it makes it possible to see around the corner without actually going around the corner.
Plus it really helps CTU to guide Jack Bauer to where the bad guys are... in realtime. As unrealistic as that show occasionally is, I think it embodies a way of thinking that will probably be commonplace by virtue of technology we'll have in 10 or 20 years.
If you're nerdy enough to even know what Ogg Vorbis is, leave alone actively use it, then using 3rd party software is likely to be something you'd be very comfortable with.
Let's face it, the manufacturers don't give a damn about anything outside the very narrow confines of the functionality understandable by the Great Common Denominator (and they often fail miserably at even that). If you want something better, you're going to have to take matters into your own hands. Be thankful you still can. If companies like Microsoft, Apple, and **AA members could have their way, this kind of thing would be illegal, assuming it were even possible.
We went through all this with VRML in the late 90s. It was a joke then, and it's a joke now, even if the current technology won't look so utterly hideous (remember how VRML looked like state-of-the-art 3D from around 1991?).
Nevertheless, like many of Microsoft's ideas which sometimes seem pointless, it's worth pursuing because you never know what it might inspire, or what bizarre idea might take root and become the next Killer App. If anyone knew what would be the New Big Thing, they'd already be building it.
I play Ogg Vorbis on my Samsung all the time thanks to RockBox. Why let the crappy software your music player comes with determine what you can or cannot do?
And as for complaining about not having Ogg: if you cannot convert from FLAC to Ogg, you should go straight to Nerd Jail, do not pass GOTO, do not collect 200 zorkmids.
No because U.S. Foreign Policy frequently involves actual action and real consequences, whether they are right or not. The U.N. just involves a bunch of talking and useless, unenforceable resolutions.
Don't forget the hideous bloat and geometrically increasing load times with each successive versions.
The Acrobat Reader was a bizarre creature. The first couple versions were almost unusably bad, then they finally got it right around version 4, and each successive version has been bigger, slower and less useful (even if it supported more features). Like Windows 2000, Office 97, and the old/. user homepages... something that actually worked really well but was ruined by the relentless, mindless drive to Add More Stuff.
I could never figure out how software developers can make a program that does something simple quickly, and then add a ton of features and end up with a version that is 10 times slower to do the exact same simple thing it used to do quickly. Moore's Law has created a generation of retarded programmers.
Um, where in this arrangement do participants get to "download all they want"? This money isn't going to buy music, it's protection money to keep the RIAA "looking the other way" from the inevitable pirating that goes on. What's to stop the RIAA from following up on those individuals and suing them after they leave the university? What, in fact, is stopping the RIAA from suing those individuals in a way that does not affect the university? Who, exactly, are they promising not to sue, and for what? More importantly, who are they _not_ not promising to sue, and for what? IIUC, the RIAA is offering protection to the university itself, who is facilitating the means by which music is pirated. There is no covenant made with individuals here, AFAIK.
Frankly, I spend about $50 a month on music (that's a guess) and I have more great music than I know what to do with... an embarrassment of riches. And that doesn't include Creative Commons stuff like Jamendo. That's about the price of second-tier Cable TV. For a serious music aficionado like me, that's a small price to pay for completely legal music (yes, even some RIAA stuff, although not much). The difference is, I suppose, that I am very careful and discerning on what buy. I'm not buying the disposable, formulaic crap-of-the-week the big labels would have me buy, stuff that you get tired of after 3 listens, or an album that consists of one good "hit" and 11 filler tracks, but music by mostly less-well-known artists who are seriously dedicated to their craft, often _despite_ the lack of financial success. It's not a matter of seeking out the underdog, although that appeals to me, but rather finding what I like, which is almost never popular (unless it's from before about 30 years ago).
The real problem with music is that there is seldom a "try-before-you-buy" kind of service. That used to be the radio, but radio now is so limited and narrow, you can't discover anything significant (unless you happen to like classical, which frankly is much closer to the rock music I enjoy than any "pop" format). What other industry sells you a package of 12 items sight unseen for 11 of them, and doesn't offer a money-back guarantee when those 11 turn out to be rubbish? Where's the fairness in that? Although reviews are invaluable for determine what I buy, and I usually go by word-of-mouth. Actually sampling the product all the way through is the only real way to make a fair transaction. If it's something I like, I'll play it dozens or even hundreds of times over the years. I don't consider music a one-shot deal the way movies are. You can watch a movie and the experience itself is (hopefully) worth the price of the ticket you pay. But to me, consuming a piece of music is a long-term prospect, like buying a DVD, as opposed to going to a concert. I wouldn't even consider reviewing anything serious until I've heard it 4 times. But then again, I usually listen to stuff that takes that many times just to wrap your head around it. For instance, I just picked up some Herb Alpert from eMusic. This music is not rocket science, it's instantly likable and infectiously classic. But on the other hand, the recent new release by Karmakanic (a.k.a. Jonas Reingold from the Flower Kings and friends) took several listens to really appreciate... when you're talking compositions of up to 20 minutes (not just endless jamming mind you, compositions), it's more than the typical brain can process in one sitting.
