Given that Vista was clearly beta software, and Win7 was basically what Vista 'should have been', I'd say it took closer to 8 or 9 years to deliver a new working OS after XP. But rest assured Win8 will be a Great Leap Forward.
I am currently watching my mother die of a completely uncurable disease for which some of stem cell treatments have shown promise in controlled, properly conducted scientific studies. Of course it's not your family member dying, so naturally you don't give a shit, but thanks for forcing your preference onto others, potentially killing some.
Ha ha, I guess if you can't use facts and reason to rationally rebuke an argument, then resort to childish insults like calling it "groupthink". Could you explain why the argument is wrong instead of just resorting to ad hominem logical fallacy?
If you're dying from an uncurable disease anyway, and the only hope is a new stem cell treatment with unknown risks and side effects, why shouldn't you be allowed the choice to at least try a treatment that *might* extend your life (knowing the risks), as opposed to the alternative of *definitely* dying? And it's nonsense to ban it on the basis that some clinics might promote it with 'disregard' for safety.. firstly because patients are grown-ups, not children - adults are capable of knowing and understanding that there are risks with new treatments (really, do you really think ALL adults are such braindead children mentally that they'll honestly believe it's a "magic cure"? Don't be fucking stupid.).. and secondly, because many physicians are actually responsible.
I like to think that Microsoft is not quite as important as the English language:)
Seriously though, I made a mistake when I wrote that, it is indeed not reasonable for MS to break support for a 10-year old format. Frankly they're just being their usual arrogant do-whatever-they-want-to-tighten-the-screws selves; the fact that they do this while the OOXML debacle is underway demonstrates the height of their arrogance - they really don't give a toss.
You're absolutely right, it is NOT reasonable for MS to break these formats - I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that, it was late, I was tired etc., had a beer or two in me, and hadn't thought it through properly.
Doubt it's really about security at all; I'm guessing it's probably more about 'nudging' the few people still using old versions of the software to upgrade: Those who currently exchange documents with users on newer versions will find suddenly they won't be able to send documents to anyone anymore without getting complaints that people can't open them. Deliberately making it too cumbersome and complex for most people to ever work around this, i.e. leaving it technically (but not really practically for almost everyone) an option, for now at least gives MS an excuse, while still taking a big step towards getting rid of support for those old formats entirely, which is not all that unreasonable I suppose for formats greater than 10 years old.
It would seem then that maintaining freedom, law-wise, across borders, is a bit of a double-edged sword then. You generally want broadest freedoms for individuals, but that seems to imply broadest freedoms for companies too, i.e. companies like Amazon would be able to do what they want with your personal info.
I was wondering about privacy laws.. if Amazon (say) has a client in a country where it would be illegal for a company (like Amazon) to sell personal information of its clients to 3rd parties, should US lack-of-privacy-laws apply to Amazon, or the other countries privacy laws? Amazon sells personal info, in my country that would be illegal, in the states all they get is a few words from the FTC.
They should compare computer users to the Amish (or some other group of total non-computer users) if they want a fair study.
CTS (and other such hand injuries) are not only caused by typing, there are other professions too. Generally, people who work a lot with their hands. Can't think of any common ones right now though. Piano playing comes to mind, but thats not too common.
Nudity == sex? So then, you're one of those people that would not let your daughter see the statue of David? (Like that father who had the town council modify the bus route of his daughter's school bus because it went past the statue of David!) Those damn pervert artists, painting those pornographic nudes the whole time.
It works! I sometimes see those stupid URL's in spam mail I get advertising porn sites. I always just assumed that they were stuffed up addresses and that the person setting up the mail just didn't know what they were doing.
Great. So in future (when these technologies become pervasive and we thus have "no expectation of privacy" anymore) we'll all have to build our houses with infra-red shielding, soundproofing, x-ray shielding and whatever other "circumvention" technologies we'll need. The future does not look rosy under US laws. Thats the problem I have with the US "expectation of privacy" concept, all "they" need to do is say "sorry we can see and hear you anytime, anywhere", and *foof*, no expectation of privacy anymore, so no protection thereof provided. Its stupid.
