DRM does not stop "pirates"...it doesn't even slow them down. Quite frequently, cracked pirated verisons are available on the torrent sites before the actual products are released. The ONLY thing DRM does is inconvenience paying customers.
DRM won't stop anyone reading this post, but it CAN stop casual piracy. When your mom can't give a copy of Quicken to her sister, that is a victory for DRM.
The question is, is the reduction in casual piracy worth irritating or chasing away your more sophisticated users. I have to think the publishers have thought this through and believe that they are doing the right thing for their business.
While it has been 30+ years since I met Brian, he is really really really bright. One of the biggest problems in the computer / software space is that most of the practicioners tend to dismiss the highly experienced people as old fogeys.
The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.
(sorry, couldn't resist)
I am in a computer-related field and have seen similar problems. I am not yet old enough to be impacted, but soon, I think... Soon.
Since I HAVE to have a cell phone, my next PDA must include it. I don't want to carry 2 devices anymore. I don't want to converge my toaster and my car stereo, but I do want to converge the 2 things I take everywhere: phone & PDA*.
If Apple's PDA is also a phone, and if it is an open platform, AND if its capabilities are on par with what I can already get from the Windows Mobile world--640x480 screen, bluetooth, wifi, crapload** of software--then maybe I will buy in to it.
* I would have converged already, but I can't find a gadget that basically combines my Dell x50v PDA with a phone. Overseas, sure, such gadgets are all over. But I am not buying something with no local warranty support, like an unlocked HTC. Every PDA I have ever had has needed warranty service at some point so I really want a domestic support network.
Maybe the gadget of my desires is out there now. I only look every 6 months or so.
** Yes, it's a softload of crapware, but there are enough good apps to keep me on the platform for now. Jebus & Cthulhu, please, let Apple release a PDA worth having. The iPhone ain't it.
You are correct. Shopping that seems to defy the Arrow of Time is the future of ecommerce. Marketing is calling it "Lightspeed Shopping" for now. Reasonably priced licenses are available now, contact me for details.
When a new potential revenue stream is instantiated (ie, born) the retailer references the birth record and local demographics. Based on the instance's socioeconomic class and other factors, a queue of products is created and stored in a database. The instance will then receive products and bills without intervention for the remainder of their lives. (Geolocation data from the instance's mobile phone can be used to update the product stream in near real time. You have probably already seen some fascinating articles about this in the standard publications, eg J Retail Sci.)
Advanced collaborative filtering will be used to ensure that the product stream is highly relevant to the instance's lifestyle. Obviously, this method is patented. The specific database techniques used to store the predicted product stream has also yielded an unreasonably broad patent, which we are very excited about.
Eventually, the legislature may wish to allow our revenue streams to opt out of the program, so we all need to get ready to spend some time in court to protect the business model.
I hear that the NRC is difficult to work with. If you have a new plant design, the expenses in getting it certified are tremendous. For example, you have to train all the NRC staff who will be overseeing your new tech, and the NRC bills you at some kind of outlandish rate for their time.
The friend that related this story to me has beard so I have no reason to doubt him. If anyone has links to substantiate how crummy the NRC is I hope they post 'em.
Details aside it seems clear that the nuke regulatory process needs some adjustment to promote innovation while maintaining safety, because innovation in this field seems to be dead in practice if not in the journals.
Satellite has problems too. Here in Seattle, Dish Network doesn't carry the local Fox station in HD. Dish has been negotiating with them, but it has something to do with being forced to carry other channels too and Dish isn't caving in. It's been going on for years (?) and from what I am hearing no resolution is in sight.
What always ticks me off is police always associate nervousness or evasiveness with guilt.
It's worse than you think. They associate your mere existence with guilt. (I don't doubt that there are race issues too.)
I know cops and have done the ridealong thing. It was always f'ing fascinating.
In my experience, cops develop an "us vs them" mentality. If a cop has to come talk to you for any reason, he is likely to be suspicious that you are an asshole, maybe even if you are the victim. From the cop's POV, not every encounter is clear cut! People lie to stay out of trouble, or just lie to the police because they don't want to get involved. And once in a while a cop gets shot for something trivial like a traffic stop, which means they have to be careful around EVERYONE.
Most people lie. Some of them want to kill me. Most of them are guilty of something or I wouldn't be here.
When this is how you see the world, it's going to change you.
These are not excuses. It just is what it is. You fear cops. They also fear you a little, and at the same time they look down on you. It takes a person of remarkable character to maintain sanity and propriety under those circumstances. Not everyone is up to the job. I don't blame anyone who wants to avoid cops, but I think it is sad that this is how things are.
"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Its an invisible beam and it leaves no evidence. No one ever has to justify using it, because they can instead just deny using it any time that the use is controversial.
I'm generally a cop supporter, and these things make me nervous. Pain tools should have a serial number and tamper-proof* counter on them. When your shift starts and ends, the count is logged. Heck, make the thing log timestamps too. Compliance with the count system should be a matter of law.
I also think most cops should be recorded while on duty. They have a critically important job which also affords them great power. To prevent abuse the system must be as transparent as possible.
