Slashdot Mirror


User: batwingTM

batwingTM's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
87
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 87

  1. Yesterday to today on Blizzard Issues Update For 16-Year-Old Diablo II · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yesterday I was trying to install D2 and LOD from my account into a Windows 7 install and it just would not work.
    So, I put in the good old Blizzard support ticket highlighting all the issues I had.

    Today it's been fixed and works perfectly.

    Not saying that I caused this, but you are all welcome anyway ;-p

  2. Re: Just buy legos on Ask Slashdot: Economical Lego-Compatible 3-D Printer? · · Score: 1

    Well, it is considered that the plural of LEGO is LEGO, but let's look at this properly.
    LEGO the company make a ABS interlocking building brick. That brick is a "LEGO brick", not a LEGO (because that is the company's name)
    So the correct plural is LEGO bricks, not LEGOs
    And in case you are curious the reason I am using the capitalised word LEGO is that that is how the company lay out the use of their name in their style guide.

  3. Re:It's simple: provide a choice on Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1 Spring Update, To Focus On Non-touch Devices · · Score: 1

    Well, sadly it isn't as simple as restoring a old UI, as the new UI was built from the begining specifically for touch devices. Even Apple recognised that a tablet OS and a desktop OS are two different things (although there is more commonality then there used to be)

    As for Office (2007 onwards) that is an even more ammusing story, which probably holds some understanding as to why Windows 8 is the way it is.

    Story goes that after Office 2003 was released MS asked a lot of their customers what they wanted to see in the next version of Office. A large portion of what was suggested already existed. MS's takeaway was that the current menu system was to complex and they introduced the ribbon to simplify the interface. My takeawy is that most Office users use it for basic tasks only

    Given what MS did with the Start screen in Win 8, I have no trouble believing that. Perhaps MS need to do a little more research into the people who are currently using thier products instead of purely focusing on the new aspects.

  4. Re:How does advanced CS have any tie to culture? on Is Computer Science Education Racist and Sexist? · · Score: 1

    Admittedly it has been many years since I took a CS class as a student, but there was always an 'Us' vs 'Them' attitude. We were the under appreciated group and we would show 'Them'.

    During my University years this would take the shape of our classes arranging to have exclusive assess to the University's Computer Labs (kinda like gerrymandering) during assignments submissions (which adversely affected other students outside of our CS course) and taking a dim view of people who took CS units as an elective.

    I now teach in IT and I have to say this attitude is still displayed by many male students. Sometimes the attitude of the males students to the few females in the class is appalling, and I always call them on it.

    The industry isn't racist or sexist, but I have to say that sadly many of the practitioners in our industry appear to be and THAT IS JUST AS BAD.

    As an Industry we do need to be aware of this and address it as early as possible and punish those who display these sexist and racist attitudes and not punish the victims of these behaviors.

    It will take time, but if we claim to be inclusive that means that we have to work at making sure that, as an industry, we are, and we also need to identify those who are not.

  5. Re:Library & Playlist in separate windows on Ask Slashdot: Best FLOSS iTunes Replacement In 2013? · · Score: 1

    You see, I used to use Winamp back in the day, and for my meager MP3 collection it was perfect, but I never really liked the management of playlists/library.

    I do remember sending an email to the "Development Team" in 1998 asking about what changes were going to occur with the Library/Playlist manager and I got an email back that basically was full of abuse that I would dare ask such a "Fucking stupid question" and that I should "Fuck off and die"

    Yeah, so I never used Winamp again. Sonique was pretty good, but that is also a proprietary license, so doesn't answer your question

  6. Re:FIrst Post Maybe? on Woz Compares the Cloud and PRISM To Communist Russia · · Score: 1

    The whole thing breaks down when you view it as the way we are trained look at things to in a capitalist society, yes. The concepts of Communism are not the evil that many people play them out to be, just as the conceptual good of Capitalism is not the same as people make it out to be.

