"Would you be willing to receive your local newspaper for free if one of the news stories on the front page was an ad (and you didn't know which one)?"
Honestly? Yes, if I knew ahead of time that they operated that way. Because it would be, just like it is with Slashdot, easy to distinguish which is which. Apart from that, I always take news with a grain of salt anyway. If something looks like a plug, smells like a plug, it probably is.
"Yeah, I know a DVD player does the same - but this does what a DVD player doesn't do for all us poor folks out there who are still watching DVDs on their PCs. Here, we basically have a DVD player with CD burn capability."
You are insane. You can't afford a DVD player, but you can afford this $299 piece of equipment?
There are several real DVD players available for $69.99 - $99.99 *WITH* MP3 playing SUPPORT. Read: You don't have to power on your PC. See: Circuit City, Best Buy.
On the other hand, you can get an internal 48/12/48 LiteOn CD-RW for about $50 now. You want it external? Buy a FireWire external IDE drive case for another $40. Even with that, you're still only at about $190.00.
Not to bag on your comment specifically, but is it really funny every time we point this out?
Isn't this just a general understanding by now? Slashdot needing to make money, and using what they do best to accomplish that.
As a business owner myself, I feel almost.. proud of Slashdot. This means they are being a little more responsible and realistic in how the business is ran, and as such, will (hopefully) be around that much longer for *our* enjoyment.
If you're visiting a web site every day, and atleast getting fifteen minutes entertainment out of it.. then the health of that site is not to be taken lightly.
Rob, please do not hesitate to instate a monthly/annual billing system sooner rather than later. I would rather see it done when there are still some cash in the reserves, than as a last ditch method that hasn't gotten the chance it needs to ramp up.
I'm all up for paying $1.95-$3.95/month to Slashdot if it can keep you around. Add the feature, and let it run for a few months with no access stipulations as cause of subscription--everyone is equal access (perhaps if you pay, you don't see the other ads) -- and if that works out well, then stick to it. If it doesn't work out well.. play with the pricing until it does, and from that point figure out your future strategy.
But by God, ignore these people that laugh at you/Slashdot for trying to run an honest business. We really do appreciate what you have done here.
Jason Fisher [aka BloodHawk, oldschool #4am IRC'er]
Exactly. If you look through the other responses to this post, you'll find I responded to myself that they would have to do an Amiga system chipset-on-a-chip from the ground up to make that work.
But.. system applications could be made to work in a 68k-only environment. You would use a 68k series, updated OS, and ignore the custom chipset--really all you want then is the lightweight OS and all of the compliant applications.
I'm pretty sure Amiga Workbench 1.1/1.2 booted right into that resolution unless you specified otherwise.:P
But seriously, the most important part that fits into the pie are the games--most of which are developed for 320x200/320x256 anyway. Desktop applications run through Intuition, and thus will be compliant by default.;)
And as far as planar vs chunky graphics (a long time since I've heard anyone make/converse an argument here) -- I don't know, but maybe planar could be somehow magically better for handheld applications.
The most nagging issue I can see is the power consumption of the custom chipset. If you don't do it right, you may as well not do it at all.. you would have to create an all-in-one Amiga chip, which is definitely a possibility in today's world, but would require a market to support it--cost reasons... We can still dream?
I agree with you on all accounts. An Amiga PDA would've only really made sense to a mass-market 2-3 years ago.. now it could be nothing more than a niche toy for the enthusiasts (sounding a little more like Amiga itself;))..
I never understood why nobody ever went the route of making an Amiga-based PDA. 68k. Originally built for "low-resolution" (320x240). Lightweight OS with a small footprint. Plentiful applications already available.. and an interface that is extremely gratifying in its responsiveness.
This scares me a bit, as in the past year I've had five (yes, 5) HD failures.
Maxtor 30GB fails.. 6 months later. Maxtor 40GB fail. Send back. Receive new one.. new one fails after 3 months. SAME DAY, IBM DeskStar in another computer fails. Both of those are fine, but now I have another IBM that seems to be on its last leg.
