hehe, this has been fun. I should post more often. because as you said i dont post often, its hard to know what i'm actually thinking, i'll just say it: i'm a very laid back person, probably a little apathetic, and your probably right i probably do cause more problems than i solve. I do a bit of business travel to africa, so the plane trips alone blow my footprint off the scale. I not only work in the computer industry, but i do software developement for oil companies. So yeah, i'm sure i am part of the problem...by now your probably thinking 'hypocrite' , but moving along... Despite all this, i DO do everything within my power to make the better choices, rather than buying apples flown in from australia, I buy food from local growers. Instead of driving my car 20km to one job, i take mass transit. And as you said, i DO live close to my primary job, but that was a conscious decision, when i got this job i moved to a location so close I COULD walk.
and now, onto point by point reply ( MY FAVORITE!!:-D )
>you compare RTS games to reality? That truly s sad. I do. >Games are made for entertainment. I know.
>This is all moot. hehe, tangents are always much more interesting the the actual topic at hand.
>Besides, if I'm making you look bad, what does this say about you? just explain what i meant ( I really AM a nice rational person) how you'd written the thing about skin cancer sounded to me like a think of the children, might have mis-interpreted that, either way, when i said making me look bad, i was more refering to people how do support renewable resources " enviromentalists", etc. I felt that that comment made them look like emotional, irrational people.
>This just makes me laugh. YAY!!! its good to laugh, I hear it helps your immune system! REALLY!
>To me, you're worse than the apathetic masses. You sit on a holier than thou pedestal, proclaiming your superiority over everyone else awe... thats just mean:( that kinda hurts... I Have NO misconceptions about the damage i'm causing, thats why i'm doing all this other stuff, to try to make up for it. I'm not a holier than thou kinda person, just a guy trying to making the best decisions i can on a day to day basis.
>You make environmentalism sound like a trendy fad. as i just said, these things i do, i'm just doing the best i can, making the best informed decision possible, its not a fad, its a lifestyle, i dont do it to be cool, i do it because its important to me.
>My total footprint was 9250, for a household of 4. What's yours? that is quite good. my flights to africa alone bring me above that.
this has been fun, i hope i sounded a little more friendly this time.
>Thank you so much for your 'on-the-fence" attitude. haha, its just, i have been presented with almost nothing that would suggest fossil fuels cause lung disease or skin cancer. Now, if you had argued that fossil fuels are going to run out EVENTUALLY, and we need to start taking steps to build a sustainable world, I would have agreed with you, because that IS how I feel.
>It's the lack of passion for renewables that keeps them out of reach for the majorities. Well, that and not enough people play RTS (real time strategy) games. Anyone who's played those games KNOWS, to maintain a society, and eventually win the game, you MUST start researching and implementing renewable resources as early as possible. For example, in games like Empire Earth, and Age of Mythology, about 1/3rd of the way through a game you run out of wood, because in those games, forests dont grow back. and around 2/3rds of the way through the game your gold mines run out, and if you havent researched and developed trade routes with other cities ( renewable gold resource ) you will run out of gold and die. and most importantly is food, Foraging for food, only lasts for about 1/100th of the game, so if you wanna survive even 20 minutes you MUST research and develop farms because a renewable supply of food is absolutely needed. I know i've gone into way to much detail for this example, but point is, if you've played RTS games you KNOW that at some point switching to renewable resources is CRITICAL to survival.
>Let me guess.. single.. 20.. responsibilities. Close, everything except responsibilities. I've lived on my own as a software consultant for 6 years, no kids, but managing 2 or 3 contracts at a time, managing time, and bills, there is some responsibity.
>it is also the demographc that is the most apathetic. Statistically, by percentage, yes. But I, and the people i associate with are not in that category. I am quite active in many.. enviromentally geeky things. Supporting local farmers, organic foods, riding a bike based on my principals, personally using renewable resources for many basic things ( for example: a cell phone IS a neccesary evil for my line of work, but all of the power charging is done through a portable solar charger ) I only use a car if i cant get there through public transportation. I support the ideas behind things like "True cost economics". SO while yes, my demographic could possibly be the most apathetic, me, and most everyone I know, dont fit that profile.
