You can order region-encoded DCS (dash control system) players from me for $200. No, this isn't a joke. I'll really sue you. Because I can. Players currently available only for TRS-80 and HP calculators.
nVIDIA is trying to be the next MS? Isn't everyone trying to be the next MS? You speak as if all companies aren't trying to take control of their respective markets.
is that broadband providers are stuck on the old dial-up mentality. They think that they can get away with the kind of service that they used to subject dial-up users to (disconnects, unable to get a connection, etc). They price their services with the expectation that the average user isn't actually going to use the service all the time and won't be sharing large files. They advertise "always-on" connections and "instant downloads" but as soon as you try to stay connected all the time and actually use the bandwidth you pay for, they become upset. Ford doesn't sell you a truck and then make you keep it in the garage 18 hours each day and limit your mileage. Broadband providers should provide what they advertise. Gone are the days when you can run an ISP that is busy most of the day. Likewise, you can't sell broadband service and expect that people won't use it.
Ok, so looking at the specs, its not the fastest kid on the block (366mhz celeron or better, unspecified 3D card, etc.) but it will function like a tivo AND I can play soldier of fortune on it? Where do I pre-order?
"Generally, schizophrenia affects those in the 15 - 25 years age group. Increasingly, the individual tends to withdraw from... The incidence of this illness world-wide, is about 1%."
"For companies with well-known brands, the 1 percent return [from spam] often isn't a good deal, and they are not going to use unsolicited advertising because it could be a damaging business practice... They aren't always legitimate businesses."
As far as games, Japan the US use the same television standard and many Japanese ports I've seen recently still contain japanese text/audio as a special option in addition to the US text/audio. They could just make it one disc. Now if they want to release the Japanese one first and then use extra time to translate, fine. But why lock people in North America out of playing the Japanese versions?
Talking to new linux users daily and helping people make the transfer from linuxconf to editing the files themselves, I've come to the conclusion that this is what linux needs right now:
An all-encompassing graphical/text config. utility like linuxconf
Every section should have a "How do I do this myself?" button which would give a blurb about which files you could edit yourself to change the same thing. A person switching to linux doesn't have to be assumed to be stupid. If they can handle setting things up themselves, why shouldn't we help them find out how to do it easily?
For new users, instead of just saying "DNS Server" or "Search Domain #1" or whatever, why not have a button that explains in simple english what this stuff is? These buttons could be hidden if the user is in intermediate or expert mode, a la Nautilus (or they wouldn't even be using this program anyway).
The central config./help utility needs some sort of process control built in, or some explanation of what to do if a program hangs. The new user will think that Evolution.9 crashing and leaving a window that doesn't close on the desktop means they have to reboot like in Win9x. And having someone tell you to read the man page for ps/top/kill/etc doesn't help at all if you don't even know what a process is. Why not help them understand that a program crashing is not a problem at all and help them to get on with their work?
The list continues...
Now, I'm sure that the first reply to this message will be something like "They should RTFM" or "This is linux, not a mac". This is the prevent attitude of computer science people in general. And in many cases, I agree that making people do things themselves teaches them how to do it best. I very rarely ask people how to make something work, because if I find out myself, I remember what I did and why it worked. But this just isn't reasonable for most users. Most HOWTOs and newsgroup posts are written in language that the average computer user doesn't understand. It's too much to take in at once. Reading a proof for a theorem doesn't help if you don't understand what any of the steps mean. Carl Sagan has some good ideas on making the average public understand complicated things in "Demon Haunted World". We need to get over the idea that explaining things in an easy to understand way is a Bad Thing.
Both of my hands don't provide enough fingers to count the number of computer professionals I know who have checked out linux only to think it is awful because the distro's install was lacking or they couldn't get X running.
The obvious problem with new protocols is backwards compatibility. If it doesn't exist, users are forced to upgrade or suffer the consequences. Usually the new feature is a Good Thing or the users wouldn't suffer through the upgrades, unless a monopoly has control of the market. But that is another discussion.
The point is, as cool as this new feature is, I think that it should have been disabled by default or users should see a very visible warning during the upgrade process (even if you are compiling it yourself, that act doesn't imply that you understand all the changes that have been made). Causing sections of the network to dissapear to your hosts after a production-machine upgrade is a good way to lose your job or at least turn management off to the idea of linux. If you have no idea why certain hosts are suddenly not reachable and you are the linux "expert" driving adoption in your company, your higher-ups won't have much confidence in being able to support linux systems economically.
