Either charge a subscription, or charge for the game, but don't ask me to pay twice.
Not sure how other MMORPGs work, but City of Heroes cost $50 for the first month of live playtime (non-beta). So, you can either look at it as the game was $50, and the first month is free, or the game was $35, and you paid for your first month. The montly fee was hard for me to accept as well, especially since most of my gaming has been either PC FPS (free) or console, but I went out for lunch one day and spent $15 on a meal I didn't like. That made me think I waste $15 here and there all the time, so why not use it for something that will entertain me over the course of a whole month?
I guess one reason to put a price on the initial purchase is to discourage people who just want to troll, etc from coming on board. It's not like they can fine your trolling, the worst they could do is disable your account, but if you didn't want to play anyway... I'm not kidding myself, I know the main reason they do this is to get your money.:)
I definitely like your idea of paying per time played with a cap at the monthly fee, though.:)
The public doesn't need to be blindsided by this a week before the election.
Call me crazy, but isn't a blindside being potentially avoiding by discussing it now? Of course, what comes of current discussions is what matters most...
Is it correct to assume, then, that this set will not contain the theatrical cut of the Matrix Reloaded? *sigh* I hate it when studios do stuff like that, although since this is the UK version, it doesn't affect me at this point.
With the LotR movies, I didn't even consider the theatrical cuts, but I guess I'm a little worried if the extra 55 minutes of Reloaded would be good or bad...?
I was speaking purely about the release of the television series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. This is being co-released (I believe) by Bandai and Manga Entertainment. AFAIK, they have no relationship with the MPAA for this release. If I'm wrong, oh well. I personally don't have much issue with the MPAA at the moment (RIAA annoys me, and although I haven't bought a CD in a year or two, I would still consider it).
I'm not sure of the specifics of how the movie industry works, but do they need to get involved with the MPAA in order to do a theatrical release? Just curious, and again, there's a difference between the TV series (Stand Alone Complex) and this movie. SAC is getting a home DVD release, and it might be shown on cable (perhaps Cartoon Network).
In defense of US anime companies, there are several forums where representatives from various anime studios interact directly with their customers, whether to talk about future releases, ways to improves their releases, etc. They are considerably more fan-friendly than the larger and more corporate organizations that everyone loves to hate.
As per things like region coding, here's the situation. A company will license from another company distribution rights for a show/movie/whatever for specific geographic or region zones. This company is supposed to only sell to certain people, based on their contract. The original creators of the work have a few concerns. They fear reverse importation, and they also want to be able to negotiate contracts with other regions/geographic zones. So, the region coding at times can be a necessary evil in the contract. I hate to say it, but that's the current state of affairs. You say you refuse to support such practices? Fine. But don't whine when it's not economically feasible for people to produce these forms of entertainment because the piracy is so rampant. If you're going to protest these companies, then protest their products completely. Nothing irks me more than someone who shows their protest by downloading and consuming as much as they can. Way to show the man! Not trying to say you are guilty of the above - you might be, you might now be.
And remember, these are forms of entertainment. They aren't denying food or the ability to live your life. You could argue they are affecting your rights, but come on, it's a movie (I won't go so far as to say it's a "cartoon," since most anime fans hate that:) If you don't like how they play, you simply don't have to play with them.
Or you can buy the retail version that comes out July 27th (in the US, region 1). Most of the US anime companies are very fan-friendly and do not carry the same practices as the RIAA/MPAA. Please support an industry that is fan-friendly.
Sometimes I wonder just how big a whimp these people are. They bitch and moan about poor working conditions in a cubicle that is both air conditioned, and quiet, all while other people in the world are slaving in the hot Georgia sun all day, digging ditches, cutting trees, raising cattle, paving roads, roofing houses, etc. Give me a break.
It's all relative. My dad owns several small retail stores, and he wants me to help out more, since some day, he'll leave them to me. I have a full-time, fairly demanding job in IT (which is why I post on./). Working at my dad's stores, I can appreciate my cushy IT job more.
The problem arises when you compare our positions to the positions of others. Let's take the boss for example. I've been on plenty of projects with ridiculous deadlines. I've literally worked 15-hour days and weekends in order for a project to hit a deadline. In hindsight, I'm not really sure why. But the biggest insult is when the boss leaves the office and says with a smile on his face, "don't work too hard!"
