Why is the Australian government even doing this? Has there been any major terrorist attack on Australia? Do they really think there will be one in the future? What's the point, other than crushing freedom?
This is the umpteenth time I've read an article that has been published online that outright fucking lies about iTunes by saying it's the only place you can get music for your iPod, besides pirating it. Anyone who's ever even used iTunes once knows or should know you can import music from any bloody source, be it CD or music downloaded (I'm sure there's a tool for you Ogg Vorbis folks to change it to MP3 or somesuch) from any other online music store; this is the way it is now and the way it has always been. I'm sorry, but the author of TFA, this guy named Alan Kohler, is a retard.
Apple's stance on DRM and the MPAA is much more customer-friendly than any other company's (just search slashdot for the stories about Mac DRM and Windows DRM, mkay?), but they do have to keep from getting their pants sued off... but I do agree with you, user-created content needs to be much more easily ported around on an iPod... thing is, there just aren't that many people that use the iPod to help them produce a record or song.
Seriously, Apple should copyright the work that went into making the OS X GUI and the GUI itself as artistic work, and sue the living shit out of Microsoft when it releases this "Vista" nonsense.
At least this is a military expenditure that will save money in the long run, however, we still need to drastically reduce the amount we spend on our military, particularly the Navy. Call me skeptical, but I don't see us getting into a real war ever again (you know, as in a fight between two equal powers), let alone one that will get us into naval warfare. I understand that carriers and such are needed for coastal deployment and support fire, but that's about it. Automation sounds fine, even removing most of the control to military bases and operate via satellite or such; we sure as shit don't need more advanced targeting systems, as AEGIS is lightyears beyond any other country's naval technology. Seriously, this military-industrial boom has to stop, it's throwing money into projects that have absolutely no domestic benefit.
One more thing... um... When they say that each sailor costs the navy $100k plus a year... how is that? In pay? I'm pretty sure that when my brothers were aboard their respective submarines and carriers, they weren't pulling in/costing the Navy nearly that much. Shit, my friend who's a Ranger barely scrapes in 30k a year, and he's a thousand times better trained than a sailor, not to mention, actually does something worthwhile for national security instead of watching sonar screens for torpedoes that will never, ever come.
You know, the similarities between the growth of technology and the "fictional" world in the book "The Traveler" are getting a little too eerie for me.
I wonder how long until people start using diluted steroids and such to temporarily alter their face's shape (as mentioned in the book, of course) to get around the rapidly advancing face recognition technology, for good or evil motives?
There are very few things that get me riled up, but one of them is how lots of really good game companies are bought out by big corporations run by useless MBA hotshots. Then, the management of the big corporation uses up all the profits from the good gaming company to cover its big and corporate fuck ups, then they have the balls to say "Hey, games aren't an art form, why isn't there more going on, more innovation?? HURRR!"
It appears that the success of WoW has made Blizzard even lazier than they were before.
Blizz Guy A: "Hey Bob, should we, uh, you know... start programming Ghost again? (Beavis laugh)"
Blizz Guy B:"What's the point, Dick... we're making more money than we know what to do with in subscription fees... just go look at more night elf porn, dumbass. (Butthead laugh)"
You expect rivalling companies (like Coke and Pepsi) to mimic each other's products, but when the 800 lb. gorilla is copying from the baby penguin and the tiny apple tree, then it's time to call it what it is: Theft. Rather than actually using its strength to do something original, the gorilla keeps it's spot by imitating the innovations by smaller companies and trying to then squash them out.
Make me wish, if only a little bit, that I'd gone into programming instead of art/3d modelling/graphic work/etc.
Oh, what a good game programmer could do with an easily scriptable physics engine. Imagine WoW when the spells have effects on the physics, or interact with each other based on their level and element and alignment... I dream of a combination of Mage: the Ascension and Dungeons & Dragons... tell me I'm not the only one.
I know, they've been making games for lots of systems for a while but... to see all the old Genesis games come to Nintendo... it's like when the two arch-enemies team up to take on the new threat. Maybe, just maybe, it's a sign of things to come; first they bury the oldest rivalries, then team up to take on the evils of the video game industry.... (totally aware this won't happen, but it's been a dream of mine for goddamn forever.)
I started playing video games again because I got sick and tired of TV and the media in general. I mean, put it this way, should I: a) watch overpaid, overconfident, overmanicured meatsack garble on about crappy human interest stories or spout lines from a bad script, or b) wage mass, futuristic war/fight enemy kingdoms and clans in medieval fantasy/hop into a good samurai/ninja suit and slice away/etc?