I had a point somewhere, but it seems to have gotten lost in all the digression. In summary: music is great. The RIAA is evil. Challenge yourself with independent music.
Talk to CmdrTaco. Of course, it's been this way for about 8 years, so don't expect anything to change. Of course, that doesn't stop them from the Web 2.0 paradigm of replacing a perfectly usable and nice home page design with something eye-gougingly ugly and much harder to use.
The things of course. Things like to be anthropomorphized. Although I'm sure the people who do it get some pleasure out it as well, but I think it would be silly to ascribe feelings to people I don't know.
(p.s. Whoever modded my GP post "Insightful" sure made it happy, if a little confused.)
Of course, just under 90% of the market is still deep within monopoly territory. Microsoft isn't going away any time soon, but I for one am going to enjoy watching the long slow decline. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of people.
Of course, as they get more and more desperate they could have some seriously negative affects on the technology marketplace... I mean, more so than usual. I can't see Microsoft succumbing without doing as much damage to others as possible. I can't imagine they won't go down without taking as many people as possible with them, the first, intentionally or not, being their customers.
Model U.N.? That has to be the coolest idea I can think of! Not only that, but it would be tons of fun and give important life lessons. Kids could learn important lessons about graft, hypocrisy, corruption, incompetence, dishonesty, even the sex slave trade if your district can afford the Congo program. Reenacting the "Food for Oil" scandal could give us enough corrupt bureaucrats and influence-grubbing politicians for the next generation!
Issuing finger-wagging resolutions that threatening nothing worse than more finger wagging!
Putting vicious tyrants in charge of watchdogging human rights!
Exploit rich countries for the their money and power, then undermine them at every turn to the advantage of petty dictatorships!
Spread communist philosophy, erode traditional values, promote sexual perversion, subvert justice and help expedite the fall of civilization!
In the model U.N. you could learn the lessons of a lifetime as you enjoy role-playing an arrogant but incompetent paper-pusher growing rich on kickbacks. Who wouldn't want that?!
I have no problems treating people completely independent of their race or other accidental characteristics. I do however firmly believe in and practice stupidism, a prejedice that stupid people are inferior. the meaning of "stupid" of course, is debatable, but to me it is roughly summed up as "ignorant without realizing it, but acting as if knowledgeable" or "incapable or unwilling to practice basic logic but continuing to argue anyway".
There's no doubt the NT kernel is quite solid. It's too bad everything that goes on top of it is one, enormous, monolithic blob and the cherry on top is the buggiest shell ever written, 13 years running: Explorer.
Nevertheless, Microsoft has nothing to offer me any more. They've jumped the shark. I am very happy to never consider their products ever again, knowing that I won't feel like I'm missing something.
It doesn't have to be that way, but it is, and I have no doubts it will continue, especially with the chair-tosser in charge. To Microsoft, users are like germs... beneath contempt. They resent the fact that they can't just stand on our chests and dangle-spit on our faces until we pay them. They resent the fact that we expect value for our money. They resent the mere existence of competition. What gall! To dare intrude on the hegemony that Microsoft created, Microsoft owns, and Microsoft deserves.
That is the coolest piece of music I never want to hear again. Seriously, there were some really neat sounds going on in there. I think "Call of Cthulhu" has a soundtrack now.
I bought a laptop that came bundled with Vista and it crashed on me numerous times before I got fed up with all the Vista crap and "upgraded" to XP (and later upgraded to Ubuntu). Just because it's never crashed on you doesn't make other people liars. I think you need to get a clue.
You do realize this is Adobe we are talking about. Given that they failed to port Flash to a 64-bit architecture for like 6 years, it's appears there are large swaths of Flash that are too fragile/cryptic/undocumented to improve.
See? This is the same tactic always used by the defenders of the indefensible. You don't address any of my points, but simply start attacking McCain and Palin. It's funny that's what Obama supporters almost always do. And it's obvious why.
Like I said, your non-sequiturs nearly give me whiplash.
Slashdot Mirror
it makes it possible to see around the corner without actually going around the corner.
Plus it really helps CTU to guide Jack Bauer to where the bad guys are... in realtime. As unrealistic as that show occasionally is, I think it embodies a way of thinking that will probably be commonplace by virtue of technology we'll have in 10 or 20 years.