On another project (at a different company), we had a client that basically lied to us on when they needed an application finished by. We were already looking at a doomed project, and it got worse when suddenly we had 2 fewer months to finish it. Leave it to the almighty sales guy to start trying to blame the developers on this one. He even went so far as to try to volunteer people's personal time for the project, while he went on ski trips.
Those are the times I feel I'm being underpaid.:) So, there are definitely people who work harder than us IT folks, but there are also people who are in cushier positions than us. I think I saw someone post this on Slashdot a couple of years ago: "At the very best, your job will suck sometimes."
They'll sell more copies, but at less than half the amount they used to make - that's a nice hit to their profit margins.
Think big picture. Lots of people like to say that Sega's/Visual Concepts football game is superior to Madden, but Madden dominates because of name recognition, marketing, etc. By offering this low price, Sega is hoping more people will be exposed to their game. Then it's possible that people will see that their game is better, and they start changing their brand loyalty. At least that's my guess for some of the rationale behind these plans.
Disclaimer: I haven't played a console football game in a few years. And, of course, taste is subjective.
I never finished Buffy 2 on Xbox. What a joke. There was a point in the game where you need to pass a metal detector. You get around it by putting a specific item into a security tray (like when you put your keys in the tray at airport security). Anyway, this part of the game was driving me crazy. The problem? The code was written so that if this specific item wasn't in the tray, the sensors go off, and the security doors close. The problem was that I didn't even have this particular item on me. I shouldn't have been setting off the metal detector! Ugh, what an awful sequel to a great first game (and, yes, I was aware that they were two different development teams).
"What's in those messages could help determine whether the sex was consensual or whether Bryant is guilty of rape as charged."
His guilt is completely separate from those stupid messages.
Those "stupid messages" as you refer to them could shed a lot of light on the situation. A few possibilities:
1) text messages are consistent with what the defendant has been saying. Point for the prosecution, doesn't change things too much (IMO). Supporters of Bryant can argue that the text messages are there to help with the frame-up. Lots of legal stuff ensues.
2) text messages show the defendant boasting about sleeping with a celebrity or something along those lines. Major points for the defense. Shows inconsistencies in the defendent and behavior not consistent with someone who just went through a traumatic experience.
3) text messages are completely unrelated to the case.
The text messages are just another bit of evidence that can help push the case either way. If you don't want to rely on evidence for trials, what are you suggesting?
i know i'm gonna get flamed for this but actually, jar-jar is absolutely necessary to the story as it exists: nobody else is stupid enough to be palpatine's tool by suggesting giving palpatine emergency powers. w/out jar-jar, there's no emergency powers and hence, no clone wars. i happen to resent it, but that's the way i think it shakes out.
I was under the impression that all of the other senate members had fallen for Palpatine's plan, as well. I don't recall anyone opposing him. Granted, it could have been a situation where everyone was outwardly supportive, but perhaps had some internal reservations and couldn't really muster the political support to oppose him.
Anyway, something to keep in mind is that Palpatine pretty much tricks everyone. The senate, the Jedi Council, even people that are supposedly his allies. If he didn't use Jar-Jar, he'd have just used someone else.
But I understand your point. When I was in the theater, I had to chuckle to myself at the thought that it was basically all Jar-Jar's fault.:)
There was a Slashdot article a while back about a guy who actually wanted more spam. So, people like Mr. Orlando Soto are the reason why the rest of us must suffer.:)
Mr. Soto routinely comes home to some 150 e-mail pitches, and he loves getting them all. The 45-year-old grandfather opens most of them. He answers spam questionnaires. And he buys stuff pitched in spam e-mail -- again and again. "Everyday people call it spam," says Mr. Soto, who prefers calling it "unsolicited" e-mail. "But I'm open to everything."
Why is it concerned acceptable in modern society to preach about God, but questioning God is so offensive?