Quite frankly, games are going to keep getting bigger for a while. Movies and television will fade into the background eventually, because well, everything passes from the limelight, and eventually more and more people are going to realize that actors are the single most overpaid people on the planet... just not worth watching all the time.
Seeing as the box office is continuing it's trend into the gutter (or the sewer, if you saw the preview for the new movie "American Dreamz" with Hugh Grant... *shudder*), my guess is that seeing legal region-free dvd players in the near future is even less likely as cheap AIDS/cancer drugs finding themselves in the hands of the impoverished. As more people spent more time on the internet and playing video games, the movie industry will try harder and harder to cling to their royalties and cheap tricks for profits.
Well, that was part of my point. It was just one of a myriad of things MS liked to do to Mac users, and it really defied explanation. I've heard a dozen explanations as to why, such as the encoding tool used for the first release was specially coded for all the nifty crap on the Matrix dvd, or when they hired MS guys to retool their DVD production for the Matrix, they slipped a little something in the mix.
This was 7 years ago, when Mac's were just starting to re-gain popularity and supported Netscape and such, and MS always replied to mac growth with something nasty. Oh well, I could talk about the same kinda crap back when I used OS/2, and get the same response.
Sigh. The old mac fan and support sites are pretty much gone, at least the ones with copies of editorials, etc. on the subject, and the mac support forums only go back a year or two. There are still some posts on old, old message boards, but nothing comprehensive. Everything else has been updated for newer versions, and this was 7 years ago, so...
Ah well, guess you'll have to take my word for it; and yes, I was in several advanced CS classes that year and worked as a tech intern/guru at my school, but nevertheless, I'm sure I'll get lots of posts "you just weren't doing it right" or "you don't know what you're talking about noob, it was a bug in Mac OS". I'm suprised I'm not being modded "troll" or whatever, or maybe I'm speaking too soon.
Right... So it was just absolute luck that one of the best tech/hacker movies of all time is the only dvd that didn't work on the Mac DVD player? Somehow, the DeCSS just "magicked" it's ass into not playing on Mac OS?
Whatever. I've been using macs for over a decade now, and all us old mac users remember the little "Fuck You" messages from MS, whether it be the system-wide bugs that only ocurred after installing Windows Media Player or MS Word or Internet Explorer, or the Matrix DVD, all the sites that wouldn't support Netscape (back when it was a good browser). And of course, their's always an explanation as to how it must be Mac's fault somehow.
If any of the old Mac support forums were up, I'd show you, but... well, independant Mac sites are notorious for dying off.
No, no it does not. It might play okay on OSX, or perhaps they finally found a way for the OS 9 player to get around MS's shenanigans, but let me be clear: when the Matrix DVD was released, nothing on it played or worked in a Mac OS 9 DVD player, and didn't for at least a year or two. I remember this quite well as my Mac was my only DVD player, and I got the Matrix as soon as it came out on DVD. Imagine my chagrin. And yes, I checked with other people; the Apple support forums were flooded with complaints.
If you haven't heard about the shady dealings of paypal, then you need to visit the website posted in the parent. A much more reliable and safe alternative can be found here.
But who knows. Maybe this'll get them in shape... at least enough to not fuck with people's money.
Sounds like another move from Microsoft's corporate espionage department, building on the previous "problems" GoDaddy had with non-MS browsers. I think my favorite MS black-ops move was when they made "The Matrix" DVD playable on every DVD player except the Macintosh DVD player, and yes, this is the only DVD that does this. Go ahead, grab your copy and read the fine print at the bottom.
Sigh. What I meant, overall, was that politics and history is an important part of our culture, and video games could do well to have a few titles that had some peer-reviewed sources as elements, or in other words, well documented historical fact. Politics and the goings-on of the government are far too large a part of our every-day lives for video games to ignore if they wish to be considered more as legitimate media and art. This is one of the reasons the Metal Gear Solid games do so well. They mix documented facts with fictional spin and good gameplay to make a really good product.
And yes, I did have to put in the waiver of "If I find out you're one of the horde of idiots that have flooded/., then no, I'm not going to debate you". I'm a little too busy and paid a little too much attention in class to be an unpaid tutor on global politics and socioeconomics. However, it would appear now that you are rather intelligent, and I would agree with you on almost all counts; the only reason I consider myself a liberal is because most of my views fall into their category, and you have to pick sides if you want to get something done. Baby steps, you know.
And yes, I would point to Europe for examples of successful government, not the Democratic party here, and certainly not the Republican party.
Slashdot Mirror
Why is the Australian government even doing this? Has there been any major terrorist attack on Australia? Do they really think there will be one in the future? What's the point, other than crushing freedom?
