The Internet connection speed for many is so slow already, that they would not even notice if the Internet speed as a whole dropped by 90%. In the evening, watching Netflix or any other video is a pain. That is why we still get DVDs in the mail.
Since storage devices are now solid state and so much faster than the old mechanical disks, does it really matter for practical purposes, whether a few megabytes of data are kept in RAM or fetched from fast solid-state storage? I have recently upgraded my computer with an SSD. Loading massive multi megabyte files used to take a definitely span of time noticeable to the user, but is now loaded almost instantaneously. Since phones are small ultraportable computers, this applies to them as well. I used to put my laptop to sleep if I was not going to use it for a few hours, but now with the SSD it boots so fast, I simply shut it down and then reboot when I need it again. I think this article is splitting hairs.
You and dozens of others all claim some particular flavor of Linux is best. All these conflicting claims and counterclaims is why Linux has never made any inroads with people outside of the geek/nerd crowd. Linux is NOT for those who merely want to use computers to do the things that most people buy computers for. Any OS exists in order to allow a computer to run programs that enable people to do actual work. For non-geeks, the OS or what processor is in a computer or how much memory or storage and other details nerds love to debate is largely irrelevant for people who want to use computers to accomplish work. Computers running Linux will always be for people who want to play with computers for their own sake rather than only using them as tools to accomplish real work. That is really too bad, because Linux is a nice operating system that deserves much better representation among ordinary computer users.
Even if you don't use the Apple Store, your app won't install on Macs running OS X.8+ unless you have purchased an encryption code from Apple that costs $100 a year. The user can change that default setting, but unless you are known for your integrity and good software, many users won't bother to change that setting. They will just look for similar software in the store or elsewhere.
I have purchased a few programs from the Apple Store and have never run into any problem with bugs or speed. I just put in my Apple password when asked and presto, the program downloaded and installed with no muss or fuss. When I recently transferred all my software from a spinning disk to an SSD, all I had to do is enter my password again once when I restarted all my downloaded programs. Apple may not be perfect, but they do have customer service down rather well. I think having to go to a multitude of websites to authenticate each program is a PIA.
Since when have hackers and other criminals ever worried about legal niceties? When a cheap unsophisticated drone that can be afforded by most police departments crashes, it will likely take them a while to figure out that it was due to hacking or interference with the control system.
... The problem with DRM is that it doesn't stop dedicated people at all, it merely stops the "let me borrow the CD and I'll install it, too" - crowd, nothing else, and therefore it's waste of both your and your customers' resources to use much time or effort on it.
A simple install-time-only online activation is probably the best of both worlds as long as you can ensure that your activation servers are always accessible. Anything else is just a losing game.
Online activation is a bad idea, because if a person's Internet connection is down or your server is inaccessible, people can't install your program. Any good program should have a free trial, where everything works normally. After the trial period expires, the user can decide whether it is worth buying the program installation code. If the user decides not to buy the installation code, have the program disable vital functions, such as being able to open and save files and use the clipboard.
Offer a free trial for a limited time, but freely down loadable. After the trial period expires, let the program still work, but lengthen the startup time each time it is called. If your program is a productivity tool, the lost time will soon cut into this productivity. Eliminate that delay when the user buys a registration. For games this trick may not work, unless the startup time of the unregistered game increases exponentially each time it is launched.
Whenever I buy some software, I copy all installation keys into an encrypted file which then gets backed up normally. I also keep that encrypted file in my dropbox online.
Just don't. The people who want to pirate will, no matter what you do. Any DRM would only inconvenience legitimate customers. Just make it easy to buy your software for people who want to do so, and provide something worthwhile for the money (e.g. answer support questions, respond to bug reports, etc.)
If you are programming for an Apple device, why not just simply use their store(s)? Yes, you pay 30%, but then you don't have to worry about DRM or marketing your product, instead concentrating on making it the best software of its type in the respective store. Once a user is logged in to Apple, there is no easier way that I know of to buy software for your Mac, iPhone or iPad. Lately Microsoft also has jumped on the store bandwagon.
