"Also like how Internet Atheists believe that they are expert historians, archaeologists, theologians, geologists, biologists, and physicists because other people agree with them."
Even better:
"Also like how Internet People believe that they are expert historians, archaeologists, theologians, geologists, biologists, and physicists because other people agree with them."
That's a neat game, loads of fun.
Oh, you thought you were saying something insightful? Sorry about that.
You can't reason with the bottom 10% of skeptics like that. They can't handle anything outside the pitifully simple rhetoric handed down to them by the big-names that, well, are quite obviously taking advantage of their ignorance.
They tend to be positivists (the philosophical equivalent of geocentrists) which should indicate to you that they're not well equipped to handle things like science, evidence, reason, and logic.
The best they can do (and they genuinely feel important doing this) is to shout simple slogans like "religious people are delusional" and "ghosts don't exists" as though they were saying something unique, interesting, or informative.
I was as well. I really don't like the guy I was in my late teens and early 20's.
Arrogance seems to stem from unrealized ignorance. At least that's how it was in my case. Being a big fish in a small pond certainly didn't help. Having everyone around you tell you how great you are doesn't exactly encourage you to grow personally or professionally.
When the author bought his season pass, he expected to get every episode in the season (the season was not split in two, at that point.) He expected 16 episodes to make up the entire season for the price he paid.
At the same time, had it bought a season pass on Amazon, he would have only paid for the episodes already out, then individually for new episodes as they arrived. (He would have paid per episode, less a discount for opting for the season pass.)
TODAY, now that the seasons are split, you KNOW that you only get 8 episodes when you buy Season 5. That was not the case when the author bought his season pass on iTunes. He rightly expected all 16 episodes for the advertised price.
Had he purchased a season pass on Amazon, he would have no right to complain. He would have known the price per episode and ONLY paid for the episodes that he received. He would have been slightly inconvenienced, needing to click "buy" to continue the previous arrangement for the second half of the season, now considered to be its own season.
Why is this so damn hard for you to understand? The author got screwed out of 8 episodes he rightly expected to get for the advertised price. The same could not be said had he opted to use Amazon instead of iTunes. On Amazon, then and now, you know EXACTLY what you're getting when you click "buy".
The episodes included are listed. That thecurrent season is inexplicably split in to two seasons is irrelevant as you see EXACTLY what you're getting for 13.99.
This isn't rocekt science. When the author bought his season pass, he rightly expected 16 episodes for the amount he paid up-front. On Amazon, you know exactly what you're paying for as you only pay for what is currently available.
There is no lie here. No deception. That's the difference between Amazon and iTunes at the time the author made his purchase.
I can only explain this very simple thing so many times. Use your head!
You have no idea how awesome having a stylus can be -- and how painful it was to give up at the end of the PDA era.
It's so much better for so many different applications. My phone and tablet feel so limited without support for a proper stylus. Those fake-fat-finger jobs don't even come close.
It was time to sell a while ago. If you didn't see the writing on the wall by November last year, so much the worse for you. If you hadn't puzzled it out by February, well, sorry about your luck.
If you're still waiting for that $1000 mark, seek help immediately.
Actually it doesn't. I just checked and Amazon has the final 8 episodes as Season 6 in their catalog.
Yes, it has the last 8 as season 6 -- but when bought the pass for season 5, you only paid for what was already out and then paid (automatically) for the remaining episodes as they became available. You didn't pay a flat-rate expecting to get all the episodes in season 5 for that price only to discover later that you only got half of the episodes.
That's the key difference here. You knew exactly what you were getting with each transaction.
Apparently you didn't, as otherwise you'd notice that I already address the first part of your post.
I should also point out, as you're clearly confused, that the price per episode is exactly the same for the first and second half of season 5. You'll pay exactly the same amount regardless of it being split in two.
Your price difference non-fact is 100% wrong. The $2.99/episode cost is for the HD version. That was the price of the HD version for the first half of season 5. You can buy the non-HD version for $1.99/episode (Ignoring, of course, the discount per episode if you buy a "season pass".)
