The longterm winner is the one that can first come to market with a downloadable delivery method.
The only problem with that business model is the hardware side of the equation. There are several times more people with DVD players than there are with people who the capability (or willingness) to get downloaded material to their TV. Granted that would probably being a winning business model for the slashdot demographic, but that's not large enough.
I hook my laptop up to the TV and play downloaded stuff but that's only material I can't get on Netflix like Junkyard Wars or The Dog Whisperer. It's just easier to put in a DVD. We watch 1 or 2 movies a week and all I want to do is grab a drink, pop the DVD in, and chill out. Even though I can, and it's not all that hard, I just don't feel like going to the extra work of hooking up the laptop when it's time to relax. I get precious little of that and I want to maximize it.
I think that most people don't have the ability or hardware to do that even if they wanted to. Really I think what you're talking about is Video on Demand - most cable companies offer it - they just need to get a bigger selection.
The other nice thing about Netflix is that I can handle my queue from work. They won't allow me to SSH back into my home box so I can set up another download.
That still doesn't help, though, if someone's sent out a fake CD.
The reason this would help though is that it would be much more expensive, in time and money, to scam people by mailing them fake CDs. It would be exponentially more expensive to burn, label, and mail a CD to each potential victim. Plus you get into the realm of creating physical evidence which would make it easier to get caught as well.
I pay plenty of bar tenders to make me "Open-source" drinks that I know damn well how to make on my own
The flaw with your analogy is that you are mixing consumable and nonconsumable resources. Once you have that drink, it's gone. Once the bottle of liquor is gone, you have to buy another one. However, once I install Slack off my CD, it doesn't destroy the CD. I can install a gazillion times off of that one CD.
Although, I love the idea of a world where it costs nothing to replenish my bottle of Appleton Estate Extra
His documentation clearly shows that his boss was not doing a good job.
Ummm...???? "clearly"?? His documentation does not show that at all. After RTFA I have no clue exactly what his boss is supposed to be doing. I do, however, know that his bosses felt he was doing a good job.
If you really have "been around the block enough time" you would know that some management jobs involve very little computer usage. Without knowing what his boss's actual job description is, you cannot say that this documentation "clearly" proves he is not needed or that he wasn't doing a good job. You're making some pretty strong statements without actually having enough facts to back them up.
I can't believe this comment (and others equally as knee-jerk) got modded so high. Normally I wouldn't have responded writing you off as a troll.
This poster nails it. Cancer cure? Nope. Lots of expensive "treatments", though. Diabetes? No cure. AIDS? No cure. Some track record there, big pharma.
You obviously expect all those diseases to be cured already. Ever stop to think that it just might not be possible to cure them? There are so many researchers out there that are working very hard to find cures for those diseases because of a zillion reasons: the glory, the gift to humanity it would be, the nobel prize, or because their kids or parents suffer from the disease.
Geez - take the conspiracy one step further. Maybe they've had cures for these diseases for decades and are just keeping them in their own labs! Let's go check out the histories of cancer and diabetes in the families of the big pharma execs - I betcha they don't suffer from these diseases because they've already got the cures!
But, of course there will always be people who complain. If OSS had big pharma's budget and spent it on developing the desktop, after it was finished there'd still be just as much bitching on slashdot.
Uh... With $15.5 Billion in e-commerce sales in the first quarter of 2004 alone, I think there were more than just a "few" of these typical users that figured out how to go shopping online.
It was those priests' hands full that was the problem.:)
Re:I think the Time article misses the point
on
Meet Joe Blog
·
· Score: 1
There really is very little reason for printed publications these days other than those people who still don't use the Internet regularly
Well, there's also convenience. I don't like taking my laptop into the shitter with me. When my kitchen table's covered with stuff, it's a lot easier to drop the latest copy of The Week on top of that clutter to my eat breakfast. My laptop is too heavy and gets too hot to read the news on the couch when I feel like relaxing. Paper is also a lot easier to read in bright sunshine like when I'm out on my deck on a nice day.