The military has been able to get away with operating drones in places like Afghanistan, because there are not very many people there who have sophisticated hacking ability. Since these drones are radio controlled flying computers, like every computer ever created by the mind of man, they too can be hacked and jammed. Any of these drones that depend on GPS data, could be made to fly who knows where until they run out of juice or fuel. Because GPS signals originate from satellites hundreds or even thousands of miles away, these signals are rather weak and are easily overpowered by local jamming. If this drone thing becomes ubiquitous, there will be electronic warfare just as there is now on the Internet. The difference is that on the Internet, people's lives are seldom endangered by hackers. There is a much greater chance that someone could get killed by a hacked and misguided drone. A few expensive lawsuits later, most police departments would likely forgo the use of such vulnerable technology and go back to old-fashioned standard police work.
It would be interesting to see you buy a car and get it off the dealer's lot, WITHOUT paying tax and license fees. Even in a private sale, you pay taxes when you register the car, which of course you don't have to register if you will keep it only on private property.
I suppose you can say that you used to own your house if you decide not to pay your taxes. Government generally considers it a crime not to pay your taxes, so they confiscate your house, sell it and then pay the taxes. You can drive your car on your private property, if it is big enough to drive a car on. If you have such a property, you likely will also have the money to pay your taxes and license fees. Even so, if you DON'T pay your taxes you will no longer own either the car nor your property. You know what they say about death and taxes. In no way are you going to get out of the former and it's difficult to get out of the latter.
Even if there is no mortgage on your house, you still don't own it but are only permitted to live there if you pay your property tax on time. Therefore you don't really own it, but rent it from the state. The same is true for your automobile. If you don't pay your license fee, you are no longer allowed to drive it. Paying the fuel tax does not give you the right to use the roads and highways. This paradigm Is gradually being extended to other things you think you "own", such as your phone and other electronic devices.
No matter how good wireless technology gets, it will never be as reliable as a wire. Life is a trade-off. We have traded convenience for reliability. In my opinion, the best thing that has ever happened to the telephone is caller ID. Now we only answer callers we know and like, but everybody else gets sent to voicemail. After that we decide whether any of those calls is worth replying to.
I use both operating systems for whatever job each one does best. I have been a Mac user for a long time, but I also use Windows. Because I do most of my work on the Mac, I run windows 7 in VM which integrates very well with OS X. In the end, what OS I use is immaterial, because a computer is nothing else but a tool allowing me to do the whatever work I want done. I don't use a heavy crescent wrench as a hammer or a big screwdriver as a pry bar, though some people do.
There is this law in the universe concerning sowing and reaping. There are lots of people in our modern world that will do everything in their power to circumvent this law by trying to get out of harvesting the result of their choices. If you don't like some aspect of how OSX operates, you have a number of alternate choices. You can use another OS, such as Windows or Linux. Maybe you can even write your own OS and tailored exactly to your liking. You can forgo computers altogether. If you don't like iOS, you also have several alternate choices. In this world, nothing is perfect, including the choices and their results. You can make choices, but after that you can't change the results.
If you want to play in Apple's playground, you have to pay the entrance fee, that is get a Mac and you have to play by their rules. Why does that enrage you? You don't have to play in their playground if you don't want to, because nobody is forcing you.
Why do we have to jet lag everybody twice a year? Choose a time, either standard or DST. Myself, I would prefer DST. Schools could permanently adjust their schedule to match.
Why go to such a stupid site more than one time? There are so many places for free news, so why pay? Google should erase sites like that from their index. That way they will essentially disappear from the Internet.
You are the one that is ignorant and wrong on many counts. Why don't you read the article in the link below, paying special attention to the section on test results.
The fact that you are calling Christians and other religious people nutbags, demonstrates how biased and prejudiced you are. Many of the ivy league colleges were originally founded by Christians. Some of the best ones are still being run by the Catholics. When these schools were founded, the Bible was a major part of their curriculum. I suggest you study your history of education.
Both of my daughters were homeschooled. After the basic primary education at home, they both attended a public high school. One of them was salutatorian of her class and the younger one was valedictorian. One of them graduated from Pepperdine University on a scholarship and the other one has her master's degree from Duke University. She is still there finishing her thesis for her Ph.D.
For thousands of years, homeschooling was the by far major means of passing knowledge and life skills from generation to generation. This only changed in the middle of the 19th century, when public schools were invented. For all those millennia, it was mostly the parents that educated their children. Part of that education has always been the instilling of moral values and the worldview of the parents in the children. For you and the secular education establishment, that seems to be the major reason why you and public education bureaucrats hate homeschooling.
