I've been dealing with NSI since 1995. During the middle 90's, they were the only registar company, and when dealing with them for the local ISP I worked for, found them to be un-responsive and totally non-caring.
It took me 6 months to move a personal domain away from them. I tried using their website, and their email forms. Old but still valid email forms from my ISP days. Made some 30 phone calls, and spent over $150 dollars on long distance, because at the time, they did not offer an 800#.
Then, when they did offer an 800#, the call volume got so bad that the only way to reach them was via email, and that was just a large black hole.
In the last 2 years I've migrated every domain I admin to a small registar who offers wonderful website control of my domains, 24 hour tech support (who know what they are doing) vian an 800#, and IF they f8ck up, which happens now and then, they have, EVERY single time, excalated the problem to the right deptartment and it's fixed within a few hours.
NSI is one of the very worst service companies I've ever encounted, and I'm aghast that they are still in business, and screwing with people's domains left and right.
Yes, I know who is responsible for both of those movies. And also Heavenly Creatures. I get sick even thinking of any of those movies, and as much as I want to see LOTR, I fear the taint of Peter Jackson will be all over them. Eeeeesh!
I only heard of, but not seen "Hands of Fate". I have seen the worst movie ever, IMHO. Meet the Feebles. IMDB info
HERE. Bad. Disgusting beyond laughter.
Abysmal. And this should mean something, since bad acting, stupid gore and lame
scripts don't always annoy me.
We fight and spend to discover the earth around us, and ourselves. And yes, we fight and spend also to discover what is beyond our puny world. We have spent billons of dollars exploring the wonder that is ourselves, and the world around us. We have spent billions of dollars on space exploration. But space exploration has not yet gained a momentum that makes the world comfortable, and I find this very sad. Just as our own DNA is still a mystery unfolding, so also is the Universe that surrounds us. If we don't bother to set up groups to prepare for space missions, if our scientists didn't run simulation after simulation, how are we to succeed at this momentous, and necessary task?
And why do we care anyway? Some don't, it's obvious by the comments made by users here. But what about those of us who don't care about how it's done, or how long it takes. We care because, like medical research and hi-tech research, space exploration is just another form of exploration and discovery that we, as humans, are driven to do.
Just because this type of research doesn't include a box lunch and a dedicated T1 connection doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. So please...let's have a little respect for the groups of people devoting their time and resources to something that has not yet gained the momentum we need for results,.
As usual, the people here on Slashdot are more inclined to nitpick at the smallest detail, then they to indicate any actual serious interest in our space program. And my god, yes there are so many millions of details about any space mission. So go ahead, nitpick as many as you can. But as I'm starting to realize, my voice on Slashdot has never been one of detail. It's an emotional voice that usually fades away in the background, as thousands of Slashdot users post details that were missed in the original post, arguments about who is right or wrong, and the usual lower threshold posts involving sexual innuendo. So feel free to mod me down, or flame me. I really could care less.
I packed up my entire apt. in 4 days, packed a PC in the same box it arrived in, and 2 boxes of clothes, a few dishes, and cd's.
The apartment stuff sat in boxes for months. Unmoved, but getting dusty.
The PC, clothes, dishs and cd's were shipped via UPS overnight. From Northern California to New England. I didn't insure this, because the initial payment to store the rest of my apt. things was HUGE, and I was VERY short of money.
The UPS delivery to New England was 4 days late. The PC box was falling apart, the dishes were all broken, and the CD jewelbox's cracked. I had to take apart the PC and put it back together again. UPS denied any wrongdoing.
However, eventually I shipped the rest of my apt. box's to New England, with a reputible shipping company. NOTHING was broken....115 box's worth of dishes, antiques, books, and electrical equipment. And it was all insurered. The insurance was over $800 bucks, and it wan't needed.
The moral of this story? If your going to make a major move, sell everything but your favorite set of cd's, and take the PC with you when you travel to your destination.