Other than that, your post deserves the mod points.
True. They will also clear codes for you. In Delaware, you cannot pass inspection if your check engine light is on. I went into AutoZone, had them read it (it said bad cat) and clear the code. Went into the DMV the next day, passed inspection, check engine light came on the day after.
Oh man, Peet's! This is so absolutely off topic, but Peet's is the best coffee out there. The monthly delivery deal is the best. I love my Major Dickinsons and Espresso Forte.
Do they give employee discounts?:)
I am so jealous right now.
Of course with all the ACs on/., posting this is like picking up the soap in jail...
Yeah - I had to look that one up as well. Everything2.com lists it as "An emphatic roar. Often used in email in conjuction with "Grr" to indicate anger or disappointment. " I also found the same definition on info-x.co.uk/jargon.asp.
Stray EMI could give you a tic. Someone malicious could actually block/redirect/subvert control of your own body, remotely.
Dude, I need help. I just have visions of some deranged cracker having a blast in the mall by making all kinds of people just take a dump in their pants while they're walking around.
You start this by announcing the american software industry is going to die and seem to delight in rubbing it in people's faces. But see, the fallacy of your argument (actually supported by your biblical like references) is that the american software industry is going to change. Think of the mid 80's when the common wisdom was the Japan was going to destroy the US auto industry. Obviously, that just hasn't happened - what happened is that the US auto industry changed. They did kill it in a sense, much like in a sense Darth Vader really did kill Luke's father. American software will be the same. They will change. The companies that survive will be more value add and create higher level stuff. They'll concentrate on developing the next new thing - not more web pages.
And on to your bit about programmers not having a desirable skill. Um, excuse me but, WTF, troll? I shouldn't even waste my time writing this, but since you already got me to bite anyway I might as well finish it. How do you figure programmers are no longer a desirable skill? Did people suddenly stop using computers? Nobody uses web pages anymore? Or - maybe - wait I got it - everything's already been written and working fine. We don't need anything new or anything changed. Whatever. The demand for computers is rising as it fuels much of companies increase in productivity. Development, unfortunately, is getting offshored because people think it can be done remotely. Nursing can't. Nursing is where IT was 4 years ago. They can't get enough - that's why there's bonuses paid out and nurses can walk off a job at any point. As soon as supply catches up with demand (and it will) those highly paid bonuses and stuff will stop (I'm sure that sounds familiar Mr. Alleged American Software Developer).
Some of your points are valid - like that 17th century french poetry. But your points don't support your arguments.
dude - that was the funniest thing I've read all day. Telling FK - who spends so much time here, I'm sure he knows that whole/. customization thing inside and out - how to change his homepage was freaking hilarious!
It was also so funny because so you totally nailed it - he could just filter it out.
But XP without pair programming isn't XP, it's.... something else. "Pretty Adventuresome Programming", maybe.
OK, but what if it wasn't true pair programming. What if it was just two people working really hard on a problem? Would that be "Pretty Concentrated Programming"?
owners dump stock (getting rich) and SCO uses the inflated stock price to buy up small companies.
I agree totally with the owners getting rich part, but I'd have to disagree with the purchasing small companies. Who would trade their company for SCO stock? Any tech company has to know how precarious the currently overpriced stock is right now. At any time the stock price could plummet. I wouldn't trade my company for that stock right now. Plus, I'm sure the smallest due dilligence audit would reveal the wild swings in the stock price over the past year.
I think somebody would have to be pretty dumb to sell their company for SCO stock.
Lord, if I had mod points right now, I'd give them all to you and fog111.
I think that the matrix-in-a-matrix is the easy answer and that's why everybody's jumping on it. I'm sick of seeing so many of those posts. Just because you've come up with something that fits the facts, doesn't mean it's right. I keep waiting for somebody to post the matrix-in-a-matrix line with the HL Menken sig: "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the machines know Neo has developed the ability to control them in the outside world and that's why the Architect so trying so hard to control Neo and have him rejoin the Matrix. They know Neo can stop them now.