In public schools today, they teach fairytales such as evolution and the Big Bang. They misrepresent this secular belief system as “science”. Please explain to me how knowing about this sort of fiction gives any person a better job and an edge in life? How does knowing about socialism and self-esteem help a person in earning a living at a decent wage? Those “progressives” in government that want authoritarian control over people, want pliable, nonthinking sheep. The liberal, secular public education establishment churns those out by the millions.
If you want to know about a successful homeschool story, explore this website:
I know two of these children, now grown up, personally. They do not live very far from where I live. One of these is a veterinarian and the other one has a degree in engineering. They both have homeschooled children of their own, which are a delight to interact with, because they are very well behaved.
The fact remains that homeschooling, whether by Christians or not, results in better and productive adults. Many states have standardized tests, which are also mandatory for homeschoolers. In case you don't know how or are too lazy to look up facts, you can look here:
Most homeschoolers are only interested in doing the job that public schools are no longer doing, namely educating the children. Someone believing the fairy tales of evolution and politically correct socialistic claptrap, does not for believing such nonsense get a better job. People who believe in personal integrity and honesty as taught in the Bible, as well as math and science will always have a much better chance at getting a decent job. Many employers would rather have someone working for them that has high integrity and honesty but average intelligence, rather than a super intelligent but dishonest crook.
Exactly how does teaching children that their ancestors crawled out of the primordial ooze millions of years ago help them in life? Teaching children that they are special, valuable creations of a loving God as all of the other people are as well, will make them better behaved, productive citizens in the future. It is people who truly believe this who will want to treat their fellow residents on this planet with the respect and love that they deserve. How will teaching children that the earth is the product of a cosmic explosion instill in them the need to take care of the environment? The biblical view that this planet was made by and belongs to God, with us as caretakers, is a better reason for environmental concerns. Such beliefs are NOT ignorant or irrational.
Slashdot Mirror
The Internet connection speed for many is so slow already, that they would not even notice if the Internet speed as a whole dropped by 90%. In the evening, watching Netflix or any other video is a pain. That is why we still get DVDs in the mail.
Since storage devices are now solid state and so much faster than the old mechanical disks, does it really matter for practical purposes, whether a few megabytes of data are kept in RAM or fetched from fast solid-state storage? I have recently upgraded my computer with an SSD. Loading massive multi megabyte files used to take a definitely span of time noticeable to the user, but is now loaded almost instantaneously. Since phones are small ultraportable computers, this applies to them as well. I used to put my laptop to sleep if I was not going to use it for a few hours, but now with the SSD it boots so fast, I simply shut it down and then reboot when I need it again. I think this article is splitting hairs.
You and dozens of others all claim some particular flavor of Linux is best. All these conflicting claims and counterclaims is why Linux has never made any inroads with people outside of the geek/nerd crowd. Linux is NOT for those who merely want to use computers to do the things that most people buy computers for. Any OS exists in order to allow a computer to run programs that enable people to do actual work. For non-geeks, the OS or what processor is in a computer or how much memory or storage and other details nerds love to debate is largely irrelevant for people who want to use computers to accomplish work. Computers running Linux will always be for people who want to play with computers for their own sake rather than only using them as tools to accomplish real work. That is really too bad, because Linux is a nice operating system that deserves much better representation among ordinary computer users.
That URL is top-secret information that you are not entitled to unless you have the proper security clearance. Sorry!
Even if you don't use the Apple Store, your app won't install on Macs running OS X.8+ unless you have purchased an encryption code from Apple that costs $100 a year. The user can change that default setting, but unless you are known for your integrity and good software, many users won't bother to change that setting. They will just look for similar software in the store or elsewhere.
I have purchased a few programs from the Apple Store and have never run into any problem with bugs or speed. I just put in my Apple password when asked and presto, the program downloaded and installed with no muss or fuss. When I recently transferred all my software from a spinning disk to an SSD, all I had to do is enter my password again once when I restarted all my downloaded programs. Apple may not be perfect, but they do have customer service down rather well. I think having to go to a multitude of websites to authenticate each program is a PIA.
Since when have hackers and other criminals ever worried about legal niceties? When a cheap unsophisticated drone that can be afforded by most police departments crashes, it will likely take them a while to figure out that it was due to hacking or interference with the control system.