>So instead of slamming someone's point of view, you should have stayed with your inital idea to say nothng. I never get to post anything, and i really didnt like how you made people like me look bad. I Fully agree with how you feel about renewable resources being critical to our future. But doing the "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" thing makes people like me look irrational and emotional, when really, were the ones spending the time reading all the facts, being rational, taking the time to understand the consequences of our actions, and trying to make a difference. And when people see things like "THINK OF... " they stop listening to us. We need to present ourselves Calmly, Rationally and Professionally if anyones gonna ever listen to us. They need to see our point of view as being the most rational and logical.
>has anyone in Canada seen the Canadan Tire advertisments... Dont own a tv, dont watch tv, and do pretty much everything in my power to avoid advertisements, so i havent seen it.
>wind turbine, inverter/power conditioner, as well as a small battery pack for $2500.00 CAD that does sound pretty neat.
That is the sort of attitude that extingushes the renewable energy movement. Thank you for your demonstration. I agree expense is a factor, however, in 100 years, your grandkids will curse your mantra "not economical for Joe Average." as their skn cancers flare up, and lung disease eats away at them.
Thats just a stupid comment. To say something like that only reinforces peoples views that enviromentalists are are a bunch of emotional, illogical and completely unscientific people. Because what you just did was scare-mongering, it was NOT rational.
To suggest that the economic feasibility of wind turbines has an effect on your grandkids getting skin cancer and lung disease is absurd. you might as well have simply written "I hate anyone who disagrees with using Eco-power, wont you think of the children!"
A much better post would have been:
Yours: That is the sort of attitude that extingushes the renewable energy movement. Thank you for your demonstration.
Mine: no comment, this is just a dumb comment and doesnt actually prove any point at all.
Yours: I agree expense is a factor,
Mine: While the cost of renewable energy is prohibitively expensive right now we should continue to support this type of research because a time might come when it becomes an affordable and maybe even neccesary option.
Yours: however, in 100 years, your grandkids will curse your mantra "not economical for Joe Average." as their skn cancers flare up, and lung disease eats away at them.
Mine: I'm a little worried about all this global warming stuff. I've heard alot of opinions in every direction, and if we learn that our use of fossil fuels is infact warming the planet, then technologies such as this one might become a neccesity for our children and grandchildren.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre just wont be the same after this.
20 years from now they will do another remake of the movie and people will see the chainsaw cut someone and they'll just be all confused, "oh thats just so unrealistic, power tools cant hurt people, duh. "
The only thing I over-heard which would upset me is 'no water bottles' I find airplanes extremely dry, so I'll usually take 2 - 1 liter bottles of water with me, ( yeah, thats a guarenteed bathroom break, ha ha ). But seriously, without a good constant stream of water, my eyes are burning, my mouth is all clammy, and twice, i've had nose bleeds. ( i take about 4 round trip flights a year ) So to lose something as basic as water would really frustrate me.
But as i stated at the beginning " I over-heard ", so it may not even be that bad.
I really wonder how business travellers are gonna handle this...
for a short moment i read something INTELLIGENT, and i was like 'wooo this guys going on friends list' only to realize finding more intelligent gems from this author will never happen...:(
Short answer, yes. "Requirements Implemented Per Iteration".
Places I work at we do requirements analysis; Break down the requirements at different levels of scope; The team comes up with a list of Requirements we can implement in One Iteration (Set time period); As a group we divide the requirements to implement evenly, and assign each person one chunk. Then, at the end of the Iteration we see how much of the assigned requirements each person completed.
If someone lagged behind, didnt keep up, we find the cause and fix it. ( didnt know sql, was lazy, didnt understand the requirements well enough, went on vacation, etc. )
We also combine that with an hour or so a day of pair programming. During that time we sit together and write the unit tests to be implemented that day. Unit tests primarly are used to test the requirements, and so with 2 sets of eyes we are much more thorough about unit testing all of the requirements.