I agree with your analyses. There's too much time and imagery spent on differentiating the real world from the Matrix. So I guess proponents of that theory believe the second layer of the Matrix is one simulated in 2199 where lasers and anti-gravity and stuff has been invented. You can make it work if you keep inventing theories to match the facts.
IMHO, the story's way too deep for the Brothers W to cop out with a matrix-in-a-matrix.
We'll all be better off in the long term if we move towards a world where people's opportunities depend upon what they can do and not where they were born.
I don't think that supports your argument. It looks like the best place to be born these days, if you want a programming job, is India.
Wouldn't the "what they can do" argument support keeping the jobs in the US? I think there's a larger base of more experienced programmers in the US.
Why should Indians get those jobs just because of where they're born?
This is 100% off topic - but I read your journal - which I thought was cool, but nobody can respond since you have comments disabled. I can't give you my thoughts without the comments turned on. I don't know how to do it myself because I don't journal but it looks like you need to go to the edit preferences of the journal tab and turn them on. I also think you'd need to write another entry to get comments enabled.
It's either an incredibly slow news day over there, or the wacky assistant-front page editor is filling in while the boss takes a three-day weekend or something.
Or, you obviously never read the Wall Street Journal.
As others have posted, they always have an offbeat story there. It's always the first story I read.
It's a shame I read your post 10 minutes after I used up all my mod points. How the hell this got modded up to +5 when you're talking straight out your ass is beyond me.
Slashdot Mirror
The longterm winner is the one that can first come to market with a downloadable delivery method.
The only problem with that business model is the hardware side of the equation. There are several times more people with DVD players than there are with people who the capability (or willingness) to get downloaded material to their TV. Granted that would probably being a winning business model for the slashdot demographic, but that's not large enough.
I hook my laptop up to the TV and play downloaded stuff but that's only material I can't get on Netflix like Junkyard Wars or The Dog Whisperer. It's just easier to put in a DVD. We watch 1 or 2 movies a week and all I want to do is grab a drink, pop the DVD in, and chill out. Even though I can, and it's not all that hard, I just don't feel like going to the extra work of hooking up the laptop when it's time to relax. I get precious little of that and I want to maximize it.
I think that most people don't have the ability or hardware to do that even if they wanted to. Really I think what you're talking about is Video on Demand - most cable companies offer it - they just need to get a bigger selection.
The other nice thing about Netflix is that I can handle my queue from work. They won't allow me to SSH back into my home box so I can set up another download.
--Dave
That still doesn't help, though, if someone's sent out a fake CD.
The reason this would help though is that it would be much more expensive, in time and money, to scam people by mailing them fake CDs. It would be exponentially more expensive to burn, label, and mail a CD to each potential victim. Plus you get into the realm of creating physical evidence which would make it easier to get caught as well.
I pay plenty of bar tenders to make me "Open-source" drinks that I know damn well how to make on my own
The flaw with your analogy is that you are mixing consumable and nonconsumable resources. Once you have that drink, it's gone. Once the bottle of liquor is gone, you have to buy another one. However, once I install Slack off my CD, it doesn't destroy the CD. I can install a gazillion times off of that one CD.
Although, I love the idea of a world where it costs nothing to replenish my bottle of Appleton Estate Extra
His documentation clearly shows that his boss was not doing a good job.
Ummm...???? "clearly"?? His documentation does not show that at all. After RTFA I have no clue exactly what his boss is supposed to be doing. I do, however, know that his bosses felt he was doing a good job.
If you really have "been around the block enough time" you would know that some management jobs involve very little computer usage. Without knowing what his boss's actual job description is, you cannot say that this documentation "clearly" proves he is not needed or that he wasn't doing a good job. You're making some pretty strong statements without actually having enough facts to back them up.
I can't believe this comment (and others equally as knee-jerk) got modded so high. Normally I wouldn't have responded writing you off as a troll.
I was all kinds of fired up after reading your post, but was pretty glad to see you understand why your post was so offensive.
:)
Props to you for recognizing it - and retracting it.
