If a nation-state or organized political entity orchestrates a campaign over time to destroy an enemies assets, be they economic, social or military, it's a war.
Note that I don't include the war on drugs in that definition - that's just a massive black market. It would be a different matter if a foreign power was feeding us cheap drugs in order to put the nation into a stupor, but we're doing that ourselves.
Nor do I include the War on Terror as a bonified war - in that case, it's too general, and it fails the first part of the definition ("organized political entity"). Now, you can have a war on al Quaeda, but not on terror in general.
... at security classification for programming, networking, system administration, etc.
Or limits to who can take college classes. Or access web sites with that sort of information. Or own a non-registered compiler.
I used to love the cyberpunk novels about the underground cowboy devs outsmarting the global security nets. Now that we may be heading towards that sort of thing in reality, this old dev isn't quite so enthralled by the scenario...
Regardless, it seems like quite a number of companies (not just Apple) are saying, "To get here, I stood on the shoulders of giants. And by God, I'm going to make damn sure no one else does."
This doesn't spur innovation; quite the opposite, really. Especially when you consider that pretty much all commercial works these days are derivatives of something else. And for the most part, if you want to learn/build something new, you need billions of dollars and a particle accelerator.
Honestly, if someone could find a way to patent the wheel, they'd do it.
Our patent system is such at this point that there is no advancement possible without asking permission and paying royalties to someone else. Every fundamental idea and concept is owned. As anything that has any sort of visual representation and interface.
Of course, all this is incredibly ironic, given that back in the day, Microsoft and Apple both flagrantly ripped off what are considered to be absolute fundamentals of a GUI from Xerox.
You do not buy rights. If you did, they'd be privileges.
We all know that the user is the product on Facebook. However, there are limitations on how Facebook can sell its product, and those are determined by the EULA, terms of service and privacy policy documentation.
I can't imagine a less correct statement concerning privacy in general and Facebook in particular than yours.
It won't get old until Facebook says on their privacy page, "We don't value your privacy. Everything you say will be data mined and sold to anyone who gives us enough money. And we might even give it away for free."
Big Brother may have gotten his start in the public sector, but he's shifted to the private one these days.
Our government is the tool of the corporations and the big money. So, yes - this is an Orwellian trend, but nevertheless - look at who pulls the strings.
Well, I pity you. I honestly do. Because you're are going to either die alone, lonely, and weeping into a bottle of rotgut vodka, or by police bullet when your psychopathic tendencies get the better of you.
Perhaps because how we treat our dead is the absolutely most fundamental difference between animals and humans, and thus, is one of the foundations for any civilized behavior patterns.
Right after that probably comes not sticking your neighbor in the eye with a sharpened stick simply for the sake of doing it. But I'm thinking that might be a bit advanced for you.
Seriously, folks - what the hell is wrong with you?
A young woman of tremendous promise and an incredibly positive outlook on life dies far before her time, and this is what you have to say?
Some really sick folks. First time in a long time that I've actually been embarrassed of the folks here at/., despite some seriously differing opinions.
Well, while it's quite probable that very, very few people actually took conscious action based on their knowledge, that knowledge is the sort of thing that impacts sales.
Advertisers and marketing firms are very aware of the importance of perception and image. People are rarely completely consciously aware of all the factors that play into a buying decision, but if it's in their mind that oil company X spilled oil and never cleaned it up, they're reasonably likely to drive on by that company's gas station to company one belonging to company Y. Same goes for this scenario; we've seen it with various other products (in particular, clothing and shoes come to mind), but given the ubiquitous of personal electronics, I'm thinking that it'll have a perceptible impact here.
So - at some levels, you're correct. There is a level of apathy out there that at some levels seems impossible to overcome. At other levels, though, awareness does have an impact.
The world may be royally screwed up; as individuals, we may not have a whole lot of power to do anything about the Way Things Are (tm), but that shouldn't stop us from striving. If nothing else, there is intrinsic value in the attempt. And who knows - enough individuals exerting pressure may, if not radically change the nature of man and the world, at least mitigate the damage of some of the worst that we do.
But hey - I'm sure you'll do great hiring all the extroverted, group thinking types who copied each other's homework for your development team.
You know, the ones who were swapping media with the coding assignments on it 15 minutes before class instead of paying the dues of the late night hack sessions while in college.
I can already smell the stench of buggy, unmaintainable, inefficient, undocumented, crash prone expensive code from here.
But hey - at least you're creating jobs for us elitists. Because eventually, with an attitude like that, you're going to wind up on your knees, begging us to take your money and insane signing bonus to fix the mess you're going to create.
Slashdot Mirror
Mea culpa.
For some reason, I thought that it could mean "legitimate"; this does not appear to be part of the definition. Learn something every day, I guess.
Also - yeah - sometimes, I type too fast, and wind up with attempted phonetic spellings.
Actually, pretty easy to tell the difference.
If when you open the box of your new phone the GPS antenna falls out, it's Samsung.
If a subpoena falls out, it's Apple.
Disagree.
If a nation-state or organized political entity orchestrates a campaign over time to destroy an enemies assets, be they economic, social or military, it's a war.
Note that I don't include the war on drugs in that definition - that's just a massive black market. It would be a different matter if a foreign power was feeding us cheap drugs in order to put the nation into a stupor, but we're doing that ourselves.
Nor do I include the War on Terror as a bonified war - in that case, it's too general, and it fails the first part of the definition ("organized political entity"). Now, you can have a war on al Quaeda, but not on terror in general.
... at security classification for programming, networking, system administration, etc.