Could nintendo afford not to sell the Gamecube you say? You are all forgettting that nintendo manufactures the most popular video game system ever, the Gameboy. They make barrels of money on it because it doesn't cost much to make something that was based on dated technology when it was released OVER a decade ago. And their Gameboy Advance looks like it will continue the trend with its backwards compatibility and better (but still relatively cheap) hardware.
Hopefully the Pokemon fad will pass soon, but nintendo will still have their huge installed base of gameboys. And they don't even have to worry about widespread pirating because of the cart. format. What is the advantage for them to produce a hugely expensive next-gen system and have to compete with Microsoft's piles of cash?
Do those of us in a big city have any hope of seeing something like this? Is our only option to drive 50 miles away? I'd really like to watch, but it looks like daylight out my window right now (and its night time).
The day someone actually orders something through that is the day I win the lottery. And of course if we did actually get a dollar or two from someone buying something, it would just to towards paying for hosting (and little help that would be). And what is wrong with using this imaginary money to help cover our costs? We are poor college students who pay the fees our of our own pockets.
And I think "see" applies because it is a site where we post stories/etc. Unless you are using text-to-speech software, its mostly a "See" thing.
As for my earlier comment, Linux came first. Then companies formed to provide the service of packaging, managing, and supporting their distro. They didn't say "Hey, we need an operating system to sell, go write us one for free so we can make some cash." And most of these companies have given something back to the community. I just thought the original post sounded a little weird. But if people feel that the php site is providing them a service and they want to design a t-shirt, then go for it. Or maybe they just want to donate a shirt to the community. Sorry if I was unclear before.
So we release a t-shirt design under an open-source license so that you can sell them and make money? Shouldn't the designer get something out of it? I'm not trying to flame or troll, but it seems a little unfair.
don't underestimate californians
on
Mood Home
·
· Score: 1
For the best effect your house would have to go from black to white, but I don't know many people that would like their house to be black...
A black house in the name of saving energy? You must be forgetting about Ed Begley, Jr!
"I'm happier than Ed Begley, Jr. driving to the recycling center in an electric car with a bag full of empties." -- Dennis Miller
But in most industries a company gets funded because they have something unique - say a cheaper way to build an engine or the backing of a well-known engineer. Most of the.com's had nothing useful to offer. I remember seeing one interview during the 98-99 funding crazy with an author that used to make up.com pitches on the spot whenever she met funding-types during the course of her research. She got offered millions, including $10 mil to start a site to list names of dead pets. This kind of complete disreguard for basic business principles doesn't apply to other industries. So when the wheat is seperated from the chaff... no wheat remains.
Speaking of the so-called.coms, why didn't any of these giantic companies understand that they were spending millions to build the equivalent of a mail order catalog? I think the.com fiasco demonstates just how stupid the average business exec is. Are these people just completely out of touch with reality? The business world must be a lot like Hollywood - the people are clueless and they base their decisions on what the current trend is.
"We will sell 20 pound bags of dog food on the internet. That makes sense."
Now, I'm not some trendy dot-com basher. I've been trying to tell people this for 6 years. I'm sure most of slashdot is in the same boat, because it's obvious to anyone with half a clue. But I just want to know, once and for all, what were these people thinking?
So some engineer makes some claims... Shouldn't we be asking for some evidence to back them up? In any case, I can't imagine how upset my old space-obsessed high school economics teach must be right now. I think he had a Yuri Gagarin bumper sticker. He made us do a report on space (in economics class) and he said that if we copied out of any of the books, he would know - because he had every single book the library had on space in his collection at home, and more. And he wasn't joking.
Have you tried the EFF's archive of internet censorship laws and information for the US and other Countries? It has bills, laws, and other information broken down by country and local region (state, etc). Check it out.
Slashdot Mirror
-T-H-I-S-
-P-R-O-T-E-C-T-E-D-
-M-E-S-S-A-G-E-
-W-I-T-H-O-U-T-
-A-N-
-O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L-
-P-L-A-Y-E-R-
-I-S-
-A-
-C-R-I-M-E-
You can order region-encoded DCS (dash control system) players from me for $200. No, this isn't a joke. I'll really sue you. Because I can. Players currently available only for TRS-80 and HP calculators.
