I bought a 24" white iMac (2006). It worked perfect up until it was 2.5 years old, when I started having video issues with it. It was under Applecare, so I brought it into the local Apple store, and they fixed it on-site (took a couple days, unfortunately).
Similar issues re-occured a few days after getting it back, then after a second repair it happened a third time. The computer DID work each time when I got it back, and the symptoms were different each time... so I can't really blame them. They replace all the major componants in the process too.
However, after 2 repairs and 3 similar faults, they replaced the machine with a brand-new 2009 aluminum iMac - with bigger/better/faster everything. Even the lowest-end machine would have beaten my old one, but they gave me the mid-line one anyways. They even offered this without me pushing. On top, they even gave me a free mini-DVI converter for my second monitor because my old cable was a different plug on the old iMac.
So - although I agree this incdent looks horrid, I would argue that they're certainly not as bad as the majority of corporations these days. I'm certainly a lot more brand-loyal than I was 6 months ago.
Well, the good news in their case is that they're not inventing most of the components so much as engineering them... steam pistons are not high-tech, and it's only a matter of adapting them to their system's needs.
Also, I used to work with one of their principles - Doug Richardson (he was my boss at the time). He's just about the right mix of weird, brilliant, and stubborn to make this work. At least I can assure you they're not some crackpot garage operation - they have a solid basis for their design and think they have a good chance of pulling it off. If I had the cash, I'd be investing with them too.
>> This would still be illegal. "But I was just retrieving someone that I accidentally sold to him when I didn't have the right to. I left his money on the dresser when I took the book." is not a valid defense for breaking and entering.
I don't dispute your arguments above, especially regarding Canadian-hosted/based Apps within Facebook.
However, FB cannot be held legally accountable to laws of a foreign country where they have no legal presence. Sure, that country can block the site if they think that it's hazardous to their citizens, but that's the only consequence I can even imagine being appropriate. It's a business risk at that point - losing a potential market of customers. It's not like their corporate officers could be extradited to face charges in Canada or anything like that.
I agree - if Facebook doesn't have a Canadian legal entity, nor Canadian hosting, the answer is "who cares"? I'm Canadian, BTW.
Just because there's users on FB from all around the world, it doesn't mean that FB has to abide by all countries' laws. If that were the case, the Internet would be a hobbled and useless mess.
I fully agree that the paintings are in the public domain, but it does NOT mean that the digital photos are. If he created his own photos, he could post them. The only question is whether or not a straight copy of a work can be copyrighted on its own... which is why the museum is arguing that artistry went into creating them.
Having done museum copywork in the past, I can assure you that getting high-quality images of paintings is NOT simple - lighting is critical to capture the texture, color, and avoid reflections and shadows. It's not just point-and-click. I'd side with the museum here, sorry!
Sunk costs can be looked at many ways. Essentially though, they should look at the continuing running costs (starting now) versus the value paid back (harder to measure of course). However, normally you need to offset any scrapping/shutdown costs or value against those figures - depending on if those change over time or not. That's the area where "sunk costs" might mislead people - there may be some residual value to consider.
How much you've already spent is meaningless. The only question now is whether you'll lose more or not.:)
If you simply look at the image, it seems like a few random streaks in the image file. I'd guess systems issues / data corruption, or other collection faults before I'd guess super-secret military bases.
Ideally they would combine this with previous data (relatively adjusted to this baseline) to fill in the gaps.
I'd agree with you 100% in any other economy. People have very few employment options these days, and will make sacrifices they wouldn't otherwise consider.
I can't see how this is legal. They can't even claim that it's "optional" because it would be too easy to discriminate against those that leave it blank. Incredible...
I'm using one right now! I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome or anything, but do feel it in my forearms whenever I am forced to type on any "straight" keyboard. The natural layout took time to get used to, but DEFINITELY reduces the strain on the forearms.
The Natural also has a great feel - better than the mushy keyboards you get today. It has also outlasted anything else I've tried... I've been using this one for work every day for >6 years, while I've gone through 3-4 keyboards at home in the same timeframe, with much less use. (the newer Natural-type ones don't seem to last nearly as well).
The FBI warning is just the start... often there are minutes of crap before a movie that you can't get past. It's most annoying on my kids' videos - essentially advertising for other videos from the same company, and there's no way to get past it without re-ripping the DVD.
I refuse to buy from companies like that now - they shouldn't control my time like that. What I really am annoyed at though is that my DVD player enables them to do it in the first place.
At the camera shop I worked at, we called them "Pornaroids". When a guy that fits the stereotypical vision of a pimp comes in to buy one camera and 50 packs of film, you can only assume that's what he's using it for. Quite amusing.
However, we had a fair share of that stuff come into the lab on normal film too - you'd be amazed what people take pictures of.:)
>>They simply don't make 4x5" digital sensors, period.
BS. They may not make practical 4x5" sensors for everyone's budget or application, but they DO exist.