I know what you're thinking.. why would you buy these if they were failing? It was too late, I had purchased them all at the same time. I've had Quantums fail.. Seagates fail.. (we used to call them Seacrates 8 years ago).. a WD fail.. These have all been IDE drives. Only SCSI drive I've ever had fail was a Micropolis 1.2gb about 7 years ago.
Oddly enough, the only drives I have that HAVEN'T failed are my odd-and-end 2gb Samsung and Fujitsu drives.
Which brings me to some serious questions.. are there any reviewers out there submitting these drives to long term abuse in extreme conditions (heat or poor power)? If so, are they keeping scores in a place that I can see?
Frankly, I'm a little paranoid about the state of HDs these days. I would like to be able to have reasonable confidence that a HD will last for 5+ years.. I just don't know where to find it.
Actually, it wouldn't be that the roaches decide "let's try living here and we'll grow immune to it in a few years," it's more like a "deaf" roach (or couple) think, "noise? what annoying noise?" and successfully breed.
Are your parents more likely to have poor hearing because they live next to high-traffic railroad tracks? Or more likely to live next to high-traffic railroad tracks because they have poor hearing?;)
In my experience, working in pairs with someone taking initiative on most of the project (yourself) works wonders in getting people with different skill levels and styles on the same page.
When you map out and start a project, think of the most complicated functions within each class/object/module and discuss how you plan on implementing them with the team.. even if they are doing all of the listening, they will understand the goal and how you are going to do it (even if it is over there head).
Work on the classes that are going to be used throughout the entire application (the ones you see as being important to reducing development time and increasing efficiency) - and as soon as you are done, do one or two implementations of this class.
Pair/group up and demonstrate how your class is actually implemented--you can touch base on the actual class again, but don't spend too much time (beyond talking about any trouble you ran into, or the cool parts of it) -- concentrate on the actual example of implementation.
Suggest a location for them to implement this, and that if they have any questions, you're just a few feet away and that you're about to begin on the next class. Touch base on how you plan to do the next big class, and repeat the above steps with question/answer breathers after they have finished implementing the previous class everywhere (or atleast to the point where they think they are comfortable with it).
You are obviously the most skilled of the bunch here, so they should be (and will be) following your lead and welcoming your guidance. (if they don't welcome guidance, they will never be real programmers. fire them now.)
This really has worked for me well on smaller projects that I lead, where there is a significant gap in skill level or initiative.
A lot of good comments here that really do work on bringing someone up-to-speed -- not so much with a project, but on how you as a leader operate and think. Get them into this rhythm, and they will soon have confidence enough to take initiative themselves (with you checking over work still).
High bandwidth costs are a myth only validated through the initial cost of infrastructure. In five years, these costs will be subsidized dramatically through the decreased cost of business and bandwidth will rain upon us from the heavens as never before.
I appreciate your explanation on this. It's a good example, that I would mod up if I hadn't participated in the thread to begin with, and was allowed to.;)
If we already knew the solution, we wouldn't be having this talk.;)
I understand what you're saying, though.. I have a limited understanding of how quantum physics works. I do have a deep understanding of logic (thus my claim that this cannot be insurmountable), but from the little I do understand of quantum physics, my logic will probably work against me.
Logically speaking, if the eavesdropper can't "eavesdrop" without interfering with the signal, what about total interception of the signal, turning yourself into more of a real routing point?
We should all realize by now that words such as "never" and "impossible" do not exist in technology's dictionary.
So, right now we can't eavesdrop without modifying.. means nothing. Research, research, research. We will get there, especially with government dollars backing it.
AFAIK, according to their treaty, Japan isn't even ALLOWED to research nuclear weapons.
They also aren't able to send troops out in certain situations (they couldn't help us in Afghanistan, except with some money/equipment/civillian work).
Slashdot Mirror
"Would you be willing to receive your local newspaper for free if one of the news stories on the front page was an ad (and you didn't know which one)?"
Honestly? Yes, if I knew ahead of time that they operated that way. Because it would be, just like it is with Slashdot, easy to distinguish which is which. Apart from that, I always take news with a grain of salt anyway. If something looks like a plug, smells like a plug, it probably is.
I can't speak for everyone, of course..
