While I fully expected my new subdivision not to be addressable through google maps and similar I certainly didn't expect these search engines to show roads through where I live that don't exist nor have they EVER existed.
I can locate my house from satellite, even see it. As soon as I switch to hybrid or "roads" it becomes a little silly. I've checked with old timers in the area; meaning they still have their farms and family plots; and all agreed that the two roads in question never were there. (I haven't found either of them either, I have driven around the area and can't seem to find them, next stop is the county courthouse to see if they know where they are, the sheriff didn't)
Because its just the tip of the iceberg. Small companies cannot afford in house staffs. As such they rely on others. This means that that whatever product they create, whatever service they provide, is now going to cost the citizens of MD more. The problem is that politicians have figured it out, people are too stupid to realize that no corporation pays taxes, they merely collect them for the government. Its called "embedded costs".
So, when the politicians get the public fired up about companies making too much money the people go blissfully along, buying into this idea that the money corporations pay in taxes is magically not going to come out of their hide in the form of higher prices.
This hurts IT because it stagnates development. Now companies specializing in such services have seen their costs increase. If they don't pass it along it means less money, less new stuff, less employees, less benefits, whatever. For the small company it means getting buy with software which doesn't exactly fit. For big companies, well most probably won't be based there so its not going to bite them directly. However indirectly if they use companies paying this tax in state those costs will be embedded and passed along.... to the consumer somewhere down the line.
Class warfare only gets you so far, warfare on corporations seems to have no bounds. Just like how the stupidity of the average voter has no bounds. They think they can keep voting themselves other people's money without end...
As soon as I can go to my library and check any book out in digital for that they have on their shelf.
Hell, I would pay for a netflix model! Let me rent books for 9.99 a month, read periodicals, etc. They can limit the number at one time, but at least I can go through books I want to read and not buy. There are many old books which cost $40+ in hard cover as they are out of print (hell some cost over $100 - and even paperbacks might not be cheap)
The real problem I see is that they want nearly as much as it cost to buy a paperback. Get the price down to $1.99 per current paperback release ($4.99 for hardback only releases - after all they will eventually go PB if you wait long enough) and I will eat them up like I do music on iTunes
So there are two different models that would get me in the game
It isn't that people who don't use ad-blocking software are dumb, it is more likely they don't care. Especially if the ads are non obtrusive.
I only block ads that open new windows and those which sound/video. Other than that I will let the ad display; after all it already consumed my bandwidth - ad blocking plug ins don't stop it from getting to my pc, just displaying it. I figure its not a big price to pay to view content for free.
and guess what, it wouldn't have been spent on National Health care anyway.
There is enough money being spent on earmarks and such to fund SCHIPS but we don't see the press wailing on Congress for it.
We already spend how much on medical care and support (income redistribution) that the money going to Iraq would have vanished without a trace anyway.
Iraq is just a convenient bogeyman, unfortunately Congress is so damn corrupt (regardless of which party actually runs it) that it took an Iraq war to keep people from seeing it
First, we are converting to laptops where I work for the IT department. The primary reason is disaster recovery. Our requirements require the ability to do our work with a minimum amount of downtime. We also have moved to a requirement which basically excludes VPN from home as all machines that connect to our network must be controlled by the PC department.
1. For our needs battery life is immaterial. Its docked at work and plugged in at home.
2,3 Anything moved constantly is going to be subject to being broken. However most people who never had one here tend to be very careful and we do give out robust carrying cases (including wheeled units to those who might strain from carrying an 8lb laptop and accessories)
4. Can't do much about that, but as a company we have lost only two in the recent year (fortune 500 here)
5. One of the primary reasons for going to a laptop is because for those who need access from home we cannot secure THEIR personal machines! Another reason for laptops is that they can be configured to give the same network experience at home as when at work. This means all the familar drive mappings are there. Documents are not kept on laptops. Nothing mission critical is.
