Most PC games are defective when released (ie: they need patches). I took Sin back after only one evening of trying to get it to run. Now, it seems like I buy a game and if it has technical problems, wait for a patch. If there never is a patch (Freelancer anyone, Mech Commander 2 - both MS games - MS never seems to patch games), then I'm just out the $50 and have no recourse. The end result is that I don't buy freshly released games anymore. I treat them like service packs; wait 3 months for everyone else to have theirs break and see if it's ever patched. I guess this does hurt the company in some way, but not nearly the statement that a return is.
I did actually pay for MS to have their copy of MC2 shipped back with a nastygram and CD alterations to illustrate my frustration. I wonder what they ever did with that copy. I bet it's sitting on someone's desk as a trophy. I hurt that disk pretty bad:)
Let's take their methods out a few generations. Right now, they are threatening or terminating their top 1% of "bandwidth abusers". Let's assume that these folks consumed 50GB a month in bandwidth. Now that those people are "fixed", the top 1% becomes the folks who consume 45GB. They can go throught the same process next quarter/billing cycle/year. If they keep eliminating the top 1%, then the threshold is constantly getting lower for the other 99% before they get their "warning". If left unchecked, the top 1% could very well end up being someone who has less than modem usage.
Regardless, they now not only have the reputation of being a capped service, but they have become the most unreasonable and vague capped service. Way to fight a PR war guys! Comcast/ATT (they keep passing the broadband and cable properties like a hot potato) have had a captive customer base for so long that they have really lost touch with how to keep those customers, let alone build any customer loyalty. I hope you dump them if you can.
I'm lucky, my DSL ISP lets me host servers, have a static IP and give them a call to say "Hi" for fairly cheap. Before you ask, Omsoft.
If that was the case, you'd be breaking the law just by keeping a crowbar in the trunk of your car. In California, if the crowbar is within arms reach (like under the back seat), you can be charged with possession of a deadly weapon which is a felony.
Wow. I had no idea that MS was trying this. Thanks for the info. I found more articles here(news.com.com?), here and here(zdnet.com.com? -weird). I also found a review here. Finally I found some official MS stuff here and you can grab the actual application here. You piqued my interest a bit;)
To be honest, I have no idea how the RIAA will react to this. I wonder if this will be their IBM-SCO-like 800lb gorilla. I wonder what MS will eventually charge for membership on the service eventually and how much of it the RIAA may get.
I bet you're right about it being filled with DRM. It also wouldn't suprise me if they are using some of the DRM they have created for Media Player. I wonder if that's of any anti-trust interest.
What nerds like you fail to understand is that the RIAA sued Napster the Corporation, not Napster the network protocol.
You may not remember that FTP, Usenet and IRC were rife with all kinds of pirate material up before Napster came along. Most were only a Webcrawler search away (and it looks like they still are). Warezing music helped lead to the popularity of MP3 in my opinion and experience. Napster was merely a new architecture and interface.
And dude, don't insult just because you disagree. It just makes your argument sound childish and dilutes your credibility.
"Why is there no outraged defense of http filesharing?"
As for why there hasn't been as much defense of HTTP filesharing, HTTP itself isn't under attack. The RIAA has been steadfast in trying to kill P2P networks altogether and haven't gone after Apache, Netscape or MS because there are big players involved with the server architecture who have extensive legal and market battles under their belts (MS especially). Napster was an easy target (small and inexperienced) and a great example to publicize the fight against piracy since it was starting to get media attention, much as the web itself did just a short couple of years before. This is in fact one of the arguments against the RIAA's actions mentioned over and over by P2P defenders.
I'm kind of amazed that the article's author missed this if he did any background research at all.
So what you are saying is that Black and White was overhyped because Gamespy overhyped it (I remember, actually and yes they did. I can still see the annoying pop over ads and "more preview screenshots" when I close my eyes.). I guess a nice sidebar to the article would have been either "Top 5 Overhypes We Caused" or "How to criticize your own lameness and blame it on developers and fans". Gamespy is pro at that last one;)
(Gamespy ranting continues...)I really wish the rest of the world would stop giving Gamespy their exclusives so the rest of us could check it out without giving a lame marketing company with an increasingly irrelevant peice of software a kickback. "Only 23 hours before your download is ready (you non-subscribing free thinking scumbag)..." (Ok, I'm done venting.)
they could make some fanciful BS claims like "a good server should be able to handle that."
If you have the money or this ends up in a court battle, use some cash to get an independant analysis. Don't get it from a friend or a colleague. Get it from a company that you have respect for (preferably in another nearby city). Have them either file a friend of the cour brief or a notarized statement suitable for submission as evidence. Considering the mistakes that are made in the legal system due to misunderstanding technology, you need someone to affirm your opinion in court as an independant professional.
