The only thing about cash is that it will become more and more inconvenient to use. I suspect that the number of places that can take an ATM card will only grow. I don't think you can buy an airline ticket without ID anymore, and if you use cash it sets off a red flag.
There are books that cover aspects of protecting and keeping your privacy. The short of it is that you can have privacy, but it will cost you.
Even though Walmart is a bad company, I'm going to abandon Albertson's. I will save more money at the Walmart supercenter without the evil card when it opens nearby.
You have a point. But what is worse? - Albertson's, that requires me to pull out a stupid card each time I buy groceries so they can stick my name in a database with the purchases I made. Then they can sell it to anyone who shows up on their doorstep with a nickel.
Or go to Walmart where they do not have those cards but RFIDs, that while can be tracked, your purchase is not (not yet anyway) linked to your name?
Now the files will move so fast the RIAA won't have time to see them!
The good: Actually, there will be no more MP3 trading on internet2.
The good redux: There will be no more MP3 trading on internet2, because why bother with compression when you can send the whole CD! The RIAA really can't do anything about it because they don't have an internet2 connection!
Yeah, right. You must have not been around when Kruschev came to town and went to the UN. He went to the podium, and proceeded to hammer it with his shoe while shouting "We will bury you!!!"
as long as the use is not related to business/commercial operations
So, would advertising and selling your "archive" of music to someone else be considered "commercial"? What if it was for a greater amount of money than you paid for it? There is no guarantee of a steady price at the iTMS store.
I have a number of CDs that I purchased that I bought on a whim or to investigate the music. And there are a few that I am simply tired of.
If you have any sizable music collection, even on itunes, this is bound to happen. With CDs, I can always sale them or give it away to friends. Some CDs actually appreciate in value due to their rarity.
But with itunes, the music you no longer want is like a ball and chain.
While these points may seem like a minor inconvenience for some itunes users, this feeling will not be universal.
Basically he is advocating a 'don't throw the baby out with the bath water' approach."
In this case the baby is green, has 10 eyes, keeps track of your every move, spits in your face with ads, and is guaranteed to wreck your house.
So you do toss the baby out with the bathwater. Otherwise you have a monster on your hands.
Some call him Gator
Re:If Atlantis DID exist, how advanced WERE they?
on
On the Trail to Atlantis
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
I don't think you can look at it that way. Though many have (like Carl Sagan - he had a similar view IIRC). It takes a strange confluence of countless events to produce significant technical advances.
It could also be said that given our innate capability for self-destruction, it's a miracle that we are where we are at today. For an instance, it's a miracle that Kruschev's ego didn't get the better of him. Because if it had, we would have had a nuclear war in the sixties, and we would not be using computers in our comfy homes on the internet reading slashdot right now.
The Soviets were not dumb. They would have nuked fairchild semiconductor, and there would be no group of scientists to later start a bunch of high tech companies that would make up silicon valley. One of which is intel that was started in 1968.
We would be very lucky if we were hacking COBOL. RMS would have not have invented the GNU project that many here are fond of. Because there would be no Hawvad or MIT or PDP for him to hack on. He would not have needed that printer driver, _because there would have been no printer_
Likewise, some of the things that have held us back have been natural in nature, and beyond our control, like the black plague that killed off a third of Europe. I bet a lot of smart people died then. Who knows where we would have been if it had not been for the black plague.
So, as you can see, the game "woulda coulda shoulda" is a pretty frivolous game to play.
One last thing. In modern times, Soviet Russia plagues slashdot. I said it so you don't have to.
Helium is a finite non-renewable resource, as it does eventually escape the upper atmosphere.
But keep in mind that Texas is not the only place natural gas is found. There are significant reserves in the middle east as well (and the source of much argument as to how much we should import, the prices are rising for it in the US).
The helium that came from when the earth was formed has gone, and the helium we have today comes entirely form radioactive alpha decay in rocks. Thus the amount of helium in natural gas in any given area is variable.
Also, natural gas is not the only potential source for helium, as it exists in other places. It could conceivably be fractionally distilled from the atmosphere (and it was initially, read the link above), though this would be costly. Also, helium could be produced in nuclear reactors.