If you're nerdy enough to even know what Ogg Vorbis is, leave alone actively use it, then using 3rd party software is likely to be something you'd be very comfortable with.
Let's face it, the manufacturers don't give a damn about anything outside the very narrow confines of the functionality understandable by the Great Common Denominator (and they often fail miserably at even that). If you want something better, you're going to have to take matters into your own hands. Be thankful you still can. If companies like Microsoft, Apple, and **AA members could have their way, this kind of thing would be illegal, assuming it were even possible.
We went through all this with VRML in the late 90s. It was a joke then, and it's a joke now, even if the current technology won't look so utterly hideous (remember how VRML looked like state-of-the-art 3D from around 1991?).
Nevertheless, like many of Microsoft's ideas which sometimes seem pointless, it's worth pursuing because you never know what it might inspire, or what bizarre idea might take root and become the next Killer App. If anyone knew what would be the New Big Thing, they'd already be building it.
I play Ogg Vorbis on my Samsung all the time thanks to RockBox. Why let the crappy software your music player comes with determine what you can or cannot do?
And as for complaining about not having Ogg: if you cannot convert from FLAC to Ogg, you should go straight to Nerd Jail, do not pass GOTO, do not collect 200 zorkmids.
No because U.S. Foreign Policy frequently involves actual action and real consequences, whether they are right or not. The U.N. just involves a bunch of talking and useless, unenforceable resolutions.
Don't forget the hideous bloat and geometrically increasing load times with each successive versions.
The Acrobat Reader was a bizarre creature. The first couple versions were almost unusably bad, then they finally got it right around version 4, and each successive version has been bigger, slower and less useful (even if it supported more features). Like Windows 2000, Office 97, and the old /. user homepages... something that actually worked really well but was ruined by the relentless, mindless drive to Add More Stuff.
I could never figure out how software developers can make a program that does something simple quickly, and then add a ton of features and end up with a version that is 10 times slower to do the exact same simple thing it used to do quickly. Moore's Law has created a generation of retarded programmers.
Hey, as long as it runs RockBox, I certainly don't care. Oh, wait, that would leave the Zune out.
The unfortunate darker side of online anonymity.
Meaning, on the internet, no one knows if you're a Secret Chimp?
Um, where in this arrangement do participants get to "download all they want"? This money isn't going to buy music, it's protection money to keep the RIAA "looking the other way" from the inevitable pirating that goes on. What's to stop the RIAA from following up on those individuals and suing them after they leave the university? What, in fact, is stopping the RIAA from suing those individuals in a way that does not affect the university? Who, exactly, are they promising not to sue, and for what? More importantly, who are they _not_ not promising to sue, and for what? IIUC, the RIAA is offering protection to the university itself, who is facilitating the means by which music is pirated. There is no covenant made with individuals here, AFAIK.
Frankly, I spend about $50 a month on music (that's a guess) and I have more great music than I know what to do with... an embarrassment of riches. And that doesn't include Creative Commons stuff like Jamendo. That's about the price of second-tier Cable TV. For a serious music aficionado like me, that's a small price to pay for completely legal music (yes, even some RIAA stuff, although not much). The difference is, I suppose, that I am very careful and discerning on what buy. I'm not buying the disposable, formulaic crap-of-the-week the big labels would have me buy, stuff that you get tired of after 3 listens, or an album that consists of one good "hit" and 11 filler tracks, but music by mostly less-well-known artists who are seriously dedicated to their craft, often _despite_ the lack of financial success. It's not a matter of seeking out the underdog, although that appeals to me, but rather finding what I like, which is almost never popular (unless it's from before about 30 years ago).
The real problem with music is that there is seldom a "try-before-you-buy" kind of service. That used to be the radio, but radio now is so limited and narrow, you can't discover anything significant (unless you happen to like classical, which frankly is much closer to the rock music I enjoy than any "pop" format). What other industry sells you a package of 12 items sight unseen for 11 of them, and doesn't offer a money-back guarantee when those 11 turn out to be rubbish? Where's the fairness in that? Although reviews are invaluable for determine what I buy, and I usually go by word-of-mouth. Actually sampling the product all the way through is the only real way to make a fair transaction. If it's something I like, I'll play it dozens or even hundreds of times over the years. I don't consider music a one-shot deal the way movies are. You can watch a movie and the experience itself is (hopefully) worth the price of the ticket you pay. But to me, consuming a piece of music is a long-term prospect, like buying a DVD, as opposed to going to a concert. I wouldn't even consider reviewing anything serious until I've heard it 4 times. But then again, I usually listen to stuff that takes that many times just to wrap your head around it. For instance, I just picked up some Herb Alpert from eMusic. This music is not rocket science, it's instantly likable and infectiously classic. But on the other hand, the recent new release by Karmakanic (a.k.a. Jonas Reingold from the Flower Kings and friends) took several listens to really appreciate... when you're talking compositions of up to 20 minutes (not just endless jamming mind you, compositions), it's more than the typical brain can process in one sitting.
