After reading this ridiculous story, I'm going to open a C2IT (Citibank) account and try to use that push that as my main auction payment method. I'm also going to send several e-mail and/or letters.
I am unsure how effective this would be, but what about petitiononline.com?
At first it sounded completely ridiculous, but I tried to keep an open mind anyway. At one point it even crossed my mind that this might actually be cool; then I listened to those MP3s on the site. What a pathetic waste of time. Just when I thought it couldn't get any lamer, they put on sounds of an amplified phone on vibrate mode. You can't get much lamer than this.
I've used automated testing products such as Silk Performer, and they are very useful but only in a very limited scope. For most practical situations it is more time and cost effective to simply hire a QA team then to purchase all these tools. Even after purchasing a full suite of automated testing software, which can range in the tens of thousands of dollars, a QA team is usually still needed. As far as automated goes, I've only found it useful for three things: 1.) Link checking. 2.) Server stress testing. 3.) Data entry.
The problem with the industry is their buisness model. They're using the same methods that they were using back in the days of records. Times have changed and their reaction was to start suing everyone rather than attempting to change.
I have bought more CDs recently that I ever have before because I can now listen to the full album before I decide if I like the band or not. In the past I would hear a song on the radio, buy the CD, then realize I only liked that one song. After this happened 2-3 times I stopped buying CDs completely. Now that I can preview I'm buying, I find myself buying more CDs than ever.
In the case that I only like one song, I have been guilty of just keeping the MP3 and not buying the CD. If there was a place online where I could pay to download the song at a reasonable price, perhaps $1 for a single, I would gladly do so. A quick download for a song in the bitrate and format of my choosing would be very much worth it. I haven't listened to a CD in months. As soon I buy them, they get ripped and put on my MP3 player. The time I could save by not having to encode everything would be worth it in itself.
Although interesting, I have doubts this will ever catch on because of it being so different from the current way mail is sent. Maybe the changes would not be openly visible, but I don't like the idea that my computer may have to use extra cycles just to send a letter. If this would end spam then I would consider this a worth while, but it most likely would not; at least not for a long time.
Because the currect mail systems do not have this system in place, it may be doomed to failure because of the aspect of backward compatibility. This article posted today on slashdot says that 99.9% of all websites are obsolete because of backward compatibility. As a developer, I too am guilty of programming for browsers as low as IE4 and Netscape 4. This problem alone could cause it to take several years to catch on, if ever.
When I switched our webserver over, it was confusing at first. I didn't really think I needed to at first, and almost stopped half way through. After I started reading the doc and messing with it, I realized that it really is alot better. The filtering is a developers dream. For those who don't know what that is, one great example is the ability to use a server side include on the output of a cgi. We also, clearly, noticed a difference in speed after the upgrade.
If you're not growing, you're dying. Change is inevitable. If you refuse to upgrade, you're just screwing it up for the smart people who did upgrade. Apache 2 is superior to 1.3, and it will success it. If you're not convinced, do what I did, install it on a different port and test it out.
I'd completely disagree with this analysis. It's something I was discussing with a work friend the other day.
Artists like Moby are precisely the sort of artists who stand to benefit the most through distribution of their music through p2p networks. The reason is simple: Moby's music would be considered by many "alternative" and consequently it doesn't get a lot (any) air play. So where am I supposed to hear it to know whether I like it enough to buy the album?
If that's the case, then why hasn't this album taken off then? Well, I'd say the recent successes of the RIAA in getting p2p networks shut down has probably helped, but ultimately, maybe the album just isn't as good? Not having heard it, I can't comment on that.. Maybe someone else can. Maybe the marketing of the album sucked? (I haven't heard of it all until now). Either way, I think it's clear that blaiming the p2p networks is based on opinion (And FUD) rather than fact.
Before anyone praises "On2 Technologies" too much, you should be aware of their product line. VP3 is their old leftovers. They've since improved it and release VP4, and recently made more improvments and released the VP5 codec. They've been giving VP3 away for some time, as more of a demo of what their newer technologies can do better.
