You're forgetting the #2 largest graphics company: Intel. Their performance may suck, but millions of Intel motherboards have "Intel Extreme AGP Graphics".
"Software makers use the artificial method of copyright to recapture this software and to claim ownership of it."
So do people writing free software. Every GPL program is copyrighted, and Free software authors *do* claim ownership of their code. Knowing who "owns" which code is a very important part of free software projects.
The only difference between free software and proprietary software is what the license allows you to do. Microsoft forbids you from distributing their code. The GPL forbids you from incorporating it into proprietary code.
Thus, GPL'd code isn't really "free". Public domain code is - you can do with it what you like. The GPL restricts freedoms (the freedom to incorporate it into non-GPL projects, the right to distribute modifications without source) in order to encourage free software development. This isn't necessarily bad.
Copyright is not like the slave trade at all. Ideas don't have rights. You are not "capturing" the idea. I believe that copyright and patents are important rights, so long as they are not abused. Imagine a world without copyrights - Microsoft could take the Linux kernel and incorporate it into their proprietary code - without giving credit or releasing the source code. I could claim your open-source code as my own, after all, there's no copyright. Want to develop a new drug? Too bad - as soon as you make it, you'll have to compete to sell it at $2.00 a bottle. How about an inovative new rocket engine? I hope you don't plan on selling it to NASA - they'd just make their own.
Without copyright, there would be no free software. Without patents, everyone would just keep trade secrets.
Copyrights and patents have been hugely abused in the past few years. That doesn't mean that they should be eliminated altogether.
I have rights to my ideas. Are they my property? No. Ideas cannot be property. But saying that they cease to be mine the instant they hit the paper is rubbish. My ideas are my own, and I believe that I should have the right to a limited-time monopoly on the reproduction of those ideas. 14 years, perhaps. I should have enough time to make some money off my ideas (if they are good), while allowing them to enter the public domain in a reasonable amount of time.
And, yes, I agree that you should be able to sell GPL'd software. Heck, it says so in the GPL itself.
Sidenote: You use free as an adjective in your post several times. In these instances, it is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized. Moreover, even when it is being used as a noun, "Free Software" is not necessarily a proper noun (in the same way that proprietary software is not), and thus it should not be capitalized.
1: This isn't your typical deadbolt. These locks are extremely secure and hard to pick. Do you really want to stand on the street for two hours to pick the lock?
2: If you can open the ATM, why not steal the cash? If you can open one ATM, you can likely do it again to other ATMs, so why do you need the software?
3: What about the cameras and intrusion sensors that ATMs most certainly have? ATMs aren't broken into very often because it's extremely hard to do.
"The inability to synch with Outlook or any other desktop PIM is a definite deal-killer for many people, including me."
It's Sync, and I know that it's a pain. But remember, most of the SK's target audience doesn't even use Outlook.
"The 'sync to their servers' feature is handy in some cases, especially if your device dies and you have to get a replacement (as I've done 3 times so far), your data is automatically restored."
It's also useful if you forget your device, as you can simply look up the required info online. It's also convenient, as you don't need sync software. Personally, I'd prefer having the online interface to Outlook sync. But I'd rather have both.
"I don't know if you have any inside info with some of your "coming soon" predictions or if Danger has given firm expectations, but I won't believe it until I see these things released."
I do have inside info, but I'm under an NDA (developer's program). Trust me when I say that the 1.1 release really does exist and it really does all of the Danger says it will. I've actually used the 1.1 release, and it rocks. If you want to see for yourself, sign up for the developer program and download the simulator.
Re:I guess you must be on the wrong continent then
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You can roam from T-Mobile to Cingular to AT&T and still not pay roaming fees.
Sprint and Verizon are the odd men out.
I find that most places have decent GSM/GPRS coverage. Colorado, for example, isn't anywhere close to fully covered, but the major roads and small/medium sized towns have coverage.
Of course, Trinidad is a huge blackout. I-25 from Fort Collins to Pueblo (a 300 mile stretch of road) is fine, below Pueblo and above Fort Collins is where things get sketchy.
Is it universal? No. Is it the huge problem that people make it out to be? No.
Re:I guess you must be on the wrong continent then
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Consider the fact that France is smaller than Texas.
