Telus (Canadian Telco) DNS Servers go down for about 12 hours every other month or so. It's handy to have this kind of info online. I also have the Shaw (Canadian Cable Company) DNS servers written down, just in case.
Just ask yourself one question, if you don't trust your internet provider enough to do DNS correctly, should you trust them at all?
If the option were to trust my ISP or to go without Internet, I suppose I would have to "Trust" my ISP.
If the option were to Trust Google or Trust my ISP, I'd probably "Trust" Google.
Aside from the one time I saw a Google car doing streetview - Google has stayed out of my physical realm. And they can harness all the data they want from me, I don't really care. My ISP on the other hand, knows my home address with postal code, and continuously mails me information on how much of my money I owe them each month.
I would much rather trust someone who has no interest in me than trust someone who has interest in me only for their own profit.
WTF Canadians? I thought you people were nice and sensible!?
WTF indeed, this law is rather confusing and will probably affect me, after all, I'm a Canadian Citizen and for all I know you could be under-aged. If you don't see any more posts from me you know what happened.
Tell me, in the video were you also photocopying the Harry Potter books with a scanner hooked up to a laptop with a cracked version of Windows 7 on it?
I agree on some points but not all. Modding is still very prevalent in PC games but has taken a different path then it used to. It is true, that every mod to be released now-a-days is a Total Conversion, I haven't seen a simple "Mod" in a long time. But I think its mostly in part to more and more source code being available to change. The times when you would simply Modify weapon damage and speed and jumping have changed because NOW you have access to put in your own models and textures and even tweak some aspects of the engine itself. Those people who would spend a Month pumping out a mod will now spend 5 months pumping out a TC.
But in recent developments, it has actually turned into a profitable hobby. Alot of these people would -LOVE- to get into serious game development, but simply don't have the time to start up a game themselves, they need to be hired by one of these large companies. Valve is an -EXCELLENT- example of a company who hires hobbyists. Counter-strike was developed by 1 man in his basement. The guy who made the Minerva Mod was hired on to make maps in upcoming HL2 games. The team who made Portal had a demo of Portal (Narbacular Drop I think it was called?) in an old quake/doom engine, and Valve hired them after it being demo'd at a fair. The lead developer behind the flash version of Portal created his own additional storyline content - and Valve purchased it and they worked with Microsoft to release it for profit on the Xbox Live Arcade version of Portal.
Modding is no longer about modding the original game - but rather creating something of your own. It is NOT dying, the only sense of it dying is that the PC market is dying. But Companies that develop for the PC mainly (Like Valve, and Epic, and even Blizzard) tend to be a little more lenient with their IP because they know that when the community creates something amazing, they have an opportunity to add it to their assets.
As long as there are PC developers, there will be a modding community, their motives just might change.
If I hadn't already posted I'd mod that insightful.
Seriously, your ISP's have been following dirty underhanded tactics the moment you signed up, by delaying your installation, lacking in support, not offernig you full speeds, and disconnecting you when you approach your full speed. Now, given that they are in it for the money, and ALL of your traffic is going through them - they have every reason to take your information and sell it. You KNOW they have your information because the police can demand that information from ISP's to crack down on Pedo's and such.
So really - by using a Google's DNS, sure, you might be allowing your information to be accessed by Google more easily. But all in all, who says they weren't simply purchasing that information before? Or rather - Google is the least of your worries when it comes to privacy.
This upsets the customer. I know it sounds completely back-asswards, but most people would rather be blocked for an hour, told why they are blocked, and told to change, and then resume their normal speeds, as opposed to NOT getting a warning, having speeds decrease what they are paying for, and are left alone and angry to the point where they will go somewhere else.
You can use a few popular 3d Modelling programs to create terrain, depending on what engine you are using. I know a few engines have plugins for 3dsMax and Maya. Mind you, those programs don't come cheap but you can line yourself up with a free trial and try to get all your Maps done in a month, which helped me set deadlines for myself in my experience. (Try not to laugh, its a good business strategy. Get your work done before your trial is up!)
As for physics engine - You can take just about any engine already out there and tweak it to fit exactly that. I use source but I think something along the lines of Tribes 2 or Torque might be better suited for that. (Let me just spew off some features here)
Torque Engine Features Built-in level terrain and GUI editors Built-in terrain generator Sophisticated C++ based scripting language Built-in physics engine supporting basic physics, collision detection, rigid body and vehicle physics Supports bone animation Networking system for online games In-built particle systems, weather effects, layered volumetric fog and water engine. Features continuous terrain, allowing for massive world design
The company is too large to take on such a task, it was not locked down when the computers were deployed. There are about 400 employees for each IT Technician, so even remoting in to perform a lockdown would take too long.
I know - in an Ideal world, things wouldn't be set up the way they are right now. I was using this "Ideal example" of how carbon offsets should work to mirror the idea of how these Bade code offsets DO work.
It's not going to reduce the bad code you've written, no. But it would (in theory, its practically impossible to imperically measure) go towards increasing the amount of Good code produced in the future.