While it's better then nothing, (we certainly need an open video codec), but On2 isn't exactly fully on the Open Source wagon.
Lets face it, "We Are All Made Of Stars" is not very good. Infact it's lame, maybe a little homo. I liked the mp3s from the previous album so much I went and bought the CD. This song isn't even worth the 30 second download.
Chris Kirkpatrick you can get your ass kicked worse than them little Limp Bizkit bastards. And Moby? You can get stomped by Obie! You 36 year old bald headed fag, blow me! You don't know me, you're too old let go. Its over. Nobody listens to techno!
I have not personally heard the whole album, so I cannot say if I think it is better or worse than the previous album, as a whole. The single "We Are All Made Of Stars" is the only single to be release off the new album, as far as I know. It is not to my liking enough to even download it, and I don't know anyone else who even likes that song. I hope the rest of the album isn't like that song.
So if the market's still so healthy, why can't they sell parts?
I'll tell you my theory, which is just that - a theory. I don't have numbers to back this up, it's just based on what I perceive.
Gone are the days that we drool over our friend's new rig with oodles of megahertz and megabytes. A 400 MHz machine with 128 MB of RAM and a 15 GB hard drive will run pretty much anything a consumer requires, save for games. Before everybody you know had a computer, the machine you bought two years ago isn't fast enough now (meaning 2 years after you bought it) to run those productivity apps that really would make a difference in the way you work.
Add to that the fact that the low-end PC market has become hugely competitive, with computers down into the sub-$400 range. Profit margins are lowered, and while methods of reducing costs have been introduced, they haven't kept pace with the dropping "going rate" for an entry-level computer.
It used to be that $3000 would buy you a nice machine that would be a top performer, even in terms of 3D graphics. The Dell sitting next to me was about $3300 back in April '98, and it was definitely one of the nicer desktops available at the time. But to get similar performance relative to current technology now, I'd only need to spend about $2000. And there are lots of ways (including lots of companies) to arrive at that price.
Asking.... will KDE vanquish GNOME, or "which will win the desktop environment wars" is the wrong question. It's like asking "Which will win, Ford or Vauxhall?". I wouldn't be surprised if a decade from now, KDE and GNOME are still around, still with plenty of happy users. I think KDE will be loved more by those who came from Windows and are most happy with a Windows style desktop environment (which is in fact quite a good design, MS bashing aside).
I think GNOME should start to differentiate itself in some way, and I expect we'll start seeing them diverge somewhat as GNOME realise they can't out-KDE KDE, and instead try and do their own thing.
Field Day is themed about emergency communications, although it couldn't be considered "practice" for emergencies. (Running/participating in emergency nets, etc.) - That's what ARES/RACES drills are for.
Field Day is purely a contest - BUT it is a contest that was designed with emergencies in mind. Most ARRL (and international) contests have various operator classes - In the case of Field Day, operator classes are based on how your station is powered. I think there's also a rule stating that you can't operate from your own station.
So basically, all Field Day entrants MUST be using equipment brought to the operating position for the event, not stuff that is there at all times. (I think people HAVE operated in tents from backyards, but people prefer to go hardcore and do some mountaintopping, or go to a firehouse, etc. where they can set up with their club. Club operations from community firehouses, etc. seem to be the most common Field Day arrangements.)
As a result, Field Day makes sure there are plenty of operators in this country with portable (or semi-portable at least) equipment that can be set up in a matter of hours. Bonus points to those who can operate for a weekend without a single bit of help from AC mains.
I was thinking of making the trek back up to school for Field Day, but I need to do some car shopping instead. I wish it were a few weeks later.:)
Slashdot Mirror
After reading this ridiculous story, I'm going to open a C2IT (Citibank) account and try to use that push that as my main auction payment method. I'm also going to send several e-mail and/or letters.
I am unsure how effective this would be, but what about petitiononline.com?
At first it sounded completely ridiculous, but I tried to keep an open mind anyway. At one point it even crossed my mind that this might actually be cool; then I listened to those MP3s on the site. What a pathetic waste of time. Just when I thought it couldn't get any lamer, they put on sounds of an amplified phone on vibrate mode. You can't get much lamer than this.
