If it's the "grind" that makes people cheat I wonder how they explain, Counterstrike, UT, etc... Oddly enough, one common excuse for that ilk of cheater is that they have "a life" and can't spend all their time playing Counterstrike, UT, etc. Essentially they're talking about a different kind of grind - developing the skill to playing the game. Yet skill is what the "flawed grinding mechanism" meme folks seem to call for.
It seems to me what we're really dealing with is a demand for instant satisfaction. And not just any form of satisfaction; it's got to be "I'm better than everyone else" flavored. But instant. With marshmellows.
But WOWs economy, especially lately, is spectacularly broken. Most raw materials are worth more than anything you can craft out of them. Low-level items are either useless and impossible to sell, or--if useful--people with high level alts have priced them at a range no new-user can ever afford....
Raw materials + labor should always have greater value than the raw materials alone, for example. Economy is a funny thing. The value of something isn't always straight forward.
Raw materials have more value because well-funded individuals need them to grind up their crafting skill not because they need the actual items the raw materials are being used to create. The end products don't sell well because there's too much supply for the demand - not because they're necessarily useless. You can tell this is the case because non-crafted low level items (that can't be mass produced like crafted items) will fetch premium prices if they have the right stats - as you noted.
This isn't a flaw in the various economies of WoW worlds. It is just how economies work. And the fact that a lot of people are interacting in these economies without paying much attention to what's going on.
Crafting is a great example of this. My advice to all new players is to NOT get in to crafting. Pick two gathering professions (or a profession like enchanting that gives you something akin to gathering - disenchanting items in to raw components - but ignore the crafting aspect). Spend all your up-and-coming levels selling or trading in raw supplies (either in the AH, suppling mats to crafters to make you items you want and giving the crafter a "free" skill point, or being the go-to guy for your guild's supply needs). Once you're high leveled and established, THEN it's time to decide on whether you really need to craft items. If so, you can better afford it (and you can give a financial leg-up to all the other gatherers feeding the market like you did). If not, you've saved yourself from the expense of training for a skill that's probably well represented in an already over-crowded market.
If they *did* make a hackproof game, only a few people would play it and it would fail financially. Well, that certainly explains why games like Chess and Go never lasted long.
We have to consider the message that was delivered. It is irrelevant who said it, or who he or she works for. Sure. There are some cases that an ugly truth is still true no matter the messenger. But such truths are few and far between. Most of how we look at the world is largely up to interpretation. Our biases will affect how much weight we put to facts - causing us to find some points significant while ignoring others. In addition, we rarely have all the facts and are left to our own to fill in the gaps. In short, two people with different biases are very likely to look at the same event and draw entirely different conclusions as to the "truth" of what was presented.
The messenger is therefore a large part of the message. One needs some understanding of what facts the messenger actually has access to as well as what biases will cause them to pick and choose from those facts. This applies to anyone - not just those times when the messenger's bias is contrived to drive a very specific message.
As opposed to the dozens of Linux distros we have now, each with their own repositories of custom compiled software that typically doesn't work anywhere but on that specific version of that specific distro. That's not entirely the same thing. I've dealt with a handful of proprietary software packages for Linux and haven't had to worry much about what distro I've chosen to run them on. The publisher usually has some specific distro in mind. But that hasn't made the applications incompatible because I've got a different distro in mind. Some publishers do a better job than others in this regard.
As for the custom packages - I'm not sure it's a real issue. So I can get the same software on Debian as Fedora... does it really matter that they've been compiled and packaged by different people? I've rarely had an issue. In the few times that I've decided I don't like how something was packaged, I had no problem going directly to the project for stand-alone binaries / compilations.
Don't get me wrong. It's not all smooth sailing when you go off the (somewhat) beaten path of supported Linux distros. But it's not entirely the same situation we saw with the old Unix vendors.
Now - $21 million may seem like a considerable award. However, according the the RIAA's calculations, this only covers the single "Just a Lil Bit" by artist 50 Cent.