See, you pay per episode on Amazon. The "season pass" charges you for what is out now (you know EXACTLY what you're getting) then per episode as they come out.
When you buy Season 5 on Amazon, now, it's clear that you're only getting 8 episodes (and it's priced accordingly) Had you signed up for a season pass when the first half of the season was still airing, you'd have paid for what had already aired, then per episode (automatically, as that's how a season pass works on Amazon.)
The fellow in the article bought a season pass for a flat rate which he believed would include every episode in season 5. On Amazon, it's obvious what you're getting and what you're paying. On Amazon, you might have expected to eventually get all 16, and you may be slightly disappointed that you need to sign-up for the second half, but you only actually pay for the 8 in the package.
One is clear and honest (Amazon), and the other is deceptive (Apple).
There is a significant difference between Apple and Amazon here. On Amazon, when I buy a "season pass" that means I buy all the episodes in the season that are already available outright and I agree to let Amazon bill me for each new episode as they're released. When I bought Season 5, I paid for one episode at a time with a small discount in the price.
That is, I didn't pay a one-time fee with the expectation that I'd get the whole of Season 5. I paid individually for each episode as they were released. (Which, by the way, you can cancel at any time.) I did have to "buy" the second half of Season 5 under the same terms. That was an inconvenience, sure, but a minor one. Given the length of time between the first and second half of Season 5, it could be seen as a positive as I could have lost interest in the show.
In short, I knew exactly what I was paying for with each transaction.
Had I paid a flat-fee up front for the whole of Season 5 and only got the first half, I'd been upset as well. Season 5 means Season 5 -- not half of Season 5.
Even worse, if the poor fellow from the article expected to get the entire fifth season for 22.99, he may have thought he was going to pay less than he would had he bought it through Amazon. As it turns out, he paid quite a bit more. If price was a factor in his decision, he got screwed twice.
You're fight a losing battle. You can get them to look at the facts. You can't even get them to read past the word "militia".
You're not dealing with sane and rational people here. They're frightened -- absolutely terrified of any number of imaginary threats. They're looking for something to blame, and they're eager (practically desperate) to trade their rights for even the faintest illusion of security against it! It's sad, really. I'd pity them if they weren't also actively trying to erode the rights of other.
I'm still a strong supporter of the ACLU, despite their incompetent (or, as you suggest, hypocritical) position on the 2nd amendment. They do an awful lot of good.
Just to get working things on iOS is so, so easy... I wish you could understand what a vast chasm it is between a real newcomer and making any kind of useful desktop application. There's so much more you have to know to get it working...
I'm not a newcomer, so it is difficult to understand that perspective. I have taught intro courses, so I have a sense of it. As far as how much you need to know to get a desktop app running on Windows vs. iOS, I'd still say you need to know significantly less. iOS development isn't bad at all, but it's certainly not the easiest option out there. (I'm thinking of Objective C and Lua here.)
I have no idea what tools you're making the comparison against, but I recommend dropping them immediately, as you're clearly making more work for yourself than should be necessary!
A BRAND NEW iPad Mini is just $329. What kind of computer are you going to get at that price, honestly? The iPad will last for three years or more too, can you say that about a $329 computer?
Kind of the minimum option, isn't it? As for what you can buy, there are quite a few options in the $200-$300 range that, obviously, will outperform the iPad mini and last 3+ years. If you're willing to buy refurbished, you have even more options.
You'd be amazed at how much life you can get out of a computer these days. Even a mid-range desktop from 2006 can easily meet the needs of the average user. I have little doubt that you'll easily get 3+ years out of a bargain basement $200-$300 computer purchased today.
All of this ignores the fact that many students already have access to a PC or are more likely have access to a PC than an iPad. That is, it's not necessarily an additional cost or consideration.
Or a cheap iPad keyboard case for $20 [amazon.com]...
That is cheap. Not a bad find. I'll recant the expensive bit, but will note that it is still an additional cost.
you seriously still do not understand the HUGE advantage the iPad also has in physical accessories?