Most of the below authors are not in the public eye. But they have a large and loyal fan base, have been around for years, and are still attracting new interested readers.
Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness and the Earthsea Trilogy
I wasn't going to reply to this. But you made some valid points. First, I'm not all that young, and neither of my friends. Most of us in the Santa Clara Valley of California grew up during the hayday of the BBS. BEFORE the Internet. We were geeky without/., without the internet. And frankly, the mid 80's and early 90's was a good time for anime..Things in that genre sort of died for a while.
And yes, I realize many young people are probably using older geeks in the way you describe. However, I do not think that THAT has any bearing on why you belive that anime isn't geeky. No offense meant, of course.
Well I admit the fine print was VERY small. But nowhere in my oringal post did I say I had been LOOKING for the author(s) of that song. I only indicated that at some point I had wondered. Wondering is not the same as wanting. Terribly sorry for the confusion.
I agree with that. Though I do have to point out that where where I am from (Silicon Valley, California), a good 85% of the geeks I knew, and they knew, were / are into japanimation. And I didn't know anyone personally who was into japanimation who wasn't a geek. But maybe that's just a local thing.
I dare say, however, that it's quite possible there are more geeks into anime then there are geeks who are into painting or woodwork. I have no proof of this, but I don't need it..just look at Slashdot in general.
Oh, and one more thing...Untill the last few years, in California...nobody was into anime unless they were a geek of some type or another. Of course, everyone KNOWS that Californians are crazy.
In some parts of the world, geeks who slave over computers 18 hours a day actually enjoy anime. Is that a crime? Personally, after a long 13 hour day dealing with a bunch of illiterate MS user cretins, this was a nice post to come home to. So thanks! And at least now I know which group came up with "One More Time." And no. This type of entertainment does not make me forget what's happening "out there". If your so worried about appearing concerned about this war, you don't have to visit Slashdot.
While I have used and love electronic mail since the advent of BBS's and the Internet, nothing can every satisfy the comfortable feeling of curling up in a big comfy chair, compelte with a warm drink, a hot fire, and a big hardback novel. Or even that Victoria's Secret Christmas special.
My fear that the recent terrorist activity, along with printed media already moving towards an electronic format will force this issue more rapidly then we all might wish, is valid. But I also believe that people will never forget the satisfaction of the printed medium, even if eventually it cost's more to produce, market and receive.
After all, it's pretty tough to sneak a laptop into the bathroom to view http://www.victoriassecret.com, and much easier to stuff their catalog into your bathrobe.
I got into the BBS thing in the later part of the 80's. For almost a decade the majority of my personal life revolved around those I found worthy on Inferno BBS, in San Jose, California. I'm not ashamed to say that I was thrilled to be able to dial into that BBS at 300 baud. I'm not ashamed to say that for so many years that BBS was the center of my life. And I'm not ashamed to say that: THAT BBS cured me of extreme clinical shyness, furthered my interest in computers, and finally later in life was THE reason I decided to make the internet my career.
Inferno became my home inside my home, and when people I was too shy to meet had patience with me, I began to feel like I had a place in society..a local society. The internet will NEVER feel like that, and sometimes I long for those times when I could log into chat, or visit the the message boards. Here would be local, interesting people talking about themselves and their daily lives. Making jokes. Posting interesting news. Acting the clown in chat. Later on, as we grew up, we partied, married, divorced and had a grand ole' time. And I really miss that close knit type of society.
I really appreciated reading your point of view. I was on a local BBS for almost 10 years, including during the "Golden Years" in BBS terms. I met many wonderful people who I'm still friends with going now 15 years later. The internet has disappointed me in locating like minded people in my area, but I've always believed the Internet can be a wonderful way of connecting to others. It's a shame all the hype about pr0n, hackers, and AOL idiot's make us forget the cool folks we speak to in email and via IM.
Going back to those BBS days via a local freenet would be tremendous experiance for those involved in the set-up and administration efforts, as well as those enjoying the effects of local broadband survice. I sincerely hope that more technology inclined people show an interest in this type of connectivity.
