Actually, they HAD been pulling the ad straight off of www.vasoftware.com, and putting that in the junkbuster or other 'deny' proxies list fixed it, but now it's back. They must have gotten wise to that and started caching the ads at images.slashdot.org. Hmmm... on to breaking that too since I don't want to kill *ALL* the pics from slashdot.....
Credit Cards are great, right? But they also make stealing a person's money more convenient.
You claim file sharing is wrong. Ok, fine, but that doesn't mean that the technology to play mp3's on your computer isn't convenient and beneficial to us.
No one sues the credit card companies for providing a service for thieves to easily steal people's money, now do they?
When will you people learn that technology and knowledge is a double-edged sword?
Granted, I wasn't reading slasdot back then, but just look at it now. Controlled by VA Linux, forced to do big annoying banner ads that none of the users want to see, and editors slamming their biggest users for using the system. *sigh* - I guess perfection will never be achieved online. So much for that dream utopia, huh Jon Katz?
UPDATE: 3/01/02 16:49 GMT - Hemos, listen to your readers, they're not just asking for alternatives to the massively underfunded and poor customer service PayPal, they're demanding alternatives to it! Besides, you've already pissed off some of your greatest assets for this site. Good work.
I suggest you find some added value to your site rather than just killing banner ads for your paying masses. I for one won't be hanging around if I'm subjected to big ugly white space all over your site simply because my 'hosts' file is sending all requests to the "evil empire", as you editors refer to it, of ads.doubleclick.net, straight back to my loopback address of 127.0.0.1. I'll be starting a $5 pool in my journal for anyone that wants in on it in relation to the various possible negative directions this will take slashdot.
They already deleted the entire meta-moderation discussion, what's to keep them from deleting other things that you'll be paying for?
Heh - Ok, so maybe I'll just use my God given script - my eyeballs.
History people, HISTORY!
on
SSSCA Hearing
·
· Score: 1
And so how many shootings have actually been prevented by the 'handgun safety lock'? None. That's what I thought. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
The monetary costs alone are reason not to do this. Besides, you're only hurting the actual consumers, not those determined Asian pirate operations that are the source of most of the problem in the first place. Maybe if we would declare war on China for stealing all our copyrights we could solve this problem. Oh, it's not worth going to war over? Then why the hell are you screwing over your own citizens???
Why is our government making deals with a known felon? Just because it's within our borders, doesn't mean it's any less of a threat to our way of life, even when it doesn't involve death. Guilty as charged - you do the sentencing Judge!
Don't dance with the devil and expect to not get burned for it.
Unless the content is the format/"look" of the website. Some artistic type websites are done specifically this way. Very low on content, high on style - just like a lot of art galleries - because the content is the style.
Sooooo....If you're trying to show artistic talent, focus on the form; if you're trying to inform, focus on the info content.
Wish I had some examples of 'artistic' websites, but alas, I saw them in a book a long time ago and don't remember the webaddresses of them.:(
Music stores had a really great idea a while ago: Burn any song onto a single CD, and we'll package it all up nicely and sell it to you. Unfortunately, due to the high cost the RIAA imposed on how much each song cost, those 'mixed' CD's that people could create at the store was prohibitively too expensive ($25 on avg IIRC). Why would I want to pay $25 for a CD with 15 songs on it, when I can go home, lose a little quality (hardly noticeable to the avg human ear though), and burn 20 songs onto a CD that cost me ~$0.25 using all the music I already owned or could borrow from friends?
The music industry lost big time here, because honestly, it IS NOT costing them more money to duplicate a CD onto another CD. Had they charged $0.25/song, and say $5.00 per CD made, those 'make your own CD' kiosks would mean I could create a CD of ~15 songs at a BestBuy using a bunch of CD's I didn't own, but wouldn't purchase anyways (one hit wonder artists), and net the artists, producers, and distributors an extra $8.75 that they would not have otherwise made off of me.
