Netscape couldn't overtake a browser that came with theOS, why do you think Mozilla will?
Because Mozilla will exist on more platforms than just PCs. Mozilla can be embedded into PDAs, web terminals, set-top boxes and the like, and since many of these platforms are open-source derived, mozilla is a preferential choice over IE for the developers.
One of the cool things about Mozilla (and its Linux and Windows derivatives) is the opportunity to only accept cookies from the current page. I'm sure that when Mozilla is released and starts to take chunks out of IE's dominance, people will start to use this feature and web bugs will become less useful.
So...
You want put a port of an operating system onto a gaming console, and run an emulator for *another* operating system so... you can play games? Seems a bit silly to me...
Robert Heinlein: American
Cliff Simak: American
Phillip K. Dick: American
Carl Sagan: American
Gene Roddenberry: American
J. Michael Stracynski: American
Now, I'm British, but I have to admit that Americans have made a major contribution to SF. Not only have they produced some brilliant writers and film-makers, but American culture has helped raise the genre's profile and level of acceptance beyond mere "cult" status. This is something we should be grateful for.
Of course, the author also screws up by failing to note the most important thing to know about science fiction -- that as literature, most of it is abysmal.
This is true to a certain extent, but I think that bad SF is mostly perpetrated in other forms (e.g. TV and film) - mainly because production executives mistake it for "family entertainment", or the writers think that special effects are an effective substitute for bad dialogue and poor plots. It's funny, the production companies spend so much time and money developing SFX for SF tv and movies, when a bit of extra script development time would render it unecessary, and improve the quality at the same time!
A team of scientists are assembled to investigate it.
Something goes wrong, most commonly hubris on the part of one of the scientists or the sponsors/political leaders.
After a few deaths, the scientists get their heads together and calmly work their way out of the situation, resolving their personal problems at the same time.
I've found that most of Crichton's work follows this pattern, including:
The Andromeda Strain
Jurassic Park
Sphere
The noteable exceptions that I know of are Westworld and Rising Sun, anyone know of any others?
as human beings (the most successful animal), we have dominion over the animals, and as the most successful nation, I think America should be allowed a little leeway.
Hmm. I would question whether Homo Sapiens is the most successful animal. I could think of various other species, of bacteria, parasites and domesticated animals who exploit us as much as we exploit them.
And as for the "most successful nation" bit, I'll assume it's flamebait and ignore it;)
The article also mentions that although he values himself at £4bn, he's being chased through the courts for debts of £1m. That sounds distinctly fishy.
I have no objections to Arthur C. Clarke involving himself in developing a product, but it seems slightly weird for him to do so with such a dodgy character. He sounds like the kind of person I usually group with Mohammed al Fayed, Robert Maxwell, and others.
It's also a shame that as we approach 2001 and Arthur C. Clarke starts to get the attention he rightly deserves, something like this comes up.
In my experience it's quite rare to find a well written and technically accurate science fiction novel - quite rightly authors tend to play around with one to suit the other. This book reminds me of another, Factoring Humanity (Robert J. Sawyer, ISBN 0006511864) which plays with twin themes that are interconnected on a metaphysical level.
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Netscape couldn't overtake a browser that came with theOS, why do you think Mozilla will?
Because Mozilla will exist on more platforms than just PCs. Mozilla can be embedded into PDAs, web terminals, set-top boxes and the like, and since many of these platforms are open-source derived, mozilla is a preferential choice over IE for the developers.
One of the cool things about Mozilla (and its Linux and Windows derivatives) is the opportunity to only accept cookies from the current page. I'm sure that when Mozilla is released and starts to take chunks out of IE's dominance, people will start to use this feature and web bugs will become less useful.
I wouldn't mind playing against stupid, rich people.
Job done.
J.
Doesn't this count as "cruel and unusua punishment"? I smell a law suit here ;)
So... You want put a port of an operating system onto a gaming console, and run an emulator for *another* operating system so... you can play games? Seems a bit silly to me...
Robert Heinlein: American
Cliff Simak: American
Phillip K. Dick: American
Carl Sagan: American
Gene Roddenberry: American
J. Michael Stracynski: American
Now, I'm British, but I have to admit that Americans have made a major contribution to SF. Not only have they produced some brilliant writers and film-makers, but American culture has helped raise the genre's profile and level of acceptance beyond mere "cult" status. This is something we should be grateful for.
Of course, the author also screws up by failing to note the most important thing to know about science fiction -- that as literature, most of it is abysmal.
This is true to a certain extent, but I think that bad SF is mostly perpetrated in other forms (e.g. TV and film) - mainly because production executives mistake it for "family entertainment", or the writers think that special effects are an effective substitute for bad dialogue and poor plots. It's funny, the production companies spend so much time and money developing SFX for SF tv and movies, when a bit of extra script development time would render it unecessary, and improve the quality at the same time!
Anyone noticed how Michael Crichton's novels all follow the same pattern? Here's how it goes:
I've found that most of Crichton's work follows this pattern, including:
The noteable exceptions that I know of are Westworld and Rising Sun, anyone know of any others?
Anyway, I'm calling it "Crichton's Law" ;)
as human beings (the most successful animal), we have dominion over the animals, and as the most successful nation, I think America should be allowed a little leeway.
Hmm. I would question whether Homo Sapiens is the most successful animal. I could think of various other species, of bacteria, parasites and domesticated animals who exploit us as much as we exploit them.
And as for the "most successful nation" bit, I'll assume it's flamebait and ignore it ;)
Reminds me of the paradox:
The article also mentions that although he values himself at £4bn, he's being chased through the courts for debts of £1m. That sounds distinctly fishy. I have no objections to Arthur C. Clarke involving himself in developing a product, but it seems slightly weird for him to do so with such a dodgy character. He sounds like the kind of person I usually group with Mohammed al Fayed, Robert Maxwell, and others.
It's also a shame that as we approach 2001 and Arthur C. Clarke starts to get the attention he rightly deserves, something like this comes up.
> a fellow named Newton came along and founded the notion of scientific method...
Erm, no he didn't. That was mainly Bacon and Descartes, who took ancient Greek philosophy and reworked it.
Never heard the phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants"?. He was referring to Descartes and Bacon, (and Copernicus and Galileo).
In my experience it's quite rare to find a well written and technically accurate science fiction novel - quite rightly authors tend to play around with one to suit the other. This book reminds me of another, Factoring Humanity (Robert J. Sawyer, ISBN 0006511864) which plays with twin themes that are interconnected on a metaphysical level.
Anyway, sounds cool =)
Erm, don't want to piss on the fire, but Orion's belt is a straight line. Straight lines are quite common in architecture, aren't they? =)