Not sure how much of your post is joke, and how much is opinion hidden in joke... but you know, it's kind of funny. I think it's a matter of perspective. I think people are generally more aware of opposing viewpoints than they are of similar ones. I'm a Christian who kind of had a crisis of faith a few years ago. But I've actually had the impression over the last few years that there's a growing resentment towards the Church. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of stuff that's wrong with the Church and it's followers. But I actually think it's become somewhat fashionable to bash religion. Watch late-night television, and you'll see plenty of Christian-bashing. You'll see a host of some celebrity say something negative about God or Christians, and the crowd will roar with approval.
And why is this? I think it's because the most vocal and visible "Christians" are actually horrible examples. Remember, just because someone says they are a Christian doesn't mean they are one. Case in point, lots of people like to point out George W. Bush's faith. The thing is, he's done and said things that I consider awful. One particular quote is the one where he says something like he's not sure if he could consider someone who wasn't a Christian to be a citizen/patriot. I mean, come on... we're basically in a situation where people are using really poor examples to define a religion (not trying to say this is unique to Christianity). Anyway, I probably shouldn't be trying to say he's not really Christian (who am I to judge, and it's not like I really know the guy), but he has said plenty of stupid things, and it bothers me that people use him as an example of how close-minded Christians are.
Anyway, just wanted to speak up a little. Even in my workplace, there are a few people that are very disdainful of Christianity and are pretty open about it. The thing is, if they said the same stuff about another religion, they'd be labeled as being prejudiced and/or close-minded. But since they're bashing Christianity, they're free-thinkers.
Oh, and for the record, I'm not so oblivious that I'm unaware that there is also bashing in the other direction. Like I said, I think a lot oof it is perspective, and I think people are more conscious of when their viewpoint is being attacked.
I believe people are seeking an answer to the question of where these batteries wil eventually end up. Even if they are "long-life" batteries, they will eventually no longer be used. It doesn't matter if it takes 30 years until they get tossed into a landfill and leak harmful chemicals, they would still be harmful to the environment. It's just a matter of delaying the issue, rather than solving it.
So, if anyone knows what's supposed to happen to these batteries in the long-term, please share.
If you go to college or university, you're expected to work hard because you're getting an education. This is where the hard work and perseverence is applicable, because you're paying for an education.
With gaming, it's totally different. You're paying for entertainment, and the expectation here is that you're going to be entertained. Difficulty and rewards versus how much you put in shouldn't be dictated by how skilled you are. Sure, there are basic skill requirements for any game, but the objective isn't to weed out those unfit for, what, the sequel? I've paid for my game, I've paid to be entertained, I don't need to be weeded out because I can't afford to put in 4 hours a day trying to figure out how to get past [insert stupid crazy button press combo/timing crud here].
Hmm, you know, your education/entertainment is actually working in the opposite direction for me. When you pay for your education, the institution is responsible for teaching you, but it will also require work on your part. The more you put into it, the more you will likely get out of it. I think the same works for video games (within reason of course, there are games that will suck no matter what).
Think about online games. While there are cases where some people are just naturally more skilled than others, in a lot of cases, people get better putting more time into it. They practice. It might not be fun at first, but hopefully it is.
The biggest issue is probably priorities. Unfortunately (or some may view it as fortunately), you don't have as much time for games. That probably means that you just need to be more selective than others with what you do with your free time, especially in game selection. I don't think game developers need to appease everyone in their game design. They just need to figure out who their target audience is, and then go with that.
Oh, and one final tangent. What about movies? You're paying for entertainment in that case, too. The movie studio or theater doesn't guarantee that you will be entertained. If you thought the movie sucked, they won't give you a refund or a remake of the movie into something you'd enjoy more. You'd probably start to learn, though, that you might prefer certain actors, directors, movie franchises, genres, etc. The same can probably be applied to video games ("Wow, I love Shigeru Miyamoto!" "Ugh, there hasn't been a good Castlevania game in ages!" etc). You can't expect something like a guarantee on something as subjective as entertainment.
And you will learn it, and employers will not give a shit, because they just want to connect a webserver to a database, which is not science...
I agree with you, but only to a point. In most cases, your employers will just care that it's done on time and under budget. But what happens when system performance is not acceptable? That's when you've got to figure some things out. Look for performance bottlenecks, etc. Times like this are when a math background (and I consider algorithms to be math) will be a life-saver.