    Truthfully we probably cannot properly exist in either extreme and reality is somewhere in the middle, until we can free ourselfs from the need to work, and spend our time in the upper layers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs

  7. Re:But can we trust Woz's judgement? on Woz Compares the Cloud and PRISM To Communist Russia · · Score: 1

    Woz and Apple have a history, he was the brains behind the hardware and Jobs was the salesman... and a Salesman managed to convince people that his truth was the truth?

    Wow, what a surprise... I guess that you don't trust anything that is said by anyone, ever. Though I would like to see the evidence that Woz had the wool pulled over his eyes. He didn't make out as well as Jobs did, but there were more factors that Steve Jobs at play there.

  8. Robocup on Ask Slashdot: How To Begin Simple Robotics As a Hobby? · · Score: 1

    I assist at a local high school with their Robocup program (admittedly we mostly use LEGO Mindstorms, but some of the senior students use Arduino) and I think that is an awesome way in.
    Robocup
    Get yourself whatever kit you like and try to make a soccer robot, or a rescue robot, it will give you a nice and clearly defined target to aim for, but will also allow you to experience the little technical challanges that you will need to overcome. Even if you have no intention of competing, it is a good base to start from, and if you have the time or the desire you can assist schools and kids getting involved in the hobby too.

  9. Contract? on Criminal Complaint Filed Against Facebook After Girl's Death · · Score: 1

    The most pertinent question here I believe is the "Contract" question. EULAs have been ruled on a few occasions in assorted court cases to be agreements, not contracts.

    Personally I think this will go nowhere, but IF the Italian courts rule that a EULA it is indeed a contract then EULAs will take on a new legal meaning, at least in Italy, and possibly the rest of the Eurozone (I am not a legal expert, so I don't understand the full ramifications of this, just postulating)

  10. Re:Make metal ilegal too... on Australian Police Move To Make 3D Printed Guns Illegal · · Score: 1

    I remember the China example but you will have to remind me of the small breast thing

  11. Re:I hope the criminal take up 3d printed guns- on Australian Police Move To Make 3D Printed Guns Illegal · · Score: 1

    Personal manufacture though is your right and the government should not be given the power to force changes in these weapons just so that there job becomes easier.

    Personal Manufacture is your right, ah, unless that is stated in the laws of the land (and it isn't in Australia) then I call bullshine on that.

    This may come as a surprise but we have fairly good gun control in Australia, people who hunt are allowed to own guns, all gun owners are licensed (except for illegal guns of course) and gun violence is fairly uncommon (it has flared up a bit of late, a few drive bys and shootings, but every time someone gets shot that is a national news item so yeah, not at all common) so I have no issue with what the police are suggesting here, but as I have said, very difficult to regulate.

    Your freedoms are defined by law, and as such will always be at the whim of politics. You do not have "Freedoms" just because you think you should.

  12. Re:Make metal ilegal too... on Australian Police Move To Make 3D Printed Guns Illegal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A creative enough person could kill another without a weapon, and a weapon could be made from many ordinary household objects.

    But this gun is only a gun, an unliscenced, unregulated gun that has proven to be less safe than an actual gun.
    I see no problem which what the police are saying here, but it is a very difficult thing to regulate.

  13. Biggest LEGO model, nah. on Meet the 23-Ton X-Wing, the World's Largest Lego Model · · Score: 2

    This is pretty awesome, but Largest LEGO model, no way
    LEGO House

  14. Microsoft ISO's on Ask Slashdot: Do You Move Legal Data With Torrents? · · Score: 1

    We use bittorrent to move MS ISOs at work. We are an Educational institution and as such we are allowed to offer students access to MS products. (not the Office suite, but OS's .NET and the like) This is done via the Dreamspark site where students can get their license keys but from our internal network they can use bittorrent to get the ISOs

    So we legally give access to MS OS via torrents (^_^)

  15. Re:Malware eh? on Ask Slashdot: Protecting Home Computers From Guests? · · Score: 1

    Yeah, Guest account would be the best way... Pretty straight forward, or you could create a standard account and lock it down with AppLocker and/or local policy. Parental controls can also be useful here. Of course, you will probably need Win 7 Professional for most of this.

