So AdSense is a Google-powered ad-matching service but it isn't used on Google's own sites? That is a different kettle of fish then.
Still, it seems to me that Google is at least trying to use their comprehensive surfing database to make the web better. Does make me wonder if in 3 years or so, Brin or Page will rip off a mask and reveal our new meta-search overlords...
* Everyone knew what Google had planned for the GMail archives (other logs/files notwithstanding) and were OK with it in exchange for mail serach, capacity, and easy-on-the-eyes text ads
* Isn't this nearly the same thing as AdSense anyway? How is using the logs to set up advertising links any different than how it works now with AdSense?
* Everyone was cool with Google because of how their ads are clearly ads, and are simple texty affairs. If this model provides them the funding they need to be the awesome free service they are, what do you care?
The people who think an SP is just too bulky and clamor for the Micro probably live in a standard Xbox controller, right?
Seriously, for me, the SP is about as small as I can stand handgrip-wise. I know this Micro returns to the GBA formfactor, but why? The SP seems to be the right balance of size, heft, and comfort. And screen visibility/legibility.
But in geek fashion, I have lots of toys on and around it: Several Matchbox cars racing around on the case, a number of the SW Ep I happy meal toys around the monitor, a monkey and all sorts of cables.
A while back, I was here on a weekend and popped open a Coke from my mini-fridge. I took a sip, walked to the kitchen, came back, took another sip, and *whoosh*. A live spider had climbed in and I almst swallowed him. In my shock, I spewed EVERYWHERE without thinking about safer targets.
Took me over half an hour to get the Coke off everything...
Except that there's a difference between Clone troopers and Stormtroopers. By EpIV, troopers are regular enlisted dudes.
IIRC, one of the SW flight sim games (Tie Fighter?) had a recruitment ad in it.
Think of it this way, if they were still using Jango clones, Leia wouldn't have thought Luke was a little short. She'd have immediately assumed something was wrong.
Funny, I've been thinking about this too. How about a fourth GTA player (like me)?
D. Player D wants to complete the game, unlock all extras, etc. but does so by confining violence to clearly-marked enemy combatants. No Carmageddon here!
In gaming, I generally have no problem killing the "villains" as long as there's context for it. Yes, urban gang warfare isn't the same as a declared war between nations, but the concept stands.
I'm not sure if I agree with "The role you play in a game is something you'd like to experience." You make sense, but I don't see it as the only possibility. I play games to escape or to vent. I have no desire to shoot random individuals, fight in a war, race cars through buildings IRL. It's fun to role-play though, and to experience a variety of situations, even if simulated.
They did, but from the exterior receding shot. It's barely audible. Kinda like how the movie was barely tolerable.
My wife and I saw it Friday night. She's not a H2G2 fan, and hated the movie (i.e., it failed to interest her and gain a new fan). I was so-so about it. i think they did a respectable job condensing a book into a movie, but it felt too clinical.
The zaniness just wasn't there.
Plus, this Zaphod sucked huge. I wanted to kill him five minutes in. What happened to egomaniacal playboy doofus? That's how I see 'im.
Heh, I knew I should have footnoted "legalese". I meant more in the sense of obfuscated statements, not linked in an table of contents...
How many people who use "free" websites (sites NOT requiring registration) ever read the ToS? I don't. I doubt the "average surfer" would either. On a reg-required site, make it a bullet-point on the screen stating that there's T & C's.
As for who pays for the site, obviously its owner thought he could afford it if he put it up. He may have been counting on x ad impressions or y ad dollars, but he should also expect higher readership than purchasers. That's just normal.
Again, sites REQUIRING payment I don't frequent. Atlas-F1 used to be a bit of both (race results, boards free, in-depth reporting, photo galleries paid). They got bought and are pay only. I quit going. If/. goes pay-only, I'll be off to News.com.com.com. Prolly get more work done too.
My general take on advertising for products and services is simple. I don't give a rip how well you clean carpets, pave driveways, lend money, etc. When I *need* a service, I'll research it. I certainly wouldn't get a card on one or two ad mailings alone!
Now, I'll be honest here. When it comes to entertainment (movie previews, new game ads, etc.) I don't mind those. Especially when it comes from niche publishers or overseas.
The cost of TV goes up regardless...my cable bill hasn't decreased in years. And every channel I wacth has ads on it. One or the other, people!
No, I meant that cable theft is illegal, whereas bypassing adverts is still an ethical dilemma.
If your website includes a clear TOS stating that ads must be left in place in order to access the site, then I'll have to decide if that's worth it to me. But by "clear TOS" I mean an up-front statement, not something buried deep in legalese.
My problem with demanding advert acceptance on websites is that I don't accept it with other media. Snail mail adverts? Trash. Commercials on TV? Click-click. Radio ads? I got an MP3 player because I couldn't take them anymore. Plus the music selection is better.
No it doesn't. Compare a PSone with the LCD screen attached with a PSP. Night-n-day.
Yes, it's not PS2 quality (yet, let's see what happens if Sony lifts the speed cap), but if they provided A/V out, I bet it'd look pretty good on a normal TV.