No advantage at all! Even with every possible accessory, you still lack an incredible amount of the functionality you'll get out of a cheap netbook.
Of course, that's completely beside the point as the number of accessories has nothing to do with the iPad as an option for beginners to learn computer programming.
You are really, really doing beginners a disservice steering them into the rocky shoals of desktop development at this point in time, when there is a practical path before them
Who said anything about writing desktop apps? We're talking about learning to program, aren't we? There are tons of options. (For example, my younger brother taught himself to program by modifying and then creating his own game mods.)
As the the "practical path" the iPad is certainly NOT a practical path to learning how to program! (See my earlier list.) That it can be done is irrelevant. I can teach someone to program with a CARDIAC as well, but it wouldn't be the best choice!
I'm going to guess that's the issue here. You like the iPad and it can potentially meet that need, therefore it's at least a good option, and in your eyes it's the best option? I just can't get behind that. It doesn't make sense to me when there are (to some degree, objectively) better options on all of the criteria I listed, and I'm certain some criteria that I have not. (You're welcome to list your own criteria, it could be helpful.)
By steering beginners away from the iPad as platform to learn computer programming, I'm doing them a great service! I'm giving them more options. I'm giving them options that are far simpler for beginners than Objective C and Lua (which I think we both agree are not good first languages). I could even be saving them hundreds of dolla
Now there is nothing like that. Even Javascript is, I think, not a great starter language.
We're in complete agreement here. When we were kids, programming was a lot easier to learn.
but it's a much better starting point than most PC options
I strongly disagree. The options are extremely limited, and significantly lacking compared to the options available on an inexpensive pc, to which more students are likely to have ready access.
As an example, I'll offer Microsoft's Small Basic as a decent beginner language. It's not perfect (what is?) but it's a lot better than high-visibility failures like Scratch.
there are a ton of resources to do so for the iPad - many of which are free, like the Stanford classes.
There are better, and more accessible, options for free online. In that specific case, I don't believe that it's exclusive to iTunes or the iPad.
I don't know if you've ever done any desktop programming but it is WAY more complex than iOS development
Quite a bit. Still, I disagree that iOS development is easier. I honestly don't see why you believe it to be significantly easier than writing desktop applications on Windows or Mac?' (Admittedly, I haven't written anything for the Mac in a very long time. Development on Windows hasn't exactly improved over the last decade, but it's certainly not difficult. I'm of the opinion that it's still quite a bit easier than iOS, if for no other reason than the wealth of great tools.) iOS is one of the easier mobile platforms to develop for, but I don't think it's the easiest. (Yes, Android development is horrible, I'm not arguing that!) WP and BB are the clear winners there.
I'd further argue that Objective C and Lua are just as rotten an option for beginners as C#, Java, Python, etc. Whatever the language, the additional barriers imposed by the iPad as compared to other platforms make it a non-starter.
On specific criteria, if this helps you understand my perspective better:
Cost: iPad is more expensive than most options. Options: The iPad has significantly fewer options for development than other platforms. Resources: Having fewer options means fewer tutorials and other learning resources. Hardware: The iPad lacks a physical keyboard. I've poked out code on a touchscreen in an emergency, but it's not an experience I'd like to repeat! Sure, you can buy an expensive BT keyboard, but that adds to the cost.
Slashdot Mirror
How about:
"Also like how Internet Atheists believe that they are expert historians, archaeologists, theologians, geologists, biologists, and physicists because other people agree with them."
Even better:
"Also like how Internet People believe that they are expert historians, archaeologists, theologians, geologists, biologists, and physicists because other people agree with them."
That's a neat game, loads of fun.
Oh, you thought you were saying something insightful? Sorry about that.
I don't know about that. If a kid suddenly decides that everything their parents told them was a lie, I'd say that the kid was clearly delusional.
You can't reason with the bottom 10% of skeptics like that. They can't handle anything outside the pitifully simple rhetoric handed down to them by the big-names that, well, are quite obviously taking advantage of their ignorance.