With these things in place, its very easy for the team to get a good feel for each other. So if someones not keeping up, the whole team knows, and the problem can be dealt with quickly.
One of the major differences between Americans and people from other countries/cultures isn't in how much we work but rather in how we spend our free time. Some of us are remarkably sedentary.
I think you nailed it.
North americans are viewed as lazy, not because of our work hours, but because a vast majority of us spend our free time watching tv, eating fast food, acting like slobs.
if you know that a zero cost option exists, then acts as a driver encouraging people to cultivate the skillset needed to make the option practical.
Very well put.
That, I think is why Microsoft are so keen to confuse the issue with all these misleading metrics.
Good point. Microsoft does keep screaming TCO! TCO! TCO! and that makes linux sound expensive. If people realize linux really is a 'zero cost' option, then your right, they will be encouraged to "cultivate the skillset needed to make the option practical."
He was suggesting that people had a zero cost option today, now. and i dont think thats correct.
You however I believe, are suggesting that the only cost is knowledge. And as the knowledge becomes 'common' the cost will drop to zero.
>But ulitmately, it is a zero cost option, and utimately it's going to win out.
Key word there, 'ultimately' meaning, in the long run. And I do agree, long term, the only cost is the knowledge, and over time, this stuff will become common knowledge ( the tech will get easier and easier, the users will get more and more proficient, and they will eventually meet somewhere in the middle )
Switching operating systems is not a 'zero cost' event.
Most average people:: ::would require training ( and not everyone has a geek nephew). ::would go to the store and BUY a BOXED version of redhat or SUSE, Assuming they had the confidence to buy something they'd never seen or used before.. ::would NOT have the ability to download and burn an ISO. ::would NOT have the ability to backup ALL their data. ::would Certainly NOT have the confidence to install a new operating system.
So, Most average people would weigh the 2 options:
Option 1)
Pay $150 for WindowsXP
Pay BestBuy $90 to install it and not lose all their personal data.
Option 2)
Pay $30-$50 for boxed version of Redhat, or SUSE.
Pay someone... who? who would support an OS install of Linux?? to install it.
Pay $100-$200 for a course at a community college, to learn how to use linux.
At this point option 2 is already pretty unrealistic, how many Average people would go take a course to learn how to use their computer if they already know windows ?
And assuming they did take the course, they still wouldnt be able to do basic stuff they could do before, like hook up a printer, or install software, or do OS updates. Or install Stupid little games like Atari Classics, or Hasbro's Scrabble.
So no, you are wrong. it is NOT a 'zero cost' alternative, that is just completely naive.
I want a device i can drop in the bathtub. spill coffee on. bend in half. These are not things i do often, but if they did happen, i would want the device to keep working.
I know the idea of White Lists have been mentioned before, i'm wondering why nothing has been done with them? their cost benefit ratio when compared to antivirus software, and black lists seem to leave them as the better option.
So why is this not being considered, or implemented?
> The big problem with the Segway was the hype > Jeff Bezos said that he could see cities being redesigned around > the thing, we all thought that it had to be something revolutionary.
The temperature has been +5 to +10 celsius more times than i can count. This weekend, the forcast says its going to be +12 on saturday, and +15 on sunday.
>considering how high the production values and lengths of most good games are. >But the point is... $60 has been the pricepoint since at leasy 1992!
You just listed my top 2 complaints. number 1, Length) I dont want a long game, i wouldnt have the time to play it. Just like movies, i DONT WANT a 6 hour movie. I want a 2 hour movie, or maybe i only have time for a 30 minute cartoon.
number 2, Price) paying $60 for a game that i'm only gonna play for a couple hours is the reason i own very few games. I have purchased 5 games in the last 3 years.
The unchanged pricepoint is the very problem the industry is having. If they made shorter games, and priced em at 20 bux a game, i wouldnt be so nervous about putting down my money and trying that game i've never heard of. I do it with movies all the time, i'll see some movie, its $12 and it sounds kinda fun, i'll take the chance.
I have money to spend, but game reviews are completely un-reliable. I would risk $20 on some game i've never heard of. I wouldnt if that game was $60.