Oh, I admit no such thing. I only admit that given sufficient funds there would be.;) And given that the amount is sufficient - the video would be directed by Jackson with a fantastic scene involving an army of CGI donkeys. Three months later there would be a collector's DVD set with additional footage and donkey bookends.
Even worse, who are these sick bastards poisoning squirrels? Probably the Iranians. They're already on to the West's previous attempts in the region. It is only natural they'd move to "cyber warfare." It's the newest thing in espionage circles. All the trendy countries are doing it. Iran isn't going to be left out.
Sounds like we're back in a "BSD vs. GPL" trap. What's amusing to this "debate" is that both proponents seem to hold freedom to a high ideal. In fact - it's such an important ideal that they're both willing to give up freedom to uphold it. The BSD camp want freedom to such an extent that anyone is free to limit other's freedom. The GPL crowd are so concerned about freedom that they sacrifice freedom by setting a framework to restrict anyone from further limiting other's freedom.
So how many of these examples do we need to demonstrate that Apple software is not secure, and is only less exploited because it's less popular? Try - one. This isn't it.
This does show that Apple provides no magic bullet; Apple can (and does) put out crap code. If you think buying / using Apple software means never having to worry about bugs (and consequently exploits) then you've been deluded.
What this doesn't do is settle why Apple's bugs don't become fertile ground for malware. In fact, since this particular exploit isn't (yet) actively used in the wild it doesn't even enter the debate. But then it's only a matter of time. Industrious malware coders are undoubtedly updating their code. We'll see what platform(s) they target.
I understand the sentiment. I even agree that there is some logic behind the idea - akin to "low hanging fruit". I'm just not buying that it is the be-all and end-all to the issue as some like to make it.
We already have examples where malware targeted specific subsets of Windows users. The Witty Worm is one rather interesting example (targeting only IIS customers running specific security products). But why just subsets of Windows? If other subsets of IT (such as Macs) offered easy targets, why wouldn't malware authors target them? Be assured they do - just not often and not successfully.
The public had about zero effect on the SCO/Novell case. Keep in mind that this was more than SCO vs. Novell. It was more than SCO vs. IBM (or Chrysler or Autozone). There was also the court of public opinion. It is very possible that the later was the real target of SCO's actions.
Once in awhile the water cooler talk around my area turns to SCO (among the IT crowd - I've yet to meet any non-IT folks who know about SCO). It's rather interesting that the conversation about SCO's legal wrangling includes a lot of details that never surfaced in any court of law. People have readily confused the court cases with press releases and public statements made by SCO and its agent(s).
This is where Groklaw affecting public perception is important. SCO's outlandish claims have been mostly nullified by information dug up by the efforts of Groklaw. And while people may confuse exactly what is being said where - I've yet to meet anyone who takes any SCO claim seriously.
That Groklaw has surfaced in the actual legal cases in question and is very likely being used as a reference by agents of the court is an additional bonus. Even those agents are part of the "public".
It seemed that in the Ubuntu lists, there where often discussions of different media environments depending on whether you were installing under gnome or kde, though it may have had more to do with konquerer vs firefox.
Devil's in the details, I'm sure. But my guess would be that the discussion was mentioning specific media applications associated with each particular environment (i.e. Totem vs. Kaffeine). While there are defaults, you can install and run either one under either environment. And then there's plenty of other options. Totem and Kaffeine both use some common multimedia libraries - Xine being one of them. You can also use the Xine media player itself. VLC is another excellent example (even among Windows folks).
As an aside, media is a tough thing for the Linux. All these proprietary codecs are wrapped up in a world that Linux really isn't a part of. That doesn't stop the Linux (yes, yes... "Linux" is a kernel... but you get the idea) hackers from tagging on to it all. But it can be a bit bumpy at times (but then I've had some iffy times with particular codecs and Windows as well).
BTW: gOS was very interesting for three reasons....