I've used automated testing products such as Silk Performer, and they are very useful but only in a very limited scope. For most practical situations it is more time and cost effective to simply hire a QA team then to purchase all these tools. Even after purchasing a full suite of automated testing software, which can range in the tens of thousands of dollars, a QA team is usually still needed. As far as automated goes, I've only found it useful for three things:
1.) Link checking.
2.) Server stress testing.
3.) Data entry.
The problem with the industry is their buisness model. They're using the same methods that they were using back in the days of records. Times have changed and their reaction was to start suing everyone rather than attempting to change.
I have bought more CDs recently that I ever have before because I can now listen to the full album before I decide if I like the band or not. In the past I would hear a song on the radio, buy the CD, then realize I only liked that one song. After this happened 2-3 times I stopped buying CDs completely.
Now that I can preview I'm buying, I find myself buying more CDs than ever.
In the case that I only like one song, I have been guilty of just keeping the MP3 and not buying the CD. If there was a place online where I could pay to download the song at a reasonable price, perhaps $1 for a single, I would gladly do so. A quick download for a song in the bitrate and format of my choosing would be very much worth it. I haven't listened to a CD in months. As soon I buy them, they get ripped and put on my MP3 player. The time I could save by not having to encode everything would be worth it in itself.
Although interesting, I have doubts this will ever catch on because of it being so different from the current way mail is sent. Maybe the changes would not be openly visible, but I don't like the idea that my computer may have to use extra cycles just to send a letter. If this would end spam then I would consider this a worth while, but it most likely would not; at least not for a long time.
Because the currect mail systems do not have this system in place, it may be doomed to failure because of the aspect of backward compatibility. This article posted today on slashdot says that 99.9% of all websites are obsolete because of backward compatibility. As a developer, I too am guilty of programming for browsers as low as IE4 and Netscape 4. This problem alone could cause it to take several years to catch on, if ever.
When I switched our webserver over, it was confusing at first. I didn't really think I needed to at first, and almost stopped half way through. After I started reading the doc and messing with it, I realized that it really is alot better. The filtering is a developers dream. For those who don't know what that is, one great example is the ability to use a server side include on the output of a cgi. We also, clearly, noticed a difference in speed after the upgrade.
If you're not growing, you're dying. Change is inevitable. If you refuse to upgrade, you're just screwing it up for the smart people who did upgrade. Apache 2 is superior to 1.3, and it will success it. If you're not convinced, do what I did, install it on a different port and test it out.
If you're not growing, you're dying. Change is inevitable for anything that wants to live.
This isn't Microsoft. Maybe it will not suck.
MSN Article
Redhat Article
You should read this MSN Article
This MSN Article has some pretty interesting insights, and a strange photo of an exploit in action.
MSN Article
Yes, you are in fact correct. You can live longer on just soda than you can on just water.
Your first posts suck! Musical Troll, where are you!?!?!?
MUSICAL TROLL RULES! MUSICAL TROLL RULES!
UnF! UnF! UnF!
Oh BaBy!
UnF! UnF! UnF!
http://goatse.cx http://goatse.cx http://goatse.cx http://goatse.cx
I'd completely disagree with this analysis. It's something I was discussing with a work friend the other day.
Artists like Moby are precisely the sort of artists who stand to benefit the most through distribution of their music through p2p networks. The reason is simple: Moby's music would be considered by many "alternative" and consequently it doesn't get a lot (any) air play. So where am I supposed to hear it to know whether I like it enough to buy the album?
If that's the case, then why hasn't this album taken off then? Well, I'd say the recent successes of the RIAA in getting p2p networks shut down has probably helped, but ultimately, maybe the album just isn't as good? Not having heard it, I can't comment on that.. Maybe someone else can. Maybe the marketing of the album sucked? (I haven't heard of it all until now). Either way, I think it's clear that blaiming the p2p networks is based on opinion (And FUD) rather than fact.
Yes, I would like to fuck Aria very much. Thank you.