Then again, what I want is A/V in so I can use my PSP as a Handycam monitor, extra screen for in-car DVD, etc...
GTRacer
- Not planning on buying UMD's anyway
Re:Such Innovation In a Time of Little
on
We Love Katamari
·
· Score: 1
Actually, my immediate purchase of the game is all Penny Arcade's fault. I read a few quick reviews to confirm my assumptions and then ran out and got it.
It really is as neat as they say, as long as you're a little open-minded. And the graphics aren't crap. They're simple and stylized, and they break down as the katamari grows, but they do their job well.
Battle mode bit, so any improvement there will be welcome, especially since my kids like to play too.
GTRacer
- B & B missed a golden opportunity to review the sticky balls game
I don't know if these situations are equivalent, but I suspect they are: In Florida, we went with a state lottery with some proceeds going to education. Many of the jackpot billboards have "$X.XX Billion to Education since 1994" or somesuch on them.
Sounds awesome, right? Turns out once the lottery money started pouring in, the legislature began reducing the education budget. Last I heard, the actual total dollar value going into education (at least in my city) has remained fairly flat.
No, I don't have any hard numbers to back this up, but I do know some teachers and my wife worked at the school board.
Anyway, I said all that to equate it to "free" TV and the like. Do you really think they're not simply replacing their money with ad dollars, or worse, being wasteful with their money? I get sick of seeing movie prices/game tickets/etc. go up because they feel it's OK to pay the next big thing 20 mil for one film/season/etc.?
As for the original question:
Yes, it does break a social contract. But one I feel is immoral and therefore unenforceable. At any rate, I don't give a rip. I use Proxo, and I do so gladly and without regret.
If some website figures out I'm adblocking and decides to cut my access (don't get any ideas,/.) I'll move on.
I quit visiting several gaming and sports sites when they went pay-only. There's other places to get good info for free, and not just online.
eX-box
whY-box
zZz-box
made for an unappealing sequence.
GTRacer
- Hopes that "leaked" PS3 pic is bogus...
Re:I would find this useful...
on
IRC On The PSP
·
· Score: 1
I'm partial to the way Beyond Good & Evil did it - an endless spiral that you spin with the stick (literally - it's rotation, not direction that moves it, and you can go fast or slow). It seems like a good compromise between input speed and control simplicity.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm not sure what planet has nerd criteria that Tiger fits into, but I know I don't want to go there.
If he's now a nerd, what possible hope do *I* have left?
GTRacer
- Prefers "geek", actually
Movies
Music
Games
Mixed-media content
Software updates
Yes, pretty much any media these days can hold anything on it - it's all just ones and zeroes anymore.
GTRacer
- Where's my Shounen no GT?
Ahhh, summer science camp complete with scary-movie night and rocket-launching day!
GTRacer
- Had the hair, but never could head-bang
So AdSense is a Google-powered ad-matching service but it isn't used on Google's own sites? That is a different kettle of fish then.
Still, it seems to me that Google is at least trying to use their comprehensive surfing database to make the web better. Does make me wonder if in 3 years or so, Brin or Page will rip off a mask and reveal our new meta-search overlords...
GTRacer
- Simpsons = Cultural history
* Everyone knew what Google had planned for the GMail archives (other logs/files notwithstanding) and were OK with it in exchange for mail serach, capacity, and easy-on-the-eyes text ads
* Isn't this nearly the same thing as AdSense anyway? How is using the logs to set up advertising links any different than how it works now with AdSense?
* Everyone was cool with Google because of how their ads are clearly ads, and are simple texty affairs. If this model provides them the funding they need to be the awesome free service they are, what do you care?
GTRacer
- How is long memory a bad thing again?
Not disagreeing on the minimum service requirements, but I'm curious about your contempt for VoIP companies.
GTRacer
- Heard at SW3 screening last night: "Anakin turns into Darth Vader?!"
Right?
GTRacer
- ewww
Seriously, for me, the SP is about as small as I can stand handgrip-wise. I know this Micro returns to the GBA formfactor, but why? The SP seems to be the right balance of size, heft, and comfort. And screen visibility/legibility.
GTRacer
- What's in your wallet?
But in geek fashion, I have lots of toys on and around it: Several Matchbox cars racing around on the case, a number of the SW Ep I happy meal toys around the monitor, a monkey and all sorts of cables.
A while back, I was here on a weekend and popped open a Coke from my mini-fridge. I took a sip, walked to the kitchen, came back, took another sip, and *whoosh*. A live spider had climbed in and I almst swallowed him. In my shock, I spewed EVERYWHERE without thinking about safer targets.
Took me over half an hour to get the Coke off everything...
GTRacer
- Moral of story: Don't work weekends.
IIRC, one of the SW flight sim games (Tie Fighter?) had a recruitment ad in it.
Think of it this way, if they were still using Jango clones, Leia wouldn't have thought Luke was a little short. She'd have immediately assumed something was wrong.