The major problem I had with gOS, is the media (using mplayer/w32codecs/flash-non-free) was less usable than the others. On quicktime videos, I got the audio stream, but no video at all.
I'll have to check gOS out. Looks kind of nifty. Based on Ubuntu - so it can't be all that bad.;) I would guess your rougher time with media under gOS had to do with versions (but hey - devil's in the details, right?).
Next up (woo hoo!) Fedora 8 and then SUSE. Yup, burning through them all. Given my current exposure, the nod goes to edubuntu to give to my kids.
Yup. Give 'em all a shot. I'm a fan of Debian and Ubuntu. But I've used SUSE and (at the time) Mandrake when they better served my needs. All these outfits tweak their configurations a bit differently and one might resonate better with you than another. While Linux is Linux... the little tweaks can make a difference.
Me, myself... I'm using Kubuntu. I just like KDE better and am familiar enough with it to deal with Kubuntu's occasional rough edge. You might feel inclined to test those waters once you're feeling like you've got a good footing. Incidentally, if you do get comfortable with Ubuntu and want to give Kubuntu a try, moving to Kubuntu is as simple as selecting and installing the Kubuntu packages (selecting kubuntu-desktop will do most of the work). At this point, you're free to jump between environments as you wish.
In my case, I have a custom GDM screen so I use GDM instead of KDM (basically your log-in screen). My desktop is KDE... but instead of the normal KWIN I use Compiz-Fusion. I use a lot of Kubuntu's standard KDE applications. Notable exceptions are Evolution (email) and Pidgin (IM). Mixing and matching is fairly easy once you start to learn what you like.
I recently had a very busy weekend trying edubutu, ubunutu, xubuntu, and gOS on an IBM T40, with mixed results. I did not get around to kubuntu, perhaps I should have. Ubuntu is (for the most part) a Gnome environment. Kubuntu is the KDE oriented version of Ubuntu. At this point, Kubuntu lacks the polish seen in Ubuntu. As you seem to be getting your feet wet, you probably would want to stick with Ubuntu and its polished Gnome environment.
Me, myself... I'm using Kubuntu. I just like KDE better and am familiar enough with it to deal with Kubuntu's occasional rough edge. You might feel inclined to test those waters once you're feeling like you've got a good footing.
It should be stressed that the issue of Gnome vs. KDE (vs. Blackbox, Enlightenment, etc., etc.) is mostly a matter of interface and taste. The applications you run aren't necessarily restricted by your desktop... even if they are often bundled with one project or another.
I find it kind of sad to think of Wil reading through the comments on here. I'm sure as a regular to slashdot he's probably used to the trolling that goes on, but it's still got to be hard on him at some level to read some of this stuff. I like to think that the guy who picked up a "Shut up, Welsey" button at a vendor booth and wore it for the duration of a Star Trek convention has figured out how to handle the bleating of Slashdot trolls. After all, not only is Wil something of a Slashdot regular - he is also responsible for one of the best meta geek posts in slashdot history. Who else would use Slashdot, and a rare public interview opportunity with a nerd culture icon, to have a pseudo-private conversation?
Oh, please. The GP calls them worthless and stupid and you call them desperate victims which is just a nice way of saying worthless and stupid. Hell, you even went *beyond* him to say they're incapable of clear reasoning.
Being desperate does not make one worthless, stupid, or incapable of reason. But it does hamper the ability to reason clearly. Although reason alone isn't a guarantee against this kind of thing.
They're competent, educated adults living in a rich country with lots of social programs and plenty of information. They choose to screw up their lives and these con-artists are perfectly happy to help them along that path. They're wrong to screw up their lives (in so far as they tend to drag their families with them) just as these people are criminals for expediting it.
The cons are taking advantage of people already in a bad situation. Most likely they got there out of simple bad luck. I might be less sympathetic for someone who took bad risks (i.e. smoking).