This is the umpteenth time I've read an article that has been published online that outright fucking lies about iTunes by saying it's the only place you can get music for your iPod, besides pirating it. Anyone who's ever even used iTunes once knows or should know you can import music from any bloody source, be it CD or music downloaded (I'm sure there's a tool for you Ogg Vorbis folks to change it to MP3 or somesuch) from any other online music store; this is the way it is now and the way it has always been. I'm sorry, but the author of TFA, this guy named Alan Kohler, is a retard.
The controls can only be operated by a bodily orifice (yes, like the southpark thing, only not as well endowed.)
Apple's stance on DRM and the MPAA is much more customer-friendly than any other company's (just search slashdot for the stories about Mac DRM and Windows DRM, mkay?), but they do have to keep from getting their pants sued off... but I do agree with you, user-created content needs to be much more easily ported around on an iPod... thing is, there just aren't that many people that use the iPod to help them produce a record or song.
"V for Vendetta" is making millions at the box office, what a cute little coincidence.
Seriously, Apple should copyright the work that went into making the OS X GUI and the GUI itself as artistic work, and sue the living shit out of Microsoft when it releases this "Vista" nonsense.
At least this is a military expenditure that will save money in the long run, however, we still need to drastically reduce the amount we spend on our military, particularly the Navy. Call me skeptical, but I don't see us getting into a real war ever again (you know, as in a fight between two equal powers), let alone one that will get us into naval warfare. I understand that carriers and such are needed for coastal deployment and support fire, but that's about it. Automation sounds fine, even removing most of the control to military bases and operate via satellite or such; we sure as shit don't need more advanced targeting systems, as AEGIS is lightyears beyond any other country's naval technology. Seriously, this military-industrial boom has to stop, it's throwing money into projects that have absolutely no domestic benefit.
One more thing... um... When they say that each sailor costs the navy $100k plus a year... how is that? In pay? I'm pretty sure that when my brothers were aboard their respective submarines and carriers, they weren't pulling in/costing the Navy nearly that much. Shit, my friend who's a Ranger barely scrapes in 30k a year, and he's a thousand times better trained than a sailor, not to mention, actually does something worthwhile for national security instead of watching sonar screens for torpedoes that will never, ever come.
I agree fully with the other "mod parent down" reply to this post. Extra negative mod points for giving a bad name to a good opera.
You know, the similarities between the growth of technology and the "fictional" world in the book "The Traveler" are getting a little too eerie for me.
I wonder how long until people start using diluted steroids and such to temporarily alter their face's shape (as mentioned in the book, of course) to get around the rapidly advancing face recognition technology, for good or evil motives?
There are very few things that get me riled up, but one of them is how lots of really good game companies are bought out by big corporations run by useless MBA hotshots. Then, the management of the big corporation uses up all the profits from the good gaming company to cover its big and corporate fuck ups, then they have the balls to say "Hey, games aren't an art form, why isn't there more going on, more innovation?? HURRR!"
It appears that the success of WoW has made Blizzard even lazier than they were before.
Blizz Guy A: "Hey Bob, should we, uh, you know... start programming Ghost again? (Beavis laugh)"
Blizz Guy B:"What's the point, Dick... we're making more money than we know what to do with in subscription fees... just go look at more night elf porn, dumbass. (Butthead laugh)"
You expect rivalling companies (like Coke and Pepsi) to mimic each other's products, but when the 800 lb. gorilla is copying from the baby penguin and the tiny apple tree, then it's time to call it what it is: Theft. Rather than actually using its strength to do something original, the gorilla keeps it's spot by imitating the innovations by smaller companies and trying to then squash them out.
Make me wish, if only a little bit, that I'd gone into programming instead of art/3d modelling/graphic work/etc.
Oh, what a good game programmer could do with an easily scriptable physics engine. Imagine WoW when the spells have effects on the physics, or interact with each other based on their level and element and alignment... I dream of a combination of Mage: the Ascension and Dungeons & Dragons... tell me I'm not the only one.
I know, they've been making games for lots of systems for a while but... to see all the old Genesis games come to Nintendo... it's like when the two arch-enemies team up to take on the new threat. Maybe, just maybe, it's a sign of things to come; first they bury the oldest rivalries, then team up to take on the evils of the video game industry.... (totally aware this won't happen, but it's been a dream of mine for goddamn forever.)
Wait... my dreams have finally come true? Sega and Nintendo together at last?
Excuse me for a second... got something in my eye here... *sniff*
I started playing video games again because I got sick and tired of TV and the media in general. I mean, put it this way, should I: a) watch overpaid, overconfident, overmanicured meatsack garble on about crappy human interest stories or spout lines from a bad script, or b) wage mass, futuristic war/fight enemy kingdoms and clans in medieval fantasy/hop into a good samurai/ninja suit and slice away/etc?