Well you can't copy your house with a cd burner.
nVIDIA is trying to be the next MS? Isn't everyone trying to be the next MS? You speak as if all companies aren't trying to take control of their respective markets.
is that broadband providers are stuck on the old dial-up mentality. They think that they can get away with the kind of service that they used to subject dial-up users to (disconnects, unable to get a connection, etc). They price their services with the expectation that the average user isn't actually going to use the service all the time and won't be sharing large files. They advertise "always-on" connections and "instant downloads" but as soon as you try to stay connected all the time and actually use the bandwidth you pay for, they become upset. Ford doesn't sell you a truck and then make you keep it in the garage 18 hours each day and limit your mileage. Broadband providers should provide what they advertise. Gone are the days when you can run an ISP that is busy most of the day. Likewise, you can't sell broadband service and expect that people won't use it.
Ok, so looking at the specs, its not the fastest kid on the block (366mhz celeron or better, unspecified 3D card, etc.) but it will function like a tivo AND I can play soldier of fortune on it? Where do I pre-order?
Thank You.
Maybe it's that Cadre of Stealth Chickens that keeps forcing me to read this page. They don't call them stealth chickens for nothing.
"Generally, schizophrenia affects those in the 15 - 25 years age group. Increasingly, the individual tends to withdraw from ... The incidence of this illness world-wide, is about 1%."
"For companies with well-known brands, the 1 percent return [from spam] often isn't a good deal, and they are not going to use unsolicited advertising because it could be a damaging business practice ... They aren't always legitimate businesses."
hrm... :)
As far as games, Japan the US use the same television standard and many Japanese ports I've seen recently still contain japanese text/audio as a special option in addition to the US text/audio. They could just make it one disc. Now if they want to release the Japanese one first and then use extra time to translate, fine. But why lock people in North America out of playing the Japanese versions?
An all-encompassing graphical/text config. utility like linuxconf
Every section should have a "How do I do this myself?" button which would give a blurb about which files you could edit yourself to change the same thing. A person switching to linux doesn't have to be assumed to be stupid. If they can handle setting things up themselves, why shouldn't we help them find out how to do it easily?
For new users, instead of just saying "DNS Server" or "Search Domain #1" or whatever, why not have a button that explains in simple english what this stuff is? These buttons could be hidden if the user is in intermediate or expert mode, a la Nautilus (or they wouldn't even be using this program anyway).
The central config./help utility needs some sort of process control built in, or some explanation of what to do if a program hangs. The new user will think that Evolution .9 crashing and leaving a window that doesn't close on the desktop means they have to reboot like in Win9x. And having someone tell you to read the man page for ps/top/kill/etc doesn't help at all if you don't even know what a process is. Why not help them understand that a program crashing is not a problem at all and help them to get on with their work?
The list continues...
Now, I'm sure that the first reply to this message will be something like "They should RTFM" or "This is linux, not a mac". This is the prevent attitude of computer science people in general. And in many cases, I agree that making people do things themselves teaches them how to do it best. I very rarely ask people how to make something work, because if I find out myself, I remember what I did and why it worked. But this just isn't reasonable for most users. Most HOWTOs and newsgroup posts are written in language that the average computer user doesn't understand. It's too much to take in at once. Reading a proof for a theorem doesn't help if you don't understand what any of the steps mean. Carl Sagan has some good ideas on making the average public understand complicated things in "Demon Haunted World". We need to get over the idea that explaining things in an easy to understand way is a Bad Thing.
Both of my hands don't provide enough fingers to count the number of computer professionals I know who have checked out linux only to think it is awful because the distro's install was lacking or they couldn't get X running.
The obvious problem with new protocols is backwards compatibility. If it doesn't exist, users are forced to upgrade or suffer the consequences. Usually the new feature is a Good Thing or the users wouldn't suffer through the upgrades, unless a monopoly has control of the market. But that is another discussion.
The point is, as cool as this new feature is, I think that it should have been disabled by default or users should see a very visible warning during the upgrade process (even if you are compiling it yourself, that act doesn't imply that you understand all the changes that have been made). Causing sections of the network to dissapear to your hosts after a production-machine upgrade is a good way to lose your job or at least turn management off to the idea of linux. If you have no idea why certain hosts are suddenly not reachable and you are the linux "expert" driving adoption in your company, your higher-ups won't have much confidence in being able to support linux systems economically.
