"Honestly, the most this whole mess has affected me... strangle the life out of some of these yahoos in Washington."
It is a negotiation. And it is politics. If it doesn't affect some people, it wouldn't be an effective negotiation and it wouldn't be politics.
But like a coin, there are people and industries affected on both sides by both the legislation and the shut down. Uncertainty isn't good for the economy, for example, and people hold off on large purchases. Meanwhile, some people are the verge of getting really hefty health insurance premium spikes.
"I do not believe talent is all that rare, but I think great opportunities are."
There is a ton of truth to that statement. At the same time, opportunities exist all around us. It is more about recognizing the environment, spotting opportunities and then developing an inspiring plan of action. Luck plays a part too.
For example, Zuckerberg was not the only one capable of making Facebook. But he recognized the opportunity, saw the potential and acted with passion.
There were probably thousands of people with the same or better capabilities than Zuckerberg around at the same time. Likewise, Microsoft or Sony could have made an iTunes-like store. They didn't.
Talent isn't necessary developer-power or business acumen --- passion, vision, competence and --- as you stated --- being in the right place with the right resources is important. Certainly Bill Gates was not the only person at the time who could have made a DOS-like operating system (i.e. Gary Kidall --- who blew off IBM!)
"You can't really extrapolate from a handful of CEOs what a good management strategy is."
Why not? And what I mean by this, you can look at a handful of bad CEOs and often see what are bad management practices.
History is just studying winners and losers, the environment they were in and how they overcame --- or were overcome -- by circumstances.
The Apple story is particularly remarkable because Steve Jobs and the Woz made Apple --- Steve Jobs gets fired and wanders the wilderness for 10 years with NeXT and such --- then comes back to Apple and makes OS X, iPod, iPhone, iPad.
Few people are 2 time winners. What would be typical is if Steve Jobs came back and then was found out to be a "has been".
Studying individual success stories is "descriptive analysis" -- a field generally discarded by both statistics and science as "nonscience" -- but seeks to understand a particular circumstance that cannot be scientifically repeated nor statistically verified. But yet useful, like studying battles in WWII between Rommel and Patton.
Countries with these kinds of problems deserve the news blackout the rest of the world gives them. No one to root for here. If you give these countries attention, you are "not helping". Let them deal with this matter privately...
Commercial piracy sites are rather easy to identify.
I'm not entirely fond of where the internet is heading these days but at the same I do understand the never-ending battle against the various crapmeisters and scammers that ruin the internet experience.
But why can't they also turn this question around: shouldn't content providers be required to make their content available at fair market prices in all regions to benefit from this type of law?
(Note: On principle I do not like how governments are requiring search companies and social media to enforce their "will", treating these companies as an extension and enforcer of their rule. Where is the limit? I do not expect to see one, ultimately)
In the earlier days of the internet, forums and news groups and such led to incredibly brilliant discussions. And I think some people at the time felt this would eventually lead to a paradise of "mass human thought engine" resulting into some sort of "hive brain" of human collective thought.
But in the real world, most people are just bored or bigoted or want attention --- and humans as a whole are more Homer Simpson or Miley Cyrus than Albert Einstein or Carl Sagan.
And this reality won. For now. Scientific and intellectual thought will find a new way to win again. Given enough time.
Blackberry and the former RIM are experiencing this because they decided they owned the mobile phone market, thus adopting a Microsoft-lite we own "enterprise" attitude.
Of course, add a few years and they got to reap the benefits of this attitude.
Which goes to show, pride is the ability to overlook your own flaws and history --- and repeat what happens every single time a company adopts the "we are dominant and irreplacable attitude".
p.s. Any given graveyard is full of irreplaceables.
Microsoft, of course as you pointed out, vigorously hated FOSS. A mistake. If you are a virtual monopoly, why not reach out to your developers via FOSS like they have started to warm up to more in recent times.
FOSS allows your best and youngest (and poorest) developers to get excited and play with your source code and develop a loyalty bond.
Instead, Microsoft started attacking FOSS --- stupid considering FOSS is and will be the future --- maybe not quite today, but it is clear that given enough time that WILL be the future. Stupidest PR move ever --- and Google/Android/ started whacking away at Microsoft and doing damage expressly due to this.
And for what? To define themselves as the new crusty IBM and be a company of yesterday? The TFA itself says their consumer marketshare sucks really, really bad now (19%-20%)...
Microsoft misread several markets really badly in the early 2000s and present. They had an attitude that they had "won" the entire PC and computing market for now and forever.