Oh yes, and P2P systems and Napster popularity came *AFTER* the 'mix your own CD' kiosks. [sarcasm]I wonder why...[/sarcasm]
I found this band via a completely free Shoutcast radio station of various rock artists. I then downloaded the mp3's (almost the entire set of songs from their self-titled album). I then decided I really liked the sound and went out and actually bought the CD. Paid the whole $10.99 for it too! A lot more original sound than overplayed Creed or Britney Spears.
Now here's the important point for all the lawyers and RIAA goons reading Slashdot for 'the juice:' I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS BAND'S MUSIC PLAYED ON ANY LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN MY CITY (Columbus, OH)! The RIAA made money off of me for music that is not available to me anywhere else except through 'pirate' and 'illegal' sources. So, if you (RIAA) ban all copying of all digital material, you (RIAA) had better give me a full refund for this and a couple other CD's I've purchased this way when you demand I turn over all 'the pirated goods' that I have.
"The File Room" literally feeds off censorship, its archived categories growing all the time -- explicit sexuality, language, nudity, political/economic/social opinion, racial and ethnic, religious, sexual/gender orientation and numerous others. Many of these battles involve the so-called protection of children. The access to information and opinion the Net has given kids is one of the most terrifying ideas of the 21st century.
OK, I've been giving Jon Katz the benefit of the doubt for a long time now, but this is too funny, or maybe just simply sad.
You moron, Katz! In your above tirade, you explain how certain debaucheries are considered 'free speech.' Well that's great, but when people scream their 'free speech' by using keywords that attract search engines kids and naive people are using, into their hate and smut infested website, I don't give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. Is it great that this country has free speech? Absolutely, but the the right to free speech is not the right to cram filth down people's throats. And just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Are you promoting pedophilia, Jon? Are you promoting email spam? No? Then why do you belabor this point about censorship?! Hell, even this website, slashdot.org, censors us all to a small degree. We're not allowed to 'scream' our ideas about how "gay linux" is, or how stupid the "slashdot janitors" are without first waiting 2 minutes to hit 'Send.'
This site is getting pretty pathetic with their posts of "oh, whoa is me!" with regards to censorship, when it does the same things to its own. Is it a stretch to say child pr0n = slashdot crapflood filter? Of course it is, but it's still censorship.
Let's quit making such a big deal about it, and discuss technology and nerd news, not your poorly thought out ultra-leftist ideals, Jon. Same goes for michael and his hatred for people that frequent and post to this newssite so much, like myself and many others.
P.S. Why the hell do I get 'could not contact ad.doubleclick.net' error messages because of my hosts file filters when I sometimes refresh slashdot, and yet doubleclick.net is the bain of every internet users existence according to the slashdot crew? You guys really don't think cohesively sometimes!
If you really want just a cheap box like the ones the big boys sell you (Dell and Gateway at least use really crappy hardware - I know, I've tried them both as a home user), then just go to pricewatch.com and find out where to buy the parts yourself, or email me. I can build you a rather inexpensive, non-preconfigured computer on the cheap - i.e., no MS install or Linux install "tax."
It is if it means that suddenly all of those games programmed for Direct3D that run in Windows can now be used in Linux or other OS' using Wine and this util. Basically, it makes more programmers/developers available for developing new OpenGL programs, and fewer wasting time porting OpenGL apps to the more powerful, more configurable, OpenSource alternatives out there. The only thing stopping me from adopting Linux completely is a solid financial program like Quicken2k (which I know, isn't the best, but it's good), and the ability to play DirectX games in X...
With the advent of 'consumer friendly' Linux distro's like Linux Mandrake and RealTech-VR's recent developments with Direct3d wrappers for OpenGL, could it be the French bailing us out of the Microsoft Nazism we have fallen into in the 21st century?!
Scary, isn't it?
[NOTE: If you don't get the joke, don't reply to this thread]
Has everyone forgotten what runs the good ol' USA? Money.
The utopian future that dreamers always look forward to will never happen. It hasn't happened before, it won't happen in the future. However, this type of computer for the desktop that shares it's 'computing' power with the entire network, makes LOTS of sense for businesses. I go to lunch, break, and then go home for the day. All the while, my computer could be donating its computing power to handling webserver requests, processing internal jobs for the mainframe, or even help run massive load and regression tests on the system to anticipate 'kinks' in the armor of the system from a scalability standpoint.
