Uhh. The main difference being that, with Generic-MMORPG, their designers had the idea for whatever item you're selling, their modellers created the models, and their artists created the textures, etc. They are essentially the "creators".
In SecondLife, you're doing the grunt work, the actual creation, they're just providing the toolset to do that.
Sort of. The viral-replacement for descolada, recolada, was used as a blueprint virus (retrovirus?) to cure the OCD trait that was bred into the supergenius asian guys on their planet (forgot the name) so that the government could maintain control over them (iirc).
1. Coalesce several trillion (quadrillion?) tons of matter until it
begins a nuclear fusion reaction.
2. Shoot several billion tons of ionized particles towards earth
3. ???
4. Profit!!!
Ie; Set in the future, the crew of spaceship whatever battles aliens on the planet who-gives-a-crap. To me, sci-fi has never been a true "genre", just a word to describe books with the same basic plot.
Actually, I find there's generally much more plot diversity in sci-fi than there is in fantasy. If I had a nickel for every lowly apprentice that is secretly the next great wizard/king/warlord, I could retire.
Having said that, your second point is very true... there is a very blurry line (at best) between fantasy and science fiction. I think alot of the fringe stuff, or crossover etc... tends to get lumped in with fantasy anyways.
Ooh ooh! Dying Earth series are a great read, if you like Vance, as are the Ecce and Old Earth set. I find though, that where Vance really shines is in his short stories.
I went to a presentation/speaking appointment by Terry Goodkind a few weeks ago, and he mentioned something on the subject. I won't get into his whole philosophical thing here, but he thought that the reason that sci-fi had taken a rear seat to fantasy was "moral clarity". 99% of fantasy out there deals with good vs evil, on a very basic level, whereas sci-fi tends not to as much. It may make social commentary, or pose interesting problems, but very rarely in sci-fi is there an archetypal hero, and that this is something that people really crave in today's society... a person (even if they're fictional) that a reader can admire, and be inspired by.
Yeah, and take the printing press... it has not killed off handwriting yet. New innovations don't always replace their predecessors, sometimes they supplement them.
You're comparing apples and oranges. The printing press was never meant to replace handwriting, it was meant to replace copying by hand of written material, which is still a time consuming process. What is slowly killing off handwriting is keyboarding and/or typing. Even little things, like memos, are being replaced with IM/short e-mails, to the point where I really only use handwriting for "scratch" notes at the office.
If I had a PDA, I might use even less paper...
One man's junk traffic is another man's "important info".
Possibly. But your ratio is a bit off... with spam, it's more like 9999 people's junk traffic is one man's "important info". Would you still read Slashdot discussion threads if only one or two posts in any given thread were pertinent, and the rest were goatse, pointless flames, and unsubtle trolls?
And people can't keep bailing out the boat forever... eventually they're going to get tired.
You, sir, are retarded. Just because you only get a few spams a year, obviously that means everyone else does and they're just being whiny bitches about it?
Get a grip. Yeah, there are jerks at the mall, but if the mall were full of jerks throwing goatse posters at you and screaming at the top of their voices to the point where you can hardly hear yourself think, they could GIVE away pants at the mall and nobody would go.
Slashdot Mirror
Uhh. The main difference being that, with Generic-MMORPG, their designers had the idea for whatever item you're selling, their modellers created the models, and their artists created the textures, etc. They are essentially the "creators". In SecondLife, you're doing the grunt work, the actual creation, they're just providing the toolset to do that.
No. Grandparent's comic is talking about the iPod, while your addendum comic is talking about iTunes.
Perhaps, in this post-9/11 world, he's fallen into his own hellmouth of crappy metaphors and hyperbole? Paradigm, paradigm, paradigm.
Quiet, nerd! Or we will spank you with moon rocks!
Welcome to bizarro-world, here's your goatee.
Bah... real gamers have a killer gaming rig AND a console or three :-)
Corporations exist for the sole purpose of making money for their shareholders.