GTRacer
- This is not the sig you're looking for
G4 is rapidly circling the drain
GTRacer
- Leaves Webb-surfing jokes to others
GTRacer
- Pizza Pizza (I miss that place)
D. Player D wants to complete the game, unlock all extras, etc. but does so by confining violence to clearly-marked enemy combatants. No Carmageddon here!
In gaming, I generally have no problem killing the "villains" as long as there's context for it. Yes, urban gang warfare isn't the same as a declared war between nations, but the concept stands.
I'm not sure if I agree with "The role you play in a game is something you'd like to experience." You make sense, but I don't see it as the only possibility. I play games to escape or to vent. I have no desire to shoot random individuals, fight in a war, race cars through buildings IRL. It's fun to role-play though, and to experience a variety of situations, even if simulated.
GTRacer
- Gran Turismo makes me speed
They did, but from the exterior receding shot. It's barely audible. Kinda like how the movie was barely tolerable.
My wife and I saw it Friday night. She's not a H2G2 fan, and hated the movie (i.e., it failed to interest her and gain a new fan). I was so-so about it. i think they did a respectable job condensing a book into a movie, but it felt too clinical.
The zaniness just wasn't there.
Plus, this Zaphod sucked huge. I wanted to kill him five minutes in. What happened to egomaniacal playboy doofus? That's how I see 'im.
GTRacer
- ROTS better not do this too
How many people who use "free" websites (sites NOT requiring registration) ever read the ToS? I don't. I doubt the "average surfer" would either. On a reg-required site, make it a bullet-point on the screen stating that there's T & C's.
As for who pays for the site, obviously its owner thought he could afford it if he put it up. He may have been counting on x ad impressions or y ad dollars, but he should also expect higher readership than purchasers. That's just normal.
Again, sites REQUIRING payment I don't frequent. Atlas-F1 used to be a bit of both (race results, boards free, in-depth reporting, photo galleries paid). They got bought and are pay only. I quit going. If /. goes pay-only, I'll be off to News.com.com.com. Prolly get more work done too.
My general take on advertising for products and services is simple. I don't give a rip how well you clean carpets, pave driveways, lend money, etc. When I *need* a service, I'll research it. I certainly wouldn't get a card on one or two ad mailings alone!
Now, I'll be honest here. When it comes to entertainment (movie previews, new game ads, etc.) I don't mind those. Especially when it comes from niche publishers or overseas.
The cost of TV goes up regardless...my cable bill hasn't decreased in years. And every channel I wacth has ads on it. One or the other, people!
GTRacer
- You're up...
If your website includes a clear TOS stating that ads must be left in place in order to access the site, then I'll have to decide if that's worth it to me. But by "clear TOS" I mean an up-front statement, not something buried deep in legalese.
My problem with demanding advert acceptance on websites is that I don't accept it with other media. Snail mail adverts? Trash. Commercials on TV? Click-click. Radio ads? I got an MP3 player because I couldn't take them anymore. Plus the music selection is better.
GTRacer
- Debating is fun
Yes, it's not PS2 quality (yet, let's see what happens if Sony lifts the speed cap), but if they provided A/V out, I bet it'd look pretty good on a normal TV.
Then again, what I want is A/V in so I can use my PSP as a Handycam monitor, extra screen for in-car DVD, etc...
GTRacer
- Not planning on buying UMD's anyway
It really is as neat as they say, as long as you're a little open-minded. And the graphics aren't crap. They're simple and stylized, and they break down as the katamari grows, but they do their job well.
Battle mode bit, so any improvement there will be welcome, especially since my kids like to play too.
GTRacer
- B & B missed a golden opportunity to review the sticky balls game
Also, is it just me or does it seem that, very recently, we've been getting intersting stories here again?
GTRacer
- Needs metalens for left eye
s/Humously/Humourously/
Or is "humously" an accepted variation?
GTRacer
- Unzipping really big files takes a lot of time...
Who was Erasmus?
GTRacer
- Jennings knows a lot too
GTRacer
- Sometimes I worry
Sounds awesome, right? Turns out once the lottery money started pouring in, the legislature began reducing the education budget. Last I heard, the actual total dollar value going into education (at least in my city) has remained fairly flat.
No, I don't have any hard numbers to back this up, but I do know some teachers and my wife worked at the school board.
Anyway, I said all that to equate it to "free" TV and the like. Do you really think they're not simply replacing their money with ad dollars, or worse, being wasteful with their money? I get sick of seeing movie prices/game tickets/etc. go up because they feel it's OK to pay the next big thing 20 mil for one film/season/etc.?
As for the original question:
Yes, it does break a social contract. But one I feel is immoral and therefore unenforceable. At any rate, I don't give a rip. I use Proxo, and I do so gladly and without regret.
If some website figures out I'm adblocking and decides to cut my access (don't get any ideas, /.) I'll move on.
I quit visiting several gaming and sports sites when they went pay-only. There's other places to get good info for free, and not just online.
GTRacer
- Access denied
whY-box
zZz-box
made for an unappealing sequence.
GTRacer
- Hopes that "leaked" PS3 pic is bogus...
GTRacer
- No dead pixels (yet)