In the end, helium is a commodity, like many other things. As such, it follows fundamental market forces and the laws of economy. Demand for helium thus determines the price for helium (mostly, there is some government influence that comes into play through regulation, but that is beyond the scope of this post).
So, if for some reason they could not produce helium in Texas (unlikely) or for some reason there was shortages for helium due to demand, the price would go up. This would lead to higher prices, and people would start to look for other sources. Foreign producers would be motivated to produce helium. If it was expensive enough, conservation would take place, and where it was possible, other substances/methods would be would be used (like in welding, they would use argon instead of helium. In fact many do already as it is cheaper). Interestingly, a large part of the cost of helium is the shipping of it around in the big heavy metal tanks. That's why they may use argon in this acoustic fridge rather than helium.
Instead of using helium in party ballons, hydrogen (possibly mixed with air to reduce flammability) could be used. While some may see this as dangerous, it would be a lot less dangerous than the flammable silly string used in many a party. But I digress. You get the idea.
But I do think that this calls for a sense of perspective. We live in a world with limited resources. From gold to oil to water to food even (it could be argued) clean air.
So, as you can see, the chance of a Texas monopoly on helium is slim. Your second statement, that alternate sources would be found (and don't forget substitutions made) is more correct.
Helium scarcity is a physical reality, but it also obeys the laws of economics.
Saying and doing are two different things entirely.
If you have ever been to college and taken a psychology class, you may be aware of psychology experiments that you can participate in (usually for a small bribe or extra credit).
I had a psychology professor talk about privacy, and she mentioned that she (and others) never got around to destroying data from old psych experiments (contrary to what they said when you signed up to do the experiment). Including personally identifying information.
I mention this as an example of several problems. First, as well meaning as this seams to be, the fact is once your name makes it into a computer somewhere, chances are excellent that it will stay there. If not there, then on some backup tapes somewhere. Or on the hardrive when they send the old computer to the thrift store. Or when they swap out the old hard drive and sell it on ebay.
I have old hard drives lying around that I got at the thrift in the eighties. I wonder what is on them? I bet I could give some people heart attacks.
I think more people are becoming aware of this, but probably not enough.
What is also troublesome is the connection of our names and the social security number in databases. They may use that here as many driver license divisions require one to drive.
but you could indeed sell your entire library at once by simply transferring your account to someone else.
How inconvenient is that? I find it interesting that there is no mechanism to transfer single song purchases amongst users. Since I don't use itunes, maybe somebody can enlighten me on this.
I also think that Apple's terms of service are deliberately ambiguous in this area. Noticably absent (as far as I coud find) is the issue of transferring of music to other users. Sure you can purchase gift certificates, but that is obviously not the same. Only "noncommercial" use is permitted. Who knows what that means.
Slashdot Mirror
How can anyone possibly damage the reputation of a spammer or a spam company?
By saying you need a prescription for those pills???
The Bad: A useful and honorable service is being sued and will have to waste resources defending themselves.
The Good: You can get a clean shot in front of the court house.
The only thing about cash is that it will become more and more inconvenient to use. I suspect that the number of places that can take an ATM card will only grow. I don't think you can buy an airline ticket without ID anymore, and if you use cash it sets off a red flag.
There are books that cover aspects of protecting and keeping your privacy. The short of it is that you can have privacy, but it will cost you.
I obviously buy more groceries than you do. And I am currently unemployed. Believe you me, I have the prices memorized.
It's an evil form of manipulation.
Even though Walmart is a bad company, I'm going to abandon Albertson's. I will save more money at the Walmart supercenter without the evil card when it opens nearby.
I'll find a way to handle the RFIDs.
You have a point. But what is worse? - Albertson's, that requires me to pull out a stupid card each time I buy groceries so they can stick my name in a database with the purchases I made. Then they can sell it to anyone who shows up on their doorstep with a nickel.
Or go to Walmart where they do not have those cards but RFIDs, that while can be tracked, your purchase is not (not yet anyway) linked to your name?