--
I Do understand what your saying, the quality of the games has increases unbelievably.
My point was: I dont want a long game, and if they made shorter games at a lower price, like that "Sin: Episodes" thing the other response mentioned, I would be MUCH more likely to buy the games because they provide what I want.
>SiN Episodes is due to be released Very cool, thanks for the info. That really is DEAD ON, what I was thinking. I will very likely try that game out when its released.
>I think it's pretty clear that with HL2's storyline and content, it could easily have been broken up in 3-4 episodes at $15-$20 a pop. >In return, the developers get to charge more for the full product ($60-$80 for the length that a full retail game currently has )
I work full time, I have a social life, I exersize, I read, and occationally, I play computer games. I spend about 4 hours a week playing video games (monday/tuesday night).
If i wanna try the newest game, for example, right now its "F.E.A.R." i will probably play the game for 8 hours this whole month ( games are social, not gonna give up current games/clans ). So for the amount i'm gonna play the game, $60 dollars just isnt justified.
I could rent 12 movies for that price. I could buy a DVD PLAYER($40) and 2 movies, for that price.
They should make a... Lite... Version. Same game, shorter game. Have a $20 version of the game that has enough levels for 4-8 hours of play, and I'd buy up every new game that came out. ( FEAR, HL2, GUN, etc. )
In fairness, I should mention, turn based strategies, and some RTS's are worth the $60 bux, such as Civ4, AgeOfEmpires3. My Price complaint is much more directed at FPS's which i enjoy in small doses.
I go into EBGames, and all the new games are around $60. Its just not worth it. I wait to buy them used, or in the discount bin. Yeah, the games are a year are 2 old, so what? When your in the heat of the battle, playing a game, lost in the game, your not nit-picking over the texture of the bark on a tree.
blah, i know i'm just rambling, I saw some other posts about indy games, and prices in the $10-$30 range. If you would provide links to these developers I would appreciate it, and I would likely check them out.
geez, whole lot of negative responses to your post.
I for one, agree with you.
Some of the replys say your acting like a preacher; wtf, those people are idiots. giving your opinion on nutritional value of caffeine and alcohol doesnt make you a religious zealot.
Another reply argues that after 72 hours of coding the person drinking caffeine will be more able to keep working; this person is also an idiot. On any project where you need to be working non stop for 3 days, its very likely you need to be working that hard for weeks, not days. in which case a good nights sleep every night is much more important. ---off topic: In a well managed project, the last 2-4 weeks are the quietest. If you need to stay up for 3 days to get something done, thats a sign of very bad management---
Another person argued "well you know in moderation...blah blah blah" ; WELL NO SHIT. no one is worried about they guy who has 2 or 3 pop's in a week.
Your not saying: NEVER TOUCH CAFFIENE || ALCOHOL
Some people care about their bodies and choose to be healthy and avoid these things. And it would simply be advisable to think about this before you consume.
my personal backup is probably not legal. But Game CDs and DVDs are just so easy to scratch.
Its the same reason i copy my Movie DVDs to my pc. Movie dvds even when trying to be gentle would be un-playable within months.
As a result I have created a very large file server on my system which stores every cd and dvd i own in iso format.
And its WONDERFUL!!!
Pick a movie, Pick a game, Pick some music, all from ONE Networked location.
And it makes the area so much cleaner. With all the DVD Movies, and Computer games, and CDs I own, they would take up multiple bookshelves if I had to have the hard copy available all the time.
I HIGHLY recommend this configuration to anyone who can afford the Harddrive space involved. (terabytes)
Slashdot Mirror
hehe, this has been fun. I should post more often. ...by now your probably thinking 'hypocrite' , but moving along... Despite all this, i DO do everything within my power to make the better choices, rather than buying apples flown in from australia, I buy food from local growers. Instead of driving my car 20km to one job, i take mass transit. And as you said, i DO live close to my primary job, but that was a conscious decision, when i got this job i moved to a location so close I COULD walk.