6. Other than one extra password, usually to the drive or laptop itself, the security is the same as a desktop
7. By default most of our laptops are not allowed to Wi-Fi. Its not needed. Now, we do have "power users" who can do this but use is restricted to company functions (trips sponsored by company - etc... not starbucks/Mcds)
8. Not anymore. The costs are comparable for the most part and when you convert an entire department. Hell there are people who don't want laptops and we are looking at ways to accomadate them. Don't be surprised by that, many people don't "want to take work home" which is how quite a few perceive these things. Work actually bought me a laptop backpack as I tend to ride a motorcycle - so there went that excuse
9. For 90% of their usage they are just fine. Its all about context. At work they are docked. Regular keyboard, mouse, and flat panel are permanently kept at work. We don't expect employees to use them at home full time. The ability to use it at home is so they don't have to drive to work for simple issues. Saves them time and gas. As such most will put up with the laptops simply to avoid having to come in.
10. Have you seen today's business laptops? All of ours will be C2D 2gb 160gb (5400 and 7200 depending on need) setups. They are just fine. Compared to our average desktops which tend to get replaced less often these things are speed demons.
The problem with lists like yours and the original article is that they assume people use laptops one way. We have people that fit into their nice little category but at the same time we have headed to a new direction which because of changing laws and business requirements. IT users are a different breed and their use of laptops can be radically different that the regular user.
However as a user who has only recently added a OS X machine to his collection I have to ask.
Are these fixes part of the automatic updates that come down and require an restart? If so how can I see what was added to my system? With Windows Update (at least under XP) I could pick and choose what I wanted, see everything they wanted me to install, but I haven't found that in my Mac.
If I do software update all I ever see to get is a new version of iTunes and Quicktime. So pardon the confusion.
Disclaimer, I have multiple WOW accounts, one LOTRO account, and have tried about every damn MMORPG to come down the pike.
Frankly, the majority of these companies other than Blizzard just don't get it. There was an article linked here from a MMORPG developer of high standing who did a talk about what gamers want, who they are, and the games they play. He then went into a point by point discussion about what makes a good game.
The real problem, the game designers who are failing are designing games for people like them. They are not designing for the market, let alone new markets. A great example is Turbine. They had Asheron's Call and then followed it up with a sequel which failed miserably and was shut down. The primary reason was, it wasn't what the players wanted. It was more of a tribute to the developers (cities that if nothing else where monuments to Turbine). It had lots of great ideas but horrible execution. It forced player cooperation in areas where people never expect nor will cooperate (like crafting). Then comes D&D Online. A group centric game which for some reason people put huge unrealistic expected subscriber numbers on. Why didn't it generate the numbers? Simple, group mechanics require coordination out of game to experience properly in game. With your gaming population spread across time zones and such that coordination breaks down over time; usually not a long time. This title probably would have excelled with a Guild Wars model where the players could take NPCs along. Then comes along LOTRO, another game of great expectations hit by implementation and perceived need to group to trudge through higher levels (mostly unfounded but still it was a very pretty game that just felt empty - turbine's problem with having buildings you have to zone in breaks immersion and combined with walking dead human npcs doesn't help)
WOW's churn numbers are probably greater than most of the top twenty game's current playing population. But why? Simple, you can log in and accomplish something in a short time without ever having to wait for others. Friends can pop in for brief periods and play along, you can pick up with others as you go, but for the most part you don't have to rely on others to enjoy the bulk of the content.
There is also the major fact that none of the wow-killers has lived up to their hype or haven't released. Every time one of these games comes along and fails the blame game starts but always ignores the fact. The game isn't polished, the game is bug laden, the game requires a lot of grouping, or the game's hardware requirements are too high for the real MMORPG desiring player base.
WOW is only going to lose a large number of people to the next Blizzard game. Blizzard set a very high standard and continues to keep their own game at that level. This provides enough satisfaction and enjoyment for many people. Why should the majority of them even care what else comes out?
Too me it seems too many developers are actively relying on dissatisfied WOW players to swell their subscription numbers. If your looking for people who don't like such a successful and executed game just what in the hell are you aiming for?
Oh well, WOW will persist for years because Blizzard has learned that you cater to the needs of the individual player and build up from there. You keep the individual happy and then provide then avenues for more fun with opportunities that reward grouping and playing with others. You never require that as the price of just playing.
Your not giving up any privacy. It only looks for specific items, they tell you want they are doing, and mostly it is there protecting you.
YOU WILL THROW AWAY MORE PERSONAL INFORMATION DAILY THAN YOU WILL EVER HAVE ON YOUR PC.
Read the above again. I can go through the trash of any one of my neighbors and figure out mroe about them in one hour that I can scrape off their PC.
