Another point it does take some time and some machines bandwidth to reproduce digital media/content and time is money in my book so there is a *cost* even if its negligible there is a cost and special considerations with that statement.
Yes, but the thing about it is...these distribution and reproduction costs are ALL PAID FOR BY THE CONSUMER. The zero cost is what is incurred by the owner of the media (if they wish to set it free.) One could also include promotion as an unnecessary cost, if you take the stance that if something is good enough the average consumer would want to tell their friends about it and a mechanism exists that they can share the something. But as it stands the current copyright holders would rather pay for distribution, reproduction, and promotion themselves, it's a lot easier to add $3 to $15 than it is to add it to $1.
The problem with the goverment is one of volume. My vote doesn't carry the volume necessary for a Senator to hear my voice. A million dollar donation that buys him loads of advertising to get the loads of votes he need to keep his job, carries a whole lot more weight than my "Dear sir I think parts of the DMCA are unfair" letter.
I am also a fairly mobile young professional. This makes my voice in goverment mean even less to that goverment, since power is accumulated on a fairly local level, and the main problems I see are on the (inter)national level. Also with a market based culture, I would rather use that to solve the problem. When you keep asking the government for help, you depend on them to save you, so where do you turn to save you from them?
You're forgetting what a young market this is. Or should I say, "older" market. Home video-game machines have been out for barely a generation. It makes sense to me for a "really good" system to maintain backwards compatibility and build long-term customer relationships. Sony is using the PS2 to muscle in on the desktop, providing this capability is a move in that direction (you don't want a main machines that needs totally new software every 2 years.)
And plentiful good games are very important. I've got a great box at home, but it sucks for gaming. As much as I'd like to use it all the time, that limitation holds me back. So I dual-boot:(
That's a big difference, and why I hate seeing so much "fear" legislation ("Bad thing X happened, we need tougher laws!!") I think we should dedicate an entire legislative session to *removing* useless law. Drop the cruft and start anew. Is that possible given our current situation? Is cruft removal build into the Constituion?
it is the only thing that will keeps companies honest.
In the future world where two or three mega-corps control every industry, it is only through vocal protests and real-world action that the teeny-tiny voices of indinidual consumers will ever be heard. We must speak up, we must spread the word, and when it's needed, shout from every rooftop and bitcast from every node.
People can't resist when they don't know they are fighting. It's in the established businesses best interests to keep consumers ignorant, and they'll spend a lot of money o their best interests. It won't be as much censoring what you say, but just saying so much more than you so that no one can ever hear. Or spewing forth such rhetoric, that by the time you have a chance to debate with "average joe" he has already been told 100+ times that you are a pirate, a thief, and the scum of the earth because you don't think you should pay for unnecessary services from a monopolist.
Make conscious consumer choices, make an effort to educate your friends, and don't give up. The only way to lose is to stop fighting.
that the technology in DVDs used to keep people from watching them..is keeping people from watching them.
First, the DVDs can't be played because of a technically unnecessary region coding scheme (read the article if you haven't). Second, the decrypt key is getting memory fscked and needs to be reloaded from scratch. Both these problems are the PS2 not having the technical muscle to jump through the content control hoops the DVD CCA has created. This situation will only get worse as more and more "features" and complexity are added to control your access to media. Get used to it, now you can take it for granted that the version1 of *anything* will suck (if only because of the legal limitations created by content control lobbyists)
Diablo (and I loved it) doens't have 100th the gameplay of Nethack. Luckily it has 100x+ the eye-candy, ear-candy, and action, so it's a good trade-off. It's like a single player 3-d Wizardry I for me, but that was one of the first games like this I played. Simple dungeon romp, kill creatures, get cool stuff, done right. I will be buying DII eventually.
they tried to build the techno-solder of the future, recently. (HUDs on rifle and eye, GPS tracking, multiple specialty machines, etc.) They ended up sucking because the packs were 50+lbs and stuck up (no hidden crawling) and the battery life ended up being about 12 hrs, plus no way to get in new batteries. Oh, and the soldiers would still get blowed up.