Sure, it would just be "so neato!" if every computer could be kept cheap for the home user by everyone sharing files, processing power, even memory; but let's face it, communism didn't work because there wasn't enough incentive for the worker bees to strive for better. There's always a fine balance between greed and sharing. Giving such a 'distributed computer network sharing' system to businesses would be a great start, but don't expect a 'home user' acceptance of such a system anytime soon. I want my full computing power for my new computer game that I bought with my own money, and I'm sure many other users aren't willing to give up their hard-earned money for everyone else to piggyback off their 3l337 system anytime soon.
No, what 'us people' don't understand is why you have to mass market and cold shoulder the customer. There used to be a day in this country when personal service and reputation amongst your customer's meant something. Now it's a big 'Fuck you.' to the poor guy who's sick and tired of seeing your banner ads annoying the hell out of him, but he's not technically inclined enough with a computer to figure out how to remove such banner or 'pop-up/under' ads, permanently.
Sure, America is the land of the 'quick buck.' Actually, we work on average, longer weeks doing more specific and intensive tasks than most countries in the world because of our technological and economical advancements that we have over most of the rest of the world. I don't remember where I saw this study, maybe 'The Economist' or something, but it's true.
If you're going to send me a mass mailing, be it digitally or on paper, you had better take the time to follow up on annoying me and create a relationship with your potential customer.
Spam email is for lazy companies who think they can make a quick buck. Losers.
Please see here for just one major financial news outlet (Forbes) that is liking what they're seeing out of BlockBuster. Not to mention the fact that their stock has only been climbing for the most part of last year, during a time when all kinds of companies are going bankcrupt.
Not meaning this as a flame, but this kind of thinking you're doing:
the profit model is good, but with the advent of widespread digital cable (and thus, very easy to access Pay-per-view), and with streaming media, tivo, and people's natural tendency to buy not rent...
...Is the same kind of mentality the RIAA has towards digital media. "Oh woah is us, we're going to die because of mp3's" - is the Hillary Rosen mentality, when in reality, quite the opposite is true. Look back to the early advent of televisions in the common household. Hollywood thought it would be the death of them, but in reality, it ended up bringing them more revenue and securing their place in American society as a "needed" commodity.
Exactly! If I wanted Windows all over again, why would I switch? No, I want a system that allows me more flexibility to do what I want to it. Am I the normal user? No. Do I represent a good sector of tech geeks, who while not versed in 12 different computer languages, is quite tired of not knowing where the heck all the parts of that new program I just installed went, or how to better manage and automate tasks without giving up tons of memory and system resources to do it? Yes.
I like Linux, and I want Linux on the desktop. I also like Windows games and want to play them. If no one else wanted Linux on the desktop and thought like I did, then multiple and refined versions of the X desktop like KDE and Gnome wouldn't exist. Too bad Microsoft doesn't just make a kernel and a desktop and sell them independently of each other. They might have more of a cult following then.
Why is it sensationalism and extremism is so popular these days? Everyone has to be on the far right or left side of the fence. It's so annoying when no one is willing to listen to reason...
Since we share such similar tastes;), what program do you use for Email right now? I'm currently using KMail, I've used mozilla mail before, but had some data loss problems with it on a nightly build once, am scared to death of MS Outlook, and haven't had the chance to try out any other email programs in Linux.
Also, I've seen plenty of horror stories on some of the other early builds of those 'Outlook-like' Linux email programs, so I've so far stayed away from 'em.
So is mozilla mail safe and useful enough to use once again?
Mozilla, while it doesn't "comply" with "best viewed with IE 4.0+" webpages, is the nicest browser so far for me. Konqueror is nice for Linux, but for ease of familiarity at work on Win2k, at home on Win2k, and at home on Linux Mandrake 8.1, Mozilla is my browser of choice.