Really, if your that worried about it then I suggest you turn off your PC forever as well. There are real malicious programs and people out there, not imaginary villians at Blizzard, that will not warn you or ask your permission to look for specific items before doing so.
Blizzard is providing a service. You do not have to use it. Feel free to leave.
They are so asking for the various government angencies to step in and tax them.
If any of these virtual items change hands they what will be their defense? If you can go to jail for stealing virtual items surely you can be taxed for selling them as well.
then again, is this more of a crime of stealing passwords than virtual items?
So if they are zapping someone and hit another car are they responsible if that car crashes? Will this affect on board safety equipment as well? ABS? Airbags? There is a lot of reliance on microprocessors in many new cars.
It would not be long after entering service before they hit the wrong car and the question becomes, how will the courts treat that?
That is why I am having trouble giving you a fixed number. I have been involved in fixes done in days and ones that take months. Context.
The real questions is
Does your management know how to prioritize tasks?
Then, do they know how who to put to to each task?
Finally, do they know how to accurately judge if the work is done correctly?
The problem I have always encountered is that a needed fix gets priority at first, then pet projects somehow get in there, and the deadline moves. Unless of course those affected have more pull than those assigning priority. I always found it amusing that our priorities are set by the people with most pet projects, wolves guarding the hen house.
Businesses are responsible for children during election cycles, when politicians are bored, and when they have money which can be paid in "remedies"
It has been the mantra of the 90s and beyond (probably earlier) that GOVERNMENT is the solution to all woes, whether real or imaginary. How many stories do we read about how new laws, programs, and taxes, are created "for the children"? How similar programs are made because its not your fault, you should not have to take all that responsibility?
The real problem is that people realized they could practically vote themselves OTHER people's money. The problem was, in doing so they gave up their ability to be responsible and regularly lose rights many of us hold dear. Worse, too many people no longer care, provided someone is giving them something. I wonder what its going to take to take someone's freedom of speech? I bet the price is lower than many think
I would not tie getting one laptop to sending one overseas. If they want money to further their mission then just focus on that and drop the gimmick. We do not need production of these devices being diverted to this country, let alone to geeks who need someway to feel good.
There are hundreds of good charities to give money to where all the money goes to the cause. I haven't seen a guaranteee of that from OLPC. However I would be more than happy to buy the two OLPCs provided BOTH went to kids and that I had some guarantee that they did reach my intended target
In other words, they want to call the other side names, make claims the other sides technology is inferior, but can't do it and remain professional.
Right now, in the DVD war the only thing BluRay has over HD is Disney. Thats the most important line they have which seems to be limited to BluRay.
Since HD DVD players have recently hit $99 on special deals, hell even regular price $199 versions can come with up to TEN movies, its only a matter of time before BluRay is just another Sony product unique to Sony.
The churn numbers in WOW is probably greater than many games have total. Yet if every troll post I read about WOW losing players in huge numbers were true what does it say about other games who are obviously NOT getting those players? Blizzard doesn't always do the best job at class balance but they do a far better job than other companies, their numbers attest to this. While I am taking a break from WOW I do plan on getting back in, changes in this patch may be enough for me as I can bring up some other classes and see how the game plays out for them.
Part of the magic of WOW is that it really does have separate classes where the differences are enough to grant four to six different ways to play the game. The hybrids blend obviously, but melee, magic, and ranged melee (bow), all work well and in many cases require different play styles. Magic is the most diversified where playing a priest is very different from a mage just as its different from a warlock.
I have a warrior and to claim that only classes the lead design or high placed developers are being buffed is to ignore the fact that many people with these classes have been waiting for their day in the sun. If what you implied were true the largest number of players would have long focused on Warrior - which is not the case. Shaman get some tweaks now to enhance two of their trees. Yeah warriors get some bennies here but each class received buffs as well as some tuning which tones down overpowering areas.
My beef has been that PvP/Arena gets way too much focus but obviously I am not in a majority as it appeals to large number of players. The problem of course is that these are the most competitive players and as such will be the most vocal. If they didn't bitch then Blizzard would have a problem, that would be a more clear indicator that people were leaving.
I am assuming the worst and supposing they are abandoning the enthuisast market to Intel and Nvidia. Even ATI's upcoming cards haven't sounded inspiring.
