I can recommend two websites that have useful, factual information on safety and regulation issues for nanotech (molecular manufacturing):
Foresight Institute
click here and
Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
click here
Check out Rudy Rucker's sensible, thourough review and summary of the book. In twelve pages he'll give you a good idea of what you're getting into. Here's the URL:
There is a simple, legal, commonly used technique to get the results you want in a study (or survey):
1) Contract several separate outfits to conduct the study.
2) Require each outfit you commission to keep the results confidential, and to give you the rights to decide what to do with the results.
3) Tell each outfit you commission that the study or survey should be honest, but write the terms of the contract so that a smaller fee is paid for results that are NOT eventually used in public advertising. This can be easily justified by saying that the firm conducting the study will have extra work to do if it is published in an ad (i.e. dealing with public inquiries as to the results) which will require additional (generous) compensation.
Following these three steps lets you pick which result you broadcast and which you supress, and also puts subtle economic pressure on the contracted firms to come up with publishable results.
You can also find modules that are targeted towards specific character classes in the game. . . rogue modules with little fighting where the goal is to steathily enter and rob a guarded temple at night. . . cleric modules where a solo cleric or team of clerics battle waves of undead creatures. . . ranger modules that are based in the countyside, not cities, and incorporate tracking and animal empathy skills.
Something for everyone.
The key? Avoid "Massively" multiplayer. . .
on
The Trouble with MMORPGs
·
· Score: 2, Informative
I think that one fundamental weakness of MMORPGs is the requirement to be "massively" multiplayer. The desire to cater to the percieved "needs" of thousands of diverse players, with wildly different desires from a game, results in watered-down "least-common-denominator" games that meet SOME of the needs of MOST of the customers.
That's why I think that Neverwinter Nights is taking an interesting approach to the problem by producing a "game creation and management" platform that customers can use to build and run mildly multiplayer games.
The NWN community has created over 2900 modules that are hand-crafted to target many different player styles, from persistent worlds (run by teams of volunteer DMs) that allow dozens of concurrent users, to small-team oriented modules designed to be played by 3-5 players for a couple of hours (with or without an interactive DM), to solo adventures that range from one-shot 45 minute modules to multi-module campaigns that take weeks to complete.
There's an excellent community-run website that provides links to descriptions and downloads for modules, schedules for upcoming multiplayer games sessions, community ratings of different downloadable modules and persistent world sites, and lots more good stuff. Here's the URL:
This is not really signifigant news. When preparing to post financial news, publicly held companies (as part of the "full disclosure/safe harbor" process) are required to state any risks, however remote, that may impact future earnings.
Some smart lawyer in Microsoft's legal department probably said "Hey, we'd probably better start quoting open source software as a possible financial risk to avoid shareholder lawsuits in the future."
This is probably just typical legal boilerplate stuff, not any signifigant change in MS's assessment of the impact of OSS.
Re:John Varley explored this in his novels as well
on
Downloading The Mind
·
· Score: 1
"Permutation City" by Greg Egan is a novel that's even more thought-provoking on this topic. Check it out.
Actually, they'll still be able to say this. Have you seen Ricky's second cousin? He looks like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
Just an outstanding game. Unfortunately the design tool hasn't been ported yet, but you can still play the basic game plus user-designed modules that can be downloaded from the numerous fan sites.
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.
.
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Just flashing ahead to six months from now. . .
Slashdot Mirror
I can recommend two websites that have useful, factual information on safety and regulation issues for nanotech (molecular manufacturing): Foresight Institute click here and Center for Responsible Nanotechnology click here
Yeah, but the mileage blows.
The taste of defeat is bitter in my mouth!
I believe the proper spelling is "schadenfreude".
I can't tell you how much pleasure I got from pointing out your mistake!
The best anagram for "Hicham Dequiedt" so far:
HI MACH DEED QUIT
Actually, the margins can't be very big, or they start to reduce the usable size of the screen. A one-inch margin on a 17" screen would. . .
Hmh? Beg your pardon?
Oh. PROFIT margin.