* Of course nothing is tamper-proof, but you can sure put up speed bumps.
By 2012 I expect to have, this super memory technology, solar cells with efficiency above 70% for pennies per watt, flying cars, paper thin televisions the size of my wall, fuel cell powered hybrid cars, batteries replaced by power cells that store more power, cost less, are infinitely rechargeable, and charge/discharge like capacitors -- plus several other things from the last few months of Slashdot.
I like your future better than mine, where I am running from grey goo, hiding from flesh-eating robots, all of my software is delivered by Google, and I have to pee into my fuel cells. On the plus side, my $100 laptop will be pretty sweet.
Just as an FYI: If you scrounge up an old ReplayTV 5000 series, there are free apps which will take shows off the unit and copy them to your computer as plain old mpg2 files. Automated-like, I mean. There are surely other ways to skin this cat, but that is one I am familiar with.
(That would mean doing without your cable co HD DVR, or adding the Replay as another recording unit. But if you have that much downtime it might be worth the hassle. Wait, aren't doctors supposed to be always busy?!)
Say, doesn't Dish Network have a portable media gadget?
Looks like you can take 20 hours of programming with you. In their proprietary, encrypted format, I am sure... but at least there's video in your pocket.
... their ongoing design and development series has already put up posts on party roles, the new vision for Fighters, and what it's like to face a dragon in the new edition.
Rules and source material are good and useful. I buy them. I have even published them. But why would any self-respecting DM wait for Dungeons & Dragons R&D to approve a new vision for "what it's like to face a dragon" or anything else?
If they even come close to delivering on what these articles imply, next year is going to be an interesting time to be a gamer.
It's been an interesting time for 30+ years... If you choose to make it that way.
Slashdot Mirror
So, what precautions do they have on hand in the event one of them grows to enormous size and goes on a rampage?
Then they'll test the myth about giant bugs' exoskeletons not being able to stand up to their own weight.
It's more like this:
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, tough luck for that guy.
Everyone knows about P2P and how to download cracks?
Your mom does?
If she does, good for her, but I don't think that is typical.
Think of casual piracy as "clueless piracy." There are lots of clueless people who have never heard of Daemon Tools or uTorrent or usenet.
DRM does not stop "pirates"...it doesn't even slow them down. Quite frequently, cracked pirated verisons are available on the torrent sites before the actual products are released. The ONLY thing DRM does is inconvenience paying customers.
DRM won't stop anyone reading this post, but it CAN stop casual piracy. When your mom can't give a copy of Quicken to her sister, that is a victory for DRM.
The question is, is the reduction in casual piracy worth irritating or chasing away your more sophisticated users. I have to think the publishers have thought this through and believe that they are doing the right thing for their business.
It's still lame though.
Mister Wiggles Magical Adventure in Sugarland II is fucking awesome so shut your mouth.
While it has been 30+ years since I met Brian, he is really really really bright. One of the biggest problems in the computer / software space is that most of the practicioners tend to dismiss the highly experienced people as old fogeys.
The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.
(sorry, couldn't resist)
I am in a computer-related field and have seen similar problems. I am not yet old enough to be impacted, but soon, I think... Soon.
That whole site is full of the most batshit crazy products... I can't decide if it's a joke or not.
I'd like to have a drink with the owner so I can carefully consider whether or not to punch him in the nose.
"Sorry, honey, you have to go away with the nice Sith Lord. I'll text you every day, I promise."
Are you kidding? Texting is expensive.
Photoshop does the same thing. Click the eye to toggle vis of a layer and you can drag to do more than one.
Since I HAVE to have a cell phone, my next PDA must include it. I don't want to carry 2 devices anymore. I don't want to converge my toaster and my car stereo, but I do want to converge the 2 things I take everywhere: phone & PDA*.
If Apple's PDA is also a phone, and if it is an open platform, AND if its capabilities are on par with what I can already get from the Windows Mobile world--640x480 screen, bluetooth, wifi, crapload** of software--then maybe I will buy in to it.
* I would have converged already, but I can't find a gadget that basically combines my Dell x50v PDA with a phone. Overseas, sure, such gadgets are all over. But I am not buying something with no local warranty support, like an unlocked HTC. Every PDA I have ever had has needed warranty service at some point so I really want a domestic support network.
Maybe the gadget of my desires is out there now. I only look every 6 months or so.
** Yes, it's a softload of crapware, but there are enough good apps to keep me on the platform for now. Jebus & Cthulhu, please, let Apple release a PDA worth having. The iPhone ain't it.
You are correct. Shopping that seems to defy the Arrow of Time is the future of ecommerce. Marketing is calling it "Lightspeed Shopping" for now. Reasonably priced licenses are available now, contact me for details.
When a new potential revenue stream is instantiated (ie, born) the retailer references the birth record and local demographics. Based on the instance's socioeconomic class and other factors, a queue of products is created and stored in a database. The instance will then receive products and bills without intervention for the remainder of their lives. (Geolocation data from the instance's mobile phone can be used to update the product stream in near real time. You have probably already seen some fascinating articles about this in the standard publications, eg J Retail Sci.)
