No offense, but the "standard stereo unit" is about 3 inches long, two inches wide, a quarter inch thick, and boots with a fruit-shaped logo on the screen. Many, many people, myself included, find a "home electronics system" as you describe to be very much a product of the 1990s - and very much out of date.
I certainly don't. Listening to music coming straight out of a computer with no real amp is like listening to AM radio a la 1920. It's generally total crap, even if you have a decent sound card. My computer runs all of my music at home, but it goes through an Indigo sound card, into a 400 watt Yamaha receiver into a pair of 5' JVC speakers. Huge difference. I can rattle the house if I want, and it still sounds great. Try doing that with a computer and some dinky speakers!
I think the US is completely backwards the way we do things as far as telecomm. However, I think it's going to eventually be a moot point as wireless technologies get better and better. I can get slow broadband right now through several different wireless carriers. Once this technology improves and is ubiquitous, the debate will be largely over. I can't wait!
"At least in the US, a business open to the public can only refuse business to a person that is breaking the law such as being a nuisance, and they can ask you to leave if you are loitering."
That's not true. As a retail business owner, I regularly kick out customers and trespass them, and I, in no way, need any reason to do so.
Good for you! Screw your local businesses! Screw your local community! Squeeze every possible red cent you can, and screw everybody else! Good for you on saving money, though...
I was on-site at a clients' place of business for a few months and I had to endure weekly prayer meetings. Not just the run-of-the-mill prayers, but the owner of the company would speak in tongues. I tried to skip them, but somebody would always come to retrieve me and I was told that they were mandatory. If I wasn't a contractor, I would have sued their asses off for every nickel they're worth.
Don't like Amazon? Go to your local bookstores! Oh wait, there aren't any any more! That's right. Everybody and their mother wanted to save an extra quarter so the local bookstores are all gone. Bummer, huh? Too bad people are really, really stupid en masse.
I agree. I have a completely blind cat, and she gets around the house just fine, only running into stuff if I move furniture. It's really impressive to see, as she learns her environment the first time around. This article wasn't news to me.
"And we shouldn't encourage those sort of people to run servers."
Perhaps servers shouldn't be so damned complicated to run. But then, I guess IT guys are kinda' like the RIAA... desperately doing whatever they can to hold onto their jobs...
You should only care if you're a Free Software Fanatic. I can't imagine why anybody else would care. I read the entire thing a few times, and I couldn't find a real reason why anybody (other than Stallman) would care.
I don't really understand why any individual with regular "banking" needs would use a bank today. Credit unions are non-profit, and generally, because of their structure, are run much better than banks are. My credit union has been impacted 0% by this banking mess stuff. I'm earning 4% on my PERSONAL CHECKING account, and not paying any fees. I also have all of my business accounts, and my mortgage with my local credit union.
Credit Unions: Like banks, but cheaper, non-profit, less corrupt, no over-paid executives, and not out to screw you over.
That's a phrase that's only used by right wing wacko "news" organizations. It's meaningless and inflammatory at the same time. You maybe should be embarrassed for using it.
I encountered the same feeling when I walked into a Best Buy the other day. I don't generally go into places like that, so when I did and I saw all of the flat-scren TV's, my GF and I couldn't get over how BAD we thought they all looked. The looked too sharp and too bright. I need another TV but I'm having trouble finding anyone that sells good CRT's any more!
If the Chinese government doesn't start some kind of law enforcement, China is going to be a giant Black Hole. Blacklisting IP blocks from Chinese ISPs is the best thing I've ever done in terms of spam and malware control.
Cities would seem to be the most viable option, but we'd kill millions of innocents along with the bad guys.
In case you haven't noticed, that hasn't stopped the US before. Estimates hover in the 200,000-ish range of the number of innocent Iraqis killed by the US military since the most recent invasion. Unfortunately, I really don't think that the US would hesitate to nuke a middle-eastern city.
It's also not going to ever happen because of price. Apple is always the most expensive in whatever market they're in. The mobile market is no exception. Very few people both want and can afford an iPhone. I happen to like most Apple stuff, but I'm not willing to pay their premium or deal with their extreme lock-in (as the previous poster suggested).
Re:mythtv killed TV
on
Why TV Lost
·
· Score: 1, Informative
I sincerely doubt that a few hundred (thousand?) geeks using Myth TV has anything to do with the downfall of TV. If you want to argue that DVR's had an impact, maybe, but not MythTV. It's not that widely used.
Besides, MythTV users still buy cable/satellite. A bigger impact is the people (like me and my friends) that don't buy or consume any TV at all, and hasn't for years.
IE's Active X/COM integration is invaluable. That's why so many Windows apps use it. If I were to somehow remove IE from the Windows XP box I'm typing on right now, I can think of at least 6 apps that I have that will break, off the top of my head.
Slashdot Mirror
An easy solution for me is to change my phone number often. Problem solved.
No offense, but the "standard stereo unit" is about 3 inches long, two inches wide, a quarter inch thick, and boots with a fruit-shaped logo on the screen. Many, many people, myself included, find a "home electronics system" as you describe to be very much a product of the 1990s - and very much out of date.