    All of this from an Apple user ;)

  16. re-enforcing behaviour on SendGrid Fires Employee After Firestorm Over Inappropriate Jokes · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I cannot believe how many comments here are attacking Adria. Sure, she did an increadibly dumb thing by going straight to Twitter, and I can understand why SendGrid are distancing themselves from her, but I can completely understand why she did what she did.

    Women are treated like absolute crap by most of the IT industry, I have worked in the field for years and now work as a IT teacher, most individuals are reasonably respectful, but by-and-large it does become a 'mens club'.

    Adria was offended by what was said, whether that was right or wrong is not the issue, the issue was that as an attendee at PyCon and she was exposed to behaviour that had no place at a IT conference. And to be honest, I think people are understating how difficult it can be to confront people who cause offence. The best solution would be to talk to those who caused offence, but in some social situations that isn't the simple task most people here are making it out to be, are you all that socially capable?

    The attitudes need to change, and that isn't going to just happen. Hopefully this serves as a example about what behaviour is expected by IT professionals when interacting with people. Given the comments made here I suspect that there is a lot of "But these women make my life less fun, and they souldn't be allowed too" and that only helps fuel this very problem.

  17. Re:EA at it again on SimCity 5: How Not To Design a Single Player Game · · Score: 1

    Dude, you ARE living in a world where the whims of the minority are being enforced, because they have the money to start the lobby groups, hire the lawyers and make life difficult for those who oppose them.

    Not to say your points are not valid, 'cause they are, just that participation of raising awareness of a problem and being vocal about it is kinda what Democracy relies on to you know, function.

    oh sorry, I forgot, Democracy doesn't function....

  18. Re:LEGO Economies on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    The LEGO employees do have access to bricks for free, the key difference is that what you buy from a store, in a kit has passed Quality Assurance, what the employees have access to have not,or may have, depends. They also don't have control over what they get, they get what is available.

    If you want to see the "LEGO Economy" check out Bricklink

  19. Re:Waste of space. on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    They used to, but this discontinued it in Jan ths year. Everything was packed by hand, so it wasn't cost effective for them. They still have the LEGO Digital Designer though

  20. Re:Qualified to comment ... on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    Man, I wish there was a 3x3 plate, I suspect you mean 3x2, but the building standards have gotten much better over the years

  21. Re:Lego Friends (the girl Legos) on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    People often say this. To which I have to respond "have you tried?" It is factually incorrect, aside from the wheels there is nothing in that set that has to be a train, and even then I have seen people do interesting things with train wheels.

    Sure if you are only using the parts from that set, it will be challenging but any child who only has one set will not be getting the most out of It anyway.

    For example, in the LEGO fan community building competitions often arise where you have to use "useless parts"
    like this

  22. Re:Lego was not the ultimate do-it-yourself playth on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    I disagree, clearly you were not building big enough. (^_^)
    Saturn V

    Different engineering challenges to be sure, but they are still valid.

  23. Re:I've felt like this for years, too on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    The plural is indeed Lego. However the plural of Lego brick is Lego bricks... A collection of Lego, a collection of Lego bricks... Though, not all Lego is bricks anymore...

  24. Re:Waste of space. on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    I think perception is a bigger problem. LEGO has made some good inroads with the 'Friends' line, which, to be honest, has more complex building than some of the "Boys" sets at the same age group, as to marketing... Not sure

    1981 add

  25. Re:It's just training for future geekery on Has Lego Sold Out? · · Score: 1

    Ole was a carpenter, he made wooden toys, and had a very firm stance on quality. One day he attended a expo and was given a sample of the kiddicraft bricks. Upon seeing the techniques involved he invested in a molding machine and created a new method of locking the bricks together.

    True, if it had happened today his arse would be sued off, but it wasn't ripped off as you suggest. Considerable effort was put in to create the LEGO we know today. Sadly LEGO picked up the company to hold a patent war chest. I'm so happy we live in a world like that, where patents clearly result in innovation...