I'm hoping some of the form errors I see when posting to slashdot have been done away with. I already see two which spring instantly to mind have been fixed in this 0.9.8 release. Too bad my fiancee is too scared of Linux still (but I'm working on her;) ) to use Mozilla on it!:-p
Virus' or other malicious programs on my brother's web/CounterStrike/email/FTP/SSH/file server running Linux in the last 2 years?
none
Virus' or other malicious programs on my other brother's WinME machine in the last year?
1, and it took a week for my brother running the Linux server (who is more knowledgeable than my other brother and myself when it comes to computers) a week to find and isolate the virus to keep it from running itself. Even then, there's nothing that can wipe it out so far except a total HDD reformat. Norton can find it, but won't clean it.
Now you tell me which system is more secure? A buggy system with all kinds of networking insecure options inherently on and a brother too busy to go to WindowsUpdate.com every 2 weeks for the latest security fixes, or a Linux system with very few networking options turned on by default and a brother who knows what he's doing when he turns on a service that could potentially allow virus' in?
It's great that Windows is pretty simple to use, but for goodness sake, why turn on things a typical user won't ever need to use when you could prevent more bugs this way. And another thing. I'm tired of proprietary webpage coding. Those damn 'best viewed in IE4.0+' pages are usually so damn annoyingly not rendered well except in IE that I just won't buy stuff from websites where I have to use IE to use the website. If you ask me, that alone is a malicious virus built into IE that threatens future use of the web for the less fortunate who don't want to pay $399 for "WinowsUltra64! Home Upgrade Edition"
Slashdot Mirror
I really hope you enjoy this comment posting bonus page widening post!
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.certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like 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.lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about .the .lameness .filter .telling .you .that .you .don't .have .enough .charaters .per .line .that .really .sucks .when .that .happens .and .you .have .to .put .some .lame .lameness .filter .defeater .text .in .there .i .wonder .how .many .people .will .read .this .whole .comment .I .certainly .hope .it .doesnt .annoy .too .many .people .This .is .just .the .beginning .because .PAGE .WIDENING .IS .BACK .I .like .wide .pages .I .wish .all .pages .could .be .as .wide .as .this .dont .you .wide .pages .are .much .cooler .than .those .narrow .pages .you .are .used .to .reading .because .you .dont .have .to .worry .about
Actually, they HAD been pulling the ad straight off of www.vasoftware.com, and putting that in the junkbuster or other 'deny' proxies list fixed it, but now it's back. They must have gotten wise to that and started caching the ads at images.slashdot.org. Hmmm... on to breaking that too since I don't want to kill *ALL* the pics from slashdot.....
You claim file sharing is wrong. Ok, fine, but that doesn't mean that the technology to play mp3's on your computer isn't convenient and beneficial to us.
No one sues the credit card companies for providing a service for thieves to easily steal people's money, now do they?
When will you people learn that technology and knowledge is a double-edged sword?
With all the huge security holes, I'd say it's about as unnatural as the goatse guy!
Granted, I wasn't reading slasdot back then, but just look at it now. Controlled by VA Linux, forced to do big annoying banner ads that none of the users want to see, and editors slamming their biggest users for using the system. *sigh* - I guess perfection will never be achieved online. So much for that dream utopia, huh Jon Katz?
I suggest you find some added value to your site rather than just killing banner ads for your paying masses. I for one won't be hanging around if I'm subjected to big ugly white space all over your site simply because my 'hosts' file is sending all requests to the "evil empire", as you editors refer to it, of ads.doubleclick.net, straight back to my loopback address of 127.0.0.1. I'll be starting a $5 pool in my journal for anyone that wants in on it in relation to the various possible negative directions this will take slashdot.
They already deleted the entire meta-moderation discussion, what's to keep them from deleting other things that you'll be paying for?
Heh - Ok, so maybe I'll just use my God given script - my eyeballs.
The monetary costs alone are reason not to do this. Besides, you're only hurting the actual consumers, not those determined Asian pirate operations that are the source of most of the problem in the first place. Maybe if we would declare war on China for stealing all our copyrights we could solve this problem. Oh, it's not worth going to war over? Then why the hell are you screwing over your own citizens???