There's a huge difference between badly written code and non-functioning code. Users will feel the effect of non-functioning code.
Developers will feel the effect of badly written code. One of the reasons each Windows release has a handful of bugs is because its written by LOTS of different people. When you code things in such a manner that it's easier for other people to understand, bug fixes and general maintenance are much easier. It's also easier to add on to later.
Open Source projects are the kind that are meant to be used by other developers, so they generally focus on those good coding practices; comments, documenting, etc.
It's actually a great idea. Essentially its a way to donate to Open Source projects and better coding without having to decide which one and going through the hassle of contacting the project manager and trying to get his paypal information to send some cash over.
It is not so much a penalty as it is a donation, simply because no one is forcing you. They simply structured it around an already existing system (carbon offsets) - probably to give it a more meaningful feel to it.
My company spews out X amount of carbon a year. My Government puts a limit to Y amount of Carbon a year. Since it's detrimental to my business (reducing client base) to reduce my carbon output, I can purchase Carbon offsets so that some of my money goes towards greener projects. Thus I keep my clients Happy and I meet government regulation.
Now, there is no LAW forbidding bad code. But the same basic principle applies: You want to reduce the amount of Bad code you may have done, but you can't go back and change it. Buy a bad code offset.
Yes but Antiques and WoW accounts are very different.
I can see a collector of fine arts being willing to dish out a pretty penny for a rare and authentic item.
I have trouble seeing someone so avidly into World of Warcraft that they want to pay thousands of dollars for something that isn't as tangible as an antiquity.
All that is required for anyone to achieve this same status is a fraction of the price, (maybe 300 dollars in game purchase and time cards) and enough spare time to do the same thing.
And if you are an avid lover of World of warcraft, why wouldn't you go for the full experience?
Slashdot Mirror
Telus (Canadian Telco) DNS Servers go down for about 12 hours every other month or so. It's handy to have this kind of info online. I also have the Shaw (Canadian Cable Company) DNS servers written down, just in case.
Just ask yourself one question, if you don't trust your internet provider enough to do DNS correctly, should you trust them at all?
If the option were to trust my ISP or to go without Internet, I suppose I would have to "Trust" my ISP.
If the option were to Trust Google or Trust my ISP, I'd probably "Trust" Google.
Aside from the one time I saw a Google car doing streetview - Google has stayed out of my physical realm. And they can harness all the data they want from me, I don't really care. My ISP on the other hand, knows my home address with postal code, and continuously mails me information on how much of my money I owe them each month.
I would much rather trust someone who has no interest in me than trust someone who has interest in me only for their own profit.
WTF Canadians? I thought you people were nice and sensible!?
WTF indeed, this law is rather confusing and will probably affect me, after all, I'm a Canadian Citizen and for all I know you could be under-aged. If you don't see any more posts from me you know what happened.
As for Nice - have you seen our Hockey Team?
As for Sensible - Our milk comes in bags!
Tell me, in the video were you also photocopying the Harry Potter books with a scanner hooked up to a laptop with a cracked version of Windows 7 on it?
No, it was an Acer Netbook Hackintosh.
If they tell you the real rates, the other lying companies would look alot better than, wouldn't they.
Since everyone is lying, no one is going to stop lying.
Except that no one I knows blasts Hotmail or Live messenger or those services because they do exactly what they aim to do.
I agree on some points but not all. Modding is still very prevalent in PC games but has taken a different path then it used to. It is true, that every mod to be released now-a-days is a Total Conversion, I haven't seen a simple "Mod" in a long time. But I think its mostly in part to more and more source code being available to change. The times when you would simply Modify weapon damage and speed and jumping have changed because NOW you have access to put in your own models and textures and even tweak some aspects of the engine itself. Those people who would spend a Month pumping out a mod will now spend 5 months pumping out a TC.
But in recent developments, it has actually turned into a profitable hobby. Alot of these people would -LOVE- to get into serious game development, but simply don't have the time to start up a game themselves, they need to be hired by one of these large companies. Valve is an -EXCELLENT- example of a company who hires hobbyists. Counter-strike was developed by 1 man in his basement. The guy who made the Minerva Mod was hired on to make maps in upcoming HL2 games. The team who made Portal had a demo of Portal (Narbacular Drop I think it was called?) in an old quake/doom engine, and Valve hired them after it being demo'd at a fair. The lead developer behind the flash version of Portal created his own additional storyline content - and Valve purchased it and they worked with Microsoft to release it for profit on the Xbox Live Arcade version of Portal.
Modding is no longer about modding the original game - but rather creating something of your own. It is NOT dying, the only sense of it dying is that the PC market is dying. But Companies that develop for the PC mainly (Like Valve, and Epic, and even Blizzard) tend to be a little more lenient with their IP because they know that when the community creates something amazing, they have an opportunity to add it to their assets.
As long as there are PC developers, there will be a modding community, their motives just might change.
What service has Microsoft provided to me that was Free? Besides Bing - which is only "blasted" because people don't like it as much as Google.