... The problem with DRM is that it doesn't stop dedicated people at all, it merely stops the "let me borrow the CD and I'll install it, too" - crowd, nothing else, and therefore it's waste of both your and your customers' resources to use much time or effort on it.
A simple install-time-only online activation is probably the best of both worlds as long as you can ensure that your activation servers are always accessible. Anything else is just a losing game.
Online activation is a bad idea, because if a person's Internet connection is down or your server is inaccessible, people can't install your program. Any good program should have a free trial, where everything works normally. After the trial period expires, the user can decide whether it is worth buying the program installation code. If the user decides not to buy the installation code, have the program disable vital functions, such as being able to open and save files and use the clipboard.
Offer a free trial for a limited time, but freely down loadable. After the trial period expires, let the program still work, but lengthen the startup time each time it is called. If your program is a productivity tool, the lost time will soon cut into this productivity. Eliminate that delay when the user buys a registration. For games this trick may not work, unless the startup time of the unregistered game increases exponentially each time it is launched.
Whenever I buy some software, I copy all installation keys into an encrypted file which then gets backed up normally. I also keep that encrypted file in my dropbox online.
Just don't. The people who want to pirate will, no matter what you do. Any DRM would only inconvenience legitimate customers. Just make it easy to buy your software for people who want to do so, and provide something worthwhile for the money (e.g. answer support questions, respond to bug reports, etc.)
If you are programming for an Apple device, why not just simply use their store(s)? Yes, you pay 30%, but then you don't have to worry about DRM or marketing your product, instead concentrating on making it the best software of its type in the respective store. Once a user is logged in to Apple, there is no easier way that I know of to buy software for your Mac, iPhone or iPad. Lately Microsoft also has jumped on the store bandwagon.
There is also an app store for the Mac. Microsoft also has an app store for Windows now.
The military has been able to get away with operating drones in places like Afghanistan, because there are not very many people there who have sophisticated hacking ability. Since these drones are radio controlled flying computers, like every computer ever created by the mind of man, they too can be hacked and jammed. Any of these drones that depend on GPS data, could be made to fly who knows where until they run out of juice or fuel. Because GPS signals originate from satellites hundreds or even thousands of miles away, these signals are rather weak and are easily overpowered by local jamming. If this drone thing becomes ubiquitous, there will be electronic warfare just as there is now on the Internet. The difference is that on the Internet, people's lives are seldom endangered by hackers. There is a much greater chance that someone could get killed by a hacked and misguided drone. A few expensive lawsuits later, most police departments would likely forgo the use of such vulnerable technology and go back to old-fashioned standard police work.
It would be interesting to see you buy a car and get it off the dealer's lot, WITHOUT paying tax and license fees. Even in a private sale, you pay taxes when you register the car, which of course you don't have to register if you will keep it only on private property.
The government takes their share of your salary before you even get it and lets you have whatever is left over after that.
I suppose you can say that you used to own your house if you decide not to pay your taxes. Government generally considers it a crime not to pay your taxes, so they confiscate your house, sell it and then pay the taxes. You can drive your car on your private property, if it is big enough to drive a car on. If you have such a property, you likely will also have the money to pay your taxes and license fees. Even so, if you DON'T pay your taxes you will no longer own either the car nor your property. You know what they say about death and taxes. In no way are you going to get out of the former and it's difficult to get out of the latter.
Even if there is no mortgage on your house, you still don't own it but are only permitted to live there if you pay your property tax on time. Therefore you don't really own it, but rent it from the state. The same is true for your automobile. If you don't pay your license fee, you are no longer allowed to drive it. Paying the fuel tax does not give you the right to use the roads and highways. This paradigm Is gradually being extended to other things you think you "own", such as your phone and other electronic devices.
No matter how good wireless technology gets, it will never be as reliable as a wire. Life is a trade-off. We have traded convenience for reliability. In my opinion, the best thing that has ever happened to the telephone is caller ID. Now we only answer callers we know and like, but everybody else gets sent to voicemail. After that we decide whether any of those calls is worth replying to.
