ONE OF their ideas was the right idea. The problem is there are 3 or 4 other ideas that are causing major problems. Like I just spent 250 bucks on a phone for my Cingular TDMA network, which is pretty much unsupported anywhere else. There are no standards. Just because soem people are using the "best" method doesn't mean the entire US cell phone system should be touted as being good.
This actually seems like they're doing something right. And this is in the US? Actually adopting technology STANDARDS in the US? My mind has officially been blown.
Maybe I've just been dealing with cell phones for too long.
The show is all about getting some $$$ for answering some pointless questions and winning something for nothing.
His essay clearly highlights a lot of important issues, but his life and lifestyle put him in the "part of the problem" side.
Part of the problem? C'mon. The guy is trying to promote intelligence by making it seem fun and cool. It completely agrees with near everything he says in the article. Rather than glamorizing people who do nothing for the millions they get (actors, etc), he insteads rewards people for KNOWING something and working to get some KNOWLEDGE, rather than just being a pretty face. Yes, he does it in a way that is designed to attract a younger audience, it's called being part of the solution.
Sitting around writing articles doesn't get you anywhere. Actually going out and showing people what a brain can accomplish, rather than just using their body, may actually make an effect. I'm not calling the guy some sort of savior, it is just a stupid cable show, but I do not think it in any way goes against his general principles.
Don't judge people just based on your preconceived notions of television.
Clicking through each slide of that slideshow was PAINFUL. Does anyone have this in list form, or a link to an actual ARTICLE on Forbes website? I don't want others to have to sit through that same process. What a terrible design.
Good thing parroting disinformation never happens here.
Don't get me wrong, I can't stand lazy journalists. Some simply copy press releases into their stories. It is galling when you catch them at it. As soon as you have some expertise in an area, or even read enough, news that previously looked credible falls apart.
Slashdot, despite having the tagline "News for nerds. ..", is NOT a news site. They post links to other news, but their primary purpose is to provide DISCUSSION on these issues. Discussion may include "disinformation," but people are allowed to be misinformed. This site is merely a forum to discuss geek stories. CNN et al are supposed to be the ones providing us with the most correct version, so people are allowed to bitch when they fail. When slashdot links to a story that is poorly written, or when someone's comment about a story is even completely untrue, it shouldn't be a mark against slashdot itslf, but the writer of the original story, or the poster. In fact this often happens - half the comments on most of these stories tend to be about how the story-writer is a moron for putting all this false information in there. See, discussion! An actual news site merely states these things as fact and expects the public to accept them. That's what makes slashdot different from a "news" site- if the editors post the most horrificly bad, false story on the front page, people WILL say this is a horrible story, and untrue, and then explain why, thus leading to a more informed reader base. IMHO slashdot is providing more of a service when they post bad articles, because it keeps people in check.
Just my opinion, but I hate to see slashdot lumped in with news sites like CNN, because they are not even the same type of thing. Not remotely.
No one wants to stop buying from their favorite artist, who is most likely distributed through the RIAA. And no one wants to miss a much-anticipated movie, even though the MPAA is involved. I don't want to say we have no willpower or convictions, but there are just things people will always want to see and hear, and these things are provided by an evil company. Asking someone to give up these things is maybe asking a bit too much. Sure there are those of us who don't want to see LOTR, but there's a good chunk who would stop at nothing to see it, despite its "evil" ties.
There have to be alternatives to a boycott. Because if you're basing your entire revolution on something of that magnitude, you're going to be sorely disappointed. The masses need their entertainment, and will get it from the easiest source.
Great to see the head of an institute of learning take such a principled stand. Not.
It's his brother. Morals and ethics don't mean sh*t when you're talking about family. If you would rat out your own brother, regardless of his faults, then I certainly pity your family. No, I don't condone murder or harboring of criminals, but I have to say that I would make an exception to damn near any rule to protect someone in my bloodline. Must be the Sicilian in me acting up.
I'm sure that the FBIs biggest tip would be James "Whitey" Bulger using his own name on his personal computer. All these years searching for him, and he's going to put his actual name somewhere and flood it out ot the Internet. Of course! A master of hiding from the authorities will be caught by making a newbie mistake on a computer.