We have become a nation enslaved to our government through entitlements. The politicians daily spout that YOU deserve this and this, these people over here deserve this, and those over there get to pay for it because their too rich. When jobs are lost overseas the politicians trot out declaring evil corporations are to blame and that these entities need to be penalized; taxed more; to set the balances right.
We are encouraged to run up debt and then disclaim responsibility for our actions. We can engage in risk behavior and blame does who don't stop us (bartenders, smoking, riding without helmets, etc). We are told constantly that so and so wasn't at fault for murdering people because society, movies, video games, Iraq, etc, made them do it.
We are bombarded by the very people we elect to believe "It's okay, the government will make it all right" and people buy into this. Its easy to do when your not footing the bill for your actions. Unemployed because you won't learn a viable trade? Its okay, we got help for that. As such we see business practically driven overseas or the jobs go there.
An entitlement state only exists for as long as the people stuck paying have the means to do so. We won't run out of people to vilify soon, but it is still wrong.
No, we don't deserve jobs just because we live here, we don't deserve health care, we don't deserve cell phones, we don't deserve fancy cars, we don't deserve high speed net, we don't deserve a lot of things but it never ceases to amaze me what order people put their priorities.
I somehow find it hard to believe that MS would want to warn other corporations about hiring him. this day and age a company can get whacked for giving out truthful but otherwise damaging reviews of former employees. There have been numerous occasions where former consulting companies I worked for would ask about someone I may have worked with just to get a picture they cannot get from past employers.
By doing it this way Microsoft is able to pass along the big red flag without actually setting themselves up for defamation suits
Sorry but big government is bad, its horribly bad. Why? Because it puts forward the belief in people that its futile to challenge it. Simply put the government is so large as to be monolithic. They have created so many laws and rules that no one can really challenge it.
Voting? Are you kidding? Democrats and Republicans have engineered the system to ensure that you only can choose amongst them. They constantly redraw districts to split the vote between themselves! Then they put forward ridiculous requirements to prevent people from actually getting on the ballot. Worse, our press goes right along with them. Look no further than the debates for various offices!
I used to think people were just apathetic, but labeling the population as that is truly unfair unless you acknowledge the reason. That reason is : The Federal Government is beyond the scope of reason, its level of interference in people's lives is far beyond reason, and the two parties who control use the powers of Government to buy votes and punish or prevent dissent.
Oh, but you claim you have your freedom of speech and you can vote for who you like. Freedom of speech is meaningless when you can't act on it. Freedom to vote? Its meaningless when the system is rigged from the get-go. Sure you can say what you want, who is going to hear it? Sure you can vote for who you want, see the previous freedom of speech issue to understand whats wrong with that.
You asked why none of the people running for office are being held to the requirement of fixing it? Simple, because its far easier for them to rely on one sides hatred of the other to get elected than to change it. Besides changing the system is detrimental to their power. Its far easier to play off your fears, founded or not, than to actually do something which might strip them of the power they are really after. No, the leaders in the vote getting for nomination aren't looking to fix anything, they are looking for power. They are going to get it because people will vote in whomever is going to give them the most and take it from someone else. That is the America that politicians love, the one they breed. The selfish self centered idiots who will pull the lever for the D or R who promises them free stuff.
To get control of our country back from Democrats and Republicans we are going to have work from the local level and go up. Get after your state senators and representatives (state level). We are already seeing local school districts adopting the same air of aristocracy as Washington, keep this up and no level of government is going to be responsive because they won't have to.
Hell at the rate we are going enough people will be either work directly for the government or rely on it to live that their vote will be guaranteed to keep the system in place.
They know that previous rulings prevent the district from suing so they are doing a run around. It is my belief that if this actually makes it to court and the district loses then the money MUST be repaid by everyone on the board that brought the suit.
Frankly, posting anything about government officials, other than death threats or personal information, should not be discouraged. If the public cannot voice their disagreements with local officials then we are no longer free. The fact is, the public officials don't have to like what is posted about them, thats their choice. It is not their choice to silence people who post such.
while that sites forum is a pain to read it does appear that most of the people complaining are doing so with good maturity. The problem for the district is that people are connecting the dots, adding up the numbers, and then questioning it.
That the district would use a back door method to skirt a previous court ruling about suing only lends more credit to those posting on the blog.
Whats next? Suing people who start recall drives? Perhaps the members of the blog should try that next.