I've seen the hypocracy first hand and I agree that it is one uglysonofabitch. I think our system is repairable, but it's WAAAYYYYY overdue for some maintenance. The real problem with the US, IMHO, is that the majority of the population has no idea how our political system works or how to truly influence the system (no, protest isn't working anymore thanks to 9/11 paranoia but revolution is a bigger pitfall). Since that is favorable to the powers that currently be, it's important for people like me who know about it to stay and try to help as many others along as we can - especially people with little income and education who just coast into the voting boot and select names that they are familiar with. Just ducking out because it's too much hassle as many have suggested is a chickenshit thing to do and abandons people who are feeling just as helpless or politically impotent. As long as neither anarchy or martial law take hold that is. Then it's understandable to just get the hell out while you can still breathe and pump blood.
Thanks for the information though. I don't know any HAM Operators, but the idea fascinates me (I actually ended up here because of the messed up link). I'll have to do some reading up now:)
But what about these? Are there different requirements for different license types?
BURNS, JERRY P, KE6PTD (Technician)
PO BOX 245554
SACRAMENTO, CA 95824-5554
Issue Date: Jan 05, 1995
Expire Date: Jan 05, 2005
Date of last Change: Jan 05, 1995
Gasser, William M, AK6G (Extra)
PO BOX 246143
Sacramento, CA 95824
Previous call sign: WA0KIU
Previous license class: General
Licensee ID: L00207752
FRN: 0002142552
Issue Date: Apr 04, 2002
Expire Date: Apr 04, 2012
Date of last Change: Apr 04, 2002 (License Issued)
OK...
Name: William H. Gates, III
Phone: (425) 882-8080
Address: 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052
SSN: 539-60-5125 Credit Cards: Your own. I'll have all of your money eventually anyway. Mooohooohooohahahahahaha....
Oh, you said "with nothing to hide". Oh well. Back to counting then... Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seventy- million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine-hun dred-twenty-three dollars... Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seven ty-million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine- hundred-twenty-four dollars... Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seven ty-million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine- hundred-twenty-five dollars...
I don't have an issue with recalls, but this one has turned into a hot air circus with no good direction to take. Vote for your favorite of 133 shifty limelight seekers or keep a clown in office. The decision wouldn't be bad, if there were actually a good decision to make. Just my opinion, of course.
I had understood that the production buildup was because we could export arms and supplies to our allies, while staying out of the war. At least that is what most historic accounts seem to say. As to the attack on Pearl Harbor being know of, I agree that the jury is still out on that.
Regardless, we had a strong and high profile isolationist movement before the war and in the begining - Just like we did for world war one and just like we were developing before Sept. 11. The US being isolationist in modern times seems like a prelude to conflict.
Well that explains a lot:) I guess I'm getting jaded enought that everything assenine seems American to me lately. I'm in a bit of a patriotism shortage due to a lot of the changes that have been happening here in the US and especially California (where I live).
Nice patriotism, but get your fact straight. From WorldWar-2.net:
05/09/1939 : The United States declares its neutrality in this war.
10/09/1939 : After a formal parliamentary debate, Canada declares war on Germany.
17/09/1939 : American aviation hero Charles A. Lindbergh makes his first anti-intervention radio speech. The U.S. non-intervention movement is supported not just by Lindbergh, but by former president Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Henry Ford and a number of senators and congressmen as well.
Once again, we wait to get smacked in the head (Pearl Harbor) before we actually do something. Might I suggest that you lay off the rhetoric and go read some history. Maybe then we might know better.
We (the US) already pay levies on DAT tapes, tape decks and VCRs for this very purpose (except we don't get to copy). If you're plan is to prevent this by taking on the RIAA, you're too late as the Audio Home Recording Act became law in 1992 and has been majorly altered by the DMCA since.
The Canadians on-upped us by including copying rights into their legislation though. We just pay "compensation" taxes for the possibility of infringement by others. Damn clever Canadians...
Slashdot Mirror
Good point. Thanks for clarifying that. I agree that to do what I said makes no sense, but that was why I was so amazed.
I did actually pay for MS to have their copy of MC2 shipped back with a nastygram and CD alterations to illustrate my frustration. I wonder what they ever did with that copy. I bet it's sitting on someone's desk as a trophy. I hurt that disk pretty bad :)
Regardless, they now not only have the reputation of being a capped service, but they have become the most unreasonable and vague capped service. Way to fight a PR war guys! Comcast/ATT (they keep passing the broadband and cable properties like a hot potato) have had a captive customer base for so long that they have really lost touch with how to keep those customers, let alone build any customer loyalty. I hope you dump them if you can.