All I care about is that Andy Richter Controls the Universe is coming back on the air starting this December. :)
"Yeah, I know a DVD player does the same - but this does what a DVD player doesn't do for all us poor folks out there who are still watching DVDs on their PCs. Here, we basically have a DVD player with CD burn capability."
You are insane. You can't afford a DVD player, but you can afford this $299 piece of equipment?
There are several real DVD players available for $69.99 - $99.99 *WITH* MP3 playing SUPPORT. Read: You don't have to power on your PC. See: Circuit City, Best Buy.
On the other hand, you can get an internal 48/12/48 LiteOn CD-RW for about $50 now. You want it external? Buy a FireWire external IDE drive case for another $40. Even with that, you're still only at about $190.00.
Jason Fisher
Not to bag on your comment specifically, but is it really funny every time we point this out?
Isn't this just a general understanding by now? Slashdot needing to make money, and using what they do best to accomplish that.
As a business owner myself, I feel almost.. proud of Slashdot. This means they are being a little more responsible and realistic in how the business is ran, and as such, will (hopefully) be around that much longer for *our* enjoyment.
If you're visiting a web site every day, and atleast getting fifteen minutes entertainment out of it.. then the health of that site is not to be taken lightly.
Rob, please do not hesitate to instate a monthly/annual billing system sooner rather than later. I would rather see it done when there are still some cash in the reserves, than as a last ditch method that hasn't gotten the chance it needs to ramp up.
I'm all up for paying $1.95-$3.95/month to Slashdot if it can keep you around. Add the feature, and let it run for a few months with no access stipulations as cause of subscription--everyone is equal access (perhaps if you pay, you don't see the other ads) -- and if that works out well, then stick to it. If it doesn't work out well.. play with the pricing until it does, and from that point figure out your future strategy.
But by God, ignore these people that laugh at you/Slashdot for trying to run an honest business. We really do appreciate what you have done here.
Jason Fisher
[aka BloodHawk, oldschool #4am IRC'er]
Exactly. If you look through the other responses to this post, you'll find I responded to myself that they would have to do an Amiga system chipset-on-a-chip from the ground up to make that work.
But.. system applications could be made to work in a 68k-only environment. You would use a 68k series, updated OS, and ignore the custom chipset--really all you want then is the lightweight OS and all of the compliant applications.
I'm pretty sure Amiga Workbench 1.1/1.2 booted right into that resolution unless you specified otherwise. :P
;)
.. We can still dream?
But seriously, the most important part that fits into the pie are the games--most of which are developed for 320x200/320x256 anyway. Desktop applications run through Intuition, and thus will be compliant by default.
And as far as planar vs chunky graphics (a long time since I've heard anyone make/converse an argument here) -- I don't know, but maybe planar could be somehow magically better for handheld applications.
The most nagging issue I can see is the power consumption of the custom chipset. If you don't do it right, you may as well not do it at all.. you would have to create an all-in-one Amiga chip, which is definitely a possibility in today's world, but would require a market to support it--cost reasons.
No, he's not the one that's selling them. But he IS the one that is making the biggest margins off of them.
I agree with you on all accounts. An Amiga PDA would've only really made sense to a mass-market 2-3 years ago.. now it could be nothing more than a niche toy for the enthusiasts (sounding a little more like Amiga itself ;)) ..
I never understood why nobody ever went the route of making an Amiga-based PDA. 68k. Originally built for "low-resolution" (320x240). Lightweight OS with a small footprint. Plentiful applications already available.. and an interface that is extremely gratifying in its responsiveness.
*shrug*
"OK so they're not as bad as giving nukes to everyone. But a flying car typically can take out far more people and stuff than a normal car -"
.. Not if they're made out of origami. ;)
When can we get our own personal Gir?
"I'm gonna sing the doom song now! Doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom..."
This scares me a bit, as in the past year I've had five (yes, 5) HD failures.
Maxtor 30GB fails.. 6 months later. Maxtor 40GB fail. Send back. Receive new one.. new one fails after 3 months. SAME DAY, IBM DeskStar in another computer fails. Both of those are fine, but now I have another IBM that seems to be on its last leg.
I know what you're thinking.. why would you buy these if they were failing? It was too late, I had purchased them all at the same time. I've had Quantums fail.. Seagates fail.. (we used to call them Seacrates 8 years ago).. a WD fail.. These have all been IDE drives. Only SCSI drive I've ever had fail was a Micropolis 1.2gb about 7 years ago.
