-up voltage regulator) and *very* bright. I have a couple of these - been carrying one on my keyring for about 6 months and its never failed me. White LEDs are great..
If I had any mod points, you'd be getting them. I live in Tokyo, and you hit the nail(s) on the head.
Yes folks, most of the shops/shopping in Akihabara is in fact aimed at local Japanese (shock, horror!)
3 hours in Akihabara will just scratch the surface - there are heaps of small shops, many further away from the main train station where rent is cheaper, with more interesting bargains.
Anyway, Akihabara has variety but not necessarily the best prices - because it is 'Akihabara', rent is high, and shops price stuff accordingly.
I'm still laughing that this guy was actually surprised/disappointed to find lots of Japanese PDAs and PCs with Japanese keyboards in Japan of all places...
Japanese children are much more mature than American children???
Are you serious? Just because they are able to easily access comics with content that might shock parents in the US, does NOT make them more mature. Far from it. I would say the opposite.
You are mostly correct about the targeted age groups (in a very broad sense) - probably about 80-90% of anime is aimed at age groups up to about the age of 15-16yrs.
Someone should try and get Graham 'Grace' Walker on a team. He was the guy who designed and built most of the vehicles in the Mad Max movies...
This just got released on DVD here in Japan. Got my copy yesterday..
It is my understanding that a lot of Asian country citizens are bi-lingual(sp?) Um, hate to break this to you, but the number of countries in Asia where any significant % of the population speak a decent amount of English as a second language, you can probably count on one hand. For starters, there's probably, oh, say a billion or so people in China who don't speak a word of English. Not to mention Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, where English isn't as common as people seem to think. And believe me, generally people in these countries definitely prefer localised versions of software.
Well, I can't offer too many hard facts, but I can offer some info based on personal experience. However, as others have mentioned, you really need to decide what is most important to you - freedom, quality of life, safety - it would be tough to have all 3.
Australia - I'm Australian, so I'm biased, but I think Australia is a great place to live. Various problems with government, but good infrastructure and quality of life (and great weather..) Taxes are high though, similar to that of Canada as far as I know.
Japan - where I am now - lots of fun, but not if you don't speak the language(or aren't willing to work hard to learn). Personal safety is good, but freedom and quality of life vary greatly depending on what you're used to. Americans (the USA/Canada type, I guess) would probably find it a little cramped, unless you're lucky enough to live somewhere other than Tokyo or Osaka.
Singapore - great in terms of safety and, to a good extent, quality of life, but suffers a bit in terms of freedom. Not as bad as everyone seems to think though. Taxes are really low, great infrastructure, easy to travel to other SE Asian countries. But HOT! All year round..
Hong Kong - I was there for a few years before and after the handover to China. Fun, exciting place, but crowded. Still lots of freedom, safety isn't too bad, quality of life is like Japan - depends a great deal on what you're used to.
All boils down to what you really want - as someone else said - safety, freedom, quality of life - pick any two...
Fyi, the 'Power Rangers' style of show originally *came from* anime.
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (or G-Force, or Battle of the Planets, for the lobotomised English version) was the first show with the 5-or-so member team who could 'transform' to fight bad guys. Power Rangers and all those similar live-action series came later..
Just checked the Vaio support site, and Sony have a statement about this..(in Japanese)
/ in fo19.html
http://vcl.vaio.sony.co.jp/products/common/note
For the Japanese-impaired, it says something to the effect that:
"There has been a reported problem with the Crusoe CPU where a system re-installation using the recovery CD doesn't complete..
For the C1:
As of 11/29, for the 26,000 units shipped there haven't been any reports of this problem
For the GT1:
As of 11/29, for the 2,200 units shipped there have been 7 enquiries regarding recovery CD problems, and these are being investigated."
Note: this is not a literal translation - just my rough summary. Basic meaning is there though.
Graham
Umm...I think you're overestimating(or under?) the exchange rate..HK$220 would be more like about US$30 I think..
Not intending to be offensive, but how are you sure the DVDs you got aren't pirated? I used to live in HK, and did a fair bit of DVD/VCD shopping - there is a lot of good quality pirated material still available there, which is probably hard to judge as being pirated.
At the risk of being picky, Evangelion was not originally manga - it was anime 'made for TV' so to speak. Evangelion manga was actually written _after_ the TV series came out.
It would be difficult to say if 'most' anime these days comes from manga - there is a huge volume of manga available, a lot of it mass market crap, and there is also a lot of made-for-TV mass market anime, much of which is also crap (IMHO anyway...) Usually only the really popular manga (or ones with good marketing potential) make it to anime. On the other hand, there's a fair bit of anime made for TV which is purely a money-making machine to sell toys to kids..
Well, from what I can see even those prices are pretty good. Don't know if a lot of US anime fans realize, but collecting anime is _expensive_. More so if you like original Japanese releases. The fact is, anime sold in Japan is actually more expensive than what you get in other countries.
An average new release DVD here is around US$40-50. Even second hand ones don't go for much less than US$30 or so.
Of course, the nice thing about all the DVD releases is that LDs are really cheap here now - I go prowling for second hand LDs a lot, and often get them for 1500yen or less...
From the site..
"Fully international edition - DVD Region Zero - playable everywhere"
Um, well it's great that its Region Zero and all, but it's also rather annoying that they see fit to call it an 'international edition', when their(www.projectvoyager.com) online ordering system doesn't even allow non-US orders...it would be nice if people overseas could actually _order_ this.
Anyone know if this will be available through the usual DVD distribution channels? I can't find it listed as a pre-order or anything on any of the larger sites..
A few years back after doing some 90 hour weeks working on a project, I stepped back and really thought about why I was working like that.
Since then, I've tried to keep the above saying in mind. I think it helps to think clearly about what you're doing - do you exist on this planet just to do your job, or is your job just a way to support your lifestyle, and allow you to enjoy other things?
Of course, there are grey areas, and it's nice to enjoy what you get paid to do, but I think it boils down to this. Life is short, and my time is limited. When you sell your time to someone else for money, you are selling a part of your life. So my point of view is, don't sell any more of it than you have to. There are lots more interesting things that you can do with it.
Although, if someone is willing to pay you to do something you truly enjoy, then the joke is on them.. ^_^
What makes good anime? The same things that make good entertainment in any other format - good plot, good character development, good acting. The greatest animation in the world can't make up for a crappy plot or worthless characters. For a great example, watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. 20 year old animation, but a great story with lots of depth, extemely well developed characters you really get to care about, and good voice acting. This is a series which really deserves to be called classic. A shame it isn't readily available overseas (ie outside Japan) in its entirety. It would need very accurate translation. I speak Japanese so I'm pretty biased to the original though..
The android saga of DBZ? Now you'll get to find out why DBZ is known as 'Drag-on Ball'...(not that the android saga is much different to any of the other big fight sequences..)