:-D )
:( that kinda hurts...
because as you said i dont post often, its hard to know what i'm actually thinking, i'll just say it: i'm a very laid back person, probably a little apathetic, and your probably right i probably do cause more problems than i solve. I do a bit of business travel to africa, so the plane trips alone blow my footprint off the scale. I not only work in the computer industry, but i do software developement for oil companies. So yeah, i'm sure i am part of the problem
and now, onto point by point reply ( MY FAVORITE!!
>you compare RTS games to reality? That truly s sad.
I do.
>Games are made for entertainment.
I know.
>This is all moot.
hehe, tangents are always much more interesting the the actual topic at hand.
>Besides, if I'm making you look bad, what does this say about you?
just explain what i meant ( I really AM a nice rational person) how you'd written the thing about skin cancer sounded to me like a think of the children, might have mis-interpreted that, either way, when i said making me look bad, i was more refering to people how do support renewable resources " enviromentalists", etc. I felt that that comment made them look like emotional, irrational people.
>This just makes me laugh.
YAY!!! its good to laugh, I hear it helps your immune system! REALLY!
>To me, you're worse than the apathetic masses. You sit on a holier than thou pedestal, proclaiming your superiority over everyone else
awe... thats just mean
I Have NO misconceptions about the damage i'm causing, thats why i'm doing all this other stuff, to try to make up for it.
I'm not a holier than thou kinda person, just a guy trying to making the best decisions i can on a day to day basis.
>You make environmentalism sound like a trendy fad.
as i just said, these things i do, i'm just doing the best i can, making the best informed decision possible, its not a fad, its a lifestyle, i dont do it to be cool, i do it because its important to me.
>My total footprint was 9250, for a household of 4. What's yours?
that is quite good. my flights to africa alone bring me above that.
this has been fun, i hope i sounded a little more friendly this time.
Kyle
>Thank you so much for your 'on-the-fence" attitude.
.. single.. 20.. responsibilities.
.. enviromentally geeky things.
... " they stop listening to us. We need to present ourselves Calmly, Rationally and Professionally if anyones gonna ever listen to us. They need to see our point of view as being the most rational and logical.
haha, its just, i have been presented with almost nothing that would suggest fossil fuels cause lung disease or skin cancer.
Now, if you had argued that fossil fuels are going to run out EVENTUALLY, and we need to start taking steps to build a sustainable world, I would have agreed with you, because that IS how I feel.
>It's the lack of passion for renewables that keeps them out of reach for the majorities.
Well, that and not enough people play RTS (real time strategy) games. Anyone who's played those games KNOWS, to maintain a society, and eventually win the game, you MUST start researching and implementing renewable resources as early as possible. For example, in games like Empire Earth, and Age of Mythology, about 1/3rd of the way through a game you run out of wood, because in those games, forests dont grow back. and around 2/3rds of the way through the game your gold mines run out, and if you havent researched and developed trade routes with other cities ( renewable gold resource ) you will run out of gold and die. and most importantly is food, Foraging for food, only lasts for about 1/100th of the game, so if you wanna survive even 20 minutes you MUST research and develop farms because a renewable supply of food is absolutely needed. I know i've gone into way to much detail for this example, but point is, if you've played RTS games you KNOW that at some point switching to renewable resources is CRITICAL to survival.
>Let me guess
Close, everything except responsibilities. I've lived on my own as a software consultant for 6 years, no kids, but managing 2 or 3 contracts at a time, managing time, and bills, there is some responsibity.
>it is also the demographc that is the most apathetic.
Statistically, by percentage, yes. But I, and the people i associate with are not in that category.
I am quite active in many
Supporting local farmers, organic foods, riding a bike based on my principals, personally using renewable resources for many basic things ( for example: a cell phone IS a neccesary evil for my line of work, but all of the power charging is done through a portable solar charger ) I only use a car if i cant get there through public transportation. I support the ideas behind things like "True cost economics". SO while yes, my demographic could possibly be the most apathetic, me, and most everyone I know, dont fit that profile.
>So instead of slamming someone's point of view, you should have stayed with your inital idea to say nothng.