Also consider the fact that Wyoming is ~80% the size of France yet has less than 500,000 people. Most are concentrated within 1-5 miles of a few small cities.
Ever wonder why we don't have universal coverage? Because it doesn't make sense to put cell towers where no one lives.
They do a damn good job as it is. I've been in the middle of the New Mexico desert and still got GSM/GPRS service. Chimayo, NM. Town of 500 - but still has a GPRS tower.
"I think it's fucking absurd that we should be eleventh on the list"
Eleventh on what list?
"and be tethered to a phone system (and soon an HDTV system) that is completely unique in the world."
Oh, you mean like GSM and GPRS? That's "completely unique"? The US does have GSM carriers, 3 major ones at that (T-Mobile, AT&T, Cingular).
As for HDTV, we have one of the *only* HDTV systems in the world. Europe and the rest of the world are standardizing on a system that does not allow for high-definition broadcasting (You haven't seen TV until you've seen it at 1280x760, noninterlaced, 60 frames a second - Europe's system doesn't come close).
"Forget it - I can wire this entire rural village with "broadband." We don't get any other form of broadband out here but if no one changed their online habits I could funnel every one of those wireless users through a 128K ISDN line and no one would complain."
Many rural locations in the US have cable internet and digital cable TV. And almost all are connected to phone and power. It's quite popular, in fact, as many people in rural areas do not have access to a store that sells software/music/movies (sometimes it can be 100 miles to a Blockbuster).
"No, between everything else, I don't have the time now to get a handle on the code base and fix or implement these things myself, and so please don't tell me to."
You don't have to "get a handle on the code base" to get things fixed. There is an AbiSource Bugzilla. Post your problems/feature requests. People seem to be pretty responsive and helpful.
"Then again, I don't have to pay for health insurance."
Thankfully, my employer offers a health plan that covers my whole family (not an HMO, I can choose my doctors, etc) for around $100 a month. Not free, but also not a huge issue.
Of course, the reason our taxes are low is because Bush is inflating the national debt - which means my children will eventually have to pay big-time.
This is how DIRECTV works, but the box is still a crucial part of the security system - it has safeguards to ensure that the access card is not a serial cable plugged into a computer.
DirecTV's access cards have been cracked at least three times before; they are now rolling out their 4th-generation access card in an attempt to stop piracy.
17.5% sales tax? I pay 3.3% (county) + 3.6% city = 6.9% total sales tax. In some states, there is no sales tax.
And it's included in the price? What do you do if you live outside the city limits (whenever I purchase anything over $20, I ask to only pay county sales tax)?
I personally like Blockbuster for cheap DVDs. You can get used (but still good condition) DVDs for $6-$12 if you know what to look for.
Optimization doesn't have to mean quality loss. NVIDIA could trade out shaders for ones that do the same function but perform better on their hardware. The CineFX architecture is quite fast, but only when you use the right kind of shader code.
It was a freaking metaphor!!! Why are you people taking this literally. Have you ever heard someoene say "Less is More"? It's not meant to be taken strictly. It means that sometimes having fewer features can be better.
God. Does everyone on Slashdot have such a lack of common knowledge?
Yeah, I know the whole "Quaker Game Stolen and repackaged".
The strategy in Monopoly revolves around three things:
1: Knowing what to trade, for what, and when. Which is more valuable? Would you trade New York for Park Place? It depends on how much cash your opponents have. 2: Knowing what to pass up. In some situations, Baltic/Medeterraian/The Railroads/Utilities can be a good value. Sometimes the're junk. 3: Knowing when to build. Do you hold on to your moeny or use it to build on your properties.
That's funny. When I left HP they gave me 12 months pay (actually more like 13.5 if you include the two weeks notice and other technicalities). Now, I have worked there for 24 years.
Perhaps HP is the exception, but LSI Logic also seems to have this policy.
"Still unable? Well, I just created a perfectly secure program with input and output. Extend that to any program. A program can be made perfect within given parameters, given enough time and thought."
No, you haven't created a fully secure program.
Are you sure that the libraries are secure? Is there a chance of a buffer overrun? Is your compiler producing secure output? Could there be a hole in the oeprating system? What about the hardware?
