My little sister's school recently began a similar program. The logons are more secure, but the principles are the same. No pun intended. The system is called ParentCONNECT and allows parents to check grades, behavior reports, and attendance records. Since my sister has been more than a handful recently, my parents were quite glad to see this system implemented.
You mean, if I had never played video games when I was younger, I'd be living a anxiety-, anger-, and aggression-free life?!?! Somebody should have told me this sooner!
Really, though, there's nothing like a good 36 hours of UT to get over a nasty breakup. I've turned to video games several times in the past (and will do so in the future) when I really needed to kill something but felt inhibited by federal law.
This may seem a little off-topic, but I'm curious about the number of lawyers, lobbyists, and/or petitioners there are in this audience. I don't mean to chastize any of you for lack of influence; I find it very easy to sit back and make a pro-technology biased decision about how things should be, but I'm minimally informed about the actual legal reasoning behind many of the decisions made in court. I guess it just baffles me that technology is so easy to defeat in court.
DeCSS at 2600 vs. guns at WalMart: both can be used either legally or illegally. Guns can be used to kill people, DeCSS can be used to steal a minimal percentage of profit from a multi-million (billion?) dollar industry.
If you're predominately running Windows 98 and 2000, I recommend upgrading everyone to 2000 if at all possible. Then you can use NT Backup to write selected data to a server. It may not be the best solution in the world, but it's cheap since NT Backup comes with Win2k.
Then if you're concerned about backing up the server, you can buy a single tape drive and perform a bakup of the server; you'll get everything at once. If you need a server with more hard disk space, my company has been buying completely customized kits from California PC Products. We just put together a dual Athlon 1.9GHz w/ 1.5Gb RAM and 1.5Tb storage space (RAID 5) for about $6,000. Running Linux with Samba shares will cut the cost even more, and will also speed up data transfer rates.
If that doesn't sound like a viable option, look into Veritas backup solutions. We've been successful using their product, but it is more costly.
Much of your decision will probably come down to exactly what you need backed up and what you can afford. Good luck!
I've been pondering satellite radio for a while, too. Rather than worry about the technical and business aspects of both providers, I've been looking at the programming and comparing it with what I get through regular radio stations.
At first, I thought, 'Wow! 100 Channels of commercial-free radio?' I was somewhat taken in. I thought about how disenchanted I am with regular radio stations; I can't bring myself to listen to them anymore. Even if they broadcast sans-commercial, I don't think they'd be worth my time.
100 stations sounds like a lot. But it's not, and in light of the technology they're working with I think it's pretty pathetic. I have browsed the channel lineup of both companies and found results far less than adequate to slate the musical thirst I often find myself with in my car. I don't think either provider offers more than 10 or 15 channels I would actually listen to, and neither would be likely to have more than one or two that I'd really like - if that.
It's like paying for the Platinum Digital Cable package just so you can get Animal Planet and MTV2. Also, from reading others' posts, it doesn't seem likely that XM or Sirius will be adding channels any time soon if their financial situations do not improve.
The true/.er may pride technology over function, and if the channel lineups suit your tastes I envy you. That's my 2 cents!:)
Wolff may have analyzed the current situation boldly, but I don't think he looked very far into our history before he made his statement. I feel Wolff is very ignorant when he states toward the end of the article that Rock music is a bubble that has burst. In the short history of Rock music, critics have made the same statement at least twice per decade. It seems to me that Wolff obviously hasn't learned from the mistakes of other critics.
It is true that popularity in music is becoming more decentralized. Bands are content with lower record sales, and we haven't seen anything to rival the popularity of the Beatles. However, as the number of bands increases, so does the variety of music available to the listener. And so does the size of the audience; look at the world population in the 50's when rock started and compare those numbers with today's.
Wolff also states that consumers look not only for music, but also technology when considering a music purchase. I agree with him to some point, but I believe his use of 'technology' is too strict. 'Technology' should be defined to include music videos and concert production. The influence of MTV on modern music is staggering; technologies like additional music channels and satellite radio will only increase the influence.
Does Radio Power Leave Any to the Consumer?
on
Homogenized Music
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· Score: 1
From the article: "You don't get hurt by what you don't play."
If that statement is true, there is no power left in the hands of the consumer. I would like to think that my choice to boycott commercial radio has some effect on station ratings. But I doubt it does. As long as media conglomerates like Clear Channel can show advertisers that they're programming for a certain demographic, the advertisers will be happy to pay for air time on a station that monopolizes 50% of commercial radio in a given city. There is no way to measure the audience with pinpoint accuracy, and I question the accuracy of current methods.
