While I used the term "meaninglessness" to describe the net result of the current trend, putting it in other words: as mega corporations gain power governments lose power. Whether or not governments will truly ever cease to exist and be replaced by mega corporations is entirely a subjective analysis of any given situation. When one only exists to serve the other then you can bet that one of them is effectively meaningless.
There is nothing modern about greed, especially the corporate/government variety.
This continues to be the same fight through all of history between the "haves" and the "have nots". Those who have money and/or power doing as much as they can for as little as they can in an effort to make more money and gain more power. If they just happen to help other people make a living along the way, so be it. Sure, some do this to help their fellow man, but the vast majority do not have that as a primary focus or goal. For the majority, it is all about money and power.
The primary difference we have today is that of corporations replacing the role of governments of the past. Corporations span the world and have become the new empire while governments continue a downward spiral into meaninglessness. Expect a lot of years of fighting in this war.
By definition, any business that produces and/or sells a non-essential product is abusing stupidity. Buying non-essential products could also be easily considered as stupidity, especially if you favor them over essential products.
Those parents teaching their kids about responsibility by letting them loose and not educating them about product quality is blatant stupidity. It's like opening a checking account for your kid and then handing them the checkbook without another word of advise. Is the kid seriously going to go educate themselves about how to balance the checkbook and keep from bouncing checks? Some might, but most wont without some form of training. Same thing with food. Most will eat where their friends eat or eat where the food tastes the best to them and not bother to research food quality or nutritional content.
This isn't science, this is parenting. It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice to raise a good kid and there are no easy ways out unless you just happen to be blessed with a naturally good kid (very, very rare in my experience).
Until a vocal majority of people stand up to oppose mega corporations they will continue to exist and thrive. The only way, or so it seems at least, to motivate people into action is putting them into a position of desperation. The sooner that happens the better.
I vote to let it happen and then watch it fail. It may take a few years, but it will most certainly fail. If history is any indication, the bigger companies get the more out of touch they get with their customers and the more fragile their success becomes.
VirtualBox runs 64-bit just fine, as an example. The better question is, "How well do virtual machines support hardware acceleration?" Progress is being made, but running things like 3D games in a virtual machine is an exercise in frustration (if it works at all).
That is not my experience. I'm a custom applications programmer (made-to-order, so to speak) and have been for two decades (at a professional level). People unfamiliar with the flexibility of computers tend to go without and readily accept the tenet of "if it isn't there already then it is probably too much hassle to get it" or focus far more on what they know how to do instead of thinking of ways they might do it better (in other words, not even recognizing they don't have something).
I disagree, at least on a personal level. I come up with concepts all the time that I can't readily find "in the wild". Sometimes they are, seemingly, completely new and other times they are a combination of several previously known but disconnected ideas. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, so to speak, but we don't always know that we are.
I'm a computer programmer by occupation and as a hobby. I think of things often that are not within the realm of what I know to exist on a computer (from a software perspective, which is what I meant on my original post).
Sometimes, I make them. Sometimes, I explore a bit and expand my known realm and find them. Other times, I go without. Point is that most people don't have that first option (making them) and many (as in most average users) won't think of or go through the effort of the second option (expand their world enough to find an existing solution).
So, for most average users if they can't readily find it then they will go without. Again, this is the computer software realm I am talking about.
Admittedly, and fortunately, the average user is progressively improving their understanding of computing exploration and discovery. The newer, computer focused generation is a lot more open to experimentation and new ideas with their computing devices, primarily because of the readily available "mods" like applets, plug-ins, and the like.
Slashdot Mirror
In a better world, that should be "Apple will not be shielded from further suits in which the plaintif failed to opt in to the class action."
These sorts of demands never seem to work. Unless you're trying to get people to post it more... :p
I believe you meant grammar skills since "affect" is spelled correctly. :p
This will have no affect on Apple's sales.
Only if they contain gas or liquid... :p
I beat The Last Ninja 2 on my Commodore 64 in a Saturday morning. I was so upset. I think I also beat Impossible Mission 2 that same morning.
On an unrelated note, lucky for the folks involved that they didn't meet any Lumberjack Commandos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxDFO0ajcbI
While I used the term "meaninglessness" to describe the net result of the current trend, putting it in other words: as mega corporations gain power governments lose power. Whether or not governments will truly ever cease to exist and be replaced by mega corporations is entirely a subjective analysis of any given situation. When one only exists to serve the other then you can bet that one of them is effectively meaningless.
