Same with mail.com - I signed up for an address at mindless.com (one of their holdings), beta testing and reporting problems, based on the promise of that email address for life.
Until they sent me an email saying I could have a mail.com address for life, but the mindless.com one would cost me money now.
LOL... ok, I did. The page has been slashdotted, but here's Google's cache: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:j66F0 Xcc2VcJ: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Selectric_typewriter+Sel ectric+with+a+tube+full+of+ball+bearings&hl=en
Some of those patents are a little spooky... patent on using two wires to pass data on a serial bus? Scary to think of what they could start demanding with a few of those patents. Someone REALLY needs to start pounding on the patent office with a clue hammer!!
"Linux has some huge, gaping holes?" Because one distro didn't auto-detect one card? I'm willing to bet that M$95 would fail to detect many others, but we're not going to bring that up?
Change your content, or else: Manufacturer's demanding content changes is nothing new in the tech site community. We take a look at this topic, including one very public example that started in the past three weeks.
Date: March 15, 2004 Manufacturer: N/A Written By: Hubert Wong
Just under a year ago, we provided some insight on the inner workings of running a tech site. Yes, there are thousands of sites out there, and despite the diversity, there are several constants in our universe... costs, advertising, readership, and most important of all, integrity.
Running a site, especially a tech site, isn't free and there are plenty of costs involved. Everything from the hardware purchases (not everything is free, which is a general misconception I think), to the server and bandwidth... it all has a price.
This is where advertising comes in. If the site is lucky enough, advertising will net a nice income each month, but for a greater number of owners, they'll be lucky if it helps them break even.
Of course, an advertiser is not going to consider a site that doesn't meet their traffic requirements. Readership is what makes our world go round. Without our loyal readers, VL wouldn't be where it is today, and I would say that the same goes for the majority of sites out there.
Casual readers come and go, but a loyal reader is somebody that means a lot to a site. It's common knowledge that most sites track their traffic. This gives us an idea of trends, and how to cater our content. We're not too concerned about our "uniques" a day, but rather our "bookmarks" and "returns". People who bookmark and/or return multiple times a day make up a site's readership. Uniques are new visitors who either stop and go, or decide to stay. What turns a unique visitor into a regular reader? Content? Yes. Attention to detail? Sure thing. Integrity? Nobody likes a site that lies about a product just to suck up, right?
Granted, the last point isn't something that is respected by a great number of sites (the actual number is more than you think), but the site's I do frequent on a regular basis (Ed. Note: Including our own:D) do try hard to stick with their journalistic integrity. There are instances though where manufacturers will try to influence a site's review. Sadly, this happens quite often, and it becomes a problem when this "influence" attempts to change a writer's perception of the product. This is something site owners need to deal with constantly, and yes, here at VL we've been asked to "have a change of heart" on more than one occasion. Errors or omissions happen, and we're more than happy to make amendments, but as a reader, you can rest assured knowing we'll never mislead you because somebody asked us to so they can improve sales.
Luckily, most Tier-1 manufacturers; i.e., the ones who have a good amount of exposure within the enthusiast community, do respect a journalist's right for free speech. Sure, even some of the big dogs take issue with what we in the community say, but that's the price of exposing yourself with press releases. Whether a product is released and performs less than expected, or if it isn't released at all (aka, paper releases), it's all free game so long as NDAs are lifted.
What's an NDA? An NDA is an acronym for Non Disclosure Agreement. In simple terms, it is an agreement between two parties where one of them (usually the manufacturer) will release information in the form of electronic/paper documentation or actual hardware. The other party (usually a publication, online or print) will examine the information for future reference. The publication usually signs an NDA where they promise not to comment or editorialize anything until a set date (if any). This is why you'll see a flood of reviews on a particular product on one specific day, as NDAs are lifted.
NDAs should be respected. Any publication with a shred of integrity will respect them, and it ma
No one's noticed yet that this thing is partially (no percentage mentioned) funded by Microsoft Research? I dunno about the collective you, but that gives me the heebie-jeebies...
...and end up with a geek who got stuck in a management position. My boss was sitting in the lab today cussing out a stubborn dual-proc Sparc, up to his elbows in eviscerated parts.