I'm lucky, my DSL ISP lets me host servers, have a static IP and give them a call to say "Hi" for fairly cheap. Before you ask, Omsoft.
If that was the case, you'd be breaking the law just by keeping a crowbar in the trunk of your car. In California, if the crowbar is within arms reach (like under the back seat), you can be charged with possession of a deadly weapon which is a felony.
It wouldn't suprise me if it was in the next 2K service pack. It will definitely be in the next version of Windows.
To be honest, I have no idea how the RIAA will react to this. I wonder if this will be their IBM-SCO-like 800lb gorilla. I wonder what MS will eventually charge for membership on the service eventually and how much of it the RIAA may get.
I bet you're right about it being filled with DRM. It also wouldn't suprise me if they are using some of the DRM they have created for Media Player. I wonder if that's of any anti-trust interest.
And dude, don't insult just because you disagree. It just makes your argument sound childish and dilutes your credibility.
I'm kind of amazed that the article's author missed this if he did any background research at all.
Offtopic, but I couldn't resist.
(Gamespy ranting continues...)I really wish the rest of the world would stop giving Gamespy their exclusives so the rest of us could check it out without giving a lame marketing company with an increasingly irrelevant peice of software a kickback. "Only 23 hours before your download is ready (you non-subscribing free thinking scumbag)..." (Ok, I'm done venting.)
I've seen the hypocracy first hand and I agree that it is one uglysonofabitch. I think our system is repairable, but it's WAAAYYYYY overdue for some maintenance. The real problem with the US, IMHO, is that the majority of the population has no idea how our political system works or how to truly influence the system (no, protest isn't working anymore thanks to 9/11 paranoia but revolution is a bigger pitfall). Since that is favorable to the powers that currently be, it's important for people like me who know about it to stay and try to help as many others along as we can - especially people with little income and education who just coast into the voting boot and select names that they are familiar with. Just ducking out because it's too much hassle as many have suggested is a chickenshit thing to do and abandons people who are feeling just as helpless or politically impotent. As long as neither anarchy or martial law take hold that is. Then it's understandable to just get the hell out while you can still breathe and pump blood.
It's an allusion to a figure of speech - The phrase "Yes with a capital 'Y'" is meant to convey absolute certainty and emphasize your answer.
Thanks for the information though. I don't know any HAM Operators, but the idea fascinates me (I actually ended up here because of the messed up link). I'll have to do some reading up now :)
BURNS, JERRY P, KE6PTD (Technician)
PO BOX 245554
SACRAMENTO, CA 95824-5554
Issue Date: Jan 05, 1995
Expire Date: Jan 05, 2005
Date of last Change: Jan 05, 1995
Gasser, William M, AK6G (Extra)
PO BOX 246143
Sacramento, CA 95824
Previous call sign: WA0KIU
Previous license class: General
Licensee ID: L00207752
FRN: 0002142552
Issue Date: Apr 04, 2002
Expire Date: Apr 04, 2012
Date of last Change: Apr 04, 2002 (License Issued)
Name: William H. Gates, III
Phone: (425) 882-8080
Address: 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052
SSN: 539-60-5125
Credit Cards: Your own. I'll have all of your money eventually anyway. Mooohooohooohahahahahaha....
Oh, you said "with nothing to hide". Oh well. Back to counting then...- million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine-hun dred-twenty-three dollars...n ty-million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine- hundred-twenty-four dollars...n ty-million-five-hundred-thirty-five-thousand-nine- hundred-twenty-five dollars...
Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seventy
Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seve
Thirty-one-billion-three-hundred-seve
Then what about those listed with a PO Box?
You'd think the editors would use the preview button if the submitter doesn't.
I don't have an issue with recalls, but this one has turned into a hot air circus with no good direction to take. Vote for your favorite of 133 shifty limelight seekers or keep a clown in office. The decision wouldn't be bad, if there were actually a good decision to make. Just my opinion, of course.
To the average person in the population, Yes (note the capital "Y"). Why, how and who's goals were met is still an ongoing debate.
Regardless, we had a strong and high profile isolationist movement before the war and in the begining - Just like we did for world war one and just like we were developing before Sept. 11. The US being isolationist in modern times seems like a prelude to conflict.
Well that explains a lot :)
I guess I'm getting jaded enought that everything assenine seems American to me lately. I'm in a bit of a patriotism shortage due to a lot of the changes that have been happening here in the US and especially California (where I live).
The Canadians on-upped us by including copying rights into their legislation though. We just pay "compensation" taxes for the possibility of infringement by others. Damn clever Canadians...