Before anyone praises "On2 Technologies" too much, you should be aware of their product line. VP3 is their old leftovers. They've since improved it and release VP4, and recently made more improvments and released the VP5 codec. They've been giving VP3 away for some time, as more of a demo of what their newer technologies can do better.
While it's better then nothing, (we certainly need an open video codec), but On2 isn't exactly fully on the Open Source wagon.
That last single was kinda... homosexual. Are you suggesting that he is a cock smoker?
Lets face it, "We Are All Made Of Stars" is not very good. Infact it's lame, maybe a little homo. I liked the mp3s from the previous album so much I went and bought the CD. This song isn't even worth the 30 second download.
Oh njo! I've been found out!
Chris Kirkpatrick you can get your ass kicked
worse than them little Limp Bizkit bastards. And Moby? You can get stomped by Obie! You 36 year old bald headed fag, blow me! You don't know me, you're too old let go. Its over. Nobody listens to techno!
I have not personally heard the whole album, so I cannot say if I think it is better or worse than the previous album, as a whole. The single "We Are All Made Of Stars" is the only single to be release off the new album, as far as I know. It is not to my liking enough to even download it, and I don't know anyone else who even likes that song. I hope the rest of the album isn't like that song.
So if the market's still so healthy, why can't they sell parts?
I'll tell you my theory, which is just that - a theory. I don't have numbers to back this up, it's just based on what I perceive.
Gone are the days that we drool over our friend's new rig with oodles of megahertz and megabytes. A 400 MHz machine with 128 MB of RAM and a 15 GB hard drive will run pretty much anything a consumer requires, save for games. Before everybody you know had a computer, the machine you bought two years ago isn't fast enough now (meaning 2 years after you bought it) to run those productivity apps that really would make a difference in the way you work.
Add to that the fact that the low-end PC market has become hugely competitive, with computers down into the sub-$400 range. Profit margins are lowered, and while methods of reducing costs have been introduced, they haven't kept pace with the dropping "going rate" for an entry-level computer.
It used to be that $3000 would buy you a nice machine that would be a top performer, even in terms of 3D graphics. The Dell sitting next to me was about $3300 back in April '98, and it was definitely one of the nicer desktops available at the time. But to get similar performance relative to current technology now, I'd only need to spend about $2000. And there are lots of ways (including lots of companies) to arrive at that price.
Asking .... will KDE vanquish GNOME, or "which will win the desktop environment wars" is the wrong question. It's like asking "Which will win, Ford or Vauxhall?". I wouldn't be surprised if a decade from now, KDE and GNOME are still around, still with plenty of happy users. I think KDE will be loved more by those who came from Windows and are most happy with a Windows style desktop environment (which is in fact quite a good design, MS bashing aside).
I think GNOME should start to differentiate itself in some way, and I expect we'll start seeing them diverge somewhat as GNOME realise they can't out-KDE KDE, and instead try and do their own thing.
This is probably in the ARRL link.
:)
Field Day is themed about emergency communications, although it couldn't be considered "practice" for emergencies. (Running/participating in emergency nets, etc.) - That's what ARES/RACES drills are for.
Field Day is purely a contest - BUT it is a contest that was designed with emergencies in mind. Most ARRL (and international) contests have various operator classes - In the case of Field Day, operator classes are based on how your station is powered. I think there's also a rule stating that you can't operate from your own station.
So basically, all Field Day entrants MUST be using equipment brought to the operating position for the event, not stuff that is there at all times. (I think people HAVE operated in tents from backyards, but people prefer to go hardcore and do some mountaintopping, or go to a firehouse, etc. where they can set up with their club. Club operations from community firehouses, etc. seem to be the most common Field Day arrangements.)
As a result, Field Day makes sure there are plenty of operators in this country with portable (or semi-portable at least) equipment that can be set up in a matter of hours. Bonus points to those who can operate for a weekend without a single bit of help from AC mains.
I was thinking of making the trek back up to school for Field Day, but I need to do some car shopping instead. I wish it were a few weeks later.