That's when you _know_ the guy upstairs is watching out for you:)
By gawd, we damn well better keep them damn tools away from those kids until they can larn creativity on their own! If they use pens instead of good 'ol charcoal, how they ever gonna larn to wash their hands? If they ride that there dern schoolbus instead of walking uphill thru the snow 5 mile both ways, barefoot, with barbed wire wrapped 'twixt their toes fer traction, how they ever gonna larn the value of hard work??
**note to the humor-impaired: this is sarcasm.**
BTW: I grew up in southern Oregon.... they're not *all* bumpkins. I still remember, appreciate, and respect my 6th grade science teacher; Richard Bagley was one of the bright spots in my childhood.
A security clearance isn't something you go out and get; rather, a security clearance is tied to a specific position. Get accepted (provisionally) for the position, your clearance paperwork goes in, and if it gets approved, you get hired. If your position goes away, you don't carry the clearance with you (that's why on resumes, the line is "qualified for ". Once you have the clearance, though, it's pretty simple to 'travel' with it; a geek with a clearance isn't out of a job for long unless he wants to be.
Curious what they want to know for your clearance investigation? Download the questionnaire software (yes, you can actually fill it out on a computer, then print it for submission) at http://www.dss.mil/epsq/ if you want to go thru it. (And no, this program won't magically send your information to the NSA for their nefarious purposes... it's a pretty dumb, basic program).
Slashdot Mirror
Exactly my point. Kinda like the one on the top of my head, according to my co-workers.
And just out of curiosity, does that window choice default to "on" or "off"??
So, a cop walks up to a dope dealer. Dope dealer says, "Want some crack?"
Cop busts him.
That meets entrapment by your standards, since the cop "caused" the crime by walking up to the dope dealer?
Pay us to use our incomplete (and probably insecure) software.
But you can pay us even less to beta-test it!
What incredible hubris... charge users to beta-test for you.
But... I guess they've been doing it for years, and it's been pretty profitable so far.
The MPAA doesn't want many people to see the BS they do. I'm shocked, totally shocked.
Where's the part about "Keep an eye over your shoulder for Americans with weapons"?
Or, I guess, Russians with baseball bats?
Same with mail.com - I signed up for an address at mindless.com (one of their holdings), beta testing and reporting problems, based on the promise of that email address for life.
Until they sent me an email saying I could have a mail.com address for life, but the mindless.com one would cost me money now.
Now that we've used you to fix all our problems.
Fuck you very much, thank you.
LOL... ok, I did. The page has been slashdotted, but here's Google's cache:0 Xcc2VcJ: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Selectric_typewriter+Sel ectric+with+a+tube+full+of+ball+bearings&hl=en
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:j66F
Some of those patents are a little spooky... patent on using two wires to pass data on a serial bus? Scary to think of what they could start demanding with a few of those patents. Someone REALLY needs to start pounding on the patent office with a clue hammer!!
What the hell? Did my calendar crash again? Is today April 1st??
Did I miss something somewhere?
"Evolution is Novell's award-winning e-mail and workgroup client for Linux systems..."
When did Novell pick up ownership of Evolution??
More power to 'em. Individuals like these will be the people our grandchildren study (I hope!).
"Linux has some huge, gaping holes?" Because one distro didn't auto-detect one card?
I'm willing to bet that M$95 would fail to detect many others, but we're not going to bring that up?
This one's short, so if it gets slashdotted...
:D) do try hard to stick with their journalistic integrity. There are instances though where manufacturers will try to influence a site's review. Sadly, this happens quite often, and it becomes a problem when this "influence" attempts to change a writer's perception of the product. This is something site owners need to deal with constantly, and yes, here at VL we've been asked to "have a change of heart" on more than one occasion. Errors or omissions happen, and we're more than happy to make amendments, but as a reader, you can rest assured knowing we'll never mislead you because somebody asked us to so they can improve sales.
Change your content, or else: Manufacturer's demanding content changes is nothing new in the tech site community. We take a look at this topic, including one very public example that started in the past three weeks.
Date: March 15, 2004
Manufacturer: N/A
Written By: Hubert Wong
Just under a year ago, we provided some insight on the inner workings of running a tech site. Yes, there are thousands of sites out there, and despite the diversity, there are several constants in our universe... costs, advertising, readership, and most important of all, integrity.
Running a site, especially a tech site, isn't free and there are plenty of costs involved. Everything from the hardware purchases (not everything is free, which is a general misconception I think), to the server and bandwidth... it all has a price.
