Slashdot Mirror


User: theRunicBard

theRunicBard's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
84
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 84

  1. i love chromebooks and google and all but on Limitations and All, Chromebooks Appear To Be Selling · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Stephen Vaughan-Nichols is a troll who just toots anti-windows-8 propaganda like a parrot. I followed his articles for a while and they're all kind of the same, really.

  2. Re:One word. Steam. on How DRM Won · · Score: 1

    another tin-foil hat comment. Steam's DRM is an example of DRM done right. Deal with it. Even if it were unnecessary, the games cost $5. I'll be as sad if I get locked out of them as I will be if the milk in my fridge spoils. Pray tell, what platform do you use to play non-DRM games that also has a social network built into it, achievements, holds 75% sales, and is owned by a company that makes the best games of all time (half life, portal)? Didn't think so. Face it. There is no perfect platform. But Steam is so close, it's worth it.

  3. what are you talking about? on How DRM Won · · Score: 1

    while this is an issue, I don't see it as a serious one. Who do you know that actually pays for online content? Sure, some of my friends use Netflix but they routinely complain that their selection sucks. Whenever this happens, we log onto my computer, watch a movie [TOTALLY legally] and if I liked it, I download it when we're done. Sure the law sucks, but if it's that easy to [OBEY], why do you care? A common comeback to this argument is "well, what about the non-tech-saavy people?" to which a PhD friend of mine has replied "I don't see why those who can't use the Internet should have access to it." It sounds mean, but it's akin to letting people who can't pass the citizenship test vote. If you're so dumb that the only way you can get media is by paying money to hollywood to rent it, that's your problem.

  4. Re:Ah, the irony on European Watchdogs Challenge Google Over Its Privacy Policy · · Score: 1

    Oh, if I had mod points, you'd get them. This IS what Google wants. They've openly said it. I'm not saying it's smart but I am saying Google was honest about that. The UK can just use the NSA search engine instead.

  5. Best wisdom I've ever gotten on Ask Slashdot: Can I Cross US Borders With Legally Ripped Media? · · Score: 1

    You can do anything as long as you don't get caught.

  6. Re:Really? really? on Google Preparing "Google Mine" For Organizing and Sharing Your Stuff On Google+ · · Score: 1

    you get to decide what PhDs should do with their time? Interesting. That, would in no way be a dictatorship. Or perhaps we should get some sort of government body to dictate what is ok to research? Nobody - on here especially - would complain about that, calling it fascism. Look, on a serious note, I understand your concern, but this was their decision and you have no right to tell them otherwise. Google doesn't tax you (not nearly as directly as the real government does), so you don't get representation. The people at Google wanted to do this. So they will. If it sells, great, otherwise, they'll know to stop. If their PhD's decided to wank all day, they'd be able to do that too.

  7. Really? really? on Google Preparing "Google Mine" For Organizing and Sharing Your Stuff On Google+ · · Score: 1

    the amount of tin-foil-hat crazy on here needs to stop. From what I gather, this is not only optional, but is even then just a tool to show cool stuff to people. Ever buy a new _ and tell people about it? Or get a message from a friend about their cool new _? That's all this is. Get over yourselves. I like Slashdot because it discusses what other news sources ignore, but every time I see crazy on this scale, I start considering finding a new source. There's also this thing called Ebay. And places where you can store your stuff. Time to jump off a cliff? Please hurry, and leave the rest of us alone.

  8. Re:Ulterior motives? on Google Fiber Adds 14th City: Lee's Summit · · Score: 2

    Exactly. Google seems to have come to the conclusion that since everything on the internet makes them money somehow (Ads), a way to increase profit is to get people to load up the web faster. You connect to the web faster, you're more likely to click an ad faster. Or just buy from Google Shopping direct. I've seen some stuff on there that beats Amazon's deals. And don't get me wrong, probably some goodness of their heart too.

  9. Re:You're still in control on How the Smartphone Killed the Three-day Weekend · · Score: 1

    In my experience (and admittedly one data point isn't worth much) you're just gonna miss out on a fruit basket. See if I care.