Frankly, you're contributing to this situation by glorifying victimhood. The fact is that just because you're dying of cancer doesn't mean you're any less responsible if you go to some faith-healer, and the cancer certainly isn't going to treat you any nicer. We wouldn't be having this discussion if people would stop finding any retarded excuse to abandon reason!
I'm not entirely sure where you think personal responsibility lies in these situations. Keep in mind that we're not talking about faith healing here. We're talking about charlatans with grand promises bolstered by all kinds of psudo-science. And that can be enough to fool an inadequately educated individual in to thinking they are making a clearly reasonable decision.
Real medical science is sometimes lacking. There are a number of conditions that are complex and not very well understood (your example specified cancer, I've actually got another condition in mind). Treatments of these conditions are likewise complex to explain, involve a fair amount of admitted guess-work, often involve a slew of serious risks, and can't promise the hope of a cure. In addition to this, the patient has to invest trust and ultimately faith in a person they probably don't really know to choose the best treatment option(s) for their situation.
There isn't a whole lot for even a reasonable person to latch on to in these situations. That's why these people are so vulnerable. It's not that they are looking for an excuse to abandon reason. It is because they find themselves in an unreasonable situation.
I would like to note that I firmly believe our society lacks a fundamental understanding of critical thought and basic scientific principles. Even if this is partially due to human nature, I believe our schools (at all levels) could do a better job and pushing these ideals. It would better prepare people to take active roles in their medical treatments as well as other aspects of life. Of course, at the same time, it would not proof society against con men nor make their victims any more deserving of being conned.
If you are so gullible and so stupid to think these artifacts work, then be my guest, and waste all your money. You had it coming. This way, with some luck, you will not be able to sustain a family, and/or die from starvation. Not my fault. Good for humankind. I agree that people need to maintain critical thought and a degree of skepticism when someone makes extraordinary claims. But the idea that these people DESERVE this kind of crime?
Fuck you.
I would assume you're healthy and if you're lucky, you'll remain so the rest of your life. You'll never experience a condition where your body shuts down or begins to attack itself. You'll never go through the helplessness of not being able to trust what you perceive yet fully aware that your body is degrading and the symptom you're feeling might be real and life-threatening. You'll never have to go through the process of working with numerous doctors who, being much more educated and experienced on the subject than you, still have to make educated guesses as to what MIGHT work to slow the damage; each drug or procedure involving reams of documentation outlining dire risks and medical details (that require years of training to really understand) as to why they THINK the treatment might be doing something beneficial. Not a cure. Just something to maintain some degree of a quality of life until maybe sometime in the future a cure can be found.
The people who prey on the desperation inherent in this situation are among the worst kind of criminal. Their victims, while perhaps lacking some of the clarity of reasoning, are still purely victims. They do not deserve to be preyed on while everything else in their lives is being torn down around them. Whats worse is the unfortunate soul who passes up on a treatment that might have actually given them something of a life in favor of one of these snake-oil treatments that simply took from them and their loved ones.
It's a real chuckle to see this article tagged "bush" and "republicans" followed by this post about the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution... while this is all about a UK law acted on by UK police. The law sucks. The US Executive Administration is in a shambles. But these things aren't directly related.
It'd be nice if folks criticizing said branch of US Government could maintain some degree of focus on real issues. There's enough of THOSE to go around without flailing about.
And you can take offense all you like. Your appreciation comes in the form of your paycheck. NASA pay tends to lag behind industry. Most of the folks I know who work for NASA do it because they like working for NASA. One nice thing that NASA can do to thank that kind of dedication that industry can't is provide you with a real good seat to view a launch.
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It seems to me what we're really dealing with is a demand for instant satisfaction. And not just any form of satisfaction; it's got to be "I'm better than everyone else" flavored. But instant. With marshmellows.
Raw materials + labor should always have greater value than the raw materials alone, for example. Economy is a funny thing. The value of something isn't always straight forward.