Slashdot Mirror
and no, it wasn't meant as a joke
While I fully expected my new subdivision not to be addressable through google maps and similar I certainly didn't expect these search engines to show roads through where I live that don't exist nor have they EVER existed.
I can locate my house from satellite, even see it. As soon as I switch to hybrid or "roads" it becomes a little silly. I've checked with old timers in the area; meaning they still have their farms and family plots; and all agreed that the two roads in question never were there. (I haven't found either of them either, I have driven around the area and can't seem to find them, next stop is the county courthouse to see if they know where they are, the sheriff didn't)
Because its just the tip of the iceberg. Small companies cannot afford in house staffs. As such they rely on others. This means that that whatever product they create, whatever service they provide, is now going to cost the citizens of MD more. The problem is that politicians have figured it out, people are too stupid to realize that no corporation pays taxes, they merely collect them for the government. Its called "embedded costs".
So, when the politicians get the public fired up about companies making too much money the people go blissfully along, buying into this idea that the money corporations pay in taxes is magically not going to come out of their hide in the form of higher prices.
This hurts IT because it stagnates development. Now companies specializing in such services have seen their costs increase. If they don't pass it along it means less money, less new stuff, less employees, less benefits, whatever. For the small company it means getting buy with software which doesn't exactly fit. For big companies, well most probably won't be based there so its not going to bite them directly. However indirectly if they use companies paying this tax in state those costs will be embedded and passed along.... to the consumer somewhere down the line.
Class warfare only gets you so far, warfare on corporations seems to have no bounds. Just like how the stupidity of the average voter has no bounds. They think they can keep voting themselves other people's money without end...
As soon as I can go to my library and check any book out in digital for that they have on their shelf.
Hell, I would pay for a netflix model! Let me rent books for 9.99 a month, read periodicals, etc. They can limit the number at one time, but at least I can go through books I want to read and not buy. There are many old books which cost $40+ in hard cover as they are out of print (hell some cost over $100 - and even paperbacks might not be cheap)
The real problem I see is that they want nearly as much as it cost to buy a paperback. Get the price down to $1.99 per current paperback release ($4.99 for hardback only releases - after all they will eventually go PB if you wait long enough) and I will eat them up like I do music on iTunes
So there are two different models that would get me in the game
It isn't that people who don't use ad-blocking software are dumb, it is more likely they don't care. Especially if the ads are non obtrusive.
I only block ads that open new windows and those which sound/video. Other than that I will let the ad display; after all it already consumed my bandwidth - ad blocking plug ins don't stop it from getting to my pc, just displaying it. I figure its not a big price to pay to view content for free.
and guess what, it wouldn't have been spent on National Health care anyway.
There is enough money being spent on earmarks and such to fund SCHIPS but we don't see the press wailing on Congress for it.
We already spend how much on medical care and support (income redistribution) that the money going to Iraq would have vanished without a trace anyway.
Iraq is just a convenient bogeyman, unfortunately Congress is so damn corrupt (regardless of which party actually runs it) that it took an Iraq war to keep people from seeing it
First, we are converting to laptops where I work for the IT department. The primary reason is disaster recovery. Our requirements require the ability to do our work with a minimum amount of downtime. We also have moved to a requirement which basically excludes VPN from home as all machines that connect to our network must be controlled by the PC department.
1. For our needs battery life is immaterial. Its docked at work and plugged in at home.
2,3 Anything moved constantly is going to be subject to being broken. However most people who never had one here tend to be very careful and we do give out robust carrying cases (including wheeled units to those who might strain from carrying an 8lb laptop and accessories)
4. Can't do much about that, but as a company we have lost only two in the recent year (fortune 500 here)
5. One of the primary reasons for going to a laptop is because for those who need access from home we cannot secure THEIR personal machines! Another reason for laptops is that they can be configured to give the same network experience at home as when at work. This means all the familar drive mappings are there. Documents are not kept on laptops. Nothing mission critical is.