  10. You're still in control on How the Smartphone Killed the Three-day Weekend · · Score: 1

    At the end of the day, if you can't turn off your phone, it's your fault. If you have a job that's so miserable that you'd be better off not thinking about it, that's your fault too. If you can't finish your work fast enough to go home and enjoy time with your family / relax, totally your fault. People like to blame society for their own faults. Go to work, finish your work, go home, have fun, enjoy the weekend. It's pretty simple you guys.

  11. Re:Not only citations but accidents I'm sure on Florida DOT Cuts Yellow Light Delay Ignoring Federal Guidelines, Citations Soar · · Score: 2

    Well, our nation is bankrupt both morally and literally, so that's kind of expected, don't you think?

  12. While I am aware of Windows 8's failings on ZDNet Proclaims "Windows: It's Over" · · Score: 1

    This author is simply a troll. A journalist's duty is to present an argument based on his experiences. While we can't guarantee a lack of bias, this man penned Windows 8's death before it came out. That's not journalism; it's fanaticism. Linux users have every right to hate Microsoft. In fact, everyone has every right to hate anything that doesn't live up to their standard. However, when we throw a parade every time anyone says anything anti-Windows 8, it just makes us look sad and pathetic. Do we really have nothing better to do? It's an operating system that made drastic, and probably poor, changes to a UI people were used to. If you don't like it, don't use it. I probably will, but only for gaming. There is no need to fill the internet with articles on articles on article response commentaries on how one guy didn't like Windows 8.

  13. Re:Is this the point in time.. on Set Your Watches For the End of Windows XP · · Score: 1

    Are those people stupid? Regardless of your feelings towards Microsoft/Linux/Mac/etc, Windows XP is at the end of it's life. It lacks very basic functionality (automatic windows splitting for instance) that everyone who upgraded has been enjoying since Vista. Even visually, it just LOOKS old. And while I love tinkering, there is probably at least a little something weird with you if you'd rather devote your time to manually patching your system. Is this what Slashdot has become? People who grumble about Windows Vista+ while making their own patches for XP? How sad; get a life. Windows XP had a GREAT run. It been Microsoft's best OS in a long time, maybe forever (though Windows 3.1 still seems to have a fanbase). But it's old. Give it up. Windows 8 costs ~$200, which is remarkably little if you plan on not upgrading again for another three versions. $200 is trash compared to rent, food, toys for your kids, etc over a 5 year period. Windows 7 would be much, much cheaper still. Just buy it already. Some of you need to watch Toy Story. Causes you're having trouble growing up.

  14. Ok, I understand privacy but on BlackBerry 10 Can BBM Anything You're Watching, Even Porn · · Score: 3, Funny

    There is no way you can't turn this off, and really, who watches porn on their phone? That just seems like a terrible life choice. Small screen, horrible data speeds, smudgy finger marks.

  15. Re:Reinstall Ubuntu. on Ask Slashdot: New To Linux; Which Distro? · · Score: 1

    Exactly this. Ubuntu is very friendly and even if it isn't what you're looking for, you should work on it until you know enough to install that. The move on to something like Mint or Arch (I've never used either).

  16. Re:When will they accept Windows 8 as a failure? on Microsoft Azure Failure: SSL Certificates Were Updated... Sort Of · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Look, I know nobody cares, but Microsoft Azure has nothing to do with Windows 8. I'm also not sure it's a failure. Microsoft tried something new after getting great positive reviews for Windows 7, which is the BEST time to try something risky. Worst case, people skip one generation of Windows, and stick with... Windows. Best case, you redefine the PC interface. It is innovative, no matter how poorly implemented. Besides, Microsoft has a history of creating a shitty first version and then fixing kinks as time goes by. Was anyone expecting a good first version of Metro? The slow adoption numbers can easily be credited to how good Windows 7 is. Why would you switch? It costs $0 for me to stay on 7, and > $0 to upgrade. We won't be seeing many Windows 8 devices for a while. The timely upgrades brought about by Windows Blue might even spur more adoption (too early to tell, I think). Windows Phones I won't attempt to defend since I know nothing of them.

  17. Re:Read the article on Large Corporations Displacing Aging IT Workers With H-1B Visa Workers · · Score: 1

    Whoops. Just re-did the math, you're right. Still, given the current situation in the US a lot of people can't even find jobs. Of course I'm talking about English and history majors but still, complaining about 80K fresh out of college seems selfish. That's my main complaint here. Given that this is still above the average wage (assuming I didn't crap up that math too), it seems silly to complain about 80K. And anyway, isn't the programmer philosophy that if you don't like it you can just make a startup where you're CEO? The article definitely lacked substance for me as well. Only interviewed one person.