But is so much easier to sell a pretty product with promises and use that money to make it better than it is to create a very high quality product that makes its money through repeat buying and reputation for quality. (just to play bil^H^H^Hdevil's advocate. (-;)
'Course this is a good reason why the OSS developement model works good. The quality is built by people who use it and really care. Because there is no money involved, nothing is rushed, cruft can be easily discarded, and programs -work-. Then later the marketers come along and get to add all the shiny happy buttons, but they are basically left to stand or fall based on their ability to appeal to the peole who need and depend on friendly goo-E's.
I'd say Linux is more than ready for the desktop; it's that the masses aren't ready for Linux.
Some people might find fault with this, but I think it is very accurate. Linux will gain favor as it progresses from both sides. Most people who are scared of the CLI are also scared of computers in general. Most of us that have really taken to Linux have been using computers extensively for 10+ years. As this attribute becomes more common of the general populace you will see more poeple who want to take the training wheels off their machines. More and more people will want to take back control of their boxes, after they realize what pawns they have been. At the same time Linux is getting WAAY easier to use and enjoy, with more companies and projects being started every day the overall codebase and capabilites are expanding expontentially. Fun stuff. --
..to that poll. After being/.ed it'll be extremely accurate.
Unfortunately many of the programs the company I work for are barely being ported to NT now (dang, slow-ass media ratings companies) so I seriously doubt Linux will be able to take over the desktops here for a number of years. Or at least the "regular" folk's machines.:)
It is looking inevitable though. Linux has a manifest destiny and I can't wait to see it reach the west coast.
Slashdot Mirror
Another point it does take some time and some machines bandwidth to reproduce digital media/content and time is money in my book so there is a *cost* even if its negligible there is a cost and special considerations with that statement.
Yes, but the thing about it is...these distribution and reproduction costs are ALL PAID FOR BY THE CONSUMER. The zero cost is what is incurred by the owner of the media (if they wish to set it free.) One could also include promotion as an unnecessary cost, if you take the stance that if something is good enough the average consumer would want to tell their friends about it and a mechanism exists that they can share the something. But as it stands the current copyright holders would rather pay for distribution, reproduction, and promotion themselves, it's a lot easier to add $3 to $15 than it is to add it to $1.
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The problem with the goverment is one of volume. My vote doesn't carry the volume necessary for a Senator to hear my voice. A million dollar donation that buys him loads of advertising to get the loads of votes he need to keep his job, carries a whole lot more weight than my "Dear sir I think parts of the DMCA are unfair" letter.
I am also a fairly mobile young professional. This makes my voice in goverment mean even less to that goverment, since power is accumulated on a fairly local level, and the main problems I see are on the (inter)national level. Also with a market based culture, I would rather use that to solve the problem. When you keep asking the government for help, you depend on them to save you, so where do you turn to save you from them?
--
Backwards compatibility has never sold consoles.
:(
You're forgetting what a young market this is. Or should I say, "older" market. Home video-game machines have been out for barely a generation. It makes sense to me for a "really good" system to maintain backwards compatibility and build long-term customer relationships. Sony is using the PS2 to muscle in on the desktop, providing this capability is a move in that direction (you don't want a main machines that needs totally new software every 2 years.)
And plentiful good games are very important. I've got a great box at home, but it sucks for gaming. As much as I'd like to use it all the time, that limitation holds me back. So I dual-boot
--
Not everyone has to use all the programs.
Everyone has to follow all the laws.
That's a big difference, and why I hate seeing so much "fear" legislation ("Bad thing X happened, we need tougher laws!!") I think we should dedicate an entire legislative session to *removing* useless law. Drop the cruft and start anew. Is that possible given our current situation? Is cruft removal build into the Constituion?
--
it is the only thing that will keeps companies honest.
In the future world where two or three mega-corps control every industry, it is only through vocal protests and real-world action that the teeny-tiny voices of indinidual consumers will ever be heard. We must speak up, we must spread the word, and when it's needed, shout from every rooftop and bitcast from every node.
People can't resist when they don't know they are fighting. It's in the established businesses best interests to keep consumers ignorant, and they'll spend a lot of money o their best interests. It won't be as much censoring what you say, but just saying so much more than you so that no one can ever hear. Or spewing forth such rhetoric, that by the time you have a chance to debate with "average joe" he has already been told 100+ times that you are a pirate, a thief, and the scum of the earth because you don't think you should pay for unnecessary services from a monopolist.
