Now, I am faced with an ethical question. For over a year I have been using WebWasher to filter out all the ads from the internet (it catches over 99% of them, including popups and cnet style big-ass-in-your-face ads).
Now, slashdot offers a way for me to support their site, but at the same time tells me that their ads are shifting to annoy-ware. So, do I just continue to block the ads, or try a free site or whatever, or do I pay slashdot?
While people think the internet is free, it isn't. SOMEONE pays. In this case, it's the company that controls slashdot. I value having this site up on the net, and I value all the time and effort that has gone into keeping everything running and happy.
I've decided, I'll keep blocking with webwasher but I'll also donate my $5. Think about it, $5 for something you check twice a day is worth the cost of a single lunch.
P.S. I'd love to see some recognition to people who donate though, a little star would be cool and discourage AC's:)
Has anyone considered asking bnetd to add CD Key checking to their server? Unless they specifically want to let people play who don't have legit keys (and thus open themselves up to lawsuit), they shouldn't have much of a problem adding key check code to their source. Of course, it's open source so people can just remove CheckCDKey(); from the code before compiling:)
Just a thought, I would bet that most people using bnetd are using illegal copies though, and that's why there's so much bitching going on...
In regards to the McDonalds note, here's the facts:
- The store in question had their pots set higher than they were supposed to be. - The coffee was 20 degrees hotter than the Health Department allows. - There had been several incidents before, the store just ignored the warning signs. - The burns caused by the coffee were 2nd degree (blisters) and ** required skin grafts **
I know, off topic, but I hate these slander stories based on urban myths...
What we will most likely see is greater diversity in the computer choices. I'd love to see my company's budget readjusted so that secretaries aren't entitled to 1.2ghz systems to check email. Too many people think that they actually NEED a really fast system when all they do is check email or browse the web.
Sorry, I don't ever see myself playing games on a PDA. Nor creating a web site or trying to code on a palmtop. The only thing PDA's are good for is limited information retrieval -- contact lists, emails, simple web browsing, data retrieval, field data entry.
So while PDA's and their cousins definately have their uses, they will most definately NOT destroy the desktop market.
What I was always disappointed with was that it was on showtime. Well, more accurately I was disappointed that I can't _afford_ showtime. Eventually I just settled for pirating the shows off the net. Really poor quality, and the studios don't get any money, but what choice do I have? Wait over a year for it to get to public TV and then have it stuck in a horrible time slot?
Argh, when will they realize that there are a LOT of people interested in on-demand video!
Well it's extremely easy to protect against this. 1) blacklist IP's that hammer, 2) blacklist keys that get used by more than a handful of people.
The real threat is when a key gets loose on the internet and it is used by tens of thousands of people. One person getting one key after substantial amounts of effort isn't really going to hurt the company.
While I love a good preview, this is nothing more than fluff... I could have written a more interesting review by just making stuff up. I'd love a review with some actual specs in it.
That said, I can't wait for this to come out! It's great that Verant is developing the game since they can bring their experiences with everquest (ie maybe solving the nightmare upgrade weeks) to this title.
Gosh, how about Assembly? All the opcodes used by a microprocessor are extremely reliable components. The problem with any language, and any program, is when everything starts to interact. Components begin to be used in conditions the original author didn't intend, people try to hack the system, it all gets more complex...
So while it is certainly a good approach to have very stable base components, it isn't an all-solving approach.
If you're hiring them to test your product, then any work they do is considered work-for-hire, and is thus owned by your company. (similar to RIAA and it's artists - http://www.wallacecollins.com/workforhire.html)
If they're doing it for free, then that might not apply...
Regardless, they're just testing what you did. Their reimbursment is the money you pay them up-front... If they want a piece of the product then that would have to be negotiated up front.
Keep in mind that most things manufactured in taiwan are owned by American companies! If we wanted to, we could convince our companies to move their plants to any of a dozen south asian countries, thus hurting the Taiwan economy.
I'm running a triple monitor setup. Three used 17" monitors for $30 apiece, a RageXL AGP as the primary card, and two $15 Imagine128's off ebay. It's pretty cool, great for really wide spreadsheets or graphics work.
It seems that NASA is taking their cues from RIAA, thinking that if they tighten the restrictions then more people will support the program. Someone should tell them that it isn't cartmanland they're running!
It's amazing, free markets ALWAYS increase demand, but all big organizations fight free markets every chance they get...
What this boils down to is simple. Television programming is created to sell ads. That's right, the TV execs only care about the advertising that they can sell. TV isn't there for you, the consumer, it's there for the advertisers.
Sad, but true. Boycott your TV and write the LOCAL networks letters expressing your opinions. They need to get slapped back into realizing that their viewers come first!
On a similar note, Switzerland's Crypto AG company was the trusted source of encryption products from WWII until 1998 or so. It came out that the CIA had forced Crypto AG to put a flaw in the random number generator which allowed the CIA to more easily decode encrypted traffic. These products were used world wide by governments to communicate sensitive info that the US (I'm sure) used to its advantage.
Why do you think you have to upgrade? If OS9 and whatever apps you have for it do the job, why upgrade? No one is forcing you to get new software or hardware.
People commonly fall into that trap of "it's better so I have to upgrade" that sucks up so many IT dollars. No matter what my boss says, reading email does NOT warrant a 21" flat panel and a 1.8 GHz machine.
Slashdot Mirror
Now, I am faced with an ethical question. For over a year I have been using WebWasher to filter out all the ads from the internet (it catches over 99% of them, including popups and cnet style big-ass-in-your-face ads).
:)
Now, slashdot offers a way for me to support their site, but at the same time tells me that their ads are shifting to annoy-ware. So, do I just continue to block the ads, or try a free site or whatever, or do I pay slashdot?