They tend to be positivists (the philosophical equivalent of geocentrists) which should indicate to you that they're not well equipped to handle things like science, evidence, reason, and logic.
The best they can do (and they genuinely feel important doing this) is to shout simple slogans like "religious people are delusional" and "ghosts don't exists" as though they were saying something unique, interesting, or informative.
They're a lost cause. You can't make them think.
I was as well. I really don't like the guy I was in my late teens and early 20's.
Arrogance seems to stem from unrealized ignorance. At least that's how it was in my case. Being a big fish in a small pond certainly didn't help. Having everyone around you tell you how great you are doesn't exactly encourage you to grow personally or professionally.
What promise?
When the author bought his season pass, he expected to get every episode in the season (the season was not split in two, at that point.) He expected 16 episodes to make up the entire season for the price he paid.
At the same time, had it bought a season pass on Amazon, he would have only paid for the episodes already out, then individually for new episodes as they arrived. (He would have paid per episode, less a discount for opting for the season pass.)
TODAY, now that the seasons are split, you KNOW that you only get 8 episodes when you buy Season 5. That was not the case when the author bought his season pass on iTunes. He rightly expected all 16 episodes for the advertised price.
Had he purchased a season pass on Amazon, he would have no right to complain. He would have known the price per episode and ONLY paid for the episodes that he received. He would have been slightly inconvenienced, needing to click "buy" to continue the previous arrangement for the second half of the season, now considered to be its own season.
Why is this so damn hard for you to understand? The author got screwed out of 8 episodes he rightly expected to get for the advertised price. The same could not be said had he opted to use Amazon instead of iTunes. On Amazon, then and now, you know EXACTLY what you're getting when you click "buy".
This isn't difficult.
Why not just use Python?
I assume it's because they wanted to use a language that wasn't total garbage to write their scripts?
The episodes included are listed. That thecurrent season is inexplicably split in to two seasons is irrelevant as you see EXACTLY what you're getting for 13.99.
This isn't rocekt science. When the author bought his season pass, he rightly expected 16 episodes for the amount he paid up-front. On Amazon, you know exactly what you're paying for as you only pay for what is currently available.
There is no lie here. No deception. That's the difference between Amazon and iTunes at the time the author made his purchase.
I can only explain this very simple thing so many times. Use your head!
I hate to break it to you, but Flash is still a huge part of the web. It's not going to vanish overnight.
You'll get over it.
Why?
Yes, yes I do.
You have no idea how awesome having a stylus can be -- and how painful it was to give up at the end of the PDA era.
It's so much better for so many different applications. My phone and tablet feel so limited without support for a proper stylus. Those fake-fat-finger jobs don't even come close.
So you double down... Nice move. That's sure to change reality.
It was time to sell a while ago. If you didn't see the writing on the wall by November last year, so much the worse for you. If you hadn't puzzled it out by February, well, sorry about your luck.
If you're still waiting for that $1000 mark, seek help immediately.
They understand the distinction just fine. You're just a bit out-of-date.
Or, you know, the blinding flash isn't a suitable alternative to the notification LED.
Actually it doesn't. I just checked and Amazon has the final 8 episodes as Season 6 in their catalog.
Yes, it has the last 8 as season 6 -- but when bought the pass for season 5, you only paid for what was already out and then paid (automatically) for the remaining episodes as they became available. You didn't pay a flat-rate expecting to get all the episodes in season 5 for that price only to discover later that you only got half of the episodes.
That's the key difference here. You knew exactly what you were getting with each transaction.
It's just manipulative police, nothing to do with law and order.
So ... just like the police then, eh?
Seriously though, if we take your argument at face value, we're forced to ask; who gets to police us?
Why, the citizens of that great nation, of course!
Surely, those elected to the highest offices in the land will represent the will of the people.
Apparently you didn't, as otherwise you'd notice that I already address the first part of your post.