I wouldn't know, as I am a mere mortal internet connection wise.
But just give it time
Dumbasses...
Let's just put a big ass "X" on our computers now why won't we..
You mean like this???
Now the files will move so fast the RIAA won't have time to see them!
The good: Actually, there will be no more MP3 trading on internet2.
The good redux: There will be no more MP3 trading on internet2, because why bother with compression when you can send the whole CD! The RIAA really can't do anything about it because they don't have an internet2 connection!
It's funny, laugh!
Insert laugh track here.
Yeah, right. You must have not been around when Kruschev came to town and went to the UN. He went to the podium, and proceeded to hammer it with his shoe while shouting "We will bury you!!!"
We are talking about the same guy, right?
as long as the use is not related to business/commercial operations
So, would advertising and selling your "archive" of music to someone else be considered "commercial"? What if it was for a greater amount of money than you paid for it? There is no guarantee of a steady price at the iTMS store.
I have a number of CDs that I purchased that I bought on a whim or to investigate the music. And there are a few that I am simply tired of.
If you have any sizable music collection, even on itunes, this is bound to happen. With CDs, I can always sale them or give it away to friends. Some CDs actually appreciate in value due to their rarity.
But with itunes, the music you no longer want is like a ball and chain.
While these points may seem like a minor inconvenience for some itunes users, this feeling will not be universal.
Basically he is advocating a 'don't throw the baby out with the bath water' approach."
In this case the baby is green, has 10 eyes, keeps track of your every move, spits in your face with ads, and is guaranteed to wreck your house.
So you do toss the baby out with the bathwater. Otherwise you have a monster on your hands.
Some call him Gator
I don't think you can look at it that way. Though many have (like Carl Sagan - he had a similar view IIRC). It takes a strange confluence of countless events to produce significant technical advances.
It could also be said that given our innate capability for self-destruction, it's a miracle that we are where we are at today. For an instance, it's a miracle that Kruschev's ego didn't get the better of him. Because if it had, we would have had a nuclear war in the sixties, and we would not be using computers in our comfy homes on the internet reading slashdot right now.
The Soviets were not dumb. They would have nuked fairchild semiconductor, and there would be no group of scientists to later start a bunch of high tech companies that would make up silicon valley. One of which is intel that was started in 1968.
We would be very lucky if we were hacking COBOL. RMS would have not have invented the GNU project that many here are fond of. Because there would be no Hawvad or MIT or PDP for him to hack on. He would not have needed that printer driver, _because there would have been no printer_
Likewise, some of the things that have held us back have been natural in nature, and beyond our control, like the black plague that killed off a third of Europe. I bet a lot of smart people died then. Who knows where we would have been if it had not been for the black plague.
So, as you can see, the game "woulda coulda shoulda" is a pretty frivolous game to play.
One last thing. In modern times, Soviet Russia plagues slashdot. I said it so you don't have to.
Actually, the navy being lazy, or nazy, used dowsing rods to find Atlantis.
I hope Google keep to their game-plan that's made them the best, and richest search engine in the world.
google will be SWELL!
google will be GREAT!
gonna have the whole world on a PLATE!
startin' HERE!
startin' NOW!
Honey, everything's comin' up roses...
Go To Your Room!
I presume this is after the trip out to the woodshed???
Yes and no.
I found this interesting thread having some interesting helium facts.
Helium is a finite non-renewable resource, as it does eventually escape the upper atmosphere.
But keep in mind that Texas is not the only place natural gas is found. There are significant reserves in the middle east as well (and the source of much argument as to how much we should import, the prices are rising for it in the US).
The helium that came from when the earth was formed has gone, and the helium we have today comes entirely form radioactive alpha decay in rocks. Thus the amount of helium in natural gas in any given area is variable.
Also, natural gas is not the only potential source for helium, as it exists in other places. It could conceivably be fractionally distilled from the atmosphere (and it was initially, read the link above), though this would be costly. Also, helium could be produced in nuclear reactors.