You never know.
OK, so we assume that "Hello World" is perfectly secure. Fine. Now build a program that serves web pages with scripting. Ahhh... you just introduced about a million more variables. Now build an operating system that maintains backwards compatibility with 20 years of code, enforces a permissions system based on GUIDs, communicates with other computers using a variety of network protocols, supports printing, a driver system, thousands of devices.
"given enough time and thought"
OK, so go make sure that all 100 million lines of code in Windows are perfect. And all the drivers. And all the services.
It's not about time and thought, it's about the fact that complex systems are prone to error. An operating system is a complex system.
The election system we have is supposed to allow representation of the states. Otherwise, states like Wyoming would never get any meirt paid to their needs.
Any operating system has patches, especially an operating system as complex as Windows. Why do you think that RedHat offers Red Hat Network? Why does Apple offer Software Update.
Security flaws are a fact of life. Microsoft should be commended for their recent actions. It used to be that they would let the veulnerability slide until there was an exploit. Recently, they have been machine-gunning out patches.
Linux, or Mac OS for that matter, likely has a similar number of veulnerabilites. They simply aren't exploited because:
1: Linux users tend to be much more diligant about patching their systems 2: Mac OS users are only about 6% of the market.
What has been happening recently is that Microsoft releases a patch, and then someone releases a worm based on what that patch fixes - knowning that most users will never patch their system.
Flawless software is impossible. All you can hope to do is to patch the holes before they are found. That is what Microsoft is doing.
"Innovation creating an actual new idea, not simply integrating multiple functions into a single product."
How about a web browser with a decent DOM? IE had it years before Mozilla even had a working browser. How about a driver model that abstracts hardware fast enough for games (not just 3D, but sound, networking, input, and much more)? How about Smart Tags in Word - very helpful. Wavy underlined spell check? Yep. Dual tuner-PVR? Yep.
Microsoft innovates, but we just take their innovations for granted.
Only if you want to support Bush's policy of trashing the US economy through wild defense spending and tax cuts for the rich. Oh, and his policy of invading countries without international support is nice too. His energy policy is also awful (removing environmental restrictions, etc).
It's not my fault that the US invaded Iraq or has the DMCA and the PATRIOT act. I voted for the other guy.
I'm not complaining. If you like the flexibility and power of KDE, then, by all means, use it. But GNOME is focusing on improving usability for unexperienced users. KDE is focusing on being more powerful and more flexible.
What the grandparent was complaining about was the "dumbing down" of GNOME. Essentially, the grandparent wants GNOME to be just like KDE is today. More features, more configurability. I'm simply stating that GNOME chose their direction for a reason. GNOME knew that they couldn't be more "KDE" than "KDE". Instead, they decided to be the "desktop for the people". I believe that GNOME will be the desktop of choice when corporations start replacing their Windows computers with Linux computers.
Yes, HMOs are awful, but remember, "health insurance" doesn't necessarily mean "HMO". With my plan (PacifiCare), I can visit any doctor who takes my insurance (most) and get diagnosed and treated in about 20 minutes. It's a $10 fee to visit any doctor, which isn't bad a all.
"I don't know a single German who worked in 'Mericka who was happier with the so-called 'healthcare system' when it was compared to their native Deutschland."
Despite your slang, I must disagree. I have a German coworker who is thrilled by the US healthcare system. Case in point: he was held up two hours at the hospital just to see a doctor (this was around 1:00 and he had a stomach bug). In the US, he got the same bug (around 2:00). He simply went to the nearest doctor's office (5 minutes from his house), got diagnosed in about 20 minutes, and walked next door to the 24 hour pharmacy to get his prescription. YMMV, but healthcare in the US can range from awful to excellent (depending on your health insurance).
Is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. It leaves far too many people without adequete healthcare.
"Food was more expensive, but that's because most of it is organically grown, and because German consumers are by-and-large willing to pay fair trade prices for their groceries, unlike most of their brethren in the 'States."
We have stores in the US that sell nothing but fair trade organic products. "Wild Oats Market" built their business on this. But we also have Super Wal-Mart. Super Wal-Mart makes the other food stores look expensive.