Just looking at my co-workers, there are some who have strong math backgrounds. There are others with pretty minimal backgrounds, and it really shows in their code and problem-solving abilities. And guess who my boss has more faith in?
As a side note, I'm not saying that any of this requires formal education. You can learn a lot of this stuff on your own, if need be. It's just that if you've been to school, there's a hope you had to get through these classes and at least some of it stuck.
I'd have to agree that you should stay in school. I got into computers very late. I took a web development class my senior year of college, and I fell in love with it. I could have gotten swept up in the dot-com rush, but I decided I wanted more formal education. I ended up with a Master's in CS. From what I heard, the Master's will be worth an extra $10k in salary or so. I'm not sure what the difference between a associate's degree and a bachelor's is, though.
The education in things like algorithms and design really helped me to improve my skills. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that having a formal education automatically makes you better than someone without one, but it can help. Also, employers will put a lot more value on someone with a degree, and the higher the degree, the more they will think of you (it's up to you to prove them right). When you are applying for jobs, the first hurdle you must usually overcome is the people in HR (human resources). These people will just check for certain key prts of your resume, and one of them will be education level. There are lots of jobs out there where they will list some minimum level of education.
The other reason I'd suggest you stay in school is that it's entirely possible you'll find something else you'll enjoy more than computers. Am I saying you'd cut computers out of your life? Not at all. But it's possible you could find something else you enjoy, and use your knowledge of computers to enhance that.
Another point is that I believe it's very difficult to work full-time and go to school. I know people do it all the time, but most people probably end up not being able to give the effort they could have if they were focusing on one thing.
If you're worried about money or work experience, you should look around for part-time jobs and internships. You can usually find places who are looking for computer people to help them out.
I guess one final thing to consider is what you think of this opportunity. From what you described, it sounds like a pretty normal job. Now, if you said the opportunity was with the NSA, Google, or some other cool/neat/interesting place to work, then it'd make the decision harder to make, IMO.
But take my opinion (and the opinion of others) with a grain of salt. Good luck!:)
Accenture non-consulting roles start out in the mid/high 20's for technical positions, from what I've heard.
Just out of curiosity, what are these technical non-consulting roles (responsibilites, job title, qualifications, etc)? I've heard that Accenture is one of the outsourcing leaders, but I was also under the impression they still have money (maybe a gross assumption on my part). For them to be paying below $30k per year leaves me scratching my head.
In a supposedly down economy, where people are losing jobs left and right, how do we come up with the cash and time to buy both PC games and consoles?
As another poster pointed out, one fact is that while unemployment is high, there are still a good number of people with jobs.
The other thing to factor in, though, is that in the US, most people aren't as financially responsible as they should be. We love using our credit cards to spend money we don't have. It almost seems as if we think there's something wrong with saving money in this country. And our federal government is leading the charge.... Last time I heard numbers, the reports indicated that over 50% of households live paycheck-to-paycheck. Now, there are probably some people who are spending their money on essentials, but I imagine there are more than a few people spending beyond their means on leisure items, such as a video games.
Is that why I have two loyalty cards on my keyring and three more in my wallet?
No, you have them because you voluntarily signed up for them, to get some type of benefit, such as discounts on purchases. No one is forcing you to use them.
I've been to stores where they ask if I have my card with me. If I say I forgot it, the checkout person will sometimes just use a card they have at the register with them to give me the discounts.
I'm not particularly paranoid about this stuff, although the rest of you are more than welcome to be.:)
Spielberg, because he no longer has to listen to what other producers in hollywood say about his projects, is very similar to an independent film producer.
While I agree with you that Spielberg has enough clout to do things in his own vision, who was the last independent filmmaker whose film felt somewhat like a 2-hour advertisement for companies like Lexus, the Gap, Bulgari, etc? (this coming from someone who actually enjoyed Minority Report, despite all of the commercial push in it).
The damn tape wouldnt come off. I uses a wet sponge and tried to remove the tape, but scratched the surface of the dvd player.
Sometimes using nail polish remover will get rid of tape residue. I haven't taken organic chemistry in years, but I believe you need a like solvent to dissolve the "gunk."