Just my 2 cents.
Could nintendo afford not to sell the Gamecube you say? You are all forgettting that nintendo manufactures the most popular video game system ever, the Gameboy. They make barrels of money on it because it doesn't cost much to make something that was based on dated technology when it was released OVER a decade ago. And their Gameboy Advance looks like it will continue the trend with its backwards compatibility and better (but still relatively cheap) hardware.
Hopefully the Pokemon fad will pass soon, but nintendo will still have their huge installed base of gameboys. And they don't even have to worry about widespread pirating because of the cart. format. What is the advantage for them to produce a hugely expensive next-gen system and have to compete with Microsoft's piles of cash?
Do those of us in a big city have any hope of seeing something like this? Is our only option to drive 50 miles away? I'd really like to watch, but it looks like daylight out my window right now (and its night time).
Amazon affiliate cash?
The day someone actually orders something through that is the day I win the lottery. And of course if we did actually get a dollar or two from someone buying something, it would just to towards paying for hosting (and little help that would be). And what is wrong with using this imaginary money to help cover our costs? We are poor college students who pay the fees our of our own pockets.
And I think "see" applies because it is a site where we post stories/etc. Unless you are using text-to-speech software, its mostly a "See" thing.
As for my earlier comment, Linux came first. Then companies formed to provide the service of packaging, managing, and supporting their distro. They didn't say "Hey, we need an operating system to sell, go write us one for free so we can make some cash." And most of these companies have given something back to the community. I just thought the original post sounded a little weird. But if people feel that the php site is providing them a service and they want to design a t-shirt, then go for it. Or maybe they just want to donate a shirt to the community. Sorry if I was unclear before.
cheers,
Adam
So we release a t-shirt design under an open-source license so that you can sell them and make money? Shouldn't the designer get something out of it? I'm not trying to flame or troll, but it seems a little unfair.
For the best effect your house would have to go from black to white, but I don't know many people that would like their house to be black...
A black house in the name of saving energy? You must be forgetting about Ed Begley, Jr!
"I'm happier than Ed Begley, Jr. driving to the recycling center in an electric car with a bag full of empties." -- Dennis Miller
'What we're trying to do is educate the population about what is appropriate, both from an ethical standpoint and from a legal standpoint,'
Thats exactly why I'm protesting the DMCA. They read my mind. Glad to know we are in agreement here.
But in most industries a company gets funded because they have something unique - say a cheaper way to build an engine or the backing of a well-known engineer. Most of the .com's had nothing useful to offer. I remember seeing one interview during the 98-99 funding crazy with an author that used to make up .com pitches on the spot whenever she met funding-types during the course of her research. She got offered millions, including $10 mil to start a site to list names of dead pets. This kind of complete disreguard for basic business principles doesn't apply to other industries. So when the wheat is seperated from the chaff... no wheat remains.
Speaking of the so-called .coms, why didn't any of these giantic companies understand that they were spending millions to build the equivalent of a mail order catalog? I think the .com fiasco demonstates just how stupid the average business exec is. Are these people just completely out of touch with reality? The business world must be a lot like Hollywood - the people are clueless and they base their decisions on what the current trend is.
"We will sell 20 pound bags of dog food on the internet. That makes sense."
Now, I'm not some trendy dot-com basher. I've been trying to tell people this for 6 years. I'm sure most of slashdot is in the same boat, because it's obvious to anyone with half a clue. But I just want to know, once and for all, what were these people thinking?
Ever heard of regular expressions?
So some engineer makes some claims... Shouldn't we be asking for some evidence to back them up? In any case, I can't imagine how upset my old space-obsessed high school economics teach must be right now. I think he had a Yuri Gagarin bumper sticker. He made us do a report on space (in economics class) and he said that if we copied out of any of the books, he would know - because he had every single book the library had on space in his collection at home, and more. And he wasn't joking.
Have you tried the EFF's archive of internet censorship laws and information for the US and other Countries? It has bills, laws, and other information broken down by country and local region (state, etc). Check it out.
Why not donate to the EFF while you are there?
they catch you in your DeCSS shirt? Does Amtrack get to keep the sleeve?