This caused them to grow really complacent and unimaginative and slow to react to market changes.
But possibly the worst factor was the narrow Microsoft-centric nerdism amongst a good share of the Microsoft faithful that kept eyes closed to very obvious shortcomings in Microsoft's various bungled attempts in the last decade.
Most of the easily exploited software on Android that is poorly written is supplied by AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile and can't be uninstalled.
On Android with these US carriers, I never know if a "malware" looking abusive feature was supplied by the phone company or if my phone got infected with something.
Which is scary, because I think all the "malware looking crap" on my phone was supplied by the mobile carrier and isn't actually "malware" but intentional crapware meant to ruin my experience (but not on purpose, just the carrier chasing advert and annoyance dollars --- disgustingly enough)...
Is the trend you see security related? Or attention-getting related?
I care about security and I can't tell if you are saying GoSMS has similar problems --- I guess I'm saying I'm not 100% where you are headed with this...
I wanted to try Android phones and while that market offers some nice pleasures, at least in the USA --- all the crapware and scamware that Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and friends load up on the phones makes Droid suck compared to iPhone.
Buying an Android phone means loaded to the brim with crapwares just the same as a Dell or HP computer is loaded with 55 crapwares.
The Android platform *should* be superior, but the way the mobile phone operators abuse Android mean in practice that the iPhone is easily the most consumer friendly phone on the planet.
I still wanted the Android phone and plan to use it, I do mobile application development and previously only for the iPhone. I'm only saying the mobile phone carriers are jerks and the Droid market gives them free reign to load terrible and evil apps that cannot be uninstalled (without an amount of effort that really isn't worth it). Short story version: The carriers load Droid with crapwares because they have that freedom for abuse. At least in the USA...
Ok, so the same people that say it can't be piracy because no one was deprived of their DVD give a free pass to "The NSA is capturing the data"??
They didn't capture the data, because if they did then when did they release it? It wasn't like they were tagging an antelope and then let it go at some later time. Why do you give a stamp of approval that the "NSA captures data" as if they held it hostage at Gitmo and wouldn't let the datas go unimpeded.
It isn't like they detained the data without a warrant and won't release it --- they let it go freely. You guys are acting like they are backing up your data stream like some fat dude that is clogging the toilet... and you woun;dn't let this terminology pass with "piracy" because that involves depriving someone of their property....
Uh --- then I want to hire this guy. Because if he himself can produce 47000 hours of apps in 6 months --- well --- he can kick your butt back and forth (or even Forth!) across the parking lot 10 times over in productivity. To you get what I'm saying here in terms of human productivity? I don't care if you know how to click Start->Programs->Calculator ---- this guy is rolling out the apps? Can you do that? If not, go have a nice hot cup of STF owned! Seriously --- you do that kind of productivity and then you can talk Windows Calculator and someone will actually care --- enough said! How many app you publish? Over 10? What are names? See my point?????
Someone else already said "Nokia" so spiritually I don't have anything useful to add ---- except how Microsoft keeps blowing it in the mobile/tablet market --- I guess I'm saying sure Blackberry isn't doing so "hot" --- but at the same time don't Microsoft and Nokia bear the standard for "epic fail" --- so don't be too mean to Blackberry just yet --- they've had to lay off who knows how many percent of their employees --- and they aren't evil like M$ or a donkey for M$ like Nokia --- I'm saying let the Blackberry guys give their perspective a chance and then respond to that.... doesn't hurt anyone, right? To listen I mean...
Yes, I've used iOS and Android. No thanks. I'll stick to the uncool platform that actually meets my needs.
The excellent developer tools are just icing on an already tasty cake.
Ok, I'll bite.
What are the "meets my needs" that the Blackberry is fulfilling? I'm not satisfied entirely with the iPhone or Android market, but I'm having trouble myself identifying why precisely --- what is your perspective on what both platforms are missing because I'd like another perspective on this.... thanks in advance.
Slashdot Mirror
No side is going to threaten to kill each other, no permanent damage will be done.
Just inconvenience --- which bothers pampered people quite a bit.
I saw one person with a Surface RT last year around launch time, I got to use it for about 5 minutes to check it out.
One year later, I haven't seen another one in the wild.
But I know a friend of a friend who says he knows this one guy who has one.
"Honestly, the most this whole mess has affected me ... strangle the life out of some of these yahoos in Washington."
It is a negotiation. And it is politics. If it doesn't affect some people, it wouldn't be an effective negotiation and it wouldn't be politics.