I have willingly joined thousands of other adult entertainers online. We have shared our stories about the good, bad, wicked, ashamed, perverted and vanilla people drawn into the world of sex online. We have been paid for our services, entertained for our own pleasure, and even made friends with those we were entertaining.
There are a growing number of men and women in the US who feel they can experience greater sexual freedom online then they could in RL. Are these people freaks? Social rejects? Drug addicts? No. They are mature people who live in a nation where 'sex' is still a dirty word. Do they enjoy sex in RL. Of course. Do they engage in it? Yes. Do they live in an area where their sexual activities would be difficult to maintain? Frequently. Are these those perverted pedophiles we are always hearing about? No. These are regular men and women who may be workaholics, sexually unfulfilled, or those wishing to push their own personal boundaries.
And these men and women make up a growing number of adult entertainers online who do it because they enjoy it. They have regular jobs, some have regular families, and most are far from the "superstar model" mode.
These men and women do not feel they are feeding the 'pornography' craze that has been linked with the growth of the internet. They enjoy the interaction that goes on between themselves and those they entertain. Those that are in a position to gain financially from this type of interaction do not feel cheapened.
For in the end, as so many of us have discovered, many of the people online who come to us for entertainment don't want JUST sex. They want conversation, friendship, sex; they want the whole "FANTASY". And are those who look for this kind of interaction any different then those of us who are willing to offer it? 45% of the people that myself and others like me have interacted with wanted the "FANTASY". And this 45% were workaholics, sexually unfulfilled, in the wrong state or region, or were pushing their own boundaries.
I'm really tired of hearing that the ADULT section of the internet is all pr0n. Pr0n isn't interactive. Let's not keep lumping 'adult' interaction with pr0n. The internet is based on interaction and knowledge. Just because it's adult in nature doesn't make it evil.
Slashdot Mirror
I've been dealing with NSI since 1995. During the middle 90's, they were the only registar company, and when dealing with them for the local ISP I worked for, found them to be un-responsive and totally non-caring.
It took me 6 months to move a personal domain away from them. I tried using their website, and their email forms. Old but still valid email forms from my ISP days. Made some 30 phone calls, and spent over $150 dollars on long distance, because at the time, they did not offer an 800#.
Then, when they did offer an 800#, the call volume got so bad that the only way to reach them was via email, and that was just a large black hole.
In the last 2 years I've migrated every domain I admin to a small registar who offers wonderful website control of my domains, 24 hour tech support (who know what they are doing) vian an 800#, and IF they f8ck up, which happens now and then, they have, EVERY single time, excalated the problem to the right deptartment and it's fixed within a few hours.
NSI is one of the very worst service companies I've ever encounted, and I'm aghast that they are still in business, and screwing with people's domains left and right.
Yes, I know who is responsible for both of those movies. And also Heavenly Creatures. I get sick even thinking of any of those movies, and as much as I want to see LOTR, I fear the taint of Peter Jackson will be all over them. Eeeeesh!
I only heard of, but not seen "Hands of Fate". I have seen the worst movie ever, IMHO. Meet the Feebles. IMDB info HERE. Bad. Disgusting beyond laughter. Abysmal. And this should mean something, since bad acting, stupid gore and lame scripts don't always annoy me.
Offtopic even more then I. Lame. End.
Exploration and Discovery
We fight and spend to discover the earth around us, and ourselves. And yes, we fight and spend also to discover what is beyond our puny world. We have spent billons of dollars exploring the wonder that is ourselves, and the world around us. We have spent billions of dollars on space exploration. But space exploration has not yet gained a momentum that makes the world comfortable, and I find this very sad. Just as our own DNA is still a mystery unfolding, so also is the Universe that surrounds us. If we don't bother to set up groups to prepare for space missions, if our scientists didn't run simulation after simulation, how are we to succeed at this momentous, and necessary task?