I should also point out, as you're clearly confused, that the price per episode is exactly the same for the first and second half of season 5. You'll pay exactly the same amount regardless of it being split in two.
Your price difference non-fact is 100% wrong. The $2.99/episode cost is for the HD version. That was the price of the HD version for the first half of season 5. You can buy the non-HD version for $1.99/episode (Ignoring, of course, the discount per episode if you buy a "season pass".)
See, you pay per episode on Amazon. The "season pass" charges you for what is out now (you know EXACTLY what you're getting) then per episode as they come out.
When you buy Season 5 on Amazon, now, it's clear that you're only getting 8 episodes (and it's priced accordingly) Had you signed up for a season pass when the first half of the season was still airing, you'd have paid for what had already aired, then per episode (automatically, as that's how a season pass works on Amazon.)
The fellow in the article bought a season pass for a flat rate which he believed would include every episode in season 5. On Amazon, it's obvious what you're getting and what you're paying. On Amazon, you might have expected to eventually get all 16, and you may be slightly disappointed that you need to sign-up for the second half, but you only actually pay for the 8 in the package.
One is clear and honest (Amazon), and the other is deceptive (Apple).
Did you even read my comment?
There is a significant difference between Apple and Amazon here. On Amazon, when I buy a "season pass" that means I buy all the episodes in the season that are already available outright and I agree to let Amazon bill me for each new episode as they're released. When I bought Season 5, I paid for one episode at a time with a small discount in the price.
That is, I didn't pay a one-time fee with the expectation that I'd get the whole of Season 5. I paid individually for each episode as they were released. (Which, by the way, you can cancel at any time.) I did have to "buy" the second half of Season 5 under the same terms. That was an inconvenience, sure, but a minor one. Given the length of time between the first and second half of Season 5, it could be seen as a positive as I could have lost interest in the show.
In short, I knew exactly what I was paying for with each transaction.
Had I paid a flat-fee up front for the whole of Season 5 and only got the first half, I'd been upset as well. Season 5 means Season 5 -- not half of Season 5.
Even worse, if the poor fellow from the article expected to get the entire fifth season for 22.99, he may have thought he was going to pay less than he would had he bought it through Amazon. As it turns out, he paid quite a bit more. If price was a factor in his decision, he got screwed twice.
Aside from the gross birth defects that is.
Cite, please?
It isn't thalidomide, after all. The only thing I could find was a tenuous link to low birth weight.
Did you just get back from imagination land?
Because it's not an issue.
Read your own link and think about what is actually being said.
Was that so hard?
You're fight a losing battle. You can get them to look at the facts. You can't even get them to read past the word "militia".
You're not dealing with sane and rational people here. They're frightened -- absolutely terrified of any number of imaginary threats. They're looking for something to blame, and they're eager (practically desperate) to trade their rights for even the faintest illusion of security against it! It's sad, really. I'd pity them if they weren't also actively trying to erode the rights of other.
I'm still a strong supporter of the ACLU, despite their incompetent (or, as you suggest, hypocritical) position on the 2nd amendment. They do an awful lot of good.
Just to get working things on iOS is so, so easy... I wish you could understand what a vast chasm it is between a real newcomer and making any kind of useful desktop application. There's so much more you have to know to get it working...
I'm not a newcomer, so it is difficult to understand that perspective. I have taught intro courses, so I have a sense of it. As far as how much you need to know to get a desktop app running on Windows vs. iOS, I'd still say you need to know significantly less. iOS development isn't bad at all, but it's certainly not the easiest option out there. (I'm thinking of Objective C and Lua here.)
I have no idea what tools you're making the comparison against, but I recommend dropping them immediately, as you're clearly making more work for yourself than should be necessary!
A BRAND NEW iPad Mini is just $329. What kind of computer are you going to get at that price, honestly? The iPad will last for three years or more too, can you say that about a $329 computer?
Kind of the minimum option, isn't it? As for what you can buy, there are quite a few options in the $200-$300 range that, obviously, will outperform the iPad mini and last 3+ years. If you're willing to buy refurbished, you have even more options.
