Which is why we need a simple, adaptive set of laws. Here is my (very short) modest proposal.
How is a "common man" supposed to decipher a law that is not based on "common" sense? Laws should be based on common sense, easily interpreted, and not require lawyers to figure out. Let's do away with the entire lawyer profession, it's time to move on and make things better.
The only way to "beat" Microsoft is to come out with something better. No amount of fines will really matter as long as they still hold the dominant market share.
The reason is that people creating software for computers have the greatest number of opportunities if they make them windows compatible. And since making something cross-platform is a bitch, it's much easier to get 90% of the market by doing windows alone. And so that's what people and companies will do.
So we can either do one of two things 1) Force people to develop cross platform software and hardware (yeah right) 2) Create an operating system so much better that the majority adopts it (extremely unlikely, but better than "yeah right")
The only other thing I can think of is FORCE companies like Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony, IBM, Lenovo, Gateway etc to stop forcing Windows down our throats on computers we buy from them and sell the bare machine at a REDUCED price. I'm sure Microsoft is strong-arming some of them to some degree, but if we just flat out make it illegal to force-preload then they have little choice.
How was I spouting off anything? Apparently, because of your perspective you're reading a lot more into my posts than I put there.
I'm a software engineer/team lead. I make money doing something I love. It's part luck (I have a natural ability) and part choice (I picked this field). And it works out because 1) I'm good enough at it and 2) it's lucrative enough to get by.
You chose something that I'm assuming you love and are good at, but that only makes money for a tiny percentage of the people doing it. Please don't accuse me of "spouting off" because of your anger at the results of the circumstances, your abilities, and your choices.
And I never said that life slogging through gigs was anything. I have no idea what life is like doing that, and I never attempted to imply it. I simply said that Tool doesn't need album sales to get by. It's a fact, not an implied insult.
Drink a beer, find something else you like doing that can support you better. And if I were calling it "slogging through gigs" I'd have to wonder if I really wanted to keep doing it. It's up to you.
Degrees to which I like them vary wildly, but here's the jist:
A Perfect Circle Audioslave Bad Religion Bloodhound Gang Bush Deftones Engine Failure Filter Filter & The Crystal Method (Trip Like I Do) Johnny Cash KMFDM Korn Led Zeppelin Marilyn Manson Megadeth Metallica Mudvayne Nine Inch Nails Rage Against The Machine Rammstein Silverchair Soundgarden Static-X The Offspring Tool
You really don't know *anything* about musician's lives, do you?
Maynard James Keenan from Tool has been quoted as saying they could get by just fine without producing any albums. So, there's proof that some artists will indeed do fine.
I have admittedly narrow tastes in music. As one of my friends pointed out I only like bands that released stuff between the years of 1994 and 2000, with a couple of exceptions.
So the part of the reason sales are down is because I haven't heard anything I wanted to buy in years.
Because in spite of being among the more intelligent and logical bunch, you'll find few who wish harder that magic was real. And we know better than most that it isn't. The game is a chance to step out of reality for a while and flesh out what we imagine it could be like.
They're only the "leader" because they have no significant competition in the after-market add-on card market. Just try and name two other sound card manufacturers.
What's your take on Vista? I tend to stay away from Microsoft [software] because it tends to be so toxic. I'm not exactly an expert on the state of Vista. But it sure seems boring. They've put in a lot of eye candy but other than that it seems like an awful lot of money for not very much.
FYI: I wasn't attacking the grammar of the headline.
I was pointing out that the word "may" reduces the "news" to !news. It may as well be anything - such as seagulls - if the causation is tenuous at best.
If you know so much about them, what are your goals?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not siding with people who kill innocent people to make a point, but don't get all your information from companies that make money from media companies that are in it for the advertising buck.
I am blown away that with all of our current problems -- homelessness and crime on the home front, war fighting and terrorism abroad -- our government is seriously going to spend this much money on upgrading peoples' televisions.
How else do you think they're supposed to reach everybody with their propaganda that terrorists are bad, Iraq is bad, Iran is bad, Syria is bad, and North Korea is bad?
Slashdot Mirror
If I were in the business of selling music or movies right now I'd be getting the hell out fast.
The business model of selling physical media containing content to consumers is winding down. Get out while you can.
If you can't see it sinking, you deserve to go down with it.
Queue bestiality joke in 5...4...3...
It has nothing to do with stupid.
If you had $1000 cash in your pocket, would you spend $1 on a pack of your favorite gum?