I'm not trying to be nasty, but you are very naive if you really do believe that the "best software" usually wins in the marketplace. There are very many other complicated factors involved in business, as well a wide variety of business techniques and strategies - most of which do not involve selection of the best product. I recommend learning a bit about how the software industry functions (and other industries too), and perhaps take an economics course. The reality is quite far from the oversimplified picture painted by the advocators of pure, unregulated capitalism. Just to name a few techniques (off the top of my head) you have oligopolies, cartels, exlusivity deals, shelf space purchasing, bribes, guerilla marketing (including fake grass roots campaigns, spin, FUD), and of course plain and simple marketing (whose advertising budget is bigger?) - all of these things have a significant influence on mainstream acceptance of a product, yet not one of these things have anything to with the quality of a product.
I don't completely agree with governments passing such laws either, but at least my reasons aren't based on an oversimplified naive view of how the marketplace works in the real world.
That sounds precisely like "guilty until proven innocent" to me. From what I've heard, the legal system in the USA is very strictly based on "innocent until proven guilty". They have to prove that you are guilty. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Heres a handy tip for your brain to digest: there are many completely legal and justifiable reasons to insist that anonymity be a feature of using the Internet; you are automatically assuming that the only reason someone might want to remain anonymous is if they are breaking the law.
I'm aware of that rule, but as I see it surely there is a "workaround".. you could (theoretically at least, it would be stupid in a real game) move your left knight, then the other player could move his left knight, then you could move your right knight, then he could move his right knight, then you could move your left knight back where it was, then he move his back where it was, then same for the right knights etc.. i.e. you could create a loop of repeating a set of moves rather than repeating a single move. Or is this also case also included in the rule?
An interesting memory lane trip indeed, its all coming back to me.. funny, I've never really mentally bothered to look at all these incidents over a long time. They really have quite a crappy history when you stack it all up next to each other.
True. I remember those ads annoyed the crap out of me. Especially given that where I live you're considered very fortunate if you have ISDN. And that whole UID thing also annoyed the crap out of me. Now that you mention it, I'm starting to wonder what I was thinking for defending them:)
Slashdot Mirror
Given that Vista was clearly beta software, and Win7 was basically what Vista 'should have been', I'd say it took closer to 8 or 9 years to deliver a new working OS after XP. But rest assured Win8 will be a Great Leap Forward.
I am currently watching my mother die of a completely uncurable disease for which some of stem cell treatments have shown promise in controlled, properly conducted scientific studies. Of course it's not your family member dying, so naturally you don't give a shit, but thanks for forcing your preference onto others, potentially killing some.
Ha ha, I guess if you can't use facts and reason to rationally rebuke an argument, then resort to childish insults like calling it "groupthink". Could you explain why the argument is wrong instead of just resorting to ad hominem logical fallacy?
If you're dying from an uncurable disease anyway, and the only hope is a new stem cell treatment with unknown risks and side effects, why shouldn't you be allowed the choice to at least try a treatment that *might* extend your life (knowing the risks), as opposed to the alternative of *definitely* dying? And it's nonsense to ban it on the basis that some clinics might promote it with 'disregard' for safety .. firstly because patients are grown-ups, not children - adults are capable of knowing and understanding that there are risks with new treatments (really, do you really think ALL adults are such braindead children mentally that they'll honestly believe it's a "magic cure"? Don't be fucking stupid.) .. and secondly, because many physicians are actually responsible.
Sure, but the 'little guy' i.e. smaller businesses still get screwed by an unjust system.
Because waking from a great dream and getting that "damn, it was just a dream" realisation IS a 'negative event'?
I recall reading that on average, the chance of a woman falling pregnant from one incident of unprotected sex is estimated to be around 1 in 20 (5%).
I like to think that Microsoft is not quite as important as the English language :)
Seriously though, I made a mistake when I wrote that, it is indeed not reasonable for MS to break support for a 10-year old format. Frankly they're just being their usual arrogant do-whatever-they-want-to-tighten-the-screws selves; the fact that they do this while the OOXML debacle is underway demonstrates the height of their arrogance - they really don't give a toss.
You're absolutely right, it is NOT reasonable for MS to break these formats - I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that, it was late, I was tired etc., had a beer or two in me, and hadn't thought it through properly.
Doubt it's really about security at all; I'm guessing it's probably more about 'nudging' the few people still using old versions of the software to upgrade: Those who currently exchange documents with users on newer versions will find suddenly they won't be able to send documents to anyone anymore without getting complaints that people can't open them. Deliberately making it too cumbersome and complex for most people to ever work around this, i.e. leaving it technically (but not really practically for almost everyone) an option, for now at least gives MS an excuse, while still taking a big step towards getting rid of support for those old formats entirely, which is not all that unreasonable I suppose for formats greater than 10 years old.