Now all we have to do is look for obinladen@ and find out where that cave is located. I'd better warn my freind Olaf bin Laden to block his cookies!
I realize that he is probably a busy man, but if you're going to agree to do something like this, I would have hoped he would have put some more of the ole "William Shattner that we know and love" into it.
The very little I know of Shatner, this seems to BE the one we know and love. My impression of him is that he is very down to earth (no pun intended) and able to make fun of himself. I think his terseness is a reflection of this straight-forward nature. He could blab away about this and that and give a novel answering each question, but it would be fake. This is the man youw anted to respond. And you got it.
Sony works against a monopoly? Warm coats are on their way to hell right now, I guess. Can you be more ignorant of Sony's business tactics?
Just because a business is large and successful does NOT make it a monopoly. This is a typical Slashdot perception that is just absolutely ridiculous. I personally don't like Sony, I think most of their products are sub-par, and I therefore do NOT purchase from them. Bad business tactics make a bad company, but not necessarily a monopoly. So stop crying wolf and just buy non-Sony products. With a monopoly you would not have that option.
which led Sony Ericsson to imply that the card will work in 160 countries, providing an always-on Internet connection.
I would tend to not worry about the actual cost of the card but rather the cost of having an "always on" wireless connection. Is there some kind of pricing plan out there for the actual service? I know if I spoke on my cell phone 24/7 it might cost a little bit of money. I don't see how this is any different.
Ralph: "Um, Miss Hoover? There's a dog in the vent." Ms. Hoover: "Ralph, remember the time you said Snagglepuss was outside?" Ralph: "He was using his cellphone"
I thought he was going to the bathroom. Or is that part of your joke? It's early, I may be a little slow today.
Suppressors are notorious for screwing the accuracy of a rifle or other firearm. Considering the accuracy of these shootings, I'd say it's safe to say a suppressor wasn't used.
Saying you've never gotten angry at a comptuer would just be a flat out lie, I bet there's millions of people who have typed up a term paper in 6 hours right before it's due, go to print, computer freezes and you realized you haven't saved the file since you opened it. Or you could be momemnts away from capturing the flag in your favorite CTF style game when suddenly the game closes for some stupid reason (IM received, accidentally hit windows 95 key, game crashes.) Most of the problems are user related but the computer makes a good outlet for your anger.
I still have, in a "spare junk" drawer in my room, the old 2 gig hard drive my cousin took a hatchet to. I gotta say, those things are pretty strong, but I don't think there's many electronics out there that can take being tomahok chopped in a fit of rage.
PS - The problem wasn't with his harddrive. Two days later he had a new one in, had spent hours reinstalling all his software, and the problem persisted. Ended up being a faulty power supply.
can anyone give me a good reason why it should be shown in a science museum? That's supposed to be a place for learning facts about the world around you. Not for watching a movie about explosions a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
And my local science museum (Boston) shows laser shows set to popular music in the planetarium. I can see TWO good reasons for this type of thing: 1) If they're not showing anything else, it's a great way for the museum to get some extra revenue. I'm sure they need it. 2) It's also a good way to get people interested in what the museum has to offer. Sure a bunch of people are just going to go there to see ATOC on a gigantic screen, but maybe a few of them who would not usually be interested in a museum would realize there are things there to see. That's a bit of a stretch, I tend to think it's just a good way to get supplemental revenue, but 2. could be an added bonus.
Regardless, if the theatre is not currently in use at that time, I see no reason for them not to show it. Not many museums have educational things going on late at night. I assume a movie is not going to pre-empt their regularly scheduled programming.
You think Old Man Funkle from down the street had Wal-Mart's "return anything for any reason for a refund" policy? Hell no. He smiled at us as we came into his little shop, place smelling like cigar smoke, and he gouged the hell out of us. His selection sucked, it took forever to get checked out...
I wouldn't say he gouged the hell out of us. As I'm sure you're aware, Old Man Funkle can't buy things in bulk as can a store like WalMart, that has MILLIONS to spend, and can have TINY profit margins considering their volume. Old Man Funkle lived off selling acouple quarts of milk and loaves of bread every day, not 100 Gs in gross.