In the end, helium is a commodity, like many other things. As such, it follows fundamental market forces and the laws of economy. Demand for helium thus determines the price for helium (mostly, there is some government influence that comes into play through regulation, but that is beyond the scope of this post).
So, if for some reason they could not produce helium in Texas (unlikely) or for some reason there was shortages for helium due to demand, the price would go up. This would lead to higher prices, and people would start to look for other sources. Foreign producers would be motivated to produce helium. If it was expensive enough, conservation would take place, and where it was possible, other substances/methods would be would be used (like in welding, they would use argon instead of helium. In fact many do already as it is cheaper). Interestingly, a large part of the cost of helium is the shipping of it around in the big heavy metal tanks. That's why they may use argon in this acoustic fridge rather than helium.
Instead of using helium in party ballons, hydrogen (possibly mixed with air to reduce flammability) could be used. While some may see this as dangerous, it would be a lot less dangerous than the flammable silly string used in many a party. But I digress. You get the idea.
But I do think that this calls for a sense of perspective. We live in a world with limited resources. From gold to oil to water to food even (it could be argued) clean air.
So, as you can see, the chance of a Texas monopoly on helium is slim. Your second statement, that alternate sources would be found (and don't forget substitutions made) is more correct.
Helium scarcity is a physical reality, but it also obeys the laws of economics.
Is illegal hacking really the best way to show our gratitude, after all of the great things Apple and its iPod have done for us?
Please, Apple/Steve Jobs can not walk on water, part the seas, or turn water into beer.
Only Linus Torvalds can do these things.
And, let me tell YOU... I'm hung like a horse and always ready to go.
I bet that you got good looking breasts too.
They say they'll destroy the data after 3 months.
Saying and doing are two different things entirely.
If you have ever been to college and taken a psychology class, you may be aware of psychology experiments that you can participate in (usually for a small bribe or extra credit).
I had a psychology professor talk about privacy, and she mentioned that she (and others) never got around to destroying data from old psych experiments (contrary to what they said when you signed up to do the experiment). Including personally identifying information.
I mention this as an example of several problems. First, as well meaning as this seams to be, the fact is once your name makes it into a computer somewhere, chances are excellent that it will stay there. If not there, then on some backup tapes somewhere. Or on the hardrive when they send the old computer to the thrift store. Or when they swap out the old hard drive and sell it on ebay.
I have old hard drives lying around that I got at the thrift in the eighties. I wonder what is on them? I bet I could give some people heart attacks.
I think more people are becoming aware of this, but probably not enough.
What is also troublesome is the connection of our names and the social security number in databases. They may use that here as many driver license divisions require one to drive.
Then, what database cross pollination occurs?
Normally, this might be seen as a smart idea. But I question its worth versus real cost.
That's all we need: A flock of music pirates, child porographers, warez people, movie pirates, huge doom or quake mulitplayers all in one area..
Just one thing - I don't think congressmen play quake/doom.
Absolutely. I agree with you 100%.
However, you missed the entire point of my post, as a number of others have also.
I admit, I have been reading more slashdot lately. Probably more than the average user.
I actually was parodying the emergence of a new meme common to other threads that have stumbled upon the issue of copyright.
Unfortunately the joke is never funny if you have to explain it. But I thought I owed it to you considering the thoughtfulness of your post.
M$ and windowz are comming soon as well. Lets throw an ogg reference in there too.
Yes. There could be any number of vectors here.
I can't help but wonder if there is a warehouse in Bangalore with rows of tables and computers, and workers trying to download music off the internet.
RIAA blah blah Copyright BAD blah blah Copyright GOOD blah blah GPL blah blah Linux blah blah hypocrites.
but you could indeed sell your entire library at once by simply transferring your account to someone else.
How inconvenient is that? I find it interesting that there is no mechanism to transfer single song purchases amongst users. Since I don't use itunes, maybe somebody can enlighten me on this.
I also think that Apple's terms of service are deliberately ambiguous in this area. Noticably absent (as far as I coud find) is the issue of transferring of music to other users. Sure you can purchase gift certificates, but that is obviously not the same. Only "noncommercial" use is permitted. Who knows what that means.