Don't dance with the devil and expect to not get burned for it.
The "look" of the website, or the "content"?
Unless the content is the format/"look" of the website. Some artistic type websites are done specifically this way. Very low on content, high on style - just like a lot of art galleries - because the content is the style.
Sooooo....If you're trying to show artistic talent, focus on the form; if you're trying to inform, focus on the info content.
Wish I had some examples of 'artistic' websites, but alas, I saw them in a book a long time ago and don't remember the webaddresses of them. :(
The music industry lost big time here, because honestly, it IS NOT costing them more money to duplicate a CD onto another CD. Had they charged $0.25/song, and say $5.00 per CD made, those 'make your own CD' kiosks would mean I could create a CD of ~15 songs at a BestBuy using a bunch of CD's I didn't own, but wouldn't purchase anyways (one hit wonder artists), and net the artists, producers, and distributors an extra $8.75 that they would not have otherwise made off of me.
Oh yes, and P2P systems and Napster popularity came *AFTER* the 'mix your own CD' kiosks. [sarcasm]I wonder why...[/sarcasm]
Now here's the important point for all the lawyers and RIAA goons reading Slashdot for 'the juice:' I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS BAND'S MUSIC PLAYED ON ANY LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN MY CITY (Columbus, OH)! The RIAA made money off of me for music that is not available to me anywhere else except through 'pirate' and 'illegal' sources. So, if you (RIAA) ban all copying of all digital material, you (RIAA) had better give me a full refund for this and a couple other CD's I've purchased this way when you demand I turn over all 'the pirated goods' that I have.
OK, I've been giving Jon Katz the benefit of the doubt for a long time now, but this is too funny, or maybe just simply sad.
You moron, Katz! In your above tirade, you explain how certain debaucheries are considered 'free speech.' Well that's great, but when people scream their 'free speech' by using keywords that attract search engines kids and naive people are using, into their hate and smut infested website, I don't give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. Is it great that this country has free speech? Absolutely, but the the right to free speech is not the right to cram filth down people's throats. And just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Are you promoting pedophilia, Jon? Are you promoting email spam? No? Then why do you belabor this point about censorship?! Hell, even this website, slashdot.org, censors us all to a small degree. We're not allowed to 'scream' our ideas about how "gay linux" is, or how stupid the "slashdot janitors" are without first waiting 2 minutes to hit 'Send.'
This site is getting pretty pathetic with their posts of "oh, whoa is me!" with regards to censorship, when it does the same things to its own. Is it a stretch to say child pr0n = slashdot crapflood filter? Of course it is, but it's still censorship.
Let's quit making such a big deal about it, and discuss technology and nerd news, not your poorly thought out ultra-leftist ideals, Jon. Same goes for michael and his hatred for people that frequent and post to this newssite so much, like myself and many others.
P.S. Why the hell do I get 'could not contact ad.doubleclick.net' error messages because of my hosts file filters when I sometimes refresh slashdot, and yet doubleclick.net is the bain of every internet users existence according to the slashdot crew? You guys really don't think cohesively sometimes!
As to the super-fast network speeds, that's great, but will it ever make TW's RR service quit letting rooted Win2crap boxes probe my ports 24/7?
If you really want just a cheap box like the ones the big boys sell you (Dell and Gateway at least use really crappy hardware - I know, I've tried them both as a home user), then just go to pricewatch.com and find out where to buy the parts yourself, or email me. I can build you a rather inexpensive, non-preconfigured computer on the cheap - i.e., no MS install or Linux install "tax."
It is if it means that suddenly all of those games programmed for Direct3D that run in Windows can now be used in Linux or other OS' using Wine and this util. Basically, it makes more programmers/developers available for developing new OpenGL programs, and fewer wasting time porting OpenGL apps to the more powerful, more configurable, OpenSource alternatives out there. The only thing stopping me from adopting Linux completely is a solid financial program like Quicken2k (which I know, isn't the best, but it's good), and the ability to play DirectX games in X...
Scary, isn't it?
[NOTE: If you don't get the joke, don't reply to this thread]
Lemme guess. You don't own a TV either, and are proud of it?