Oddly enough, the only drives I have that HAVEN'T failed are my odd-and-end 2gb Samsung and Fujitsu drives.
Which brings me to some serious questions.. are there any reviewers out there submitting these drives to long term abuse in extreme conditions (heat or poor power)? If so, are they keeping scores in a place that I can see?
Frankly, I'm a little paranoid about the state of HDs these days. I would like to be able to have reasonable confidence that a HD will last for 5+ years.. I just don't know where to find it.
So we are going to start seeing thieves pack their own PS/2 or USB mice with them to circumvent this "security"?
:P
Right.
Middle of the information age? You have got to be kidding me. The way I see it, we've barely progressed beyond the point of last night's erection.
Oh yeah, I'm specifically NOT going to go home and play GTA3 on my Sony plasma display. :P
Actually, it wouldn't be that the roaches decide "let's try living here and we'll grow immune to it in a few years," it's more like a "deaf" roach (or couple) think, "noise? what annoying noise?" and successfully breed.
;)
Are your parents more likely to have poor hearing because they live next to high-traffic railroad tracks? Or more likely to live next to high-traffic railroad tracks because they have poor hearing?
In my experience, working in pairs with someone taking initiative on most of the project (yourself) works wonders in getting people with different skill levels and styles on the same page.
When you map out and start a project, think of the most complicated functions within each class/object/module and discuss how you plan on implementing them with the team.. even if they are doing all of the listening, they will understand the goal and how you are going to do it (even if it is over there head).
Work on the classes that are going to be used throughout the entire application (the ones you see as being important to reducing development time and increasing efficiency) - and as soon as you are done, do one or two implementations of this class.
Pair/group up and demonstrate how your class is actually implemented--you can touch base on the actual class again, but don't spend too much time (beyond talking about any trouble you ran into, or the cool parts of it) -- concentrate on the actual example of implementation.
Suggest a location for them to implement this, and that if they have any questions, you're just a few feet away and that you're about to begin on the next class. Touch base on how you plan to do the next big class, and repeat the above steps with question/answer breathers after they have finished implementing the previous class everywhere (or atleast to the point where they think they are comfortable with it).
You are obviously the most skilled of the bunch here, so they should be (and will be) following your lead and welcoming your guidance. (if they don't welcome guidance, they will never be real programmers. fire them now.)
This really has worked for me well on smaller projects that I lead, where there is a significant gap in skill level or initiative.
A lot of good comments here that really do work on bringing someone up-to-speed -- not so much with a project, but on how you as a leader operate and think. Get them into this rhythm, and they will soon have confidence enough to take initiative themselves (with you checking over work still).
Best of luck!
Jason Fisher
High bandwidth costs are a myth only validated through the initial cost of infrastructure. In five years, these costs will be subsidized dramatically through the decreased cost of business and bandwidth will rain upon us from the heavens as never before.
:P
I am Black Wolf the Dragon Master!
I am Blackwolf, the Dragon Master!
I appreciate your explanation on this. It's a good example, that I would mod up if I hadn't participated in the thread to begin with, and was allowed to. ;)
Jason
If we already knew the solution, we wouldn't be having this talk. ;)
I understand what you're saying, though.. I have a limited understanding of how quantum physics works. I do have a deep understanding of logic (thus my claim that this cannot be insurmountable), but from the little I do understand of quantum physics, my logic will probably work against me.
Logically speaking, if the eavesdropper can't "eavesdrop" without interfering with the signal, what about total interception of the signal, turning yourself into more of a real routing point?
We should all realize by now that words such as "never" and "impossible" do not exist in technology's dictionary.
.. means nothing. Research, research, research. We will get there, especially with government dollars backing it.
So, right now we can't eavesdrop without modifying
Jason
AFAIK, according to their treaty, Japan isn't even ALLOWED to research nuclear weapons.
They also aren't able to send troops out in certain situations (they couldn't help us in Afghanistan, except with some money/equipment/civillian work).
Just think of all the people that will use goatse.cx or a picture of CowboyNeal as their password. :P