Advanced collaborative filtering will be used to ensure that the product stream is highly relevant to the instance's lifestyle. Obviously, this method is patented. The specific database techniques used to store the predicted product stream has also yielded an unreasonably broad patent, which we are very excited about.
Eventually, the legislature may wish to allow our revenue streams to opt out of the program, so we all need to get ready to spend some time in court to protect the business model.
http://www.hpmuseum.org/srinst.htm
Og like pretty pictures.
I hear that the NRC is difficult to work with. If you have a new plant design, the expenses in getting it certified are tremendous. For example, you have to train all the NRC staff who will be overseeing your new tech, and the NRC bills you at some kind of outlandish rate for their time.
The friend that related this story to me has beard so I have no reason to doubt him. If anyone has links to substantiate how crummy the NRC is I hope they post 'em.
Details aside it seems clear that the nuke regulatory process needs some adjustment to promote innovation while maintaining safety, because innovation in this field seems to be dead in practice if not in the journals.
This guy is NOT Canadian, he'd be riding a moose.
Satellite has problems too. Here in Seattle, Dish Network doesn't carry the local Fox station in HD. Dish has been negotiating with them, but it has something to do with being forced to carry other channels too and Dish isn't caving in. It's been going on for years (?) and from what I am hearing no resolution is in sight.
What always ticks me off is police always associate nervousness or evasiveness with guilt.
It's worse than you think. They associate your mere existence with guilt. (I don't doubt that there are race issues too.)
I know cops and have done the ridealong thing. It was always f'ing fascinating.
In my experience, cops develop an "us vs them" mentality. If a cop has to come talk to you for any reason, he is likely to be suspicious that you are an asshole, maybe even if you are the victim. From the cop's POV, not every encounter is clear cut! People lie to stay out of trouble, or just lie to the police because they don't want to get involved. And once in a while a cop gets shot for something trivial like a traffic stop, which means they have to be careful around EVERYONE.
Most people lie. Some of them want to kill me. Most of them are guilty of something or I wouldn't be here.
When this is how you see the world, it's going to change you.
These are not excuses. It just is what it is. You fear cops. They also fear you a little, and at the same time they look down on you. It takes a person of remarkable character to maintain sanity and propriety under those circumstances. Not everyone is up to the job. I don't blame anyone who wants to avoid cops, but I think it is sad that this is how things are.
"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Its an invisible beam and it leaves no evidence. No one ever has to justify using it, because they can instead just deny using it any time that the use is controversial.
I'm generally a cop supporter, and these things make me nervous. Pain tools should have a serial number and tamper-proof* counter on them. When your shift starts and ends, the count is logged. Heck, make the thing log timestamps too. Compliance with the count system should be a matter of law.
I also think most cops should be recorded while on duty. They have a critically important job which also affords them great power. To prevent abuse the system must be as transparent as possible.
* Of course nothing is tamper-proof, but you can sure put up speed bumps.
It could be so much worse.
"Your agonizer, please."
Evil Spock
Strangely, the rubber hose is internationally vilified as a "torture device" while the Taser is not. Somebody please explain this to me!
Good marketing.
But seriously... Good marketing.
Rubber hose manufacturers needed to get out in front of the criticisms with a catchy product name. Hoser? Hosex? Sadly I think the window has closed.
I am imagining Zoidberg with a brown Zune in one claw and a sad look on his face.
If I am buying cable, all channels are premium. Some are just more premium than others.
By 2012 I expect to have, this super memory technology, solar cells with efficiency above 70% for pennies per watt, flying cars, paper thin televisions the size of my wall, fuel cell powered hybrid cars, batteries replaced by power cells that store more power, cost less, are infinitely rechargeable, and charge/discharge like capacitors -- plus several other things from the last few months of Slashdot.
I like your future better than mine, where I am running from grey goo, hiding from flesh-eating robots, all of my software is delivered by Google, and I have to pee into my fuel cells. On the plus side, my $100 laptop will be pretty sweet.
Just as an FYI: If you scrounge up an old ReplayTV 5000 series, there are free apps which will take shows off the unit and copy them to your computer as plain old mpg2 files. Automated-like, I mean. There are surely other ways to skin this cat, but that is one I am familiar with.
(That would mean doing without your cable co HD DVR, or adding the Replay as another recording unit. But if you have that much downtime it might be worth the hassle. Wait, aren't doctors supposed to be always busy?!)
Say, doesn't Dish Network have a portable media gadget?
http://www.pocketdish.com/
Looks like you can take 20 hours of programming with you. In their proprietary, encrypted format, I am sure... but at least there's video in your pocket.
I'd like to touch base with you and the other stakeholders in real-time.
... their ongoing design and development series has already put up posts on party roles, the new vision for Fighters, and what it's like to face a dragon in the new edition.
Rules and source material are good and useful. I buy them. I have even published them. But why would any self-respecting DM wait for Dungeons & Dragons R&D to approve a new vision for "what it's like to face a dragon" or anything else?
If they even come close to delivering on what these articles imply, next year is going to be an interesting time to be a gamer.
It's been an interesting time for 30+ years... If you choose to make it that way.