Actually, I believe that the French government said it would have to reconsider support for the entrance of several European nations into the EU based on their support of the US and the Iraq war. Not sure if anything really came of this, or if it was just posturing. Anyway, I'm not trying to say who was right on the Iraq war issue, but I think it's safe to say the world is full of jerks, especially among our leaders.:)
Encyclopedias hold a special place in my heart. When I was entering college, some of my older relatives decided to dump, excuse me, bless me with their collection of encyclopedias from the early 80s. Ah, yes, these 15 year old fountains of knowledge would really be a blessing for me to get the most out of my college education.
Years later, as I was cleaning out the house, I came across a dusty pile of now 20-year old encyclopedias. I was going to throw them out, but then said relatives looked on me with disdain, at how I was throwing away their precious gifts. They said they would take them, rather than allow them to be thrown away. 2 months later, when they never came to pick them up, I threw them out. And they've never asked about them again. Although, knowing these relatives, they'd probably demand I pay them the "fair" value of the books. So, not what they'd be worth to someone who lives in the real world (absolutely nothing), but the price they paid for the books + interest + inflation. Gotta love family...
Slashdot Mirror
Not sure how other MMORPGs work, but City of Heroes cost $50 for the first month of live playtime (non-beta). So, you can either look at it as the game was $50, and the first month is free, or the game was $35, and you paid for your first month. The montly fee was hard for me to accept as well, especially since most of my gaming has been either PC FPS (free) or console, but I went out for lunch one day and spent $15 on a meal I didn't like. That made me think I waste $15 here and there all the time, so why not use it for something that will entertain me over the course of a whole month?
I guess one reason to put a price on the initial purchase is to discourage people who just want to troll, etc from coming on board. It's not like they can fine your trolling, the worst they could do is disable your account, but if you didn't want to play anyway... I'm not kidding myself, I know the main reason they do this is to get your money. :)
I definitely like your idea of paying per time played with a cap at the monthly fee, though. :)
Call me crazy, but isn't a blindside being potentially avoiding by discussing it now? Of course, what comes of current discussions is what matters most...
Is it correct to assume, then, that this set will not contain the theatrical cut of the Matrix Reloaded? *sigh* I hate it when studios do stuff like that, although since this is the UK version, it doesn't affect me at this point.
With the LotR movies, I didn't even consider the theatrical cuts, but I guess I'm a little worried if the extra 55 minutes of Reloaded would be good or bad...?
I was speaking purely about the release of the television series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. This is being co-released (I believe) by Bandai and Manga Entertainment. AFAIK, they have no relationship with the MPAA for this release. If I'm wrong, oh well. I personally don't have much issue with the MPAA at the moment (RIAA annoys me, and although I haven't bought a CD in a year or two, I would still consider it).
I'm not sure of the specifics of how the movie industry works, but do they need to get involved with the MPAA in order to do a theatrical release? Just curious, and again, there's a difference between the TV series (Stand Alone Complex) and this movie. SAC is getting a home DVD release, and it might be shown on cable (perhaps Cartoon Network).
In defense of US anime companies, there are several forums where representatives from various anime studios interact directly with their customers, whether to talk about future releases, ways to improves their releases, etc. They are considerably more fan-friendly than the larger and more corporate organizations that everyone loves to hate.
As per things like region coding, here's the situation. A company will license from another company distribution rights for a show/movie/whatever for specific geographic or region zones. This company is supposed to only sell to certain people, based on their contract. The original creators of the work have a few concerns. They fear reverse importation, and they also want to be able to negotiate contracts with other regions/geographic zones. So, the region coding at times can be a necessary evil in the contract. I hate to say it, but that's the current state of affairs. You say you refuse to support such practices? Fine. But don't whine when it's not economically feasible for people to produce these forms of entertainment because the piracy is so rampant. If you're going to protest these companies, then protest their products completely. Nothing irks me more than someone who shows their protest by downloading and consuming as much as they can. Way to show the man! Not trying to say you are guilty of the above - you might be, you might now be.
And remember, these are forms of entertainment. They aren't denying food or the ability to live your life. You could argue they are affecting your rights, but come on, it's a movie (I won't go so far as to say it's a "cartoon," since most anime fans hate that :) If you don't like how they play, you simply don't have to play with them.