But like a coin, there are people and industries affected on both sides by both the legislation and the shut down. Uncertainty isn't good for the economy, for example, and people hold off on large purchases. Meanwhile, some people are the verge of getting really hefty health insurance premium spikes.
"I do not believe talent is all that rare, but I think great opportunities are."
There is a ton of truth to that statement. At the same time, opportunities exist all around us. It is more about recognizing the environment, spotting opportunities and then developing an inspiring plan of action. Luck plays a part too.
For example, Zuckerberg was not the only one capable of making Facebook. But he recognized the opportunity, saw the potential and acted with passion.
There were probably thousands of people with the same or better capabilities than Zuckerberg around at the same time. Likewise, Microsoft or Sony could have made an iTunes-like store. They didn't.
Talent isn't necessary developer-power or business acumen --- passion, vision, competence and --- as you stated --- being in the right place with the right resources is important. Certainly Bill Gates was not the only person at the time who could have made a DOS-like operating system (i.e. Gary Kidall --- who blew off IBM!)
"You can't really extrapolate from a handful of CEOs what a good management strategy is."
Why not? And what I mean by this, you can look at a handful of bad CEOs and often see what are bad management practices.
History is just studying winners and losers, the environment they were in and how they overcame --- or were overcome -- by circumstances.
The Apple story is particularly remarkable because Steve Jobs and the Woz made Apple --- Steve Jobs gets fired and wanders the wilderness for 10 years with NeXT and such --- then comes back to Apple and makes OS X, iPod, iPhone, iPad.
Few people are 2 time winners. What would be typical is if Steve Jobs came back and then was found out to be a "has been".
Studying individual success stories is "descriptive analysis" -- a field generally discarded by both statistics and science as "nonscience" -- but seeks to understand a particular circumstance that cannot be scientifically repeated nor statistically verified. But yet useful, like studying battles in WWII between Rommel and Patton.
Countries with these kinds of problems deserve the news blackout the rest of the world gives them. No one to root for here. If you give these countries attention, you are "not helping". Let them deal with this matter privately ...
Commercial piracy sites are rather easy to identify.
I'm not entirely fond of where the internet is heading these days but at the same I do understand the never-ending battle against the various crapmeisters and scammers that ruin the internet experience.
But why can't they also turn this question around: shouldn't content providers be required to make their content available at fair market prices in all regions to benefit from this type of law?
(Note: On principle I do not like how governments are requiring search companies and social media to enforce their "will", treating these companies as an extension and enforcer of their rule. Where is the limit? I do not expect to see one, ultimately)
> And this why we can't have nice things. Thanks a lot!
We can. But nice things require a lot of attention, the lesson is more that "nice things just don't happen by themselves".
Nice things have to be perpetually earned and re-earned. Sucks but true. There are always barbarians at the gate; there always will be.
In the earlier days of the internet, forums and news groups and such led to incredibly brilliant discussions. And I think some people at the time felt this would eventually lead to a paradise of "mass human thought engine" resulting into some sort of "hive brain" of human collective thought.
But in the real world, most people are just bored or bigoted or want attention --- and humans as a whole are more Homer Simpson or Miley Cyrus than Albert Einstein or Carl Sagan.
And this reality won. For now. Scientific and intellectual thought will find a new way to win again. Given enough time.
Blackberry and the former RIM are experiencing this because they decided they owned the mobile phone market, thus adopting a Microsoft-lite we own "enterprise" attitude.
Of course, add a few years and they got to reap the benefits of this attitude.
Which goes to show, pride is the ability to overlook your own flaws and history --- and repeat what happens every single time a company adopts the "we are dominant and irreplacable attitude".
p.s. Any given graveyard is full of irreplaceables.
Microsoft, of course as you pointed out, vigorously hated FOSS. A mistake. If you are a virtual monopoly, why not reach out to your developers via FOSS like they have started to warm up to more in recent times.
...
FOSS allows your best and youngest (and poorest) developers to get excited and play with your source code and develop a loyalty bond.
Instead, Microsoft started attacking FOSS --- stupid considering FOSS is and will be the future --- maybe not quite today, but it is clear that given enough time that WILL be the future. Stupidest PR move ever --- and Google/Android/ started whacking away at Microsoft and doing damage expressly due to this.
And for what? To define themselves as the new crusty IBM and be a company of yesterday? The TFA itself says their consumer marketshare sucks really, really bad now (19%-20%)
Microsoft misread several markets really badly in the early 2000s and present. They had an attitude that they had "won" the entire PC and computing market for now and forever.