Radio stations seem to have lost sight of the fact they have influence over modern music. By deriving radio programming from Billboard charts, the mega-stars' album sales inflate, closing the door on any rising stars. Not only does this mean that the consumer has no power over corporate radio, but we've lost power in the fight against the RIAA by allowing the centralization of media/power for non-democratic use.
Listen to internet radio while you still can, and support the phenomenal efforts of the independent stations, too.
If kids are no longer permitted to squish Koopa Troopers, Goombas, and Bowser, that leaves... Mario Kart?
Seriously, though, the bright side (in my opinion very bright) to this is that it will force game developers to concentrate their efforts on gameplay, plot, bright colors, and - the biggest void in modern VG's - originality(!) if they want to target the younger demographic. They'll also have to take their attention span into account and try to make fast-paced games.
As beautiful as the graphics are in games such as the Final Fantasy series, I don't like sitting through all the video sequences, regardless of how well-rendered they are. I play some FPS games ocassionally, but the storyline in most of them is heinous. Hopefully this legislation will be intelligently and appropriately passed. It shouldn't change the availability of the games most of us here on/. play; it should only increase our options.
Yeah, I think their perserverance is due largely to the fact that the founders of the other big chains outlined their business plans from inside the walls of the Tattered Cover.:)
I'm in Denver, but I'm curious about a bit of trivia I don't know: do any other Denverites know how long the (Cherry Creek) Tattered Cover has been in business?
"Eskimo" is a term that is generally only offensive to native (Inuit) Canadians. Elsewhere, it is a (generally) non-offensice term used to encompass both the Aleut and Inuit people.
I believe that the way things are currently worded in the RIAA's plan, if a radio station broadcasts a show on air and the same show simultaneously on the web, they the broadcaster will have to pay royalties twice for the same content. Once for the airplay, and once for the web broadcast.
It seems to me that when things get out of control, technologicall illiterate people are easily overwhelmed and often begin to complain - without considering any recourse they could take to eliminate their problems. Chastize your employees for sending meaningless e-mails, and be forgiving if they took the slightly-less-optimal path when faced with a tough decision in a pinch. That could work wonders for halting the thousand "cover-your-ass" e-mails each day from your subordinates.
I work at a fairly large (2,000+ employees on-site) company, and I don't get much unsolicited e-mail from my co-workers. Admittedly, I get more company newsletters that I'd like to, but any "fun mail" that I get is generally by choice. If I take part in the "Did you see that hilarious video about...?" conversations, I get the video in my inbox. I'm not going to offend anyone if I decline their offer to send it to me, either.
I'm also a college student in Computer Engineering, and I feel that I have successfully (and rather easily) avoided "E-Mail Overload." Message filters are a built-in (and vital) component of any decent mail program. Mass school mail goes in a folder that I read if I have time. Mailing list mail goes in a seperate (and usually categorized) folder. You get the point.
Most teachers I've dealt with (yes, outside the engineering school, too) seem to have their communication systems under control as well. Rules are rules, and e-mail doesn't change the rules. None of my classmates or colleagues would assume they have a homework extension because they simply e-mailed the professor the day the homework was due. We know it doesn't work like that.
We may have to be hard-nosed, but it is our individual responsibility to create a standard for our own communications. I quite often reply to my friends' e-mail with my own, but I also respond to e-mail with telephone calls or visits (if it's not too impertinent). Each of my friends has their own standard for cyber-communications as well. I respect the manner in which they choose to deal with my e-mail, and they do the same for me. If your friends freak out because you don't reply within minutes, you're the only one to blame. That's the standard you've set for yourself.
I agree with what some of the people here are saying. Kids - inner-city kids especially - will be bored out of their minds with most computer operations that they don't percieve as relevant to their everyday lives, which is most everything, since few of them have access to a computer outside of school.
The only other way to get through to them is by making it fun. I learned LOGO in a "gifted education" class in elementary school. I loved it, but I'm a computer engineer; I know there were other people in the class that hated it. In elementary school, the only computer that was crowded was the one running Oregon Trail, as others have mentioned before me.
With the technology of games - even the simple ones at Pogo and Lycos - I would think you could teach the kids more than they would realize. Using simple online games would introduce the kids to a fun environment while providing a chaperone to keep the kids polite while communicating with other users. I'm not advocating censorship, but I'm certain suggesting that children be taught by more than an "Acceptable Use of Internet" form.