The utopian future that dreamers always look forward to will never happen. It hasn't happened before, it won't happen in the future. However, this type of computer for the desktop that shares it's 'computing' power with the entire network, makes LOTS of sense for businesses. I go to lunch, break, and then go home for the day. All the while, my computer could be donating its computing power to handling webserver requests, processing internal jobs for the mainframe, or even help run massive load and regression tests on the system to anticipate 'kinks' in the armor of the system from a scalability standpoint.
Sure, it would just be "so neato!" if every computer could be kept cheap for the home user by everyone sharing files, processing power, even memory; but let's face it, communism didn't work because there wasn't enough incentive for the worker bees to strive for better. There's always a fine balance between greed and sharing. Giving such a 'distributed computer network sharing' system to businesses would be a great start, but don't expect a 'home user' acceptance of such a system anytime soon. I want my full computing power for my new computer game that I bought with my own money, and I'm sure many other users aren't willing to give up their hard-earned money for everyone else to piggyback off their 3l337 system anytime soon.
Sure, America is the land of the 'quick buck.' Actually, we work on average, longer weeks doing more specific and intensive tasks than most countries in the world because of our technological and economical advancements that we have over most of the rest of the world. I don't remember where I saw this study, maybe 'The Economist' or something, but it's true.
If you're going to send me a mass mailing, be it digitally or on paper, you had better take the time to follow up on annoying me and create a relationship with your potential customer.
Spam email is for lazy companies who think they can make a quick buck. Losers.
Please see here for just one major financial news outlet (Forbes) that is liking what they're seeing out of BlockBuster. Not to mention the fact that their stock has only been climbing for the most part of last year, during a time when all kinds of companies are going bankcrupt.
Not meaning this as a flame, but this kind of thinking you're doing:
the profit model is good, but with the advent of widespread digital cable (and thus, very easy to access Pay-per-view), and with streaming media, tivo, and people's natural tendency to buy not rent ...
I like Linux, and I want Linux on the desktop. I also like Windows games and want to play them. If no one else wanted Linux on the desktop and thought like I did, then multiple and refined versions of the X desktop like KDE and Gnome wouldn't exist. Too bad Microsoft doesn't just make a kernel and a desktop and sell them independently of each other. They might have more of a cult following then.
Why is it sensationalism and extremism is so popular these days? Everyone has to be on the far right or left side of the fence. It's so annoying when no one is willing to listen to reason...
Also, I've seen plenty of horror stories on some of the other early builds of those 'Outlook-like' Linux email programs, so I've so far stayed away from 'em.
So is mozilla mail safe and useful enough to use once again?
I'm hoping some of the form errors I see when posting to slashdot have been done away with. I already see two which spring instantly to mind have been fixed in this 0.9.8 release. Too bad my fiancee is too scared of Linux still (but I'm working on her ;) ) to use Mozilla on it! :-p
none
Virus' or other malicious programs on my other brother's WinME machine in the last year? 1, and it took a week for my brother running the Linux server (who is more knowledgeable than my other brother and myself when it comes to computers) a week to find and isolate the virus to keep it from running itself. Even then, there's nothing that can wipe it out so far except a total HDD reformat. Norton can find it, but won't clean it.
Now you tell me which system is more secure? A buggy system with all kinds of networking insecure options inherently on and a brother too busy to go to WindowsUpdate.com every 2 weeks for the latest security fixes, or a Linux system with very few networking options turned on by default and a brother who knows what he's doing when he turns on a service that could potentially allow virus' in?
It's great that Windows is pretty simple to use, but for goodness sake, why turn on things a typical user won't ever need to use when you could prevent more bugs this way. And another thing. I'm tired of proprietary webpage coding. Those damn 'best viewed in IE4.0+' pages are usually so damn annoyingly not rendered well except in IE that I just won't buy stuff from websites where I have to use IE to use the website. If you ask me, that alone is a malicious virus built into IE that threatens future use of the web for the less fortunate who don't want to pay $399 for "WinowsUltra64! Home Upgrade Edition"