Or you can buy the retail version that comes out July 27th (in the US, region 1). Most of the US anime companies are very fan-friendly and do not carry the same practices as the RIAA/MPAA. Please support an industry that is fan-friendly.
It's all relative. My dad owns several small retail stores, and he wants me to help out more, since some day, he'll leave them to me. I have a full-time, fairly demanding job in IT (which is why I post on ./). Working at my dad's stores, I can appreciate my cushy IT job more.
The problem arises when you compare our positions to the positions of others. Let's take the boss for example. I've been on plenty of projects with ridiculous deadlines. I've literally worked 15-hour days and weekends in order for a project to hit a deadline. In hindsight, I'm not really sure why. But the biggest insult is when the boss leaves the office and says with a smile on his face, "don't work too hard!"
On another project (at a different company), we had a client that basically lied to us on when they needed an application finished by. We were already looking at a doomed project, and it got worse when suddenly we had 2 fewer months to finish it. Leave it to the almighty sales guy to start trying to blame the developers on this one. He even went so far as to try to volunteer people's personal time for the project, while he went on ski trips.
Those are the times I feel I'm being underpaid. :) So, there are definitely people who work harder than us IT folks, but there are also people who are in cushier positions than us. I think I saw someone post this on Slashdot a couple of years ago: "At the very best, your job will suck sometimes."
Think big picture. Lots of people like to say that Sega's/Visual Concepts football game is superior to Madden, but Madden dominates because of name recognition, marketing, etc. By offering this low price, Sega is hoping more people will be exposed to their game. Then it's possible that people will see that their game is better, and they start changing their brand loyalty. At least that's my guess for some of the rationale behind these plans.
Disclaimer: I haven't played a console football game in a few years. And, of course, taste is subjective.
I never finished Buffy 2 on Xbox. What a joke. There was a point in the game where you need to pass a metal detector. You get around it by putting a specific item into a security tray (like when you put your keys in the tray at airport security). Anyway, this part of the game was driving me crazy. The problem? The code was written so that if this specific item wasn't in the tray, the sensors go off, and the security doors close. The problem was that I didn't even have this particular item on me. I shouldn't have been setting off the metal detector! Ugh, what an awful sequel to a great first game (and, yes, I was aware that they were two different development teams).
heh, you are correct. I was kind of preoccupied with spelling ("defendent" vs. "defendant" - and it turns out I spelled it both ways). :P
Those "stupid messages" as you refer to them could shed a lot of light on the situation. A few possibilities:
1) text messages are consistent with what the defendant has been saying. Point for the prosecution, doesn't change things too much (IMO). Supporters of Bryant can argue that the text messages are there to help with the frame-up. Lots of legal stuff ensues.
2) text messages show the defendant boasting about sleeping with a celebrity or something along those lines. Major points for the defense. Shows inconsistencies in the defendent and behavior not consistent with someone who just went through a traumatic experience.
3) text messages are completely unrelated to the case.
The text messages are just another bit of evidence that can help push the case either way. If you don't want to rely on evidence for trials, what are you suggesting?
I was under the impression that all of the other senate members had fallen for Palpatine's plan, as well. I don't recall anyone opposing him. Granted, it could have been a situation where everyone was outwardly supportive, but perhaps had some internal reservations and couldn't really muster the political support to oppose him.
Anyway, something to keep in mind is that Palpatine pretty much tricks everyone. The senate, the Jedi Council, even people that are supposedly his allies. If he didn't use Jar-Jar, he'd have just used someone else.
But I understand your point. When I was in the theater, I had to chuckle to myself at the thought that it was basically all Jar-Jar's fault. :)
There was a Slashdot article a while back about a guy who actually wanted more spam. So, people like Mr. Orlando Soto are the reason why the rest of us must suffer. :)
Not sure how much of your post is joke, and how much is opinion hidden in joke... but you know, it's kind of funny. I think it's a matter of perspective. I think people are generally more aware of opposing viewpoints than they are of similar ones. I'm a Christian who kind of had a crisis of faith a few years ago. But I've actually had the impression over the last few years that there's a growing resentment towards the Church. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of stuff that's wrong with the Church and it's followers. But I actually think it's become somewhat fashionable to bash religion. Watch late-night television, and you'll see plenty of Christian-bashing. You'll see a host of some celebrity say something negative about God or Christians, and the crowd will roar with approval.