Make conscious consumer choices, make an effort to educate your friends, and don't give up. The only way to lose is to stop fighting.
--
that the technology in DVDs used to keep people from watching them..is keeping people from watching them.
First, the DVDs can't be played because of a technically unnecessary region coding scheme (read the article if you haven't). Second, the decrypt key is getting memory fscked and needs to be reloaded from scratch. Both these problems are the PS2 not having the technical muscle to jump through the content control hoops the DVD CCA has created. This situation will only get worse as more and more "features" and complexity are added to control your access to media. Get used to it, now you can take it for granted that the version1 of *anything* will suck (if only because of the legal limitations created by content control lobbyists)
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is busting loose at the seams. The best thing about all these databases...spam-dating!
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haha, 22 reviews on a product that ships in June. lol. Gotta love hardcore gamers :)
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Diablo (and I loved it) doens't have 100th the gameplay of Nethack. Luckily it has 100x+ the eye-candy, ear-candy, and action, so it's a good trade-off. It's like a single player 3-d Wizardry I for me, but that was one of the first games like this I played. Simple dungeon romp, kill creatures, get cool stuff, done right. I will be buying DII eventually.
--
..'cause the first Diablo wasn't evil ENOUGH!
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they tried to build the techno-solder of the future, recently. (HUDs on rifle and eye, GPS tracking, multiple specialty machines, etc.) They ended up sucking because the packs were 50+lbs and stuck up (no hidden crawling) and the battery life ended up being about 12 hrs, plus no way to get in new batteries. Oh, and the soldiers would still get blowed up.
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theonion.com release Ha-Ha Linux, just because they could.
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I mean, if you don't have a quick trigger finger, there's no way you'll graduate buam luade au quade.
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and when you think about having a remote absolute shutdown "feature" standard...I mean, that's just stupid.
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But is so much easier to sell a pretty product with promises and use that money to make it better than it is to create a very high quality product that makes its money through repeat buying and reputation for quality. (just to play bil^H^H^Hdevil's advocate. (-;)
'Course this is a good reason why the OSS developement model works good. The quality is built by people who use it and really care. Because there is no money involved, nothing is rushed, cruft can be easily discarded, and programs -work-. Then later the marketers come along and get to add all the shiny happy buttons, but they are basically left to stand or fall based on their ability to appeal to the peole who need and depend on friendly goo-E's.
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it's been done
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who would expect Bruce Perens to misspell his last name? mod this to -1 so it becomes the default.
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given Moore's law, how long till I can do it? Seriously, I'm not sure about how much power my IIIx *really* has.
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with the Quake sources already GPLed maybe we'll see a mini-quake soon. We could call it....TREMOR!
A little IR networking and meetings would be fun again.:)
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I'd say Linux is more than ready for the desktop; it's that the masses aren't ready for Linux.
Some people might find fault with this, but I think it is very accurate. Linux will gain favor as it progresses from both sides. Most people who are scared of the CLI are also scared of computers in general. Most of us that have really taken to Linux have been using computers extensively for 10+ years. As this attribute becomes more common of the general populace you will see more poeple who want to take the training wheels off their machines. More and more people will want to take back control of their boxes, after they realize what pawns they have been. At the same time Linux is getting WAAY easier to use and enjoy, with more companies and projects being started every day the overall codebase and capabilites are expanding expontentially. Fun stuff.
--
..to that poll. After being /.ed it'll be extremely accurate.
:)
Unfortunately many of the programs the company I work for are barely being ported to NT now (dang, slow-ass media ratings companies) so I seriously doubt Linux will be able to take over the desktops here for a number of years. Or at least the "regular" folk's machines.
It is looking inevitable though. Linux has a manifest destiny and I can't wait to see it reach the west coast.
--
Ooops !
KISS = Knights In Satan's Service.
Keep is spelled k-e-e-p, BTW.
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there are already plans in Washington to have Fox News Channel shut down.
Thank God, I can't surf past that idiot O'Reilly (Factor) without getting pissed. Of all the self-righteous blow-hards, he's the worst.
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The human mind is a quantum computer, just watch Jeopardy, you'll figure it out.
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You wrote rote wrong.
Getting kids excited about programming is more important, IMHO, than getting them to do it "right" (or write if you prefer (-:).
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