Raw materials have more value because well-funded individuals need them to grind up their crafting skill not because they need the actual items the raw materials are being used to create. The end products don't sell well because there's too much supply for the demand - not because they're necessarily useless. You can tell this is the case because non-crafted low level items (that can't be mass produced like crafted items) will fetch premium prices if they have the right stats - as you noted.
This isn't a flaw in the various economies of WoW worlds. It is just how economies work. And the fact that a lot of people are interacting in these economies without paying much attention to what's going on.
Crafting is a great example of this. My advice to all new players is to NOT get in to crafting. Pick two gathering professions (or a profession like enchanting that gives you something akin to gathering - disenchanting items in to raw components - but ignore the crafting aspect). Spend all your up-and-coming levels selling or trading in raw supplies (either in the AH, suppling mats to crafters to make you items you want and giving the crafter a "free" skill point, or being the go-to guy for your guild's supply needs). Once you're high leveled and established, THEN it's time to decide on whether you really need to craft items. If so, you can better afford it (and you can give a financial leg-up to all the other gatherers feeding the market like you did). If not, you've saved yourself from the expense of training for a skill that's probably well represented in an already over-crowded market.
The messenger is therefore a large part of the message. One needs some understanding of what facts the messenger actually has access to as well as what biases will cause them to pick and choose from those facts. This applies to anyone - not just those times when the messenger's bias is contrived to drive a very specific message.
As for the custom packages - I'm not sure it's a real issue. So I can get the same software on Debian as Fedora... does it really matter that they've been compiled and packaged by different people? I've rarely had an issue. In the few times that I've decided I don't like how something was packaged, I had no problem going directly to the project for stand-alone binaries / compilations.
Don't get me wrong. It's not all smooth sailing when you go off the (somewhat) beaten path of supported Linux distros. But it's not entirely the same situation we saw with the old Unix vendors.
I didn't pay anything for the review.
There's a Disney joke in this somewhere.
Now - $21 million may seem like a considerable award. However, according the the RIAA's calculations, this only covers the single "Just a Lil Bit" by artist 50 Cent.
The rest pretty much doesn't matter.
I'd buy that for a dollar!
Sounds like we're back in a "BSD vs. GPL" trap. What's amusing to this "debate" is that both proponents seem to hold freedom to a high ideal. In fact - it's such an important ideal that they're both willing to give up freedom to uphold it. The BSD camp want freedom to such an extent that anyone is free to limit other's freedom. The GPL crowd are so concerned about freedom that they sacrifice freedom by setting a framework to restrict anyone from further limiting other's freedom.
This does show that Apple provides no magic bullet; Apple can (and does) put out crap code. If you think buying / using Apple software means never having to worry about bugs (and consequently exploits) then you've been deluded.
What this doesn't do is settle why Apple's bugs don't become fertile ground for malware. In fact, since this particular exploit isn't (yet) actively used in the wild it doesn't even enter the debate. But then it's only a matter of time. Industrious malware coders are undoubtedly updating their code. We'll see what platform(s) they target.
I understand the sentiment. I even agree that there is some logic behind the idea - akin to "low hanging fruit". I'm just not buying that it is the be-all and end-all to the issue as some like to make it.
We already have examples where malware targeted specific subsets of Windows users. The Witty Worm is one rather interesting example (targeting only IIS customers running specific security products). But why just subsets of Windows? If other subsets of IT (such as Macs) offered easy targets, why wouldn't malware authors target them? Be assured they do - just not often and not successfully.
Or perhaps you can make a point with more depth than the campy nonsense "FTL" phrase that's so popular with the twitchy ADD set these days?
Once in awhile the water cooler talk around my area turns to SCO (among the IT crowd - I've yet to meet any non-IT folks who know about SCO). It's rather interesting that the conversation about SCO's legal wrangling includes a lot of details that never surfaced in any court of law. People have readily confused the court cases with press releases and public statements made by SCO and its agent(s).