It would seem then that maintaining freedom, law-wise, across borders, is a bit of a double-edged sword then. You generally want broadest freedoms for individuals, but that seems to imply broadest freedoms for companies too, i.e. companies like Amazon would be able to do what they want with your personal info.
I was wondering about privacy laws .. if Amazon (say) has a client in a country where it would be illegal for a company (like Amazon) to sell personal information of its clients to 3rd parties, should US lack-of-privacy-laws apply to Amazon, or the other countries privacy laws? Amazon sells personal info, in my country that would be illegal, in the states all they get is a few words from the FTC.
They should compare computer users to the Amish (or some other group of total non-computer users) if they want a fair study.
CTS (and other such hand injuries) are not only caused by typing, there are other professions too. Generally, people who work a lot with their hands. Can't think of any common ones right now though. Piano playing comes to mind, but thats not too common.
At first glance, I read the headline as "Tom's look at the new Pill"
Nudity == sex? So then, you're one of those people that would not let your daughter see the statue of David? (Like that father who had the town council modify the bus route of his daughter's school bus because it went past the statue of David!) Those damn pervert artists, painting those pornographic nudes the whole time.
http://3630752905/ should work
It works! I sometimes see those stupid URL's in spam mail I get advertising porn sites. I always just assumed that they were stuffed up addresses and that the person setting up the mail just didn't know what they were doing.
Great. So in future (when these technologies become pervasive and we thus have "no expectation of privacy" anymore) we'll all have to build our houses with infra-red shielding, soundproofing, x-ray shielding and whatever other "circumvention" technologies we'll need. The future does not look rosy under US laws. Thats the problem I have with the US "expectation of privacy" concept, all "they" need to do is say "sorry we can see and hear you anytime, anywhere", and *foof*, no expectation of privacy anymore, so no protection thereof provided. Its stupid.
Oh yes, I can see now precisely where my argument was flawed. Thank you for the painstaking analysis.
"may the best software win"
I'm not trying to be nasty, but you are very naive if you really do believe that the "best software" usually wins in the marketplace. There are very many other complicated factors involved in business, as well a wide variety of business techniques and strategies - most of which do not involve selection of the best product. I recommend learning a bit about how the software industry functions (and other industries too), and perhaps take an economics course. The reality is quite far from the oversimplified picture painted by the advocators of pure, unregulated capitalism. Just to name a few techniques (off the top of my head) you have oligopolies, cartels, exlusivity deals, shelf space purchasing, bribes, guerilla marketing (including fake grass roots campaigns, spin, FUD), and of course plain and simple marketing (whose advertising budget is bigger?) - all of these things have a significant influence on mainstream acceptance of a product, yet not one of these things have anything to with the quality of a product.
I don't completely agree with governments passing such laws either, but at least my reasons aren't based on an oversimplified naive view of how the marketplace works in the real world.
"if you can't prove it wasn't you"
That sounds precisely like "guilty until proven innocent" to me. From what I've heard, the legal system in the USA is very strictly based on "innocent until proven guilty". They have to prove that you are guilty. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Heres a handy tip for your brain to digest: there are many completely legal and justifiable reasons to insist that anonymity be a feature of using the Internet; you are automatically assuming that the only reason someone might want to remain anonymous is if they are breaking the law.
I'm aware of that rule, but as I see it surely there is a "workaround" .. you could (theoretically at least, it would be stupid in a real game) move your left knight, then the other player could move his left knight, then you could move your right knight, then he could move his right knight, then you could move your left knight back where it was, then he move his back where it was, then same for the right knights etc .. i.e. you could create a loop of repeating a set of moves rather than repeating a single move. Or is this also case also included in the rule?
The number of possible games is much larger than the number of atoms in the universe
Isn't the "number of possible games" theoretically infinite?
An interesting memory lane trip indeed, its all coming back to me .. funny, I've never really mentally bothered to look at all these incidents over a long time. They really have quite a crappy history when you stack it all up next to each other.
True. I remember those ads annoyed the crap out of me. Especially given that where I live you're considered very fortunate if you have ISDN. And that whole UID thing also annoyed the crap out of me. Now that you mention it, I'm starting to wonder what I was thinking for defending them :)