Scanning sensors have been around for years (check out companies like Better Light), and even a few full-frame sensors are out there. They may be several orders of magnitude outside your budget, but they're available.
>> We'll need billions of tons of the stuff to replace the present wiring infrastructure
Actually, no. To replace a 1cm thick copper cable you do NOT need a 1cm thick superconductor. I'm sure there's limits, but because there's no electrical resistance you can carry HUGE currents through tiny superconductors. We're talking several orders of magnitude difference here.
>> If someone else reads these words without paying me, or worse sells them to others to read, I will have been robbed. It will be as if my home was burned down, or my family sold into slavery. An injustice of the highest order.
Kinda pointless when you post them on a public message board that's supported by advertising (i.e. selling your words for their benefit).:)
I guess if they're not important enough for you to know that they're not Australia, then how important can they be to an international project like CERN, right?
God I hope you were trying to be funny... but I'm afraid you weren't.
- because SMS uses the secondary data channel for traffic, it's actually more reliable, especially in an emergency. Next time you can't get phone service due to weather/outages/traffic/hurricane/etc, send an SMS instead. Your phone will also queue the message automatically until it can get a signal/channel.
- I lived in Europe, and SMS was used extensively for business as well as personal uses. It's viewed as a more time-urgent way to communicate than email. Now that Blackberries are common it's not used as much, but still used for stuff that needs attention NOW.
Have you ever actually been responsible for naming products at a large corporation???
As easy as it may sound, it's one of the single most difficult things to do. Creating a name that has the right feeling and meaning to it, while satisfying all stakeholders AND copyright people is next to impossible. You'll always have n+1 opinions on what name is best, assuming n people are involved in the process.
The only "simple" way is a dictatorship - such as a sole proprietorship in a small company where the owner does this him/herself.
Slashdot Mirror
I've had the opposite experience, personally...
I bought a 24" white iMac (2006). It worked perfect up until it was 2.5 years old, when I started having video issues with it. It was under Applecare, so I brought it into the local Apple store, and they fixed it on-site (took a couple days, unfortunately).
Similar issues re-occured a few days after getting it back, then after a second repair it happened a third time. The computer DID work each time when I got it back, and the symptoms were different each time... so I can't really blame them. They replace all the major componants in the process too.
However, after 2 repairs and 3 similar faults, they replaced the machine with a brand-new 2009 aluminum iMac - with bigger/better/faster everything. Even the lowest-end machine would have beaten my old one, but they gave me the mid-line one anyways. They even offered this without me pushing. On top, they even gave me a free mini-DVI converter for my second monitor because my old cable was a different plug on the old iMac.
So - although I agree this incdent looks horrid, I would argue that they're certainly not as bad as the majority of corporations these days. I'm certainly a lot more brand-loyal than I was 6 months ago.
MadCow.
Well, the good news in their case is that they're not inventing most of the components so much as engineering them... steam pistons are not high-tech, and it's only a matter of adapting them to their system's needs.
Also, I used to work with one of their principles - Doug Richardson (he was my boss at the time). He's just about the right mix of weird, brilliant, and stubborn to make this work. At least I can assure you they're not some crackpot garage operation - they have a solid basis for their design and think they have a good chance of pulling it off. If I had the cash, I'd be investing with them too.
MadCow.
>> This would still be illegal. "But I was just retrieving someone that I accidentally sold to him when I didn't have the right to. I left his money on the dresser when I took the book." is not a valid defense for breaking and entering.
Nor is it a valid defense for slavery... :)
I don't dispute your arguments above, especially regarding Canadian-hosted/based Apps within Facebook.
However, FB cannot be held legally accountable to laws of a foreign country where they have no legal presence. Sure, that country can block the site if they think that it's hazardous to their citizens, but that's the only consequence I can even imagine being appropriate. It's a business risk at that point - losing a potential market of customers. It's not like their corporate officers could be extradited to face charges in Canada or anything like that.
MadCow.
I agree - if Facebook doesn't have a Canadian legal entity, nor Canadian hosting, the answer is "who cares"? I'm Canadian, BTW.
Just because there's users on FB from all around the world, it doesn't mean that FB has to abide by all countries' laws. If that were the case, the Internet would be a hobbled and useless mess.
MadCow.
I fully agree that the paintings are in the public domain, but it does NOT mean that the digital photos are. If he created his own photos, he could post them. The only question is whether or not a straight copy of a work can be copyrighted on its own... which is why the museum is arguing that artistry went into creating them.
Having done museum copywork in the past, I can assure you that getting high-quality images of paintings is NOT simple - lighting is critical to capture the texture, color, and avoid reflections and shadows. It's not just point-and-click. I'd side with the museum here, sorry!
madCow.
Sunk costs can be looked at many ways. Essentially though, they should look at the continuing running costs (starting now) versus the value paid back (harder to measure of course). However, normally you need to offset any scrapping/shutdown costs or value against those figures - depending on if those change over time or not. That's the area where "sunk costs" might mislead people - there may be some residual value to consider.