I never get to post anything, and i really didnt like how you made people like me look bad. I Fully agree with how you feel about renewable resources being critical to our future. But doing the "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" thing makes people like me look irrational and emotional, when really, were the ones spending the time reading all the facts, being rational, taking the time to understand the consequences of our actions, and trying to make a difference. And when people see things like "THINK OF
>has anyone in Canada seen the Canadan Tire advertisments...
Dont own a tv, dont watch tv, and do pretty much everything in my power to avoid advertisements, so i havent seen it.
>wind turbine, inverter/power conditioner, as well as a small battery pack for $2500.00 CAD
that does sound pretty neat.
this has been fun! bubye now.
Kyle
Thats just a stupid comment. To say something like that only reinforces peoples views that enviromentalists are are a bunch of emotional, illogical and completely unscientific people. Because what you just did was scare-mongering, it was NOT rational.
To suggest that the economic feasibility of wind turbines has an effect on your grandkids getting skin cancer and lung disease is absurd. you might as well have simply written "I hate anyone who disagrees with using Eco-power, wont you think of the children!"
A much better post would have been:
Yours: That is the sort of attitude that extingushes the renewable energy movement. Thank you for your demonstration.
Mine: no comment, this is just a dumb comment and doesnt actually prove any point at all.
Yours: I agree expense is a factor,
Mine: While the cost of renewable energy is prohibitively expensive right now we should continue to support this type of research because a time might come when it becomes an affordable and maybe even neccesary option.
Yours: however, in 100 years, your grandkids will curse your mantra "not economical for Joe Average." as their skn cancers flare up, and lung disease eats away at them.
Mine: I'm a little worried about all this global warming stuff. I've heard alot of opinions in every direction, and if we learn that our use of fossil fuels is infact warming the planet, then technologies such as this one might become a neccesity for our children and grandchildren.
Kyle
thats 3 years old..
I wonder if anythings changed?
Do they even have an office yet?
Where are the developers?
Who are the developers?
Texas Chainsaw Massacre just wont be the same after this.
20 years from now they will do another remake of the movie and people will see the chainsaw cut someone and they'll just be all confused, "oh thats just so unrealistic, power tools cant hurt people, duh. "
very well put..
The only thing I over-heard which would upset me is 'no water bottles' I find airplanes extremely dry, so I'll usually take 2 - 1 liter bottles of water with me, ( yeah, thats a guarenteed bathroom break, ha ha ). But seriously, without a good constant stream of water, my eyes are burning, my mouth is all clammy, and twice, i've had nose bleeds. ( i take about 4 round trip flights a year ) So to lose something as basic as water would really frustrate me.
But as i stated at the beginning " I over-heard ", so it may not even be that bad.
I really wonder how business travellers are gonna handle this...
damb you! why did you have to post anonymous.
... :(
for a short moment i read something INTELLIGENT, and i was like 'wooo this guys going on friends list' only to realize finding more intelligent gems from this author will never happen
Short answer, yes. "Requirements Implemented Per Iteration".
Places I work at we do requirements analysis;
Break down the requirements at different levels of scope;
The team comes up with a list of Requirements we can implement in One Iteration (Set time period);
As a group we divide the requirements to implement evenly, and assign each person one chunk.
Then, at the end of the Iteration we see how much of the assigned requirements each person completed.
If someone lagged behind, didnt keep up, we find the cause and fix it. ( didnt know sql, was lazy, didnt understand the requirements well enough, went on vacation, etc. )
We also combine that with an hour or so a day of pair programming. During that time we sit together and write the unit tests to be implemented that day. Unit tests primarly are used to test the requirements, and so with 2 sets of eyes we are much more thorough about unit testing all of the requirements.
With these things in place, its very easy for the team to get a good feel for each other. So if someones not keeping up, the whole team knows, and the problem can be dealt with quickly.
So, Its been very effective for us.
Kyle
No kidding.
Hell Yeah!
I never knew of Sketchup either, very cool.
Kyle
I think you nailed it.
North americans are viewed as lazy, not because of our work hours, but because a vast majority of us spend our free time watching tv, eating fast food, acting like slobs.