And why do we care anyway? Some don't, it's obvious by the comments made by users here. But what about those of us who don't care about how it's done, or how long it takes. We care because, like medical research and hi-tech research, space exploration is just another form of exploration and discovery that we, as humans, are driven to do.
Just because this type of research doesn't include a box lunch and a dedicated T1 connection doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. So please...let's have a little respect for the groups of people devoting their time and resources to something that has not yet gained the momentum we need for results,.
As usual, the people here on Slashdot are more inclined to nitpick at the smallest detail, then they to indicate any actual serious interest in our space program. And my god, yes there are so many millions of details about any space mission. So go ahead, nitpick as many as you can. But as I'm starting to realize, my voice on Slashdot has never been one of detail. It's an emotional voice that usually fades away in the background, as thousands of Slashdot users post details that were missed in the original post, arguments about who is right or wrong, and the usual lower threshold posts involving sexual innuendo. So feel free to mod me down, or flame me. I really could care less.
I packed up my entire apt. in 4 days, packed a PC in the same box it arrived in, and 2 boxes of clothes, a few dishes, and cd's.
The apartment stuff sat in boxes for months. Unmoved, but getting dusty.
The PC, clothes, dishs and cd's were shipped via UPS overnight. From Northern California to New England. I didn't insure this, because the initial payment to store the rest of my apt. things was HUGE, and I was VERY short of money.
The UPS delivery to New England was 4 days late. The PC box was falling apart, the dishes were all broken, and the CD jewelbox's cracked. I had to take apart the PC and put it back together again. UPS denied any wrongdoing.
However, eventually I shipped the rest of my apt. box's to New England, with a reputible shipping company. NOTHING was broken....115 box's worth of dishes, antiques, books, and electrical equipment. And it was all insurered. The insurance was over $800 bucks, and it wan't needed.
The moral of this story? If your going to make a major move, sell everything but your favorite set of cd's, and take the PC with you when you travel to your destination.
Most of the below authors are not in the public eye. But they have a large and loyal fan base, have been around for years, and are still attracting new interested readers.
:)
Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness and the Earthsea Trilogy
Harlan Ellison
Guy Gavriel Kay - The Fionaver Tapestry series
Anne McCaffrey - Pern
Marion Zimmer Bradley - Darkover
Just my 2 cents
I wasn't going to reply to this. But you made some valid points. First, I'm not all that young, and neither of my friends. Most of us in the Santa Clara Valley of California grew up during the hayday of the BBS. BEFORE the Internet. We were geeky without /., without the internet. And frankly, the mid 80's and early 90's was a good time for anime..Things in that genre sort of died for a while.
And yes, I realize many young people are probably using older geeks in the way you describe. However, I do not think that THAT has any bearing on why you belive that anime isn't geeky. No offense meant, of course.
Well I admit the fine print was VERY small. But nowhere in my oringal post did I say I had been LOOKING for the author(s) of that song. I only indicated that at some point I had wondered. Wondering is not the same as wanting. Terribly sorry for the confusion.
I agree with that. Though I do have to point out that where where I am from (Silicon Valley, California), a good 85% of the geeks I knew, and they knew, were / are into japanimation. And I didn't know anyone personally who was into japanimation who wasn't a geek. But maybe that's just a local thing.
I dare say, however, that it's quite possible there are more geeks into anime then there are geeks who are into painting or woodwork. I have no proof of this, but I don't need it..just look at Slashdot in general.
Oh, and one more thing...Untill the last few years, in California...nobody was into anime unless they were a geek of some type or another. Of course, everyone KNOWS that Californians are crazy.
Like perhaps your ability to read the fine print? I don't care much about music. If I WANTED to look that song up, I would have. DUH!
In some parts of the world, geeks who slave over computers 18 hours a day actually enjoy anime. Is that a crime? Personally, after a long 13 hour day dealing with a bunch of illiterate MS user cretins, this was a nice post to come home to. So thanks! And at least now I know which group came up with "One More Time." And no. This type of entertainment does not make me forget what's happening "out there". If your so worried about appearing concerned about this war, you don't have to visit Slashdot.