While people think the internet is free, it isn't. SOMEONE pays. In this case, it's the company that controls slashdot. I value having this site up on the net, and I value all the time and effort that has gone into keeping everything running and happy.
I've decided, I'll keep blocking with webwasher but I'll also donate my $5. Think about it, $5 for something you check twice a day is worth the cost of a single lunch.
P.S. I'd love to see some recognition to people who donate though, a little star would be cool and discourage AC's
Has anyone considered asking bnetd to add CD Key checking to their server? Unless they specifically want to let people play who don't have legit keys (and thus open themselves up to lawsuit), they shouldn't have much of a problem adding key check code to their source. Of course, it's open source so people can just remove CheckCDKey(); from the code before compiling :)
Just a thought, I would bet that most people using bnetd are using illegal copies though, and that's why there's so much bitching going on...
You must not know megatokyo, they can handle a slashdotting standing on their head!
But good thought, I hate to miss an article when a site gets overloaded...
Travis
In regards to the McDonalds note, here's the facts:
- The store in question had their pots set higher than they were supposed to be.
- The coffee was 20 degrees hotter than the Health Department allows.
- There had been several incidents before, the store just ignored the warning signs.
- The burns caused by the coffee were 2nd degree (blisters) and ** required skin grafts **
I know, off topic, but I hate these slander stories based on urban myths...
Agreed :)
:)
What we will most likely see is greater diversity in the computer choices. I'd love to see my company's budget readjusted so that secretaries aren't entitled to 1.2ghz systems to check email. Too many people think that they actually NEED a really fast system when all they do is check email or browse the web.
Good for computer resellers though
Travis
Sorry, I don't ever see myself playing games on a PDA. Nor creating a web site or trying to code on a palmtop. The only thing PDA's are good for is limited information retrieval -- contact lists, emails, simple web browsing, data retrieval, field data entry.
:)
So while PDA's and their cousins definately have their uses, they will most definately NOT destroy the desktop market.
Or so I hope
Travis
What I was always disappointed with was that it was on showtime. Well, more accurately I was disappointed that I can't _afford_ showtime. Eventually I just settled for pirating the shows off the net. Really poor quality, and the studios don't get any money, but what choice do I have? Wait over a year for it to get to public TV and then have it stuck in a horrible time slot?
Argh, when will they realize that there are a LOT of people interested in on-demand video!
Travis
No no, EXACTLY! The problem is when that happens to a program without online key checking.
Well it's extremely easy to protect against this. 1) blacklist IP's that hammer, 2) blacklist keys that get used by more than a handful of people.
The real threat is when a key gets loose on the internet and it is used by tens of thousands of people. One person getting one key after substantial amounts of effort isn't really going to hurt the company.
While I love a good preview, this is nothing more than fluff... I could have written a more interesting review by just making stuff up. I'd love a review with some actual specs in it.
That said, I can't wait for this to come out! It's great that Verant is developing the game since they can bring their experiences with everquest (ie maybe solving the nightmare upgrade weeks) to this title.
As of now the number of signers on the petition is rising at about 100 sigs a minute.
:)
Cool
Gosh, how about Assembly? All the opcodes used by a microprocessor are extremely reliable components. The problem with any language, and any program, is when everything starts to interact. Components begin to be used in conditions the original author didn't intend, people try to hack the system, it all gets more complex...
So while it is certainly a good approach to have very stable base components, it isn't an all-solving approach.
Anyone who complains about moderation systems hasn't browsed at -1 recently.
If you're hiring them to test your product, then any work they do is considered work-for-hire, and is thus owned by your company. (similar to RIAA and it's artists - http://www.wallacecollins.com/workforhire.html)
If they're doing it for free, then that might not apply...
Regardless, they're just testing what you did. Their reimbursment is the money you pay them up-front... If they want a piece of the product then that would have to be negotiated up front.
Keep in mind that most things manufactured in taiwan are owned by American companies! If we wanted to, we could convince our companies to move their plants to any of a dozen south asian countries, thus hurting the Taiwan economy.
I'm running a triple monitor setup. Three used 17" monitors for $30 apiece, a RageXL AGP as the primary card, and two $15 Imagine128's off ebay. It's pretty cool, great for really wide spreadsheets or graphics work.
It seems that NASA is taking their cues from RIAA, thinking that if they tighten the restrictions then more people will support the program. Someone should tell them that it isn't cartmanland they're running!
It's amazing, free markets ALWAYS increase demand, but all big organizations fight free markets every chance they get...
Wow, that is ultimate.
Wow! How do I move to Norrath? Is that in europe?
Bill Gates is the eqivalent of a medium sized country too.
What this boils down to is simple. Television programming is created to sell ads. That's right, the TV execs only care about the advertising that they can sell. TV isn't there for you, the consumer, it's there for the advertisers.
Sad, but true. Boycott your TV and write the LOCAL networks letters expressing your opinions. They need to get slapped back into realizing that their viewers come first!
Yeah, so are cars. They're full of chips that have software on them, thus all automobiles should be sold as Software with suitable EULA's :)
Read more in the Feb.15.99 CryptoGram or the whole story at CovertActionQuarterly
Why do you think you have to upgrade? If OS9 and whatever apps you have for it do the job, why upgrade? No one is forcing you to get new software or hardware.
People commonly fall into that trap of "it's better so I have to upgrade" that sucks up so many IT dollars. No matter what my boss says, reading email does NOT warrant a 21" flat panel and a 1.8 GHz machine.
Technically, marijuana is illegal in amsterdam. However, the police are encouraged to not enforce that law.
Or, you get what our company has. A bunch of japanese managers who have no idea what they're doing because they're NOT ENGINEERS!
I shouldn't be in sales because I'm not a salesman. Put people where they're best suited.