  18. Read the article on Large Corporations Displacing Aging IT Workers With H-1B Visa Workers · · Score: 0

    Very little factual information. While this COULD be true, I just saw one guy complaining combined with an interesting statistic that average wages for programmers are still below $40 an hour. That's a joke, right? That's six figures a year. Sure, everyone would want more, but it's a perfectly reasonable salary as is.

  19. Re:I'm not the bad guy here on Tim Cook Never Wanted To Sue Samsung · · Score: 0

    What behavior is that? I'm genuinely curious. You have apple making devices more closed, patenting shit like rounded corners, and suing everyone around. If you read up on Jobs, he had a very nasty side to him too. Look at his biography (the one by Walter Isaacson). He wouldn't give one of the initial employees of Apple any stock despite Wozniac insisting on it. He cheated Wozniac on multiple occasions (I won't look this up - Google). There are stories of him having horrible relations with his wife (in the biography). It seems from a glance that his "innovation" was just good salesmanship. Supposedly (again, in the biography) there were times when an employee would bring up an idea, he would hate it, and then claim it as his own a few days later. I can't think of any instance of him donating money like Bill Gates, who although not a saint is certainly helping the world at this point. Not much of what I'm saying here is hard evidence but it paints a pretty poor picture of someone so idolized. What did Google and Schmidt do that left you more disgusted than that?

  20. Whatever you do (not completely related) on Summer Programming Courses Before Heading Off To College? · · Score: 1

    Tell him to consider re-taking some intro courses at college. For instance, if he's "qualified" for MAT 102, maybe tell him to take MAT 101. It sounds lazy and counterproductive (it also sounds like you're trying to inflate your GPA), but I'm being serious. Oftentimes, you will find that high schools skip certain parts of a course that colleges don't. Alternatively, they teach at a different level. You can teach electricity and magnetism in such a way that a middle schooler will understand it in minutes (I = V/R is something an elementary school student can do), or you can create problems that play on obscure resistance rules to the point where one needs to read the book for an hour to understand what's going on. When this happens, you can quickly get lost and earn a bad grade. I would advise your son to go back a level in such courses, or at least carefully look at the textbook and sample assignments/problem sets to make sure he isn't getting in over his head. Besides, sometimes intro courses are a lot of fun ;)

  21. Re:Can I just ask on Microsoft Surface Pro Reviews Arrive · · Score: 1

    You would be surprised at how accurage "OMG, shiny!" is. I'm ashamed to admit that when I installed Windows 8 Pro, I loved it solely because Metro was so shiny. It wasn't even "pretty"; it was just "shiny". And it didn't work as well as Ubuntu, but it was SHINY! I imagine a substantial number of users will buy it for that reason.

  22. Can I just ask on Microsoft Surface Pro Reviews Arrive · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not buy a laptop? They weigh 5 lbs... that's light. They're usable. They run all the software desktops run because they're the same thing. Battery life can reach 6-10 hours depending on OS and model. They come with a USB port (Nexus 7 complaint).

  23. Obvious question on EU Citizens Warned Not To Use US Cloud Services Over Spying Fears · · Score: 2

    Are there alternatives? Dropbox is US, Google Drive is US, I would assume Skydrive is US... What else will they use?

  24. Are we counting games? on What Early Software Was Influential Enough To Deserve Acclaim? · · Score: 1

    If yes: Diablo I and Rogue. Past that, emacs and vim. I suppose vim implies vi.

  25. Get a job on Ask Slashdot: Job Search Or More Education? · · Score: 1

    That's what I'm doing. It seems to teach you much more practical matters and how the real world works. My least favorite part of college is the idealistic (and incidentally, philosophical) arguments people have. I will however, also recommend you learn more along the way. Not to sound like an ass, but you do have some gaps in knowledge as you yourself pointed out. I'm seeing no mention of C, which is pretty huge, or Java (although you know C# which might even be better at this point). Also, as much as I hated this subject, some theory might be required in CS. Final verdict: get a job and if you don't love it, go back to school after you make some money. If you love it, ... game over, huh?