I use both operating systems for whatever job each one does best. I have been a Mac user for a long time, but I also use Windows. Because I do most of my work on the Mac, I run windows 7 in VM which integrates very well with OS X. In the end, what OS I use is immaterial, because a computer is nothing else but a tool allowing me to do the whatever work I want done. I don't use a heavy crescent wrench as a hammer or a big screwdriver as a pry bar, though some people do.
There is this law in the universe concerning sowing and reaping. There are lots of people in our modern world that will do everything in their power to circumvent this law by trying to get out of harvesting the result of their choices. If you don't like some aspect of how OSX operates, you have a number of alternate choices. You can use another OS, such as Windows or Linux. Maybe you can even write your own OS and tailored exactly to your liking. You can forgo computers altogether. If you don't like iOS, you also have several alternate choices. In this world, nothing is perfect, including the choices and their results. You can make choices, but after that you can't change the results.
If you want to play in Apple's playground, you have to pay the entrance fee, that is get a Mac and you have to play by their rules. Why does that enrage you? You don't have to play in their playground if you don't want to, because nobody is forcing you.
Why do we have to jet lag everybody twice a year? Choose a time, either standard or DST. Myself, I would prefer DST. Schools could permanently adjust their schedule to match.
Why go to such a stupid site more than one time? There are so many places for free news, so why pay? Google should erase sites like that from their index. That way they will essentially disappear from the Internet.
You are the one that is ignorant and wrong on many counts. Why don't you read the article in the link below, paying special attention to the section on test results.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling
The fact that you are calling Christians and other religious people nutbags, demonstrates how biased and prejudiced you are. Many of the ivy league colleges were originally founded by Christians. Some of the best ones are still being run by the Catholics. When these schools were founded, the Bible was a major part of their curriculum. I suggest you study your history of education.
Both of my daughters were homeschooled. After the basic primary education at home, they both attended a public high school. One of them was salutatorian of her class and the younger one was valedictorian. One of them graduated from Pepperdine University on a scholarship and the other one has her master's degree from Duke University. She is still there finishing her thesis for her Ph.D.
For thousands of years, homeschooling was the by far major means of passing knowledge and life skills from generation to generation. This only changed in the middle of the 19th century, when public schools were invented. For all those millennia, it was mostly the parents that educated their children. Part of that education has always been the instilling of moral values and the worldview of the parents in the children. For you and the secular education establishment, that seems to be the major reason why you and public education bureaucrats hate homeschooling.
In public schools today, they teach fairytales such as evolution and the Big Bang. They misrepresent this secular belief system as “science”. Please explain to me how knowing about this sort of fiction gives any person a better job and an edge in life? How does knowing about socialism and self-esteem help a person in earning a living at a decent wage? Those “progressives” in government that want authoritarian control over people, want pliable, nonthinking sheep. The liberal, secular public education establishment churns those out by the millions.
If you want to know about a successful homeschool story, explore this website:
http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p54.htm
I know two of these children, now grown up, personally. They do not live very far from where I live. One of these is a veterinarian and the other one has a degree in engineering. They both have homeschooled children of their own, which are a delight to interact with, because they are very well behaved.
The fact remains that homeschooling, whether by Christians or not, results in better and productive adults. Many states have standardized tests, which are also mandatory for homeschoolers. In case you don't know how or are too lazy to look up facts, you can look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling#Test_results
Most homeschoolers are only interested in doing the job that public schools are no longer doing, namely educating the children. Someone believing the fairy tales of evolution and politically correct socialistic claptrap, does not for believing such nonsense get a better job. People who believe in personal integrity and honesty as taught in the Bible, as well as math and science will always have a much better chance at getting a decent job. Many employers would rather have someone working for them that has high integrity and honesty but average intelligence, rather than a super intelligent but dishonest crook.
Exactly how does teaching children that their ancestors crawled out of the primordial ooze millions of years ago help them in life? Teaching children that they are special, valuable creations of a loving God as all of the other people are as well, will make them better behaved, productive citizens in the future. It is people who truly believe this who will want to treat their fellow residents on this planet with the respect and love that they deserve. How will teaching children that the earth is the product of a cosmic explosion instill in them the need to take care of the environment? The biblical view that this planet was made by and belongs to God, with us as caretakers, is a better reason for environmental concerns. Such beliefs are NOT ignorant or irrational.
In case you have not learned yet how to Google, here are one of many statistics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling#Test_results