You'd be amazed at how much life you can get out of a computer these days. Even a mid-range desktop from 2006 can easily meet the needs of the average user. I have little doubt that you'll easily get 3+ years out of a bargain basement $200-$300 computer purchased today.
All of this ignores the fact that many students already have access to a PC or are more likely have access to a PC than an iPad. That is, it's not necessarily an additional cost or consideration.
Or a cheap iPad keyboard case for $20 [amazon.com]...
That is cheap. Not a bad find. I'll recant the expensive bit, but will note that it is still an additional cost.
you seriously still do not understand the HUGE advantage the iPad also has in physical accessories?
No advantage at all! Even with every possible accessory, you still lack an incredible amount of the functionality you'll get out of a cheap netbook.
Of course, that's completely beside the point as the number of accessories has nothing to do with the iPad as an option for beginners to learn computer programming.
You are really, really doing beginners a disservice steering them into the rocky shoals of desktop development at this point in time, when there is a practical path before them
Who said anything about writing desktop apps? We're talking about learning to program, aren't we? There are tons of options. (For example, my younger brother taught himself to program by modifying and then creating his own game mods.)
As the the "practical path" the iPad is certainly NOT a practical path to learning how to program! (See my earlier list.) That it can be done is irrelevant. I can teach someone to program with a CARDIAC as well, but it wouldn't be the best choice!
I'm going to guess that's the issue here. You like the iPad and it can potentially meet that need, therefore it's at least a good option, and in your eyes it's the best option? I just can't get behind that. It doesn't make sense to me when there are (to some degree, objectively) better options on all of the criteria I listed, and I'm certain some criteria that I have not. (You're welcome to list your own criteria, it could be helpful.)
By steering beginners away from the iPad as platform to learn computer programming, I'm doing them a great service! I'm giving them more options. I'm giving them options that are far simpler for beginners than Objective C and Lua (which I think we both agree are not good first languages). I could even be saving them hundreds of dolla
When I was younger, kids had basic and LOGO...
Now there is nothing like that. Even Javascript is, I think, not a great starter language.
We're in complete agreement here. When we were kids, programming was a lot easier to learn.
but it's a much better starting point than most PC options
I strongly disagree. The options are extremely limited, and significantly lacking compared to the options available on an inexpensive pc, to which more students are likely to have ready access.
As an example, I'll offer Microsoft's Small Basic as a decent beginner language. It's not perfect (what is?) but it's a lot better than high-visibility failures like Scratch.
there are a ton of resources to do so for the iPad - many of which are free, like the Stanford classes.
There are better, and more accessible, options for free online. In that specific case, I don't believe that it's exclusive to iTunes or the iPad.
I don't know if you've ever done any desktop programming but it is WAY more complex than iOS development
Quite a bit. Still, I disagree that iOS development is easier. I honestly don't see why you believe it to be significantly easier than writing desktop applications on Windows or Mac?' (Admittedly, I haven't written anything for the Mac in a very long time. Development on Windows hasn't exactly improved over the last decade, but it's certainly not difficult. I'm of the opinion that it's still quite a bit easier than iOS, if for no other reason than the wealth of great tools.) iOS is one of the easier mobile platforms to develop for, but I don't think it's the easiest. (Yes, Android development is horrible, I'm not arguing that!) WP and BB are the clear winners there.
I'd further argue that Objective C and Lua are just as rotten an option for beginners as C#, Java, Python, etc. Whatever the language, the additional barriers imposed by the iPad as compared to other platforms make it a non-starter.
On specific criteria, if this helps you understand my perspective better:
Cost: iPad is more expensive than most options.
Options: The iPad has significantly fewer options for development than other platforms.
Resources: Having fewer options means fewer tutorials and other learning resources.
Hardware: The iPad lacks a physical keyboard. I've poked out code on a touchscreen in an emergency, but it's not an experience I'd like to repeat! Sure, you can buy an expensive BT keyboard, but that adds to the cost.