Regardless of that obvious point, the humanity factor is about having a pleasant human transaction when making a purchase. No, this is not always the case at the 7-11, because obviously most of those people don't enjoy their jobs. But drive up through soem old parts of New Hampshire, stop at a country store, and buy something small. The owners will be friendly, kind people who are just genuinely nice to talk to, and you leave the store just feeling good. Cheesy, but true. Sure, calling up your buddy is the best way to have a good conversation, but day to day friendly interactions with strangers are becoming more and more rare.
Of course, in large urban areas this is a moot point, as there are no mom and pop operations anymore. I doubt Ma Kettle could afford a shop on Fifth Avenue. But just don't downplay the humanity element. Because it is important.
I think we have a warped view of the "people on cell phones cause accidents" issue. It seems to me that, for as long as I've been on the road, there've been MORE than enough morons running red lights, cutting people off, driving on the wrong side of the road, or any number of other things. In the last five years, with the amazing increase in cell phone popularity, you've just taken those same people and jammed cell phones in their hands. Nearly everyone (at least in a certain age group) is on a cell phone damn near all the time, driving or otherwise... including the aforementioned bad drivers.
The point? Don't blame the cell phones. Because if you took them away I'm sure you'd see the same behavior, except instead of yelling "Get off the phone, moron!!" you'd just yell "Pay attention, moron!!" If you're looking for the cell phone when soemone does something stupid on the road you'll probably see it, but I wouldn't conclude that it's a cause and effect relationship. Chances are the guy who just waved you through a crowded intersection, or fell back on the highway to let you in his (her) lane was on the phone too. YOu just conveniently did not notice.
"Wow," I though, "that's pretty good," until I noticed that it applied not to the PDA's screen, but rather to it's "illuminated LED push-wheel." Please tell me why I need a scroll wheel capable of blinking in 16.7 million different colors.
>>it's that any idiot would try to take the swear words out of a film in the first place
>If I buy a print of the Mona Lisa, do I have the right to draw on it? Yes, I do.
I think you got the point wrong. He's saying that wanting to change a movie is wrong, not that it's not your right to do so. You're an idiot because rather than accept what someone else has done for what it is, you are pompous enough to change it just because it's yours. I'm sure many eight-year-olds would agree with you that if it's yours you can do what you wish, but only a fool would wish to destroy something that he has purchased in the first place, rather than take it for what it was intended to be.
Well, first off, when Blockbuster buys a movie they actually buy it for something like $120 dollars, as it is released for "rental" a couple of weeks before "sale". If you ever want to buy a DVD before it is actually for sale but after it has been put into a video rental store, it'll cost you $100+. Check out amazon some time. This is assuming brand-new, just-released stuff, but that's when places like Blockbuster buy the majority of their movies.
Also, I see one advantage in that they could ship these DVDs to you and you would never have to leave your home, hence the competition with pay-per-view. And, if this really caught on, Blockbuster could save considerable money on real estate not having to have as many stores, or even employees. I don't think it would ever work this well, but I may be surprised.
So everyone is cool with this then? I haven't seen a major/. story of Tivo aka Big Brother. Shouldn't this be under YRO?
Yeah, it's your right not to buy a Tivo. I'ts certainly not one of those technologies that's going to become a monopoly, so if it bothers you, stay away from it. Pretty simple. Remember, big brother only got into power because everyone was stupid enough to believe him.
Slashdot Mirror
ONE OF their ideas was the right idea. The problem is there are 3 or 4 other ideas that are causing major problems. Like I just spent 250 bucks on a phone for my Cingular TDMA network, which is pretty much unsupported anywhere else. There are no standards. Just because soem people are using the "best" method doesn't mean the entire US cell phone system should be touted as being good.
This actually seems like they're doing something right. And this is in the US? Actually adopting technology STANDARDS in the US? My mind has officially been blown.
Maybe I've just been dealing with cell phones for too long.
And of course the relative abundance of it and extreme low cost.
Practicality anyone?
The show is all about getting some $$$ for answering some pointless questions and winning something for nothing.
His essay clearly highlights a lot of important issues, but his life and lifestyle put him in the "part of the problem" side.