"effective police[2]" The police are surprisingly effective in the US. The problem is not enforcement of the law, it's that 18,000 people a year are willing to kill others. When you have such a violent society, it's nearly impossible to prevent crime. It's not the cops that are the problem, it's the people.
"eighteen months[1] unemployment"
Many corporations in the US give 12 to 18 months severence pay. Plus there is governmental unemployment aid, so long as you are "looking" for a job.
"good transportation"
Transportation in major US cities is surprisingly good. In DC, the Metro is efficent and fast. The NY MTA system is older, but it works fine. The major thing we lack is inter-city transportaion by rail. You can travel by rail, especially in the east, but the trains only go about 80 miles/hour. Far from the high-speed trains in Europe. However, people forget the sheer size of the US. Even at 160 miles per hour, with no stops, it would take 18+ hours to travel from New York to Los Angeles. Airplanes can do it faster and cheaper.
Yes, one of my favorite games is called "Scotland Yard", where you try to track down the suspect by tracing their moves. I believe it is German. Quite fun, in fact, and virtually no luck involved.
America does have board games that aren't all luck, though. Monopoly has a lot of luck, but there's also quite a bit of strategy. And Clue contains little luck as well. Risk also contains strategy, although once you understand it it can be a little simplistic.
American games contain luck for one reason: luck makes the game "fair". Ever play against someone on the internet who keeps beeting you because they play 8 hours a day? It's no fun when you don't have a chance to win. That's why I believe that luck is an important part of a game. Monopoly is one such example. You try to dupe others into selling you properties for too little. But anyone can hit it big by landing on Park Place and rolling snake eyes (one on each die, which puts you on Boardwalk). It's also fun because games of luck can have sudden changes at any time. One roll of the dice can change the entire course of a Monopoly game. That's exciting.
By "American Board Games", I think that you are referring to popular board games. But those aren't the only games we have. In my local mall, there are literally more than 100 different board games, including many German games.
Slashdot Mirror
You're forgetting the #2 largest graphics company: Intel. Their performance may suck, but millions of Intel motherboards have "Intel Extreme AGP Graphics".
"Software makers use the artificial method of copyright to recapture this software and to claim ownership of it."
So do people writing free software. Every GPL program is copyrighted, and Free software authors *do* claim ownership of their code. Knowing who "owns" which code is a very important part of free software projects.
The only difference between free software and proprietary software is what the license allows you to do. Microsoft forbids you from distributing their code. The GPL forbids you from incorporating it into proprietary code.
Thus, GPL'd code isn't really "free". Public domain code is - you can do with it what you like. The GPL restricts freedoms (the freedom to incorporate it into non-GPL projects, the right to distribute modifications without source) in order to encourage free software development.
This isn't necessarily bad.
Copyright is not like the slave trade at all. Ideas don't have rights. You are not "capturing" the idea. I believe that copyright and patents are important rights, so long as they are not abused. Imagine a world without copyrights - Microsoft could take the Linux kernel and incorporate it into their proprietary code - without giving credit or releasing the source code. I could claim your open-source code as my own, after all, there's no copyright. Want to develop a new drug? Too bad - as soon as you make it, you'll have to compete to sell it at $2.00 a bottle. How about an inovative new rocket engine? I hope you don't plan on selling it to NASA - they'd just make their own.
Without copyright, there would be no free software. Without patents, everyone would just keep trade secrets.
Copyrights and patents have been hugely abused in the past few years. That doesn't mean that they should be eliminated altogether.
I have rights to my ideas. Are they my property? No. Ideas cannot be property. But saying that they cease to be mine the instant they hit the paper is rubbish. My ideas are my own, and I believe that I should have the right to a limited-time monopoly on the reproduction of those ideas. 14 years, perhaps. I should have enough time to make some money off my ideas (if they are good), while allowing them to enter the public domain in a reasonable amount of time.
And, yes, I agree that you should be able to sell GPL'd software. Heck, it says so in the GPL itself.
Sidenote: You use free as an adjective in your post several times. In these instances, it is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized. Moreover, even when it is being used as a noun, "Free Software" is not necessarily a proper noun (in the same way that proprietary software is not), and thus it should not be capitalized.