This caused them to grow really complacent and unimaginative and slow to react to market changes.
But possibly the worst factor was the narrow Microsoft-centric nerdism amongst a good share of the Microsoft faithful that kept eyes closed to very obvious shortcomings in Microsoft's various bungled attempts in the last decade.
Thanks for the link. I'm thinking hard about installing it ...
Most of the easily exploited software on Android that is poorly written is supplied by AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile and can't be uninstalled.
...
On Android with these US carriers, I never know if a "malware" looking abusive feature was supplied by the phone company or if my phone got infected with something.
Which is scary, because I think all the "malware looking crap" on my phone was supplied by the mobile carrier and isn't actually "malware" but intentional crapware meant to ruin my experience (but not on purpose, just the carrier chasing advert and annoyance dollars --- disgustingly enough)
Is the trend you see security related? Or attention-getting related?
...
I care about security and I can't tell if you are saying GoSMS has similar problems --- I guess I'm saying I'm not 100% where you are headed with this
Doesn't a black hole have to have enough mass that even light can't escape?
...
If a massive star can't do this, how would there be really small "mini" black holes?
Either it can stop light from escaping (therefore it is incredibly massive) or it can't (therefore it is not black).
If you see my angle here
^^ POTD!
I wanted to try Android phones and while that market offers some nice pleasures, at least in the USA --- all the crapware and scamware that Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and friends load up on the phones makes Droid suck compared to iPhone.
...
Buying an Android phone means loaded to the brim with crapwares just the same as a Dell or HP computer is loaded with 55 crapwares.
The Android platform *should* be superior, but the way the mobile phone operators abuse Android mean in practice that the iPhone is easily the most consumer friendly phone on the planet.
I still wanted the Android phone and plan to use it, I do mobile application development and previously only for the iPhone. I'm only saying the mobile phone carriers are jerks and the Droid market gives them free reign to load terrible and evil apps that cannot be uninstalled (without an amount of effort that really isn't worth it). Short story version: The carriers load Droid with crapwares because they have that freedom for abuse. At least in the USA
Blackhole ... you'd think ... the smaller, the faster it spins ....
| It suffices for them to simply capture raw data
... and you woun;dn't let this terminology pass with "piracy" because that involves depriving someone of their property ....
Ok, so the same people that say it can't be piracy because no one was deprived of their DVD give a free pass to "The NSA is capturing the data"??
They didn't capture the data, because if they did then when did they release it? It wasn't like they were tagging an antelope and then let it go at some later time. Why do you give a stamp of approval that the "NSA captures data" as if they held it hostage at Gitmo and wouldn't let the datas go unimpeded.
It isn't like they detained the data without a warrant and won't release it --- they let it go freely. You guys are acting like they are backing up your data stream like some fat dude that is clogging the toilet
Oops! Serves me right for not reading TFA ...
Uh --- then I want to hire this guy. Because if he himself can produce 47000 hours of apps in 6 months --- well --- he can kick your butt back and forth (or even Forth!) across the parking lot 10 times over in productivity. To you get what I'm saying here in terms of human productivity? I don't care if you know how to click Start->Programs->Calculator ---- this guy is rolling out the apps? Can you do that? If not, go have a nice hot cup of STF owned! Seriously --- you do that kind of productivity and then you can talk Windows Calculator and someone will actually care --- enough said! How many app you publish? Over 10? What are names? See my point?????
Someone else already said "Nokia" so spiritually I don't have anything useful to add ---- except how Microsoft keeps blowing it in the mobile/tablet market --- I guess I'm saying sure Blackberry isn't doing so "hot" --- but at the same time don't Microsoft and Nokia bear the standard for "epic fail" --- so don't be too mean to Blackberry just yet --- they've had to lay off who knows how many percent of their employees --- and they aren't evil like M$ or a donkey for M$ like Nokia --- I'm saying let the Blackberry guys give their perspective a chance and then respond to that .... doesn't hurt anyone, right? To listen I mean ...
Yes, I've used iOS and Android. No thanks. I'll stick to the uncool platform that actually meets my needs.
The excellent developer tools are just icing on an already tasty cake.
Ok, I'll bite.
.... thanks in advance.
What are the "meets my needs" that the Blackberry is fulfilling? I'm not satisfied entirely with the iPhone or Android market, but I'm having trouble myself identifying why precisely --- what is your perspective on what both platforms are missing because I'd like another perspective on this
Windows RT tablets are a collectors item and you'll be able sell them on E-Bay for a tidy sum. And this is a great reason to buy one today.