Part of the problem? C'mon. The guy is trying to promote intelligence by making it seem fun and cool. It completely agrees with near everything he says in the article. Rather than glamorizing people who do nothing for the millions they get (actors, etc), he insteads rewards people for KNOWING something and working to get some KNOWLEDGE, rather than just being a pretty face. Yes, he does it in a way that is designed to attract a younger audience, it's called being part of the solution.
Sitting around writing articles doesn't get you anywhere. Actually going out and showing people what a brain can accomplish, rather than just using their body, may actually make an effect. I'm not calling the guy some sort of savior, it is just a stupid cable show, but I do not think it in any way goes against his general principles.
Don't judge people just based on your preconceived notions of television.
Clicking through each slide of that slideshow was PAINFUL. Does anyone have this in list form, or a link to an actual ARTICLE on Forbes website? I don't want others to have to sit through that same process. What a terrible design.
Now we want test the system with a lot of more users and different user join patterns.
:)
Is this the first case of someone actually ASKING to be Slashdotted? I can't think of a better stress test...
Good thing parroting disinformation never happens here.
Don't get me wrong, I can't stand lazy journalists. Some simply copy press releases into their stories. It is galling when you catch them at it. As soon as you have some expertise in an area, or even read enough, news that previously looked credible falls apart.
Slashdot, despite having the tagline "News for nerds. .
Just my opinion, but I hate to see slashdot lumped in with news sites like CNN, because they are not even the same type of thing. Not remotely.
I'm sorry, but it's just not feasible.
No one wants to stop buying from their favorite artist, who is most likely distributed through the RIAA. And no one wants to miss a much-anticipated movie, even though the MPAA is involved. I don't want to say we have no willpower or convictions, but there are just things people will always want to see and hear, and these things are provided by an evil company. Asking someone to give up these things is maybe asking a bit too much. Sure there are those of us who don't want to see LOTR, but there's a good chunk who would stop at nothing to see it, despite its "evil" ties.
There have to be alternatives to a boycott. Because if you're basing your entire revolution on something of that magnitude, you're going to be sorely disappointed. The masses need their entertainment, and will get it from the easiest source.
Great to see the head of an institute of learning take such a principled stand. Not.
It's his brother. Morals and ethics don't mean sh*t when you're talking about family. If you would rat out your own brother, regardless of his faults, then I certainly pity your family. No, I don't condone murder or harboring of criminals, but I have to say that I would make an exception to damn near any rule to protect someone in my bloodline. Must be the Sicilian in me acting up.
I'm sure that the FBIs biggest tip would be James "Whitey" Bulger using his own name on his personal computer. All these years searching for him, and he's going to put his actual name somewhere and flood it out ot the Internet. Of course! A master of hiding from the authorities will be caught by making a newbie mistake on a computer.
Now all we have to do is look for obinladen@ and find out where that cave is located. I'd better warn my freind Olaf bin Laden to block his cookies!
The very little I know of Shatner, this seems to BE the one we know and love. My impression of him is that he is very down to earth (no pun intended) and able to make fun of himself. I think his terseness is a reflection of this straight-forward nature. He could blab away about this and that and give a novel answering each question, but it would be fake. This is the man youw anted to respond. And you got it.
Just because a business is large and successful does NOT make it a monopoly. This is a typical Slashdot perception that is just absolutely ridiculous. I personally don't like Sony, I think most of their products are sub-par, and I therefore do NOT purchase from them. Bad business tactics make a bad company, but not necessarily a monopoly. So stop crying wolf and just buy non-Sony products. With a monopoly you would not have that option.
I would tend to not worry about the actual cost of the card but rather the cost of having an "always on" wireless connection. Is there some kind of pricing plan out there for the actual service? I know if I spoke on my cell phone 24/7 it might cost a little bit of money. I don't see how this is any different.
Ralph: "Um, Miss Hoover? There's a dog in the vent."
Ms. Hoover: "Ralph, remember the time you said Snagglepuss was outside?"
Ralph: "He was using his cellphone"
I thought he was going to the bathroom. Or is that part of your joke? It's early, I may be a little slow today.