Ah.
Never mind.
NT
Too many jokes in head!
Must make funny before brains run out of ears!
Tell me again: How many chickens will you have when those eggs hatch?
"Its Handwritign recognition is exemplar. . ."
How are it's spelling and grammar checkers?
Check out Rudy Rucker's sensible, thourough review and summary of the book. In twelve pages he'll give you a good idea of what you're getting into. Here's the URL:
a m_ review_AMM_11_2003.pdf
http://sjsu.rudyrucker.com/%7Erudy.rucker/wolfr
There is a simple, legal, commonly used technique to get the results you want in a study (or survey):
1) Contract several separate outfits to conduct the study.
2) Require each outfit you commission to keep the results confidential, and to give you the rights to decide what to do with the results.
3) Tell each outfit you commission that the study or survey should be honest, but write the terms of the contract so that a smaller fee is paid for results that are NOT eventually used in public advertising. This can be easily justified by saying that the firm conducting the study will have extra work to do if it is published in an ad (i.e. dealing with public inquiries as to the results) which will require additional (generous) compensation.
Following these three steps lets you pick which result you broadcast and which you supress, and also puts subtle economic pressure on the contracted firms to come up with publishable results.
"A Mighty Wind" is available on DVD now.
You might benefit from watching it a few times.
Jobs, that is.
http://nwvault.ign.com is a community site with links to various persistent worlds (and community ratings of those sites are available.)
Also try searching for "Neverwinter Connections", another well-regarded community site.
You can also find modules that are targeted towards specific character classes in the game. . . rogue modules with little fighting where the goal is to steathily enter and rob a guarded temple at night. . . cleric modules where a solo cleric or team of clerics battle waves of undead creatures. . . ranger modules that are based in the countyside, not cities, and incorporate tracking and animal empathy skills.
Something for everyone.
I think that one fundamental weakness of MMORPGs is the requirement to be "massively" multiplayer. The desire to cater to the percieved "needs" of thousands of diverse players, with wildly different desires from a game, results in watered-down "least-common-denominator" games that meet SOME of the needs of MOST of the customers.
That's why I think that Neverwinter Nights is taking an interesting approach to the problem by producing a "game creation and management" platform that customers can use to build and run mildly multiplayer games.
The NWN community has created over 2900 modules that are hand-crafted to target many different player styles, from persistent worlds (run by teams of volunteer DMs) that allow dozens of concurrent users, to small-team oriented modules designed to be played by 3-5 players for a couple of hours (with or without an interactive DM), to solo adventures that range from one-shot 45 minute modules to multi-module campaigns that take weeks to complete.
There's an excellent community-run website that provides links to descriptions and downloads for modules, schedules for upcoming multiplayer games sessions, community ratings of different downloadable modules and persistent world sites, and lots more good stuff. Here's the URL:
http://nwvault.ign.com
Can you imagine what you'd get with a Beowulf cluster of these?
A drinking fountain!
Can you imagine what you could make with a Beowulf cluster of these?
A FLASHLIGHT!
This is not really signifigant news. When preparing to post financial news, publicly held companies (as part of the "full disclosure/safe harbor" process) are required to state any risks, however remote, that may impact future earnings.
Some smart lawyer in Microsoft's legal department probably said "Hey, we'd probably better start quoting open source software as a possible financial risk to avoid shareholder lawsuits in the future."
This is probably just typical legal boilerplate stuff, not any signifigant change in MS's assessment of the impact of OSS.
"Permutation City" by Greg Egan is a novel that's even more thought-provoking on this topic. Check it out.
It's rare to find a non-obscene post containing the strings "I have a 10" long. . ." and "polish".
Actually, they'll still be able to say this. Have you seen Ricky's second cousin? He looks like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
Just an outstanding game. Unfortunately the design tool hasn't been ported yet, but you can still play the basic game plus user-designed modules that can be downloaded from the numerous fan sites.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just flashing ahead to six months from now. . .
I guess that fixing this issue will delay delivery of "Magic Lantern for Unix" for a few months.