"Pick the lock, load the software"
1: This isn't your typical deadbolt. These locks are extremely secure and hard to pick. Do you really want to stand on the street for two hours to pick the lock?
2: If you can open the ATM, why not steal the cash? If you can open one ATM, you can likely do it again to other ATMs, so why do you need the software?
3: What about the cameras and intrusion sensors that ATMs most certainly have? ATMs aren't broken into very often because it's extremely hard to do.
"The inability to synch with Outlook or any other desktop PIM is a definite deal-killer for many people, including me."
It's Sync, and I know that it's a pain. But remember, most of the SK's target audience doesn't even use Outlook.
"The 'sync to their servers' feature is handy in some cases, especially if your device dies and you have to get a replacement (as I've done 3 times so far), your data is automatically restored."
It's also useful if you forget your device, as you can simply look up the required info online. It's also convenient, as you don't need sync software. Personally, I'd prefer having the online interface to Outlook sync. But I'd rather have both.
"I don't know if you have any inside info with some of your "coming soon" predictions or if Danger has given firm expectations, but I won't believe it until I see these things released."
I do have inside info, but I'm under an NDA (developer's program). Trust me when I say that the 1.1 release really does exist and it really does all of the Danger says it will. I've actually used the 1.1 release, and it rocks. If you want to see for yourself, sign up for the developer program and download the simulator.
You can roam from T-Mobile to Cingular to AT&T and still not pay roaming fees.
Sprint and Verizon are the odd men out.
I find that most places have decent GSM/GPRS coverage. Colorado, for example, isn't anywhere close to fully covered, but the major roads and small/medium sized towns have coverage.
Of course, Trinidad is a huge blackout. I-25 from Fort Collins to Pueblo (a 300 mile stretch of road) is fine, below Pueblo and above Fort Collins is where things get sketchy.
Is it universal? No. Is it the huge problem that people make it out to be? No.
Consider the fact that France is smaller than Texas.
Also consider the fact that Wyoming is ~80% the size of France yet has less than 500,000 people. Most are concentrated within 1-5 miles of a few small cities.
Ever wonder why we don't have universal coverage? Because it doesn't make sense to put cell towers where no one lives.
They do a damn good job as it is. I've been in the middle of the New Mexico desert and still got GSM/GPRS service. Chimayo, NM. Town of 500 - but still has a GPRS tower.
"I think it's fucking absurd that we should be eleventh on the list"
Eleventh on what list?
"and be tethered to a phone system (and soon an HDTV system) that is completely unique in the world."
Oh, you mean like GSM and GPRS? That's "completely unique"? The US does have GSM carriers, 3 major ones at that (T-Mobile, AT&T, Cingular).
As for HDTV, we have one of the *only* HDTV systems in the world. Europe and the rest of the world are standardizing on a system that does not allow for high-definition broadcasting (You haven't seen TV until you've seen it at 1280x760, noninterlaced, 60 frames a second - Europe's system doesn't come close).
"Forget it - I can wire this entire rural village with "broadband." We don't get any other form of broadband out here but if no one changed their online habits I could funnel every one of those wireless users through a 128K ISDN line and no one would complain."
Many rural locations in the US have cable internet and digital cable TV. And almost all are connected to phone and power. It's quite popular, in fact, as many people in rural areas do not have access to a store that sells software/music/movies (sometimes it can be 100 miles to a Blockbuster).
"No, between everything else, I don't have the time now to get a handle on the code base and fix or implement these things myself, and so please don't tell me to."
You don't have to "get a handle on the code base" to get things fixed. There is an AbiSource Bugzilla. Post your problems/feature requests. People seem to be pretty responsive and helpful.
"Then again, I don't have to pay for health insurance."
Thankfully, my employer offers a health plan that covers my whole family (not an HMO, I can choose my doctors, etc) for around $100 a month. Not free, but also not a huge issue.
Of course, the reason our taxes are low is because Bush is inflating the national debt - which means my children will eventually have to pay big-time.
This is how DIRECTV works, but the box is still a crucial part of the security system - it has safeguards to ensure that the access card is not a serial cable plugged into a computer.
DirecTV's access cards have been cracked at least three times before; they are now rolling out their 4th-generation access card in an attempt to stop piracy.