Suppressors are notorious for screwing the accuracy of a rifle or other firearm. Considering the accuracy of these shootings, I'd say it's safe to say a suppressor wasn't used.
I still have, in a "spare junk" drawer in my room, the old 2 gig hard drive my cousin took a hatchet to. I gotta say, those things are pretty strong, but I don't think there's many electronics out there that can take being tomahok chopped in a fit of rage.
PS - The problem wasn't with his harddrive. Two days later he had a new one in, had spent hours reinstalling all his software, and the problem persisted. Ended up being a faulty power supply.
Whoops.
And my local science museum (Boston) shows laser shows set to popular music in the planetarium. I can see TWO good reasons for this type of thing:
1) If they're not showing anything else, it's a great way for the museum to get some extra revenue. I'm sure they need it.
2) It's also a good way to get people interested in what the museum has to offer. Sure a bunch of people are just going to go there to see ATOC on a gigantic screen, but maybe a few of them who would not usually be interested in a museum would realize there are things there to see. That's a bit of a stretch, I tend to think it's just a good way to get supplemental revenue, but 2. could be an added bonus.
Regardless, if the theatre is not currently in use at that time, I see no reason for them not to show it. Not many museums have educational things going on late at night. I assume a movie is not going to pre-empt their regularly scheduled programming.
I wouldn't say he gouged the hell out of us. As I'm sure you're aware, Old Man Funkle can't buy things in bulk as can a store like WalMart, that has MILLIONS to spend, and can have TINY profit margins considering their volume. Old Man Funkle lived off selling acouple quarts of milk and loaves of bread every day, not 100 Gs in gross.
Regardless of that obvious point, the humanity factor is about having a pleasant human transaction when making a purchase. No, this is not always the case at the 7-11, because obviously most of those people don't enjoy their jobs. But drive up through soem old parts of New Hampshire, stop at a country store, and buy something small. The owners will be friendly, kind people who are just genuinely nice to talk to, and you leave the store just feeling good. Cheesy, but true. Sure, calling up your buddy is the best way to have a good conversation, but day to day friendly interactions with strangers are becoming more and more rare.
Of course, in large urban areas this is a moot point, as there are no mom and pop operations anymore. I doubt Ma Kettle could afford a shop on Fifth Avenue. But just don't downplay the humanity element. Because it is important.
The point? Don't blame the cell phones. Because if you took them away I'm sure you'd see the same behavior, except instead of yelling "Get off the phone, moron!!" you'd just yell "Pay attention, moron!!" If you're looking for the cell phone when soemone does something stupid on the road you'll probably see it, but I wouldn't conclude that it's a cause and effect relationship. Chances are the guy who just waved you through a crowded intersection, or fell back on the highway to let you in his (her) lane was on the phone too. YOu just conveniently did not notice.
And the screen is greyscale. Figure that one out.
>>it's that any idiot would try to take the swear words out of a film in the first place
>If I buy a print of the Mona Lisa, do I have the right to draw on it? Yes, I do.
I think you got the point wrong. He's saying that wanting to change a movie is wrong, not that it's not your right to do so. You're an idiot because rather than accept what someone else has done for what it is, you are pompous enough to change it just because it's yours. I'm sure many eight-year-olds would agree with you that if it's yours you can do what you wish, but only a fool would wish to destroy something that he has purchased in the first place, rather than take it for what it was intended to be.
Putty == Substance used to fill holes, etc, made silly in 1940's as a 'cheap substitute for rubber.'
Silly Putty (tm) is comparable more to the goo you stick in holes than the Patrick Warburton character. Hence the name reflecting this similarity.
Anyone know when these will be available in the US?
Also, I see one advantage in that they could ship these DVDs to you and you would never have to leave your home, hence the competition with pay-per-view. And, if this really caught on, Blockbuster could save considerable money on real estate not having to have as many stores, or even employees. I don't think it would ever work this well, but I may be surprised.
Yeah, it's your right not to buy a Tivo. I'ts certainly not one of those technologies that's going to become a monopoly, so if it bothers you, stay away from it. Pretty simple. Remember, big brother only got into power because everyone was stupid enough to believe him.