Everything else Microsoft has, I've had to pay for, so when it doesn't live up to its claims, I can bitch legit because I wasted my money.
If I hadn't already posted I'd mod that insightful.
Seriously, your ISP's have been following dirty underhanded tactics the moment you signed up, by delaying your installation, lacking in support, not offernig you full speeds, and disconnecting you when you approach your full speed. Now, given that they are in it for the money, and ALL of your traffic is going through them - they have every reason to take your information and sell it. You KNOW they have your information because the police can demand that information from ISP's to crack down on Pedo's and such.
So really - by using a Google's DNS, sure, you might be allowing your information to be accessed by Google more easily. But all in all, who says they weren't simply purchasing that information before? Or rather - Google is the least of your worries when it comes to privacy.
This upsets the customer. I know it sounds completely back-asswards, but most people would rather be blocked for an hour, told why they are blocked, and told to change, and then resume their normal speeds, as opposed to NOT getting a warning, having speeds decrease what they are paying for, and are left alone and angry to the point where they will go somewhere else.
It fails miserably, Google revokes it, and we all go back to loving them.
Everyone loves taking a shot at Google, but when they are providing a new FREE service - I can't see it destroying their public image all that much.
You can use a few popular 3d Modelling programs to create terrain, depending on what engine you are using. I know a few engines have plugins for 3dsMax and Maya. Mind you, those programs don't come cheap but you can line yourself up with a free trial and try to get all your Maps done in a month, which helped me set deadlines for myself in my experience. (Try not to laugh, its a good business strategy. Get your work done before your trial is up!)
As for physics engine - You can take just about any engine already out there and tweak it to fit exactly that. I use source but I think something along the lines of Tribes 2 or Torque might be better suited for that. (Let me just spew off some features here)
Torque Engine Features
Built-in level terrain and GUI editors
Built-in terrain generator
Sophisticated C++ based scripting language
Built-in physics engine supporting basic physics, collision detection, rigid body and vehicle physics
Supports bone animation
Networking system for online games
In-built particle systems, weather effects, layered volumetric fog and water engine.
Features continuous terrain, allowing for massive world design
That's hardly the issue, since the test of literacy was self-graded.
I can say I'm amazing at intercourse, but it doesn't make it so.
It was a great idea back in the 90's and we've almost changed enough to pull it off!
The company is too large to take on such a task, it was not locked down when the computers were deployed. There are about 400 employees for each IT Technician, so even remoting in to perform a lockdown would take too long.
It's a sad sad world we live in. I think I cried a little inside.
Now to go tweet about this...
I know - in an Ideal world, things wouldn't be set up the way they are right now. I was using this "Ideal example" of how carbon offsets should work to mirror the idea of how these Bade code offsets DO work.
It's not going to reduce the bad code you've written, no. But it would (in theory, its practically impossible to imperically measure) go towards increasing the amount of Good code produced in the future.
There's a huge difference between badly written code and non-functioning code. Users will feel the effect of non-functioning code.
Developers will feel the effect of badly written code. One of the reasons each Windows release has a handful of bugs is because its written by LOTS of different people. When you code things in such a manner that it's easier for other people to understand, bug fixes and general maintenance are much easier. It's also easier to add on to later.
Open Source projects are the kind that are meant to be used by other developers, so they generally focus on those good coding practices; comments, documenting, etc.
It's actually a great idea. Essentially its a way to donate to Open Source projects and better coding without having to decide which one and going through the hassle of contacting the project manager and trying to get his paypal information to send some cash over.
It is not so much a penalty as it is a donation, simply because no one is forcing you. They simply structured it around an already existing system (carbon offsets) - probably to give it a more meaningful feel to it.
Very cool, but of course there are questions about Google's true motivations behind knowing every site you visit.
They're after me lucky charms!
Windows ME alone would probably throw them bankrupt.
No no no. Do you know how Carbon offsets work?
My company spews out X amount of carbon a year. My Government puts a limit to Y amount of Carbon a year. Since it's detrimental to my business (reducing client base) to reduce my carbon output, I can purchase Carbon offsets so that some of my money goes towards greener projects. Thus I keep my clients Happy and I meet government regulation.
Now, there is no LAW forbidding bad code. But the same basic principle applies: You want to reduce the amount of Bad code you may have done, but you can't go back and change it. Buy a bad code offset.
Get it?
I can't tell if you're completely misreading or trying to be funny.
But the money is going towards the Apache Foundation and FreeBSD, not that they are bad code.
Yes but Antiques and WoW accounts are very different.
I can see a collector of fine arts being willing to dish out a pretty penny for a rare and authentic item.
I have trouble seeing someone so avidly into World of Warcraft that they want to pay thousands of dollars for something that isn't as tangible as an antiquity.
All that is required for anyone to achieve this same status is a fraction of the price, (maybe 300 dollars in game purchase and time cards) and enough spare time to do the same thing.
And if you are an avid lover of World of warcraft, why wouldn't you go for the full experience?