6. Other than one extra password, usually to the drive or laptop itself, the security is the same as a desktop
7. By default most of our laptops are not allowed to Wi-Fi. Its not needed. Now, we do have "power users" who can do this but use is restricted to company functions (trips sponsored by company - etc... not starbucks/Mcds)
8. Not anymore. The costs are comparable for the most part and when you convert an entire department. Hell there are people who don't want laptops and we are looking at ways to accomadate them. Don't be surprised by that, many people don't "want to take work home" which is how quite a few perceive these things. Work actually bought me a laptop backpack as I tend to ride a motorcycle - so there went that excuse
9. For 90% of their usage they are just fine. Its all about context. At work they are docked. Regular keyboard, mouse, and flat panel are permanently kept at work. We don't expect employees to use them at home full time. The ability to use it at home is so they don't have to drive to work for simple issues. Saves them time and gas. As such most will put up with the laptops simply to avoid having to come in.
10. Have you seen today's business laptops? All of ours will be C2D 2gb 160gb (5400 and 7200 depending on need) setups. They are just fine. Compared to our average desktops which tend to get replaced less often these things are speed demons.
The problem with lists like yours and the original article is that they assume people use laptops one way. We have people that fit into their nice little category but at the same time we have headed to a new direction which because of changing laws and business requirements. IT users are a different breed and their use of laptops can be radically different that the regular user.
However as a user who has only recently added a OS X machine to his collection I have to ask.
Are these fixes part of the automatic updates that come down and require an restart? If so how can I see what was added to my system? With Windows Update (at least under XP) I could pick and choose what I wanted, see everything they wanted me to install, but I haven't found that in my Mac.
If I do software update all I ever see to get is a new version of iTunes and Quicktime. So pardon the confusion.
Disclaimer, I have multiple WOW accounts, one LOTRO account, and have tried about every damn MMORPG to come down the pike.
Frankly, the majority of these companies other than Blizzard just don't get it. There was an article linked here from a MMORPG developer of high standing who did a talk about what gamers want, who they are, and the games they play. He then went into a point by point discussion about what makes a good game.
The real problem, the game designers who are failing are designing games for people like them. They are not designing for the market, let alone new markets. A great example is Turbine. They had Asheron's Call and then followed it up with a sequel which failed miserably and was shut down. The primary reason was, it wasn't what the players wanted. It was more of a tribute to the developers (cities that if nothing else where monuments to Turbine). It had lots of great ideas but horrible execution. It forced player cooperation in areas where people never expect nor will cooperate (like crafting). Then comes D&D Online. A group centric game which for some reason people put huge unrealistic expected subscriber numbers on. Why didn't it generate the numbers? Simple, group mechanics require coordination out of game to experience properly in game. With your gaming population spread across time zones and such that coordination breaks down over time; usually not a long time. This title probably would have excelled with a Guild Wars model where the players could take NPCs along. Then comes along LOTRO, another game of great expectations hit by implementation and perceived need to group to trudge through higher levels (mostly unfounded but still it was a very pretty game that just felt empty - turbine's problem with having buildings you have to zone in breaks immersion and combined with walking dead human npcs doesn't help)
WOW's churn numbers are probably greater than most of the top twenty game's current playing population. But why? Simple, you can log in and accomplish something in a short time without ever having to wait for others. Friends can pop in for brief periods and play along, you can pick up with others as you go, but for the most part you don't have to rely on others to enjoy the bulk of the content.
There is also the major fact that none of the wow-killers has lived up to their hype or haven't released. Every time one of these games comes along and fails the blame game starts but always ignores the fact. The game isn't polished, the game is bug laden, the game requires a lot of grouping, or the game's hardware requirements are too high for the real MMORPG desiring player base.
WOW is only going to lose a large number of people to the next Blizzard game. Blizzard set a very high standard and continues to keep their own game at that level. This provides enough satisfaction and enjoyment for many people. Why should the majority of them even care what else comes out?
Too me it seems too many developers are actively relying on dissatisfied WOW players to swell their subscription numbers. If your looking for people who don't like such a successful and executed game just what in the hell are you aiming for?
Oh well, WOW will persist for years because Blizzard has learned that you cater to the needs of the individual player and build up from there. You keep the individual happy and then provide then avenues for more fun with opportunities that reward grouping and playing with others. You never require that as the price of just playing.
Your not giving up any privacy. It only looks for specific items, they tell you want they are doing, and mostly it is there protecting you.
YOU WILL THROW AWAY MORE PERSONAL INFORMATION DAILY THAN YOU WILL EVER HAVE ON YOUR PC.
Read the above again. I can go through the trash of any one of my neighbors and figure out mroe about them in one hour that I can scrape off their PC.