While I have used and love electronic mail since the advent of BBS's and the Internet, nothing can every satisfy the comfortable feeling of curling up in a big comfy chair, compelte with a warm drink, a hot fire, and a big hardback novel. Or even that Victoria's Secret Christmas special.
My fear that the recent terrorist activity, along with printed media already moving towards an electronic format will force this issue more rapidly then we all might wish, is valid. But I also believe that people will never forget the satisfaction of the printed medium, even if eventually it cost's more to produce, market and receive.
After all, it's pretty tough to sneak a laptop into the bathroom to view http://www.victoriassecret.com, and much easier to stuff their catalog into your bathrobe.
I got into the BBS thing in the later part of the 80's. For almost a decade the majority of my personal life revolved around those I found worthy on Inferno BBS, in San Jose, California. I'm not ashamed to say that I was thrilled to be able to dial into that BBS at 300 baud. I'm not ashamed to say that for so many years that BBS was the center of my life. And I'm not ashamed to say that: THAT BBS cured me of extreme clinical shyness, furthered my interest in computers, and finally later in life was THE reason I decided to make the internet my career.
Inferno became my home inside my home, and when people I was too shy to meet had patience with me, I began to feel like I had a place in society..a local society. The internet will NEVER feel like that, and sometimes I long for those times when I could log into chat, or visit the the message boards. Here would be local, interesting people talking about themselves and their daily lives. Making jokes. Posting interesting news. Acting the clown in chat. Later on, as we grew up, we partied, married, divorced and had a grand ole' time. And I really miss that close knit type of society.
I really appreciated reading your point of view. I was on a local BBS for almost 10 years, including during the "Golden Years" in BBS terms. I met many wonderful people who I'm still friends with going now 15 years later. The internet has disappointed me in locating like minded people in my area, but I've always believed the Internet can be a wonderful way of connecting to others. It's a shame all the hype about pr0n, hackers, and AOL idiot's make us forget the cool folks we speak to in email and via IM.
Going back to those BBS days via a local freenet would be tremendous experiance for those involved in the set-up and administration efforts, as well as those enjoying the effects of local broadband survice. I sincerely hope that more technology inclined people show an interest in this type of connectivity.
There are a growing number of men and women in the US who feel they can experience greater sexual freedom online then they could in RL. Are these people freaks? Social rejects? Drug addicts? No. They are mature people who live in a nation where 'sex' is still a dirty word. Do they enjoy sex in RL. Of course. Do they engage in it? Yes. Do they live in an area where their sexual activities would be difficult to maintain? Frequently. Are these those perverted pedophiles we are always hearing about? No. These are regular men and women who may be workaholics, sexually unfulfilled, or those wishing to push their own personal boundaries.
And these men and women make up a growing number of adult entertainers online who do it because they enjoy it. They have regular jobs, some have regular families, and most are far from the "superstar model" mode.
These men and women do not feel they are feeding the 'pornography' craze that has been linked with the growth of the internet. They enjoy the interaction that goes on between themselves and those they entertain. Those that are in a position to gain financially from this type of interaction do not feel cheapened.
For in the end, as so many of us have discovered, many of the people online who come to us for entertainment don't want JUST sex. They want conversation, friendship, sex; they want the whole "FANTASY". And are those who look for this kind of interaction any different then those of us who are willing to offer it? 45% of the people that myself and others like me have interacted with wanted the "FANTASY". And this 45% were workaholics, sexually unfulfilled, in the wrong state or region, or were pushing their own boundaries.
I'm really tired of hearing that the ADULT section of the internet is all pr0n. Pr0n isn't interactive. Let's not keep lumping 'adult' interaction with pr0n. The internet is based on interaction and knowledge. Just because it's adult in nature doesn't make it evil.