Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some of these comic guys make a buck, but I'm simply not willing to dish out a couple bucks for something I can't actually hold in my hands. Besides that, with the sheer number of comics I read every day, to give everyone a buck or two would add up to a massive amount.
On the other hand, I have a few very good friends who own Megatokyo t-shirts, and I confess, they're pretty cool things. If authors truly want to make some cash, this is the way to go.
They won't get rich, but who expects to get rich by drawing pictures, anyway?
A chief concern I have here is that traditionally the U.S. has worked to promote free trade and economic growth, ESPECIALLY within former Soviet republics.
I worry that the actions of the U.S. might run counter to these goals.
I'm deeply offended at this. The U.S. government is punishing an entire nation for the actions of it's democratically elected government. It's not like there's a group of radicals forcing the Ukrainian people to pirate CD's...the decision to not follow US demands was made consciously and rationally by that country's ruling bodies.
The U.S. just happened to decide that our laws are better than their laws....and forced them to follow ours.
As of June, we will no longer be able to allow unrestricted access to books. Patrons will be charged a $5.00 fee upon entrence to the library. In addition, anyone who returns a book late will be prosecuted.
Also, all books relating to engineering, geology, or anything "METALLIC" are banned from the shelves. Thank you.
I do tech services in a medical library. The majority of my time is spent doing assorted things with online journals. Here's the problem. Print journal publishers are producing the absolute most terrible online journals possible.
The average online journal is nothing more than a posting of a list of abstracts and a table of contents, usually with a note from the publisher which states "More to Come!" In addition, many major publishers are completely ignoring most of their smaller journals. Those tiny bits of journals that DO get posted usually are fuzzy, terrible scans of the pages of the journal in PDF format. The publishers often go on to charge the library extra fees for the right to get to these, sometimes adding a few hundred dollars to the subscription.
I don't know about elsewhere, but my library refuses to pay more than 20% more than the print subscription to add e-journal access. It's a fair price, but one that many publishers are unwilling to meet.
I can just see this being enforced at the airport...
Worker: Are those DVDs?
Me: Um....yes.
Worker: Are they ZONE 1!?!?
Me: Um...no...trust me.
Worker: Well, we'll have to check on that...
Suddenly, I'm stuck at the airport while the French customs agents spend 14 hours watching my copy of "Eraser" over and over. Ironically, it's a Zone 1 DVD, dubbed in French.
Anyone remember the old missile command video game? You'd shoot the falling objects, and when they exploded, they'd take out all the ones next to them?
How's this for a twist? The DOD shoots $72 Million in tax money at the falling objects, and they still all explode when nobody buys them.
Of couse, $72 Mil means someone in the Pentagon'll have to go without an extra pencil sharpener...
Yes, this would lower the cost of entry for these games, if these games were the only reason that someone buys a PC.
Personally, I actually do work on my PC
Since I already own a PC, I'm paying only for the game, and not the hardware itself, therefore the cost of my entry into the game is actually lower, as a PC user.
For about two years now, I've been working various odd, low-level desk jobs at the University I attend, to help pay for classes. With every job, I have to sign a form containing an almost shockingly tight intellectual property agreement.
Basically, I can sit at home for a year, designing some product (doesn't matter what) totally on my own, which I expect to make money off, but if one day, I make a mistake, accidently take a university pencil home with me, and write some notes for my project with it one night, the university gains ownership of my project.
What I'm wondering is why on earth you would actually want a D&D movie? I have nothing against the game, I spent most of high school playing the thing, but what made the game fun was the idea that you could take the plotline in any direction you wanted, whenever you wanted.
Where's the fun in looking at a screen for 2 hours?
Do I really want to look at someone wave around a magic sword +1 for two hours, or watch some moron in a stupid cape shout "magic missile!" at some goblins? When was the last time you watched other people play D&D?
The main problem I've had with pencils and other writing devices which use some sort of pointy object is that when you want to erase, you have to stop what you're doing and physically go for the eraser, or whatever you're using instead of an eraser. Much quicker just to hit backspace.
Unless, you're one of those people who doesn't actually make mistakes......
A quick little story about my experiences... Back when I was a high school Sophomore, blocking software was just in it's infancy (assuming it still isn't). Bowing to pressure from parents, the country slapped software onto its network which hadn't even cleared the beta stage. Meanwhile, those of us in the business department of the school were using the net to track stocks, using a state run program which cost the department a good $200. (I know, we could have done this with a newspaper and a calculator, but the department wanted to use the net to prove to parents that they were "high tech." The day the software was installed, all the websites our $200 software used were instantly blocked, for reasons unknown. As a result, we spent the next 2 weeks watching crappy 80's documentary videos. Oddly enough....whitehouse.com remained unblocked...
Really, the way the space program's going, was anyone really surprised by this? I mean, it really seems to have been a while since something actually worked! At least this one can't be pinned on aliens.....