Really, if your that worried about it then I suggest you turn off your PC forever as well. There are real malicious programs and people out there, not imaginary villians at Blizzard, that will not warn you or ask your permission to look for specific items before doing so.
Blizzard is providing a service. You do not have to use it. Feel free to leave.
They are so asking for the various government angencies to step in and tax them.
If any of these virtual items change hands they what will be their defense? If you can go to jail for stealing virtual items surely you can be taxed for selling them as well.
then again, is this more of a crime of stealing passwords than virtual items?
So if they are zapping someone and hit another car are they responsible if that car crashes? Will this affect on board safety equipment as well? ABS? Airbags? There is a lot of reliance on microprocessors in many new cars.
It would not be long after entering service before they hit the wrong car and the question becomes, how will the courts treat that?
Let alone the importance of the problem.
That is why I am having trouble giving you a fixed number. I have been involved in fixes done in days and ones that take months. Context.
The real questions is
Does your management know how to prioritize tasks?
Then, do they know how who to put to to each task?
Finally, do they know how to accurately judge if the work is done correctly?
The problem I have always encountered is that a needed fix gets priority at first, then pet projects somehow get in there, and the deadline moves. Unless of course those affected have more pull than those assigning priority. I always found it amusing that our priorities are set by the people with most pet projects, wolves guarding the hen house.
Businesses are responsible for children during election cycles, when politicians are bored, and when they have money which can be paid in "remedies"
It has been the mantra of the 90s and beyond (probably earlier) that GOVERNMENT is the solution to all woes, whether real or imaginary. How many stories do we read about how new laws, programs, and taxes, are created "for the children"? How similar programs are made because its not your fault, you should not have to take all that responsibility?
The real problem is that people realized they could practically vote themselves OTHER people's money. The problem was, in doing so they gave up their ability to be responsible and regularly lose rights many of us hold dear. Worse, too many people no longer care, provided someone is giving them something. I wonder what its going to take to take someone's freedom of speech? I bet the price is lower than many think
I would not tie getting one laptop to sending one overseas. If they want money to further their mission then just focus on that and drop the gimmick. We do not need production of these devices being diverted to this country, let alone to geeks who need someway to feel good.
There are hundreds of good charities to give money to where all the money goes to the cause. I haven't seen a guaranteee of that from OLPC. However I would be more than happy to buy the two OLPCs provided BOTH went to kids and that I had some guarantee that they did reach my intended target
News at Eleven! Some people are more valuable than others!
The real problem is, Congress can get more votes by paying Welfare than paying for celebrations for people taking our country forward.
I think more people bought into the iPhone because of who produced it and the fact it looked pretty and Apple marketing did their job very well.
Is the polite phrase for saying the other sucks.
In other words, they want to call the other side names, make claims the other sides technology is inferior, but can't do it and remain professional.
Right now, in the DVD war the only thing BluRay has over HD is Disney. Thats the most important line they have which seems to be limited to BluRay.
Since HD DVD players have recently hit $99 on special deals, hell even regular price $199 versions can come with up to TEN movies, its only a matter of time before BluRay is just another Sony product unique to Sony.
Is that you? // note - pick your own bogeyman, she's mine :)
The churn numbers in WOW is probably greater than many games have total. Yet if every troll post I read about WOW losing players in huge numbers were true what does it say about other games who are obviously NOT getting those players? Blizzard doesn't always do the best job at class balance but they do a far better job than other companies, their numbers attest to this. While I am taking a break from WOW I do plan on getting back in, changes in this patch may be enough for me as I can bring up some other classes and see how the game plays out for them.
Part of the magic of WOW is that it really does have separate classes where the differences are enough to grant four to six different ways to play the game. The hybrids blend obviously, but melee, magic, and ranged melee (bow), all work well and in many cases require different play styles. Magic is the most diversified where playing a priest is very different from a mage just as its different from a warlock.
I have a warrior and to claim that only classes the lead design or high placed developers are being buffed is to ignore the fact that many people with these classes have been waiting for their day in the sun. If what you implied were true the largest number of players would have long focused on Warrior - which is not the case. Shaman get some tweaks now to enhance two of their trees. Yeah warriors get some bennies here but each class received buffs as well as some tuning which tones down overpowering areas.