I certainly don't. Listening to music coming straight out of a computer with no real amp is like listening to AM radio a la 1920. It's generally total crap, even if you have a decent sound card. My computer runs all of my music at home, but it goes through an Indigo sound card, into a 400 watt Yamaha receiver into a pair of 5' JVC speakers. Huge difference. I can rattle the house if I want, and it still sounds great. Try doing that with a computer and some dinky speakers!
I think the US is completely backwards the way we do things as far as telecomm. However, I think it's going to eventually be a moot point as wireless technologies get better and better. I can get slow broadband right now through several different wireless carriers. Once this technology improves and is ubiquitous, the debate will be largely over. I can't wait!
Then maybe you shouldn't patronize your "corporate overlords" and buy at a local business. It's a shocking idea, I know, but it works well for me.
"At least in the US, a business open to the public can only refuse business to a person that is breaking the law such as being a nuisance, and they can ask you to leave if you are loitering."
That's not true. As a retail business owner, I regularly kick out customers and trespass them, and I, in no way, need any reason to do so.
Good for you! Screw your local businesses! Screw your local community! Squeeze every possible red cent you can, and screw everybody else! Good for you on saving money, though...
I was on-site at a clients' place of business for a few months and I had to endure weekly prayer meetings. Not just the run-of-the-mill prayers, but the owner of the company would speak in tongues. I tried to skip them, but somebody would always come to retrieve me and I was told that they were mandatory.
If I wasn't a contractor, I would have sued their asses off for every nickel they're worth.
Don't like Amazon? Go to your local bookstores! Oh wait, there aren't any any more! That's right. Everybody and their mother wanted to save an extra quarter so the local bookstores are all gone. Bummer, huh? Too bad people are really, really stupid en masse.
I agree. I have a completely blind cat, and she gets around the house just fine, only running into stuff if I move furniture. It's really impressive to see, as she learns her environment the first time around. This article wasn't news to me.
"And we shouldn't encourage those sort of people to run servers."
Perhaps servers shouldn't be so damned complicated to run. But then, I guess IT guys are kinda' like the RIAA... desperately doing whatever they can to hold onto their jobs...
this danger is real
What danger, exactly? I read the article a few times, and it sounded like FUD to me.
You should only care if you're a Free Software Fanatic. I can't imagine why anybody else would care. I read the entire thing a few times, and I couldn't find a real reason why anybody (other than Stallman) would care.
... the guy who proposed this bill:
http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=25464
and
http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/censure-texas-state-representative-leo-berman/
I don't really understand why any individual with regular "banking" needs would use a bank today. Credit unions are non-profit, and generally, because of their structure, are run much better than banks are. My credit union has been impacted 0% by this banking mess stuff. I'm earning 4% on my PERSONAL CHECKING account, and not paying any fees. I also have all of my business accounts, and my mortgage with my local credit union.
Credit Unions: Like banks, but cheaper, non-profit, less corrupt, no over-paid executives, and not out to screw you over.
If I were gay, I would hump Randall Patrick Monroe. That is some funny shit.
Juror needs to be arrested on contempt charges, and the trial needs to be a mistrial. What an idiot.
"media elite"
That's a phrase that's only used by right wing wacko "news" organizations. It's meaningless and inflammatory at the same time. You maybe should be embarrassed for using it.
Hell, we could even build more universities than prisons then.
That'll never happen in the US. The US prefers ignorance much more than it values intelligence.
Keep in mind that the end-user will not be exposed to those internal discussions, although they take place in public, open forums.
Huh? If they're public and open, the end use can see them. What are you talking about?
I encountered the same feeling when I walked into a Best Buy the other day. I don't generally go into places like that, so when I did and I saw all of the flat-scren TV's, my GF and I couldn't get over how BAD we thought they all looked. The looked too sharp and too bright. I need another TV but I'm having trouble finding anyone that sells good CRT's any more!
If the Chinese government doesn't start some kind of law enforcement, China is going to be a giant Black Hole. Blacklisting IP blocks from Chinese ISPs is the best thing I've ever done in terms of spam and malware control.
Cities would seem to be the most viable option, but we'd kill millions of innocents along with the bad guys.
In case you haven't noticed, that hasn't stopped the US before. Estimates hover in the 200,000-ish range of the number of innocent Iraqis killed by the US military since the most recent invasion. Unfortunately, I really don't think that the US would hesitate to nuke a middle-eastern city.
It's also not going to ever happen because of price. Apple is always the most expensive in whatever market they're in. The mobile market is no exception. Very few people both want and can afford an iPhone. I happen to like most Apple stuff, but I'm not willing to pay their premium or deal with their extreme lock-in (as the previous poster suggested).
I sincerely doubt that a few hundred (thousand?) geeks using Myth TV has anything to do with the downfall of TV. If you want to argue that DVR's had an impact, maybe, but not MythTV. It's not that widely used.
Besides, MythTV users still buy cable/satellite. A bigger impact is the people (like me and my friends) that don't buy or consume any TV at all, and hasn't for years.
IE's Active X/COM integration is invaluable. That's why so many Windows apps use it. If I were to somehow remove IE from the Windows XP box I'm typing on right now, I can think of at least 6 apps that I have that will break, off the top of my head.