Quite frankly, games are going to keep getting bigger for a while. Movies and television will fade into the background eventually, because well, everything passes from the limelight, and eventually more and more people are going to realize that actors are the single most overpaid people on the planet... just not worth watching all the time.
Seeing as the box office is continuing it's trend into the gutter (or the sewer, if you saw the preview for the new movie "American Dreamz" with Hugh Grant... *shudder*), my guess is that seeing legal region-free dvd players in the near future is even less likely as cheap AIDS/cancer drugs finding themselves in the hands of the impoverished. As more people spent more time on the internet and playing video games, the movie industry will try harder and harder to cling to their royalties and cheap tricks for profits.
This will bring whole new meaning to the term "slashdotted":
Trebek: "You wagered everything you had and your answer is... CowboyNeal? The hell...?"
Well, that was part of my point. It was just one of a myriad of things MS liked to do to Mac users, and it really defied explanation. I've heard a dozen explanations as to why, such as the encoding tool used for the first release was specially coded for all the nifty crap on the Matrix dvd, or when they hired MS guys to retool their DVD production for the Matrix, they slipped a little something in the mix.
This was 7 years ago, when Mac's were just starting to re-gain popularity and supported Netscape and such, and MS always replied to mac growth with something nasty. Oh well, I could talk about the same kinda crap back when I used OS/2, and get the same response.
Sigh. The old mac fan and support sites are pretty much gone, at least the ones with copies of editorials, etc. on the subject, and the mac support forums only go back a year or two. There are still some posts on old, old message boards, but nothing comprehensive. Everything else has been updated for newer versions, and this was 7 years ago, so...
Ah well, guess you'll have to take my word for it; and yes, I was in several advanced CS classes that year and worked as a tech intern/guru at my school, but nevertheless, I'm sure I'll get lots of posts "you just weren't doing it right" or "you don't know what you're talking about noob, it was a bug in Mac OS". I'm suprised I'm not being modded "troll" or whatever, or maybe I'm speaking too soon.
Meh.
Right... So it was just absolute luck that one of the best tech/hacker movies of all time is the only dvd that didn't work on the Mac DVD player? Somehow, the DeCSS just "magicked" it's ass into not playing on Mac OS?
Whatever. I've been using macs for over a decade now, and all us old mac users remember the little "Fuck You" messages from MS, whether it be the system-wide bugs that only ocurred after installing Windows Media Player or MS Word or Internet Explorer, or the Matrix DVD, all the sites that wouldn't support Netscape (back when it was a good browser). And of course, their's always an explanation as to how it must be Mac's fault somehow.
If any of the old Mac support forums were up, I'd show you, but... well, independant Mac sites are notorious for dying off.
No, no it does not. It might play okay on OSX, or perhaps they finally found a way for the OS 9 player to get around MS's shenanigans, but let me be clear: when the Matrix DVD was released, nothing on it played or worked in a Mac OS 9 DVD player, and didn't for at least a year or two. I remember this quite well as my Mac was my only DVD player, and I got the Matrix as soon as it came out on DVD. Imagine my chagrin. And yes, I checked with other people; the Apple support forums were flooded with complaints.
If you haven't heard about the shady dealings of paypal, then you need to visit the website posted in the parent. A much more reliable and safe alternative can be found here.
But who knows. Maybe this'll get them in shape... at least enough to not fuck with people's money.
Sounds like another move from Microsoft's corporate espionage department, building on the previous "problems" GoDaddy had with non-MS browsers. I think my favorite MS black-ops move was when they made "The Matrix" DVD playable on every DVD player except the Macintosh DVD player, and yes, this is the only DVD that does this. Go ahead, grab your copy and read the fine print at the bottom.
Sigh. What I meant, overall, was that politics and history is an important part of our culture, and video games could do well to have a few titles that had some peer-reviewed sources as elements, or in other words, well documented historical fact. Politics and the goings-on of the government are far too large a part of our every-day lives for video games to ignore if they wish to be considered more as legitimate media and art. This is one of the reasons the Metal Gear Solid games do so well. They mix documented facts with fictional spin and good gameplay to make a really good product.
/., then no, I'm not going to debate you". I'm a little too busy and paid a little too much attention in class to be an unpaid tutor on global politics and socioeconomics. However, it would appear now that you are rather intelligent, and I would agree with you on almost all counts; the only reason I consider myself a liberal is because most of my views fall into their category, and you have to pick sides if you want to get something done. Baby steps, you know.
And yes, I did have to put in the waiver of "If I find out you're one of the horde of idiots that have flooded
And yes, I would point to Europe for examples of successful government, not the Democratic party here, and certainly not the Republican party.