My beef has been that PvP/Arena gets way too much focus but obviously I am not in a majority as it appeals to large number of players. The problem of course is that these are the most competitive players and as such will be the most vocal. If they didn't bitch then Blizzard would have a problem, that would be a more clear indicator that people were leaving.
I am assuming the worst and supposing they are abandoning the enthuisast market to Intel and Nvidia. Even ATI's upcoming cards haven't sounded inspiring.
We have become a nation enslaved to our government through entitlements. The politicians daily spout that YOU deserve this and this, these people over here deserve this, and those over there get to pay for it because their too rich. When jobs are lost overseas the politicians trot out declaring evil corporations are to blame and that these entities need to be penalized; taxed more; to set the balances right.
We are encouraged to run up debt and then disclaim responsibility for our actions. We can engage in risk behavior and blame does who don't stop us (bartenders, smoking, riding without helmets, etc). We are told constantly that so and so wasn't at fault for murdering people because society, movies, video games, Iraq, etc, made them do it.
We are bombarded by the very people we elect to believe "It's okay, the government will make it all right" and people buy into this. Its easy to do when your not footing the bill for your actions. Unemployed because you won't learn a viable trade? Its okay, we got help for that. As such we see business practically driven overseas or the jobs go there.
An entitlement state only exists for as long as the people stuck paying have the means to do so. We won't run out of people to vilify soon, but it is still wrong.
No, we don't deserve jobs just because we live here, we don't deserve health care, we don't deserve cell phones, we don't deserve fancy cars, we don't deserve high speed net, we don't deserve a lot of things but it never ceases to amaze me what order people put their priorities.
Sorry but big government is bad, its horribly bad. Why? Because it puts forward the belief in people that its futile to challenge it. Simply put the government is so large as to be monolithic. They have created so many laws and rules that no one can really challenge it.
Voting? Are you kidding? Democrats and Republicans have engineered the system to ensure that you only can choose amongst them. They constantly redraw districts to split the vote between themselves! Then they put forward ridiculous requirements to prevent people from actually getting on the ballot. Worse, our press goes right along with them. Look no further than the debates for various offices!
I used to think people were just apathetic, but labeling the population as that is truly unfair unless you acknowledge the reason. That reason is : The Federal Government is beyond the scope of reason, its level of interference in people's lives is far beyond reason, and the two parties who control use the powers of Government to buy votes and punish or prevent dissent.
Oh, but you claim you have your freedom of speech and you can vote for who you like. Freedom of speech is meaningless when you can't act on it. Freedom to vote? Its meaningless when the system is rigged from the get-go. Sure you can say what you want, who is going to hear it? Sure you can vote for who you want, see the previous freedom of speech issue to understand whats wrong with that.
You asked why none of the people running for office are being held to the requirement of fixing it? Simple, because its far easier for them to rely on one sides hatred of the other to get elected than to change it. Besides changing the system is detrimental to their power. Its far easier to play off your fears, founded or not, than to actually do something which might strip them of the power they are really after. No, the leaders in the vote getting for nomination aren't looking to fix anything, they are looking for power. They are going to get it because people will vote in whomever is going to give them the most and take it from someone else. That is the America that politicians love, the one they breed. The selfish self centered idiots who will pull the lever for the D or R who promises them free stuff.
To get control of our country back from Democrats and Republicans we are going to have work from the local level and go up. Get after your state senators and representatives (state level). We are already seeing local school districts adopting the same air of aristocracy as Washington, keep this up and no level of government is going to be responsive because they won't have to.
Hell at the rate we are going enough people will be either work directly for the government or rely on it to live that their vote will be guaranteed to keep the system in place.
They know that previous rulings prevent the district from suing so they are doing a run around. It is my belief that if this actually makes it to court and the district loses then the money MUST be repaid by everyone on the board that brought the suit.
Frankly, posting anything about government officials, other than death threats or personal information, should not be discouraged. If the public cannot voice their disagreements with local officials then we are no longer free. The fact is, the public officials don't have to like what is posted about them, thats their choice. It is not their choice to silence people who post such.
while that sites forum is a pain to read it does appear that most of the people complaining are doing so with good maturity. The problem for the district is that people are connecting the dots, adding up the numbers, and then questioning it.
That the district would use a back door method to skirt a previous court ruling about suing only lends more credit to those posting on the blog.
Whats next? Suing people who start recall drives? Perhaps the members of the blog should try that next.