I have to admit, though, that was pretty impressive. It's been a long time since I've seen that much vitriolic invective browsing at +3.
This poster nails it. Cancer cure? Nope. Lots of expensive "treatments", though. Diabetes? No cure. AIDS? No cure. Some track record there, big pharma.
You obviously expect all those diseases to be cured already. Ever stop to think that it just might not be possible to cure them? There are so many researchers out there that are working very hard to find cures for those diseases because of a zillion reasons: the glory, the gift to humanity it would be, the nobel prize, or because their kids or parents suffer from the disease.
Geez - take the conspiracy one step further. Maybe they've had cures for these diseases for decades and are just keeping them in their own labs! Let's go check out the histories of cancer and diabetes in the families of the big pharma execs - I betcha they don't suffer from these diseases because they've already got the cures!
But, of course there will always be people who complain. If OSS had big pharma's budget and spent it on developing the desktop, after it was finished there'd still be just as much bitching on slashdot.
A few even figure out how to go shopping
Uh... With $15.5 Billion in e-commerce sales in the first quarter of 2004 alone, I think there were more than just a "few" of these typical users that figured out how to go shopping online.
In addition to the AMT, my church told me you can only deduct up to 30% of your AGI from charitable deductions.
Of course, preparing your tax return from what you hear on slashdot is pretty dumb, so hopefully no one will take your advice.
It was only a handful of priests
:)
It was those priests' hands full that was the problem.
There really is very little reason for printed publications these days other than those people who still don't use the Internet regularly
Well, there's also convenience. I don't like taking my laptop into the shitter with me. When my kitchen table's covered with stuff, it's a lot easier to drop the latest copy of The Week on top of that clutter to my eat breakfast. My laptop is too heavy and gets too hot to read the news on the couch when I feel like relaxing. Paper is also a lot easier to read in bright sunshine like when I'm out on my deck on a nice day.
Other than that, your post deserves the mod points.
As annoying as ads may be, I'd rather have a site with heavy full motion ads and quality content than no ads and poor content.
:)
Posted to Slashdot. That's funny.
What if the quality content was a dupe? Would it be cool to be forced to watch a heavy full motion ad then?
True. They will also clear codes for you. In Delaware, you cannot pass inspection if your check engine light is on. I went into AutoZone, had them read it (it said bad cat) and clear the code. Went into the DMV the next day, passed inspection, check engine light came on the day after.
Oh man, Peet's! This is so absolutely off topic, but Peet's is the best coffee out there. The monthly delivery deal is the best. I love my Major Dickinsons and Espresso Forte.
:)
/., posting this is like picking up the soap in jail...
Do they give employee discounts?
I am so jealous right now.
Of course with all the ACs on
Yeah - I had to look that one up as well. Everything2.com lists it as "An emphatic roar. Often used in email in conjuction with "Grr" to indicate anger or disappointment. " I also found the same definition on info-x.co.uk/jargon.asp.
Stray EMI could give you a tic. Someone malicious could actually block/redirect/subvert control of your own body, remotely.
Dude, I need help. I just have visions of some deranged cracker having a blast in the mall by making all kinds of people just take a dump in their pants while they're walking around.
Fuck France
Oh, you don't want to get into that. France has much more effective curses to hurl back at you.
You can curse at me all you want in French.
Because I don't speak it.
You might be surprised at how ineffective curses are when they're not understood.
i am an american software developer
No, you're a troll and I'm going to call you out.
You start this by announcing the american software industry is going to die and seem to delight in rubbing it in people's faces. But see, the fallacy of your argument (actually supported by your biblical like references) is that the american software industry is going to change. Think of the mid 80's when the common wisdom was the Japan was going to destroy the US auto industry. Obviously, that just hasn't happened - what happened is that the US auto industry changed. They did kill it in a sense, much like in a sense Darth Vader really did kill Luke's father. American software will be the same. They will change. The companies that survive will be more value add and create higher level stuff. They'll concentrate on developing the next new thing - not more web pages.