The number of hardcore computer geeks is growing, but we are still outnumbered by huge margins. Most of these kids will probably use databases, spreadsheets, word processors, or other everyday-corporate-America-type programs when they grow up. They'll learn that stuff later. I think the goal of an elementary computer education should be to provide a very basic skill set to every student, and remove any fear or prejudice they have against computers in general. They should just have fun.
Slashdot Mirror
My little sister's school recently began a similar program. The logons are more secure, but the principles are the same. No pun intended. The system is called ParentCONNECT and allows parents to check grades, behavior reports, and attendance records. Since my sister has been more than a handful recently, my parents were quite glad to see this system implemented.
Really, though, there's nothing like a good 36 hours of UT to get over a nasty breakup. I've turned to video games several times in the past (and will do so in the future) when I really needed to kill something but felt inhibited by federal law.
DeCSS at 2600 vs. guns at WalMart: both can be used either legally or illegally. Guns can be used to kill people, DeCSS can be used to steal a minimal percentage of profit from a multi-million (billion?) dollar industry.
My advice to 2600: get the NRA's lawyers.
If you're predominately running Windows 98 and 2000, I recommend upgrading everyone to 2000 if at all possible. Then you can use NT Backup to write selected data to a server. It may not be the best solution in the world, but it's cheap since NT Backup comes with Win2k.
Then if you're concerned about backing up the server, you can buy a single tape drive and perform a bakup of the server; you'll get everything at once. If you need a server with more hard disk space, my company has been buying completely customized kits from California PC Products. We just put together a dual Athlon 1.9GHz w/ 1.5Gb RAM and 1.5Tb storage space (RAID 5) for about $6,000. Running Linux with Samba shares will cut the cost even more, and will also speed up data transfer rates.
If that doesn't sound like a viable option, look into Veritas backup solutions. We've been successful using their product, but it is more costly.
Much of your decision will probably come down to exactly what you need backed up and what you can afford. Good luck!
How'd this post make it on there?
I've been pondering satellite radio for a while, too. Rather than worry about the technical and business aspects of both providers, I've been looking at the programming and comparing it with what I get through regular radio stations.
/.er may pride technology over function, and if the channel lineups suit your tastes I envy you. That's my 2 cents! :)
At first, I thought, 'Wow! 100 Channels of commercial-free radio?' I was somewhat taken in. I thought about how disenchanted I am with regular radio stations; I can't bring myself to listen to them anymore. Even if they broadcast sans-commercial, I don't think they'd be worth my time.
100 stations sounds like a lot. But it's not, and in light of the technology they're working with I think it's pretty pathetic. I have browsed the channel lineup of both companies and found results far less than adequate to slate the musical thirst I often find myself with in my car. I don't think either provider offers more than 10 or 15 channels I would actually listen to, and neither would be likely to have more than one or two that I'd really like - if that.
It's like paying for the Platinum Digital Cable package just so you can get Animal Planet and MTV2. Also, from reading others' posts, it doesn't seem likely that XM or Sirius will be adding channels any time soon if their financial situations do not improve.
The true
~en~
Wolff may have analyzed the current situation boldly, but I don't think he looked very far into our history before he made his statement. I feel Wolff is very ignorant when he states toward the end of the article that Rock music is a bubble that has burst. In the short history of Rock music, critics have made the same statement at least twice per decade. It seems to me that Wolff obviously hasn't learned from the mistakes of other critics.
It is true that popularity in music is becoming more decentralized. Bands are content with lower record sales, and we haven't seen anything to rival the popularity of the Beatles. However, as the number of bands increases, so does the variety of music available to the listener. And so does the size of the audience; look at the world population in the 50's when rock started and compare those numbers with today's.
Wolff also states that consumers look not only for music, but also technology when considering a music purchase. I agree with him to some point, but I believe his use of 'technology' is too strict. 'Technology' should be defined to include music videos and concert production. The influence of MTV on modern music is staggering; technologies like additional music channels and satellite radio will only increase the influence.
If that statement is true, there is no power left in the hands of the consumer. I would like to think that my choice to boycott commercial radio has some effect on station ratings. But I doubt it does. As long as media conglomerates like Clear Channel can show advertisers that they're programming for a certain demographic, the advertisers will be happy to pay for air time on a station that monopolizes 50% of commercial radio in a given city. There is no way to measure the audience with pinpoint accuracy, and I question the accuracy of current methods.
Radio stations seem to have lost sight of the fact they have influence over modern music. By deriving radio programming from Billboard charts, the mega-stars' album sales inflate, closing the door on any rising stars. Not only does this mean that the consumer has no power over corporate radio, but we've lost power in the fight against the RIAA by allowing the centralization of media/power for non-democratic use.