Or limits to who can take college classes. Or access web sites with that sort of information. Or own a non-registered compiler.
I used to love the cyberpunk novels about the underground cowboy devs outsmarting the global security nets. Now that we may be heading towards that sort of thing in reality, this old dev isn't quite so enthralled by the scenario...
Well, perhaps it is cliche.
Regardless, it seems like quite a number of companies (not just Apple) are saying, "To get here, I stood on the shoulders of giants. And by God, I'm going to make damn sure no one else does."
This doesn't spur innovation; quite the opposite, really. Especially when you consider that pretty much all commercial works these days are derivatives of something else. And for the most part, if you want to learn/build something new, you need billions of dollars and a particle accelerator.
How else in our mechanized age could we keep folks working, when we don't need them tilling fields or making goods anymore?
Honestly, if someone could find a way to patent the wheel, they'd do it.
Our patent system is such at this point that there is no advancement possible without asking permission and paying royalties to someone else. Every fundamental idea and concept is owned. As anything that has any sort of visual representation and interface.
Of course, all this is incredibly ironic, given that back in the day, Microsoft and Apple both flagrantly ripped off what are considered to be absolute fundamentals of a GUI from Xerox.
There are very real ramifications to the technology that at least some of us build.
Maybe it's not a completely bad thing to be reminded of those...
He's a dead ringer for Patrician Veninari...
You do not buy rights. If you did, they'd be privileges.
We all know that the user is the product on Facebook. However, there are limitations on how Facebook can sell its product, and those are determined by the EULA, terms of service and privacy policy documentation.
I can't imagine a less correct statement concerning privacy in general and Facebook in particular than yours.
It won't get old until Facebook says on their privacy page, "We don't value your privacy. Everything you say will be data mined and sold to anyone who gives us enough money. And we might even give it away for free."
Give it time.
Facebook will find you.
Big Brother may have gotten his start in the public sector, but he's shifted to the private one these days.
Our government is the tool of the corporations and the big money. So, yes - this is an Orwellian trend, but nevertheless - look at who pulls the strings.
Next to be patented is searching for short term trends about short term trends...
Wonder what it would give me for my t-mobile Samsung Galaxy S, with faulty GPS antenna. Probably more than t-mobile....
I'll say this for cheekyjohnson: he is a rare example of actual uncloaked, unabashed and unashamed evil.
You don't get to see that all too often.
Well, I pity you. I honestly do. Because you're are going to either die alone, lonely, and weeping into a bottle of rotgut vodka, or by police bullet when your psychopathic tendencies get the better of you.
Perhaps because how we treat our dead is the absolutely most fundamental difference between animals and humans, and thus, is one of the foundations for any civilized behavior patterns.
Right after that probably comes not sticking your neighbor in the eye with a sharpened stick simply for the sake of doing it. But I'm thinking that might be a bit advanced for you.
And it's my bloody right to tell you that you're being one.
Honestly, it's like Westboro Baptist suddenly got a bunch of new members or something.
To get a cert at 9 is pretty amazing. You may not think much of it, but honestly, that's an achievement.
To get it in a nation like Pakistan, that's incredible, what with all the cultural impediments that must have stood in the way.
And if you'd read the TFA, let alone listened to the interview at all, you'd know that her attitude was one that others might consider emulating.
Regardless of this, it's still beyond belief that folks are being so incredibly mean spirited. Even jackals treat their dead better.
Perhaps, but I don't make a habit of pissing in open graves before the dirt's even shoveled in.
And I find it reprehensible when others do it out of some sort of misbegotten patriotism, envy or need to prop them selves up by being vile to others.
Especially in the case when such potential for brilliance is snuffed out so early.
Seriously, folks - what the hell is wrong with you?
A young woman of tremendous promise and an incredibly positive outlook on life dies far before her time, and this is what you have to say?
Some really sick folks. First time in a long time that I've actually been embarrassed of the folks here at /., despite some seriously differing opinions.
Well, while it's quite probable that very, very few people actually took conscious action based on their knowledge, that knowledge is the sort of thing that impacts sales.
Advertisers and marketing firms are very aware of the importance of perception and image. People are rarely completely consciously aware of all the factors that play into a buying decision, but if it's in their mind that oil company X spilled oil and never cleaned it up, they're reasonably likely to drive on by that company's gas station to company one belonging to company Y. Same goes for this scenario; we've seen it with various other products (in particular, clothing and shoes come to mind), but given the ubiquitous of personal electronics, I'm thinking that it'll have a perceptible impact here.
So - at some levels, you're correct. There is a level of apathy out there that at some levels seems impossible to overcome. At other levels, though, awareness does have an impact.
Doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
The world may be royally screwed up; as individuals, we may not have a whole lot of power to do anything about the Way Things Are (tm), but that shouldn't stop us from striving. If nothing else, there is intrinsic value in the attempt. And who knows - enough individuals exerting pressure may, if not radically change the nature of man and the world, at least mitigate the damage of some of the worst that we do.
Ah - this is not balance.
But hey - I'm sure you'll do great hiring all the extroverted, group thinking types who copied each other's homework for your development team.
You know, the ones who were swapping media with the coding assignments on it 15 minutes before class instead of paying the dues of the late night hack sessions while in college.
I can already smell the stench of buggy, unmaintainable, inefficient, undocumented, crash prone expensive code from here.
But hey - at least you're creating jobs for us elitists. Because eventually, with an attitude like that, you're going to wind up on your knees, begging us to take your money and insane signing bonus to fix the mess you're going to create.