And on to your bit about programmers not having a desirable skill. Um, excuse me but, WTF, troll? I shouldn't even waste my time writing this, but since you already got me to bite anyway I might as well finish it. How do you figure programmers are no longer a desirable skill? Did people suddenly stop using computers? Nobody uses web pages anymore? Or - maybe - wait I got it - everything's already been written and working fine. We don't need anything new or anything changed. Whatever. The demand for computers is rising as it fuels much of companies increase in productivity. Development, unfortunately, is getting offshored because people think it can be done remotely. Nursing can't. Nursing is where IT was 4 years ago. They can't get enough - that's why there's bonuses paid out and nurses can walk off a job at any point. As soon as supply catches up with demand (and it will) those highly paid bonuses and stuff will stop (I'm sure that sounds familiar Mr. Alleged American Software Developer).
Some of your points are valid - like that 17th century french poetry. But your points don't support your arguments.
dude - that was the funniest thing I've read all day. Telling FK - who spends so much time here, I'm sure he knows that whole /. customization thing inside and out - how to change his homepage was freaking hilarious!
It was also so funny because so you totally nailed it - he could just filter it out.
Nice post.
But XP without pair programming isn't XP, it's.... something else. "Pretty Adventuresome Programming", maybe.
OK, but what if it wasn't true pair programming. What if it was just two people working really hard on a problem? Would that be "Pretty Concentrated Programming"?
Because I would love to use PCP at work.
owners dump stock (getting rich) and SCO uses the inflated stock price to buy up small companies.
I agree totally with the owners getting rich part, but I'd have to disagree with the purchasing small companies. Who would trade their company for SCO stock? Any tech company has to know how precarious the currently overpriced stock is right now. At any time the stock price could plummet. I wouldn't trade my company for that stock right now. Plus, I'm sure the smallest due dilligence audit would reveal the wild swings in the stock price over the past year.
I think somebody would have to be pretty dumb to sell their company for SCO stock.
After using the Mach3, going back to ordinary razors just didn't cut it.
:)
I wish there was a +1 Rimshot mod.
Lord, if I had mod points right now, I'd give them all to you and fog111.
I think that the matrix-in-a-matrix is the easy answer and that's why everybody's jumping on it. I'm sick of seeing so many of those posts. Just because you've come up with something that fits the facts, doesn't mean it's right. I keep waiting for somebody to post the matrix-in-a-matrix line with the HL Menken sig: "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the machines know Neo has developed the ability to control them in the outside world and that's why the Architect so trying so hard to control Neo and have him rejoin the Matrix. They know Neo can stop them now.
I agree with your analyses. There's too much time and imagery spent on differentiating the real world from the Matrix. So I guess proponents of that theory believe the second layer of the Matrix is one simulated in 2199 where lasers and anti-gravity and stuff has been invented. You can make it work if you keep inventing theories to match the facts.
IMHO, the story's way too deep for the Brothers W to cop out with a matrix-in-a-matrix.
We'll all be better off in the long term if we move towards a world where people's opportunities depend upon what they can do and not where they were born.
I don't think that supports your argument. It looks like the best place to be born these days, if you want a programming job, is India.
Wouldn't the "what they can do" argument support keeping the jobs in the US? I think there's a larger base of more experienced programmers in the US.
Why should Indians get those jobs just because of where they're born?
This is 100% off topic - but I read your journal - which I thought was cool, but nobody can respond since you have comments disabled. I can't give you my thoughts without the comments turned on. I don't know how to do it myself because I don't journal but it looks like you need to go to the edit preferences of the journal tab and turn them on. I also think you'd need to write another entry to get comments enabled.
It's either an incredibly slow news day over there, or the wacky assistant-front page editor is filling in while the boss takes a three-day weekend or something.
Or, you obviously never read the Wall Street Journal.
As others have posted, they always have an offbeat story there. It's always the first story I read.
It's a shame I read your post 10 minutes after I used up all my mod points. How the hell this got modded up to +5 when you're talking straight out your ass is beyond me.