How much you've already spent is meaningless. The only question now is whether you'll lose more or not. :)
MadCow.
If you simply look at the image, it seems like a few random streaks in the image file. I'd guess systems issues / data corruption, or other collection faults before I'd guess super-secret military bases.
Ideally they would combine this with previous data (relatively adjusted to this baseline) to fill in the gaps.
MadCow.
Unless they are successful in a regime change. That is the whole point, no?
I'd agree with you 100% in any other economy. People have very few employment options these days, and will make sacrifices they wouldn't otherwise consider.
I can't see how this is legal. They can't even claim that it's "optional" because it would be too easy to discriminate against those that leave it blank. Incredible...
MadCow.
> original Microsoft Natural
I'm using one right now! I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome or anything, but do feel it in my forearms whenever I am forced to type on any "straight" keyboard. The natural layout took time to get used to, but DEFINITELY reduces the strain on the forearms.
The Natural also has a great feel - better than the mushy keyboards you get today. It has also outlasted anything else I've tried... I've been using this one for work every day for >6 years, while I've gone through 3-4 keyboards at home in the same timeframe, with much less use. (the newer Natural-type ones don't seem to last nearly as well).
MadCow.
In your dorm room at least, a proxy server would do. Let it be scanned.
For wireless / laptop, you could proxy through a virtual machine.
Madcow
The FBI warning is just the start... often there are minutes of crap before a movie that you can't get past. It's most annoying on my kids' videos - essentially advertising for other videos from the same company, and there's no way to get past it without re-ripping the DVD.
I refuse to buy from companies like that now - they shouldn't control my time like that. What I really am annoyed at though is that my DVD player enables them to do it in the first place.
At the camera shop I worked at, we called them "Pornaroids". When a guy that fits the stereotypical vision of a pimp comes in to buy one camera and 50 packs of film, you can only assume that's what he's using it for. Quite amusing.
However, we had a fair share of that stuff come into the lab on normal film too - you'd be amazed what people take pictures of. :)
MadCow.
>>They simply don't make 4x5" digital sensors, period.
BS. They may not make practical 4x5" sensors for everyone's budget or application, but they DO exist.
Scanning sensors have been around for years (check out companies like Better Light), and even a few full-frame sensors are out there. They may be several orders of magnitude outside your budget, but they're available.
http://www.betterlight.com/
http://www.phaseone.com/Content/p1digitalbacks/Discontinued%20hardware/Studiokit.aspx
MadCow.
Is their power to search the PROPERTY, or to inspect the DEVICE?
If it's the latter (which would make sense), ask them specifically what they're looking for, and bring it to them at the front door.
Just like with the police - if they ask if they can come in, just say no. :)
He hasn't had a good "and one more thing..." in a while...
>> We'll need billions of tons of the stuff to replace the present wiring infrastructure
Actually, no. To replace a 1cm thick copper cable you do NOT need a 1cm thick superconductor. I'm sure there's limits, but because there's no electrical resistance you can carry HUGE currents through tiny superconductors. We're talking several orders of magnitude difference here.
Anyone have a real numerical comparison handy?
MadCow
Malware / trojan / virus writers have been doing this for years... locking up your computer files with encryption until you pay them money.
Just because it wasn't a "commercial" application, doesn't mean it's not prior art!
>> If someone else reads these words without paying me, or worse sells them to others to read, I will have been robbed. It will be as if my home was burned down, or my family sold into slavery. An injustice of the highest order.
Kinda pointless when you post them on a public message board that's supported by advertising (i.e. selling your words for their benefit). :)
(the above quote is "fair use", btw)
MadCow
I guess if they're not important enough for you to know that they're not Australia, then how important can they be to an international project like CERN, right?
God I hope you were trying to be funny... but I'm afraid you weren't.
>> So he gets food from excess goat production, valuable goats milk, and profit from selling a slightly green-washed grass control method.
Not to mention he's probably taking advantage of some tax loophole or subsidy for green initiatives. :)
MadCow
A few things
- because SMS uses the secondary data channel for traffic, it's actually more reliable, especially in an emergency. Next time you can't get phone service due to weather/outages/traffic/hurricane/etc, send an SMS instead. Your phone will also queue the message automatically until it can get a signal/channel.
- I lived in Europe, and SMS was used extensively for business as well as personal uses. It's viewed as a more time-urgent way to communicate than email. Now that Blackberries are common it's not used as much, but still used for stuff that needs attention NOW.
MadCow.
Have you ever actually been responsible for naming products at a large corporation???
As easy as it may sound, it's one of the single most difficult things to do. Creating a name that has the right feeling and meaning to it, while satisfying all stakeholders AND copyright people is next to impossible. You'll always have n+1 opinions on what name is best, assuming n people are involved in the process.
The only "simple" way is a dictatorship - such as a sole proprietorship in a small company where the owner does this him/herself.
MadCow.
Is the Pirate Party an officially-registered political party in GERMANY?
I know they've gotten press in Sweeden, but I didn't know they were active in Germany too.