And why is this? I think it's because the most vocal and visible "Christians" are actually horrible examples. Remember, just because someone says they are a Christian doesn't mean they are one. Case in point, lots of people like to point out George W. Bush's faith. The thing is, he's done and said things that I consider awful. One particular quote is the one where he says something like he's not sure if he could consider someone who wasn't a Christian to be a citizen/patriot. I mean, come on... we're basically in a situation where people are using really poor examples to define a religion (not trying to say this is unique to Christianity). Anyway, I probably shouldn't be trying to say he's not really Christian (who am I to judge, and it's not like I really know the guy), but he has said plenty of stupid things, and it bothers me that people use him as an example of how close-minded Christians are.
Anyway, just wanted to speak up a little. Even in my workplace, there are a few people that are very disdainful of Christianity and are pretty open about it. The thing is, if they said the same stuff about another religion, they'd be labeled as being prejudiced and/or close-minded. But since they're bashing Christianity, they're free-thinkers.
Oh, and for the record, I'm not so oblivious that I'm unaware that there is also bashing in the other direction. Like I said, I think a lot oof it is perspective, and I think people are more conscious of when their viewpoint is being attacked.
I believe people are seeking an answer to the question of where these batteries wil eventually end up. Even if they are "long-life" batteries, they will eventually no longer be used. It doesn't matter if it takes 30 years until they get tossed into a landfill and leak harmful chemicals, they would still be harmful to the environment. It's just a matter of delaying the issue, rather than solving it.
So, if anyone knows what's supposed to happen to these batteries in the long-term, please share.
Hmm, you know, your education/entertainment is actually working in the opposite direction for me. When you pay for your education, the institution is responsible for teaching you, but it will also require work on your part. The more you put into it, the more you will likely get out of it. I think the same works for video games (within reason of course, there are games that will suck no matter what).
Think about online games. While there are cases where some people are just naturally more skilled than others, in a lot of cases, people get better putting more time into it. They practice. It might not be fun at first, but hopefully it is.
The biggest issue is probably priorities. Unfortunately (or some may view it as fortunately), you don't have as much time for games. That probably means that you just need to be more selective than others with what you do with your free time, especially in game selection. I don't think game developers need to appease everyone in their game design. They just need to figure out who their target audience is, and then go with that.
Oh, and one final tangent. What about movies? You're paying for entertainment in that case, too. The movie studio or theater doesn't guarantee that you will be entertained. If you thought the movie sucked, they won't give you a refund or a remake of the movie into something you'd enjoy more. You'd probably start to learn, though, that you might prefer certain actors, directors, movie franchises, genres, etc. The same can probably be applied to video games ("Wow, I love Shigeru Miyamoto!" "Ugh, there hasn't been a good Castlevania game in ages!" etc). You can't expect something like a guarantee on something as subjective as entertainment.
I agree with you, but only to a point. In most cases, your employers will just care that it's done on time and under budget. But what happens when system performance is not acceptable? That's when you've got to figure some things out. Look for performance bottlenecks, etc. Times like this are when a math background (and I consider algorithms to be math) will be a life-saver.
Just looking at my co-workers, there are some who have strong math backgrounds. There are others with pretty minimal backgrounds, and it really shows in their code and problem-solving abilities. And guess who my boss has more faith in?
As a side note, I'm not saying that any of this requires formal education. You can learn a lot of this stuff on your own, if need be. It's just that if you've been to school, there's a hope you had to get through these classes and at least some of it stuck.
I'd have to agree that you should stay in school. I got into computers very late. I took a web development class my senior year of college, and I fell in love with it. I could have gotten swept up in the dot-com rush, but I decided I wanted more formal education. I ended up with a Master's in CS. From what I heard, the Master's will be worth an extra $10k in salary or so. I'm not sure what the difference between a associate's degree and a bachelor's is, though.