This is where advertising comes in. If the site is lucky enough, advertising will net a nice income each month, but for a greater number of owners, they'll be lucky if it helps them break even.
Of course, an advertiser is not going to consider a site that doesn't meet their traffic requirements. Readership is what makes our world go round. Without our loyal readers, VL wouldn't be where it is today, and I would say that the same goes for the majority of sites out there.
Casual readers come and go, but a loyal reader is somebody that means a lot to a site. It's common knowledge that most sites track their traffic. This gives us an idea of trends, and how to cater our content. We're not too concerned about our "uniques" a day, but rather our "bookmarks" and "returns". People who bookmark and/or return multiple times a day make up a site's readership. Uniques are new visitors who either stop and go, or decide to stay. What turns a unique visitor into a regular reader? Content? Yes. Attention to detail? Sure thing. Integrity? Nobody likes a site that lies about a product just to suck up, right?
Granted, the last point isn't something that is respected by a great number of sites (the actual number is more than you think), but the site's I do frequent on a regular basis (Ed. Note: Including our own
Luckily, most Tier-1 manufacturers; i.e., the ones who have a good amount of exposure within the enthusiast community, do respect a journalist's right for free speech. Sure, even some of the big dogs take issue with what we in the community say, but that's the price of exposing yourself with press releases. Whether a product is released and performs less than expected, or if it isn't released at all (aka, paper releases), it's all free game so long as NDAs are lifted.
What's an NDA? An NDA is an acronym for Non Disclosure Agreement. In simple terms, it is an agreement between two parties where one of them (usually the manufacturer) will release information in the form of electronic/paper documentation or actual hardware. The other party (usually a publication, online or print) will examine the information for future reference. The publication usually signs an NDA where they promise not to comment or editorialize anything until a set date (if any). This is why you'll see a flood of reviews on a particular product on one specific day, as NDAs are lifted.
NDAs should be respected. Any publication with a shred of integrity will respect them, and it ma
No one's noticed yet that this thing is partially (no percentage mentioned) funded by Microsoft Research? I dunno about the collective you, but that gives me the heebie-jeebies...
Seems like everything already has that FBI warning on it at the beginning anyway... what's the diff?
What? You decided not to implement because it requires you to configure it? And if you don't, it gives a benign error?
(Link points at an advisory stating that log check emails will bounce by default if not configured)
Microsoft/software = ClearChannel/audio??
Don't be messin with my Lifer Juice... this sounds like Dangerous Technology!
Torque Not the Sacred Caffeine!
All in streaming QuickTime for your viewing pleasure.
No thanks.
That's right. And if his friends start selling crack out of his house, by gum, it's not his fault or his responsibility!
Sheesh.
Who's gonna hit him a few times with the cluestick?
...and end up with a geek who got stuck in a management position. My boss was sitting in the lab today cussing out a stubborn dual-proc Sparc, up to his elbows in eviscerated parts.
:)
That's when you _know_ the guy upstairs is watching out for you
Big words.
I was referring to an earlier comment referring to Oregonians; so sue me for not quoting.
By gawd, we damn well better keep them damn tools away from those kids until they can larn creativity on their own! If they use pens instead of good 'ol charcoal, how they ever gonna larn to wash their hands? If they ride that there dern schoolbus instead of walking uphill thru the snow 5 mile both ways, barefoot, with barbed wire wrapped 'twixt their toes fer traction, how they ever gonna larn the value of hard work??
**note to the humor-impaired: this is sarcasm.**
BTW: I grew up in southern Oregon.... they're not *all* bumpkins. I still remember, appreciate, and respect my 6th grade science teacher; Richard Bagley was one of the bright spots in my childhood.
A security clearance isn't something you go out and get; rather, a security clearance is tied to a specific position. Get accepted (provisionally) for the position, your clearance paperwork goes in, and if it gets approved, you get hired. If your position goes away, you don't carry the clearance with you (that's why on resumes, the line is "qualified for ". Once you have the clearance, though, it's pretty simple to 'travel' with it; a geek with a clearance isn't out of a job for long unless he wants to be.
Curious what they want to know for your clearance investigation? Download the questionnaire software (yes, you can actually fill it out on a computer, then print it for submission) at http://www.dss.mil/epsq/ if you want to go thru it. (And no, this program won't magically send your information to the NSA for their nefarious purposes... it's a pretty dumb, basic program).