I had a point somewhere, but it seems to have gotten lost in all the digression. In summary: music is great. The RIAA is evil. Challenge yourself with independent music.
Morgan Freeman could be reading my death sentence and it would be soothing and calming. It's not just you.
Talk to CmdrTaco. Of course, it's been this way for about 8 years, so don't expect anything to change. Of course, that doesn't stop them from the Web 2.0 paradigm of replacing a perfectly usable and nice home page design with something eye-gougingly ugly and much harder to use.
Maybe there would be fewer comments that are less stupid... wait...
People will do this because their life sucks and they want to marry an 11 year old girl.
Joining one of those Mormon offshoot groups would be cheaper.
The things of course. Things like to be anthropomorphized. Although I'm sure the people who do it get some pleasure out it as well, but I think it would be silly to ascribe feelings to people I don't know.
(p.s. Whoever modded my GP post "Insightful" sure made it happy, if a little confused.)
I'm surprised you made it. I couldn't have.
Of course, just under 90% of the market is still deep within monopoly territory. Microsoft isn't going away any time soon, but I for one am going to enjoy watching the long slow decline. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of people.
Of course, as they get more and more desperate they could have some seriously negative affects on the technology marketplace... I mean, more so than usual. I can't see Microsoft succumbing without doing as much damage to others as possible. I can't imagine they won't go down without taking as many people as possible with them, the first, intentionally or not, being their customers.
It's going to be an interesting decade. Go Linux!
My Dad bought me that one. It's good.
But even further studies shows that anthropomorphizing things makes them happy.
Model U.N.? That has to be the coolest idea I can think of! Not only that, but it would be tons of fun and give important life lessons. Kids could learn important lessons about graft, hypocrisy, corruption, incompetence, dishonesty, even the sex slave trade if your district can afford the Congo program. Reenacting the "Food for Oil" scandal could give us enough corrupt bureaucrats and influence-grubbing politicians for the next generation!
Issuing finger-wagging resolutions that threatening nothing worse than more finger wagging!
Putting vicious tyrants in charge of watchdogging human rights!
Exploit rich countries for the their money and power, then undermine them at every turn to the advantage of petty dictatorships!
Spread communist philosophy, erode traditional values, promote sexual perversion, subvert justice and help expedite the fall of civilization!
In the model U.N. you could learn the lessons of a lifetime as you enjoy role-playing an arrogant but incompetent paper-pusher growing rich on kickbacks. Who wouldn't want that?!
I have no problems treating people completely independent of their race or other accidental characteristics. I do however firmly believe in and practice stupidism, a prejedice that stupid people are inferior. the meaning of "stupid" of course, is debatable, but to me it is roughly summed up as "ignorant without realizing it, but acting as if knowledgeable" or "incapable or unwilling to practice basic logic but continuing to argue anyway".
There's no doubt the NT kernel is quite solid. It's too bad everything that goes on top of it is one, enormous, monolithic blob and the cherry on top is the buggiest shell ever written, 13 years running: Explorer.
Nevertheless, Microsoft has nothing to offer me any more. They've jumped the shark. I am very happy to never consider their products ever again, knowing that I won't feel like I'm missing something.
It doesn't have to be that way, but it is, and I have no doubts it will continue, especially with the chair-tosser in charge. To Microsoft, users are like germs... beneath contempt. They resent the fact that they can't just stand on our chests and dangle-spit on our faces until we pay them. They resent the fact that we expect value for our money. They resent the mere existence of competition. What gall! To dare intrude on the hegemony that Microsoft created, Microsoft owns, and Microsoft deserves.
In the last movie, Ballmer was played by Bender!
That is the coolest piece of music I never want to hear again. Seriously, there were some really neat sounds going on in there. I think "Call of Cthulhu" has a soundtrack now.
I bought a laptop that came bundled with Vista and it crashed on me numerous times before I got fed up with all the Vista crap and "upgraded" to XP (and later upgraded to Ubuntu). Just because it's never crashed on you doesn't make other people liars. I think you need to get a clue.
You do realize this is Adobe we are talking about. Given that they failed to port Flash to a 64-bit architecture for like 6 years, it's appears there are large swaths of Flash that are too fragile/cryptic/undocumented to improve.
See? This is the same tactic always used by the defenders of the indefensible. You don't address any of my points, but simply start attacking McCain and Palin. It's funny that's what Obama supporters almost always do. And it's obvious why.
Like I said, your non-sequiturs nearly give me whiplash.