Listen to internet radio while you still can, and support the phenomenal efforts of the independent stations, too.
Seriously, though, the bright side (in my opinion very bright) to this is that it will force game developers to concentrate their efforts on gameplay, plot, bright colors, and - the biggest void in modern VG's - originality(!) if they want to target the younger demographic. They'll also have to take their attention span into account and try to make fast-paced games.
As beautiful as the graphics are in games such as the Final Fantasy series, I don't like sitting through all the video sequences, regardless of how well-rendered they are. I play some FPS games ocassionally, but the storyline in most of them is heinous. Hopefully this legislation will be intelligently and appropriately passed. It shouldn't change the availability of the games most of us here on /. play; it should only increase our options.
Yeah, I think their perserverance is due largely to the fact that the founders of the other big chains outlined their business plans from inside the walls of the Tattered Cover. :)
I'm in Denver, but I'm curious about a bit of trivia I don't know: do any other Denverites know how long the (Cherry Creek) Tattered Cover has been in business?
"Eskimo" is a term that is generally only offensive to native (Inuit) Canadians. Elsewhere, it is a (generally) non-offensice term used to encompass both the Aleut and Inuit people.
I believe that the way things are currently worded in the RIAA's plan, if a radio station broadcasts a show on air and the same show simultaneously on the web, they the broadcaster will have to pay royalties twice for the same content. Once for the airplay, and once for the web broadcast.
This happened 27,000 years ago.
It seems to me that when things get out of control, technologicall illiterate people are easily overwhelmed and often begin to complain - without considering any recourse they could take to eliminate their problems. Chastize your employees for sending meaningless e-mails, and be forgiving if they took the slightly-less-optimal path when faced with a tough decision in a pinch. That could work wonders for halting the thousand "cover-your-ass" e-mails each day from your subordinates.
I work at a fairly large (2,000+ employees on-site) company, and I don't get much unsolicited e-mail from my co-workers. Admittedly, I get more company newsletters that I'd like to, but any "fun mail" that I get is generally by choice. If I take part in the "Did you see that hilarious video about...?" conversations, I get the video in my inbox. I'm not going to offend anyone if I decline their offer to send it to me, either.
I'm also a college student in Computer Engineering, and I feel that I have successfully (and rather easily) avoided "E-Mail Overload." Message filters are a built-in (and vital) component of any decent mail program. Mass school mail goes in a folder that I read if I have time. Mailing list mail goes in a seperate (and usually categorized) folder. You get the point.
Most teachers I've dealt with (yes, outside the engineering school, too) seem to have their communication systems under control as well. Rules are rules, and e-mail doesn't change the rules. None of my classmates or colleagues would assume they have a homework extension because they simply e-mailed the professor the day the homework was due. We know it doesn't work like that.
We may have to be hard-nosed, but it is our individual responsibility to create a standard for our own communications. I quite often reply to my friends' e-mail with my own, but I also respond to e-mail with telephone calls or visits (if it's not too impertinent). Each of my friends has their own standard for cyber-communications as well. I respect the manner in which they choose to deal with my e-mail, and they do the same for me. If your friends freak out because you don't reply within minutes, you're the only one to blame. That's the standard you've set for yourself.
Yes, I quite agree. It would have been much better journalism to grant EFNet special concessions since you like them.
I agree with what some of the people here are saying. Kids - inner-city kids especially - will be bored out of their minds with most computer operations that they don't percieve as relevant to their everyday lives, which is most everything, since few of them have access to a computer outside of school.
The only other way to get through to them is by making it fun. I learned LOGO in a "gifted education" class in elementary school. I loved it, but I'm a computer engineer; I know there were other people in the class that hated it. In elementary school, the only computer that was crowded was the one running Oregon Trail, as others have mentioned before me.
With the technology of games - even the simple ones at Pogo and Lycos - I would think you could teach the kids more than they would realize. Using simple online games would introduce the kids to a fun environment while providing a chaperone to keep the kids polite while communicating with other users. I'm not advocating censorship, but I'm certain suggesting that children be taught by more than an "Acceptable Use of Internet" form.
The number of hardcore computer geeks is growing, but we are still outnumbered by huge margins. Most of these kids will probably use databases, spreadsheets, word processors, or other everyday-corporate-America-type programs when they grow up. They'll learn that stuff later. I think the goal of an elementary computer education should be to provide a very basic skill set to every student, and remove any fear or prejudice they have against computers in general. They should just have fun.
Next month's headlines: RIAA Files Injunction Against Member Sony for Copyright Infringement More here.