Except that much of the executive and legislative branches are "owned" by corporations, foreign and domestic...
There is nothing modern about greed, especially the corporate/government variety.
This continues to be the same fight through all of history between the "haves" and the "have nots". Those who have money and/or power doing as much as they can for as little as they can in an effort to make more money and gain more power. If they just happen to help other people make a living along the way, so be it. Sure, some do this to help their fellow man, but the vast majority do not have that as a primary focus or goal. For the majority, it is all about money and power.
The primary difference we have today is that of corporations replacing the role of governments of the past. Corporations span the world and have become the new empire while governments continue a downward spiral into meaninglessness. Expect a lot of years of fighting in this war.
Don't worry, kids are birthing other kids long before age 20 these days.
By definition, any business that produces and/or sells a non-essential product is abusing stupidity. Buying non-essential products could also be easily considered as stupidity, especially if you favor them over essential products.
Those parents teaching their kids about responsibility by letting them loose and not educating them about product quality is blatant stupidity. It's like opening a checking account for your kid and then handing them the checkbook without another word of advise. Is the kid seriously going to go educate themselves about how to balance the checkbook and keep from bouncing checks? Some might, but most wont without some form of training. Same thing with food. Most will eat where their friends eat or eat where the food tastes the best to them and not bother to research food quality or nutritional content.
This isn't science, this is parenting. It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice to raise a good kid and there are no easy ways out unless you just happen to be blessed with a naturally good kid (very, very rare in my experience).
The proper way to cook noodles is, of course, in a toaster.
Bacon hater. :p
I'm not trying to save you from anything nor am I trying to "coerce" you in any way. Your opinion is no greater or less than my own. Deal with it.
The Furry Republican channel? Hmmm... I'm trying not to think about the commercials they would air.
In need of brain bleach. Anyone? Please!?!?
Yeah... it's like owning Park Place, Boardwalk, AND all the railroads at the same time. It sucks when it isn't you. :p
Until a vocal majority of people stand up to oppose mega corporations they will continue to exist and thrive. The only way, or so it seems at least, to motivate people into action is putting them into a position of desperation. The sooner that happens the better.
They could have a very successful Furry channel together...
I vote to let it happen and then watch it fail. It may take a few years, but it will most certainly fail. If history is any indication, the bigger companies get the more out of touch they get with their customers and the more fragile their success becomes.
But how well do virtual machines support x86-64?
VirtualBox runs 64-bit just fine, as an example. The better question is, "How well do virtual machines support hardware acceleration?" Progress is being made, but running things like 3D games in a virtual machine is an exercise in frustration (if it works at all).
That is not my experience. I'm a custom applications programmer (made-to-order, so to speak) and have been for two decades (at a professional level). People unfamiliar with the flexibility of computers tend to go without and readily accept the tenet of "if it isn't there already then it is probably too much hassle to get it" or focus far more on what they know how to do instead of thinking of ways they might do it better (in other words, not even recognizing they don't have something).
Your experience may vary, of course.
I disagree, at least on a personal level. I come up with concepts all the time that I can't readily find "in the wild". Sometimes they are, seemingly, completely new and other times they are a combination of several previously known but disconnected ideas. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, so to speak, but we don't always know that we are.
I'm a computer programmer by occupation and as a hobby. I think of things often that are not within the realm of what I know to exist on a computer (from a software perspective, which is what I meant on my original post).
Sometimes, I make them. Sometimes, I explore a bit and expand my known realm and find them. Other times, I go without. Point is that most people don't have that first option (making them) and many (as in most average users) won't think of or go through the effort of the second option (expand their world enough to find an existing solution).
So, for most average users if they can't readily find it then they will go without. Again, this is the computer software realm I am talking about.
Admittedly, and fortunately, the average user is progressively improving their understanding of computing exploration and discovery. The newer, computer focused generation is a lot more open to experimentation and new ideas with their computing devices, primarily because of the readily available "mods" like applets, plug-ins, and the like.
Someone, somewhere is putting together a patent portfolio as well...
It isn't a good idea to eat green potatoes. Unless you are eating them with green eggs and ham, that is.