"VAT (sales tax) of 17.5% is included in those"
Holy crap!
17.5% sales tax? I pay 3.3% (county) + 3.6% city = 6.9% total sales tax. In some states, there is no sales tax.
And it's included in the price? What do you do if you live outside the city limits (whenever I purchase anything over $20, I ask to only pay county sales tax)?
I personally like Blockbuster for cheap DVDs. You can get used (but still good condition) DVDs for $6-$12 if you know what to look for.
Wifi is hundreds of times less powerful than mobile phones, so I don't think you have a whole lot to worry about.
Not necessarily so.
Optimization doesn't have to mean quality loss. NVIDIA could trade out shaders for ones that do the same function but perform better on their hardware. The CineFX architecture is quite fast, but only when you use the right kind of shader code.
It was a freaking metaphor!!! Why are you people taking this literally. Have you ever heard someoene say "Less is More"? It's not meant to be taken strictly. It means that sometimes having fewer features can be better.
God. Does everyone on Slashdot have such a lack of common knowledge?
Yeah, I know the whole "Quaker Game Stolen and repackaged".
The strategy in Monopoly revolves around three things:
1: Knowing what to trade, for what, and when. Which is more valuable? Would you trade New York for Park Place? It depends on how much cash your opponents have.
2: Knowing what to pass up. In some situations, Baltic/Medeterraian/The Railroads/Utilities can be a good value. Sometimes the're junk.
3: Knowing when to build. Do you hold on to your moeny or use it to build on your properties.
That's funny. When I left HP they gave me 12 months pay (actually more like 13.5 if you include the two weeks notice and other technicalities). Now, I have worked there for 24 years.
Perhaps HP is the exception, but LSI Logic also seems to have this policy.
"Still unable? Well, I just created a perfectly secure program with input and output. Extend that to any program. A program can be made perfect within given parameters, given enough time and thought."
No, you haven't created a fully secure program.
Are you sure that the libraries are secure? Is there a chance of a buffer overrun? Is your compiler producing secure output? Could there be a hole in the oeprating system? What about the hardware?
You never know.
OK, so we assume that "Hello World" is perfectly secure. Fine. Now build a program that serves web pages with scripting. Ahhh... you just introduced about a million more variables. Now build an operating system that maintains backwards compatibility with 20 years of code, enforces a permissions system based on GUIDs, communicates with other computers using a variety of network protocols, supports printing, a driver system, thousands of devices.
"given enough time and thought"
OK, so go make sure that all 100 million lines of code in Windows are perfect. And all the drivers. And all the services.
It's not about time and thought, it's about the fact that complex systems are prone to error. An operating system is a complex system.
The election system we have is supposed to allow representation of the states. Otherwise, states like Wyoming would never get any meirt paid to their needs.
We are a union of states, remember.
Any operating system has patches, especially an operating system as complex as Windows. Why do you think that RedHat offers Red Hat Network? Why does Apple offer Software Update.
Security flaws are a fact of life. Microsoft should be commended for their recent actions. It used to be that they would let the veulnerability slide until there was an exploit. Recently, they have been machine-gunning out patches.
Linux, or Mac OS for that matter, likely has a similar number of veulnerabilites. They simply aren't exploited because:
1: Linux users tend to be much more diligant about patching their systems
2: Mac OS users are only about 6% of the market.
What has been happening recently is that Microsoft releases a patch, and then someone releases a worm based on what that patch fixes - knowning that most users will never patch their system.
Flawless software is impossible. All you can hope to do is to patch the holes before they are found. That is what Microsoft is doing.
"Innovation creating an actual new idea, not simply integrating multiple functions into a single product."
How about a web browser with a decent DOM? IE had it years before Mozilla even had a working browser. How about a driver model that abstracts hardware fast enough for games (not just 3D, but sound, networking, input, and much more)? How about Smart Tags in Word - very helpful. Wavy underlined spell check? Yep. Dual tuner-PVR? Yep.
Microsoft innovates, but we just take their innovations for granted.
Only if you want to support Bush's policy of trashing the US economy through wild defense spending and tax cuts for the rich. Oh, and his policy of invading countries without international support is nice too. His energy policy is also awful (removing environmental restrictions, etc).