Technically speaking, corporations exist for the sole purpose of liability mitigation, not making money for their shareholders.
Sorry PS2 guys, Mario will forever beat your iconless system.
Yeah, gee, that was my main consideration when I picked my console... does it have a mascot?
Sort of. The viral-replacement for descolada, recolada, was used as a blueprint virus (retrovirus?) to cure the OCD trait that was bred into the supergenius asian guys on their planet (forgot the name) so that the government could maintain control over them (iirc).
1. Coalesce several trillion (quadrillion?) tons of matter until it begins a nuclear fusion reaction. 2. Shoot several billion tons of ionized particles towards earth 3. ??? 4. Profit!!!
Maybe O'Reilly should do a "Give me a break" segement.
:-P
What, and get sued by Kit-Kat?
The big dirty secret is that outside of the sciences and the manufacturing industry, it doesn't matter all that much.
Yes, for most of us nomaidic hunter-gatherer tribes, the imperial system works fine!
What dumbass modded me +5?
Welcome to Slashdot. Here's your sign.
No, I only have sat in the old model, and it felt pretty small.
Because most of us aren't 3 feet tall.
Ie; Set in the future, the crew of spaceship whatever battles aliens on the planet who-gives-a-crap. To me, sci-fi has never been a true "genre", just a word to describe books with the same basic plot.
Actually, I find there's generally much more plot diversity in sci-fi than there is in fantasy. If I had a nickel for every lowly apprentice that is secretly the next great wizard/king/warlord, I could retire.
Having said that, your second point is very true... there is a very blurry line (at best) between fantasy and science fiction. I think alot of the fringe stuff, or crossover etc... tends to get lumped in with fantasy anyways.
I noticed you didn't mention "Excession" :-P
Ooh ooh! Dying Earth series are a great read, if you like Vance, as are the Ecce and Old Earth set. I find though, that where Vance really shines is in his short stories.
I went to a presentation/speaking appointment by Terry Goodkind a few weeks ago, and he mentioned something on the subject. I won't get into his whole philosophical thing here, but he thought that the reason that sci-fi had taken a rear seat to fantasy was "moral clarity". 99% of fantasy out there deals with good vs evil, on a very basic level, whereas sci-fi tends not to as much. It may make social commentary, or pose interesting problems, but very rarely in sci-fi is there an archetypal hero, and that this is something that people really crave in today's society... a person (even if they're fictional) that a reader can admire, and be inspired by.
Many municipalities have a legal limit of about 90% on car windows - pass less than this and the nice police officer can ticket you.
Actually, in some places, the tinting has to be removed on the spot, regardless of the tinting type.
The only reason the US became involved in Vietnam is because of the French.
Technically, it's the Japanese' and our fault, but who's counting?
Yeah, and take the printing press... it has not killed off handwriting yet. New innovations don't always replace their predecessors, sometimes they supplement them.
You're comparing apples and oranges. The printing press was never meant to replace handwriting, it was meant to replace copying by hand of written material, which is still a time consuming process. What is slowly killing off handwriting is keyboarding and/or typing. Even little things, like memos, are being replaced with IM/short e-mails, to the point where I really only use handwriting for "scratch" notes at the office. If I had a PDA, I might use even less paper...
Skyhooks. HTH, HAND.
One man's junk traffic is another man's "important info".
Possibly. But your ratio is a bit off... with spam, it's more like 9999 people's junk traffic is one man's "important info". Would you still read Slashdot discussion threads if only one or two posts in any given thread were pertinent, and the rest were goatse, pointless flames, and unsubtle trolls? And people can't keep bailing out the boat forever... eventually they're going to get tired.
You, sir, are retarded. Just because you only get a few spams a year, obviously that means everyone else does and they're just being whiny bitches about it? Get a grip. Yeah, there are jerks at the mall, but if the mall were full of jerks throwing goatse posters at you and screaming at the top of their voices to the point where you can hardly hear yourself think, they could GIVE away pants at the mall and nobody would go.