Slashdot Mirror
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some of these comic guys make a buck, but I'm simply not willing to dish out a couple bucks for something I can't actually hold in my hands. Besides that, with the sheer number of comics I read every day, to give everyone a buck or two would add up to a massive amount.
On the other hand, I have a few very good friends who own Megatokyo t-shirts, and I confess, they're pretty cool things. If authors truly want to make some cash, this is the way to go.
They won't get rich, but who expects to get rich by drawing pictures, anyway?
A chief concern I have here is that traditionally the U.S. has worked to promote free trade and economic growth, ESPECIALLY within former Soviet republics.
I worry that the actions of the U.S. might run counter to these goals.
could ever make curling an interesting sport.
I'm deeply offended at this. The U.S. government is punishing an entire nation for the actions of it's democratically elected government. It's not like there's a group of radicals forcing the Ukrainian people to pirate CD's...the decision to not follow US demands was made consciously and rationally by that country's ruling bodies.
The U.S. just happened to decide that our laws are better than their laws....and forced them to follow ours.
I love that quote: "We still believe our business model will work, It'll just have to work for someone else?"
So close to admitting they suck as businessmen....yet still with some optimism. I like that.
According to this list my florist gave me, you shouldn't celebrate with Pearl until your 30th year of marriage...
Memo to all librarians:
As of June, we will no longer be able to allow unrestricted access to books. Patrons will be charged a $5.00 fee upon entrence to the library. In addition, anyone who returns a book late will be prosecuted.
Also, all books relating to engineering, geology, or anything "METALLIC" are banned from the shelves. Thank you.
I do tech services in a medical library. The majority of my time is spent doing assorted things with online journals. Here's the problem. Print journal publishers are producing the absolute most terrible online journals possible.
The average online journal is nothing more than a posting of a list of abstracts and a table of contents, usually with a note from the publisher which states "More to Come!" In addition, many major publishers are completely ignoring most of their smaller journals. Those tiny bits of journals that DO get posted usually are fuzzy, terrible scans of the pages of the journal in PDF format. The publishers often go on to charge the library extra fees for the right to get to these, sometimes adding a few hundred dollars to the subscription.
I don't know about elsewhere, but my library refuses to pay more than 20% more than the print subscription to add e-journal access. It's a fair price, but one that many publishers are unwilling to meet.
Sometimes, you have to love the fish...
It is necessary some more to dismount Catherine Tasca.....A boob, that is only assumed.....We fell from naked....
It's almost a haiku.
I can just see this being enforced at the airport...
Worker: Are those DVDs?
Me: Um....yes.
Worker: Are they ZONE 1!?!?
Me: Um...no...trust me.
Worker: Well, we'll have to check on that...
Suddenly, I'm stuck at the airport while the French customs agents spend 14 hours watching my copy of "Eraser" over and over. Ironically, it's a Zone 1 DVD, dubbed in French.
Ok, we've got a stainless steel mouse, so when do we get a stainless steel rat?
Apologies to Harry Harrison...
Anyone remember the old missile command video game? You'd shoot the falling objects, and when they exploded, they'd take out all the ones next to them?
How's this for a twist? The DOD shoots $72 Million in tax money at the falling objects, and they still all explode when nobody buys them.
Of couse, $72 Mil means someone in the Pentagon'll have to go without an extra pencil sharpener...
Personally, I actually do work on my PC
Since I already own a PC, I'm paying only for the game, and not the hardware itself, therefore the cost of my entry into the game is actually lower, as a PC user.
Basically, I can sit at home for a year, designing some product (doesn't matter what) totally on my own, which I expect to make money off, but if one day, I make a mistake, accidently take a university pencil home with me, and write some notes for my project with it one night, the university gains ownership of my project.
Anyone else see a problem with this?
Where's the fun in looking at a screen for 2 hours?
Do I really want to look at someone wave around a magic sword +1 for two hours, or watch some moron in a stupid cape shout "magic missile!" at some goblins? When was the last time you watched other people play D&D?
Unless, you're one of those people who doesn't actually make mistakes......
A quick little story about my experiences... Back when I was a high school Sophomore, blocking software was just in it's infancy (assuming it still isn't). Bowing to pressure from parents, the country slapped software onto its network which hadn't even cleared the beta stage. Meanwhile, those of us in the business department of the school were using the net to track stocks, using a state run program which cost the department a good $200. (I know, we could have done this with a newspaper and a calculator, but the department wanted to use the net to prove to parents that they were "high tech." The day the software was installed, all the websites our $200 software used were instantly blocked, for reasons unknown. As a result, we spent the next 2 weeks watching crappy 80's documentary videos. Oddly enough....whitehouse.com remained unblocked...
Really, the way the space program's going, was anyone really surprised by this? I mean, it really seems to have been a while since something actually worked! At least this one can't be pinned on aliens.....