Fair enough. I agree.
if you know that a zero cost option exists, then acts as a driver encouraging people to cultivate the skillset needed to make the option practical.
Very well put.
That, I think is why Microsoft are so keen to confuse the issue with all these misleading metrics.
Good point. Microsoft does keep screaming TCO! TCO! TCO! and that makes linux sound expensive. If people realize linux really is a 'zero cost' option, then your right, they will be encouraged to "cultivate the skillset needed to make the option practical."
Kyle
He's not right, but you are.
He was suggesting that people had a zero cost option today, now. and i dont think thats correct.
You however I believe, are suggesting that the only cost is knowledge. And as the knowledge becomes 'common' the cost will drop to zero.
>But ulitmately, it is a zero cost option, and utimately it's going to win out.
Key word there, 'ultimately' meaning, in the long run. And I do agree, long term, the only cost is the knowledge, and over time, this stuff will become common knowledge ( the tech will get easier and easier, the users will get more and more proficient, and they will eventually meet somewhere in the middle )
Kyle
>tempted by any alternative that has zero cost.
::would require training ( and not everyone has a geek nephew).
::would go to the store and BUY a BOXED version of redhat or SUSE, Assuming they had the confidence to buy something they'd never seen or used before..
::would NOT have the ability to download and burn an ISO.
::would NOT have the ability to backup ALL their data.
::would Certainly NOT have the confidence to install a new operating system.
... who? who would support an OS install of Linux?? to install it.
That is just not true for the marjority of users.
Switching operating systems is not a 'zero cost' event.
Most average people::
So, Most average people would weigh the 2 options:
Option 1)
Pay $150 for WindowsXP
Pay BestBuy $90 to install it and not lose all their personal data.
Option 2)
Pay $30-$50 for boxed version of Redhat, or SUSE.
Pay someone
Pay $100-$200 for a course at a community college, to learn how to use linux.
At this point option 2 is already pretty unrealistic, how many Average people would go take a course to learn how to use their computer if they already know windows ?
And assuming they did take the course, they still wouldnt be able to do basic stuff they could do before, like hook up a printer, or install software, or do OS updates. Or install Stupid little games like Atari Classics, or Hasbro's Scrabble.
So no, you are wrong. it is NOT a 'zero cost' alternative, that is just completely naive.
Kyle
ha ha ha
>A regular hand-thrown grenade is no threat to a tank.
really? hmm. i didnt know that. cool.
A: Cheap simple Device. Next question.
I want a device i can drop in the bathtub. spill coffee on. bend in half.
These are not things i do often, but if they did happen, i would want the device to keep working.
Kyle
I know the idea of White Lists have been mentioned before, i'm wondering why nothing has been done with them? their cost benefit ratio when compared to antivirus software, and black lists seem to leave them as the better option.
So why is this not being considered, or implemented?
Kyle
( background info: white lists )
> The big problem with the Segway was the hype
> Jeff Bezos said that he could see cities being redesigned around
> the thing, we all thought that it had to be something revolutionary.
the hype was way over done.
Calgary, AB, Canada.
D ata/dailydata_e.html?timeframe=2&Prov=XX&StationID =2205&Year=2006&Month=1&Day=9
This winter cant even be called winter.
The temperature has been +5 to +10 celsius more times than i can count.
This weekend, the forcast says its going to be +12 on saturday, and +15 on sunday.
Theres the actual daily temperatures for Calgary in January
http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate
the high temperatures are from experience are between noon and 4 pm.
the low temperatures are between 4am, and 8am.
This past year has been very warm, no snow... doesnt even feel like winter.
Kyle
>considering how high the production values and lengths of most good games are.
>But the point is... $60 has been the pricepoint since at leasy 1992!
You just listed my top 2 complaints.
number 1, Length)
I dont want a long game, i wouldnt have the time to play it.
Just like movies, i DONT WANT a 6 hour movie.
I want a 2 hour movie, or maybe i only have time for a 30 minute cartoon.
number 2, Price)
paying $60 for a game that i'm only gonna play for a couple hours is the reason i own very few games. I have purchased 5 games in the last 3 years.