The education in things like algorithms and design really helped me to improve my skills. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that having a formal education automatically makes you better than someone without one, but it can help. Also, employers will put a lot more value on someone with a degree, and the higher the degree, the more they will think of you (it's up to you to prove them right). When you are applying for jobs, the first hurdle you must usually overcome is the people in HR (human resources). These people will just check for certain key prts of your resume, and one of them will be education level. There are lots of jobs out there where they will list some minimum level of education.
The other reason I'd suggest you stay in school is that it's entirely possible you'll find something else you'll enjoy more than computers. Am I saying you'd cut computers out of your life? Not at all. But it's possible you could find something else you enjoy, and use your knowledge of computers to enhance that.
Another point is that I believe it's very difficult to work full-time and go to school. I know people do it all the time, but most people probably end up not being able to give the effort they could have if they were focusing on one thing.
If you're worried about money or work experience, you should look around for part-time jobs and internships. You can usually find places who are looking for computer people to help them out.
I guess one final thing to consider is what you think of this opportunity. From what you described, it sounds like a pretty normal job. Now, if you said the opportunity was with the NSA, Google, or some other cool/neat/interesting place to work, then it'd make the decision harder to make, IMO.
But take my opinion (and the opinion of others) with a grain of salt. Good luck! :)
Just out of curiosity, what are these technical non-consulting roles (responsibilites, job title, qualifications, etc)? I've heard that Accenture is one of the outsourcing leaders, but I was also under the impression they still have money (maybe a gross assumption on my part). For them to be paying below $30k per year leaves me scratching my head.
The first volume of Invader Zim will be released on May 11, 2004. It is being released my Media Blasters, a US anime company. :)
(BTW, as of this posting, their site seemed to be having some problems).
As another poster pointed out, one fact is that while unemployment is high, there are still a good number of people with jobs.
The other thing to factor in, though, is that in the US, most people aren't as financially responsible as they should be. We love using our credit cards to spend money we don't have. It almost seems as if we think there's something wrong with saving money in this country. And our federal government is leading the charge.... Last time I heard numbers, the reports indicated that over 50% of households live paycheck-to-paycheck. Now, there are probably some people who are spending their money on essentials, but I imagine there are more than a few people spending beyond their means on leisure items, such as a video games.
No, you have them because you voluntarily signed up for them, to get some type of benefit, such as discounts on purchases. No one is forcing you to use them.
I've been to stores where they ask if I have my card with me. If I say I forgot it, the checkout person will sometimes just use a card they have at the register with them to give me the discounts.
I'm not particularly paranoid about this stuff, although the rest of you are more than welcome to be. :)
While I agree with you that Spielberg has enough clout to do things in his own vision, who was the last independent filmmaker whose film felt somewhat like a 2-hour advertisement for companies like Lexus, the Gap, Bulgari, etc? (this coming from someone who actually enjoyed Minority Report, despite all of the commercial push in it).
Sometimes using nail polish remover will get rid of tape residue. I haven't taken organic chemistry in years, but I believe you need a like solvent to dissolve the "gunk."
Actually, I believe that the French government said it would have to reconsider support for the entrance of several European nations into the EU based on their support of the US and the Iraq war. Not sure if anything really came of this, or if it was just posturing. Anyway, I'm not trying to say who was right on the Iraq war issue, but I think it's safe to say the world is full of jerks, especially among our leaders. :)
Encyclopedias hold a special place in my heart. When I was entering college, some of my older relatives decided to dump, excuse me, bless me with their collection of encyclopedias from the early 80s. Ah, yes, these 15 year old fountains of knowledge would really be a blessing for me to get the most out of my college education.
Years later, as I was cleaning out the house, I came across a dusty pile of now 20-year old encyclopedias. I was going to throw them out, but then said relatives looked on me with disdain, at how I was throwing away their precious gifts. They said they would take them, rather than allow them to be thrown away. 2 months later, when they never came to pick them up, I threw them out. And they've never asked about them again. Although, knowing these relatives, they'd probably demand I pay them the "fair" value of the books. So, not what they'd be worth to someone who lives in the real world (absolutely nothing), but the price they paid for the books + interest + inflation. Gotta love family...