To a billionaire, that's about what this amounts to. Millionaires don't buy these, billionaires+ do.
According to the PATRIOT Act, you're not.
Which is why we need a simple, adaptive set of laws. Here is my (very short) modest proposal.
How is a "common man" supposed to decipher a law that is not based on "common" sense? Laws should be based on common sense, easily interpreted, and not require lawyers to figure out. Let's do away with the entire lawyer profession, it's time to move on and make things better.
The only way to "beat" Microsoft is to come out with something better. No amount of fines will really matter as long as they still hold the dominant market share.
The reason is that people creating software for computers have the greatest number of opportunities if they make them windows compatible. And since making something cross-platform is a bitch, it's much easier to get 90% of the market by doing windows alone. And so that's what people and companies will do.
So we can either do one of two things
1) Force people to develop cross platform software and hardware (yeah right)
2) Create an operating system so much better that the majority adopts it (extremely unlikely, but better than "yeah right")
The only other thing I can think of is FORCE companies like Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony, IBM, Lenovo, Gateway etc to stop forcing Windows down our throats on computers we buy from them and sell the bare machine at a REDUCED price. I'm sure Microsoft is strong-arming some of them to some degree, but if we just flat out make it illegal to force-preload then they have little choice.
How was I spouting off anything? Apparently, because of your perspective you're reading a lot more into my posts than I put there.
I'm a software engineer/team lead. I make money doing something I love. It's part luck (I have a natural ability) and part choice (I picked this field). And it works out because 1) I'm good enough at it and 2) it's lucrative enough to get by.
You chose something that I'm assuming you love and are good at, but that only makes money for a tiny percentage of the people doing it. Please don't accuse me of "spouting off" because of your anger at the results of the circumstances, your abilities, and your choices.
And I never said that life slogging through gigs was anything. I have no idea what life is like doing that, and I never attempted to imply it. I simply said that Tool doesn't need album sales to get by. It's a fact, not an implied insult.
Drink a beer, find something else you like doing that can support you better. And if I were calling it "slogging through gigs" I'd have to wonder if I really wanted to keep doing it. It's up to you.
Just my two cents man.
and I cited an example. As far as my statement went - "some bands will do fine", I see no flaws.
Based on your comments, you seem to have some bias, perhaps a musician yourself, or a proponent of the RIAA? I have no idea what...
If you're an artist I'm sorry it doesn't seem to be working out. If you're a propoent of the RIAA.....nlm.
Degrees to which I like them vary wildly, but here's the jist:
A Perfect Circle
Audioslave
Bad Religion
Bloodhound Gang
Bush
Deftones
Engine
Failure
Filter
Filter & The Crystal Method (Trip Like I Do)
Johnny Cash
KMFDM
Korn
Led Zeppelin
Marilyn Manson
Megadeth
Metallica
Mudvayne
Nine Inch Nails
Rage Against The Machine
Rammstein
Silverchair
Soundgarden
Static-X
The Offspring
Tool
I have admittedly narrow tastes in music. As one of my friends pointed out I only like bands that released stuff between the years of 1994 and 2000, with a couple of exceptions.
So the part of the reason sales are down is because I haven't heard anything I wanted to buy in years.
Why wouldn't they cherry pick lucrative areas?
Would you rather try and sell something to a few people that you know won't buy it, or to a lot of people that probably will?
Because in spite of being among the more intelligent and logical bunch, you'll find few who wish harder that magic was real. And we know better than most that it isn't. The game is a chance to step out of reality for a while and flesh out what we imagine it could be like.
By "sound card" I meant "sound card" not "audio interface".
They're only the "leader" because they have no significant competition in the after-market add-on card market. Just try and name two other sound card manufacturers.
Think more. Talk less.
FYI: I wasn't attacking the grammar of the headline.
I was pointing out that the word "may" reduces the "news" to !news. It may as well be anything - such as seagulls - if the causation is tenuous at best.
People who play racing car games may be more likely to be seagulls.
Not going to happen. Companies are greedier than individuals despite being comprised of them.
How the hell is this going to be a problem - especially the part about ruining the view - when dust on the moon falls back to the ground at the same speed as a dropped hammer.
FUD.
Clicks don't contain any such information.
If you know so much about them, what are your goals?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not siding with people who kill innocent people to make a point, but don't get all your information from companies that make money from media companies that are in it for the advertising buck.
How else do you think they're supposed to reach everybody with their propaganda that terrorists are bad, Iraq is bad, Iran is bad, Syria is bad, and North Korea is bad?