It's not my fault that the US invaded Iraq or has the DMCA and the PATRIOT act. I voted for the other guy.
You are thinking of the 1984 quote:
"War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength"
Less really can be more. You simply have to define what you have less of and what you have more of.
Let me complete the sentence:
"Less [Features] is More [Usability]"
I'm not complaining. If you like the flexibility and power of KDE, then, by all means, use it. But GNOME is focusing on improving usability for unexperienced users. KDE is focusing on being more powerful and more flexible.
What the grandparent was complaining about was the "dumbing down" of GNOME. Essentially, the grandparent wants GNOME to be just like KDE is today. More features, more configurability. I'm simply stating that GNOME chose their direction for a reason. GNOME knew that they couldn't be more "KDE" than "KDE". Instead, they decided to be the "desktop for the people". I believe that GNOME will be the desktop of choice when corporations start replacing their Windows computers with Linux computers.
"In the 'States with HMOs"
Yes, HMOs are awful, but remember, "health insurance" doesn't necessarily mean "HMO". With my plan (PacifiCare), I can visit any doctor who takes my insurance (most) and get diagnosed and treated in about 20 minutes. It's a $10 fee to visit any doctor, which isn't bad a all.
"I don't know a single German who worked in 'Mericka who was happier with the so-called 'healthcare system' when it was compared to their native Deutschland."
Despite your slang, I must disagree. I have a German coworker who is thrilled by the US healthcare system. Case in point: he was held up two hours at the hospital just to see a doctor (this was around 1:00 and he had a stomach bug). In the US, he got the same bug (around 2:00). He simply went to the nearest doctor's office (5 minutes from his house), got diagnosed in about 20 minutes, and walked next door to the 24 hour pharmacy to get his prescription. YMMV, but healthcare in the US can range from awful to excellent (depending on your health insurance).
Is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. It leaves far too many people without adequete healthcare.
"Food was more expensive, but that's because most of it is organically grown, and because German consumers are by-and-large willing to pay fair trade prices for their groceries, unlike most of their brethren in the 'States."
We have stores in the US that sell nothing but fair trade organic products. "Wild Oats Market" built their business on this. But we also have Super Wal-Mart. Super Wal-Mart makes the other food stores look expensive.
"effective police[2]"
The police are surprisingly effective in the US. The problem is not enforcement of the law, it's that 18,000 people a year are willing to kill others. When you have such a violent society, it's nearly impossible to prevent crime. It's not the cops that are the problem, it's the people.
"eighteen months[1] unemployment"
Many corporations in the US give 12 to 18 months severence pay. Plus there is governmental unemployment aid, so long as you are "looking" for a job.
"good transportation"
Transportation in major US cities is surprisingly good. In DC, the Metro is efficent and fast. The NY MTA system is older, but it works fine. The major thing we lack is inter-city transportaion by rail. You can travel by rail, especially in the east, but the trains only go about 80 miles/hour. Far from the high-speed trains in Europe. However, people forget the sheer size of the US. Even at 160 miles per hour, with no stops, it would take 18+ hours to travel from New York to Los Angeles. Airplanes can do it faster and cheaper.
Yes, one of my favorite games is called "Scotland Yard", where you try to track down the suspect by tracing their moves. I believe it is German. Quite fun, in fact, and virtually no luck involved.
America does have board games that aren't all luck, though. Monopoly has a lot of luck, but there's also quite a bit of strategy. And Clue contains little luck as well. Risk also contains strategy, although once you understand it it can be a little simplistic.
American games contain luck for one reason: luck makes the game "fair". Ever play against someone on the internet who keeps beeting you because they play 8 hours a day? It's no fun when you don't have a chance to win. That's why I believe that luck is an important part of a game. Monopoly is one such example. You try to dupe others into selling you properties for too little. But anyone can hit it big by landing on Park Place and rolling snake eyes (one on each die, which puts you on Boardwalk). It's also fun because games of luck can have sudden changes at any time. One roll of the dice can change the entire course of a Monopoly game. That's exciting.
By "American Board Games", I think that you are referring to popular board games. But those aren't the only games we have. In my local mall, there are literally more than 100 different board games, including many German games.