The unchanged pricepoint is the very problem the industry is having. If they made shorter games, and priced em at 20 bux a game, i wouldnt be so nervous about putting down my money and trying that game i've never heard of. I do it with movies all the time, i'll see some movie, its $12 and it sounds kinda fun, i'll take the chance.
I have money to spend, but game reviews are completely un-reliable.
I would risk $20 on some game i've never heard of. I wouldnt if that game was $60.
--
I Do understand what your saying, the quality of the games has increases unbelievably.
My point was: I dont want a long game, and if they made shorter games at a lower price, like that "Sin: Episodes" thing the other response mentioned, I would be MUCH more likely to buy the games because they provide what I want.
>SiN Episodes is due to be released
Very cool, thanks for the info. That really is DEAD ON, what I was thinking. I will very likely try that game out when its released.
>I think it's pretty clear that with HL2's storyline and content, it could easily have been broken up in 3-4 episodes at $15-$20 a pop.
>In return, the developers get to charge more for the full product ($60-$80 for the length that a full retail game currently has )
This really seems like a win-win situation.
$60 dollars for a video game just isnt worth it.
... Lite ... Version. Same game, shorter game. Have a $20 version of the game that has enough levels for 4-8 hours of play, and I'd buy up every new game that came out. ( FEAR, HL2, GUN, etc. )
I work full time, I have a social life, I exersize, I read, and occationally, I play computer games. I spend about 4 hours a week playing video games (monday/tuesday night).
If i wanna try the newest game, for example, right now its "F.E.A.R." i will probably play the game for 8 hours this whole month ( games are social, not gonna give up current games/clans ). So for the amount i'm gonna play the game, $60 dollars just isnt justified.
I could rent 12 movies for that price. I could buy a DVD PLAYER($40) and 2 movies, for that price.
They should make a
In fairness, I should mention, turn based strategies, and some RTS's are worth the $60 bux, such as Civ4, AgeOfEmpires3. My Price complaint is much more directed at FPS's which i enjoy in small doses.
I go into EBGames, and all the new games are around $60. Its just not worth it. I wait to buy them used, or in the discount bin. Yeah, the games are a year are 2 old, so what? When your in the heat of the battle, playing a game, lost in the game, your not nit-picking over the texture of the bark on a tree.
blah, i know i'm just rambling, I saw some other posts about indy games, and prices in the $10-$30 range. If you would provide links to these developers I would appreciate it, and I would likely check them out.
geez, whole lot of negative responses to your post.
I for one, agree with you.
Some of the replys say your acting like a preacher;
wtf, those people are idiots. giving your opinion on nutritional value of caffeine and alcohol doesnt make you a religious zealot.
Another reply argues that after 72 hours of coding the person drinking caffeine will be more able to keep working;
this person is also an idiot. On any project where you need to be working non stop for 3 days, its very likely you need to be working that hard for weeks, not days. in which case a good nights sleep every night is much more important.
---off topic: In a well managed project, the last 2-4 weeks are the quietest. If you need to stay up for 3 days to get something done, thats a sign of very bad management---
Another person argued "well you know in moderation...blah blah blah" ;
WELL NO SHIT. no one is worried about they guy who has 2 or 3 pop's in a week.
Your not saying: NEVER TOUCH CAFFIENE || ALCOHOL
Some people care about their bodies and choose to be healthy and avoid these things. And it would simply be advisable to think about this before you consume.
my personal backup is probably not legal.
But Game CDs and DVDs are just so easy to scratch.
Its the same reason i copy my Movie DVDs to my pc.
Movie dvds even when trying to be gentle would be un-playable within months.
As a result I have created a very large file server on my system which stores every cd and dvd i own in iso format.
And its WONDERFUL!!!
Pick a movie, Pick a game, Pick some music, all from ONE Networked location.
And it makes the area so much cleaner. With all the DVD Movies, and Computer games, and CDs I own, they would take up multiple bookshelves if I had to have the hard copy available all the time.
I HIGHLY recommend this configuration to anyone who can afford the Harddrive space involved. (terabytes)