This is where Groklaw affecting public perception is important. SCO's outlandish claims have been mostly nullified by information dug up by the efforts of Groklaw. And while people may confuse exactly what is being said where - I've yet to meet anyone who takes any SCO claim seriously.
That Groklaw has surfaced in the actual legal cases in question and is very likely being used as a reference by agents of the court is an additional bonus. Even those agents are part of the "public".
Devil's in the details, I'm sure. But my guess would be that the discussion was mentioning specific media applications associated with each particular environment (i.e. Totem vs. Kaffeine). While there are defaults, you can install and run either one under either environment. And then there's plenty of other options. Totem and Kaffeine both use some common multimedia libraries - Xine being one of them. You can also use the Xine media player itself. VLC is another excellent example (even among Windows folks).
As an aside, media is a tough thing for the Linux. All these proprietary codecs are wrapped up in a world that Linux really isn't a part of. That doesn't stop the Linux (yes, yes... "Linux" is a kernel... but you get the idea) hackers from tagging on to it all. But it can be a bit bumpy at times (but then I've had some iffy times with particular codecs and Windows as well).
I'll have to check gOS out. Looks kind of nifty. Based on Ubuntu - so it can't be all that bad.
Yup. Give 'em all a shot. I'm a fan of Debian and Ubuntu. But I've used SUSE and (at the time) Mandrake when they better served my needs. All these outfits tweak their configurations a bit differently and one might resonate better with you than another. While Linux is Linux... the little tweaks can make a difference.
In my case, I have a custom GDM screen so I use GDM instead of KDM (basically your log-in screen). My desktop is KDE... but instead of the normal KWIN I use Compiz-Fusion. I use a lot of Kubuntu's standard KDE applications. Notable exceptions are Evolution (email) and Pidgin (IM). Mixing and matching is fairly easy once you start to learn what you like.
I recently had a very busy weekend trying edubutu, ubunutu, xubuntu, and gOS on an IBM T40, with mixed results.
I did not get around to kubuntu, perhaps I should have. Ubuntu is (for the most part) a Gnome environment. Kubuntu is the KDE oriented version of Ubuntu. At this point, Kubuntu lacks the polish seen in Ubuntu. As you seem to be getting your feet wet, you probably would want to stick with Ubuntu and its polished Gnome environment.
Me, myself... I'm using Kubuntu. I just like KDE better and am familiar enough with it to deal with Kubuntu's occasional rough edge. You might feel inclined to test those waters once you're feeling like you've got a good footing.
It should be stressed that the issue of Gnome vs. KDE (vs. Blackbox, Enlightenment, etc., etc.) is mostly a matter of interface and taste. The applications you run aren't necessarily restricted by your desktop... even if they are often bundled with one project or another.
Being desperate does not make one worthless, stupid, or incapable of reason. But it does hamper the ability to reason clearly. Although reason alone isn't a guarantee against this kind of thing.
The cons are taking advantage of people already in a bad situation. Most likely they got there out of simple bad luck. I might be less sympathetic for someone who took bad risks (i.e. smoking).
I'm not entirely sure where you think personal responsibility lies in these situations. Keep in mind that we're not talking about faith healing here. We're talking about charlatans with grand promises bolstered by all kinds of psudo-science. And that can be enough to fool an inadequately educated individual in to thinking they are making a clearly reasonable decision.
Real medical science is sometimes lacking. There are a number of conditions that are complex and not very well understood (your example specified cancer, I've actually got another condition in mind). Treatments of these conditions are likewise complex to explain, involve a fair amount of admitted guess-work, often involve a slew of serious risks, and can't promise the hope of a cure. In addition to this, the patient has to invest trust and ultimately faith in a person they probably don't really know to choose the best treatment option(s) for their situation.
There isn't a whole lot for even a reasonable person to latch on to in these situations. That's why these people are so vulnerable. It's not that they are looking for an excuse to abandon reason. It is because they find themselves in an unreasonable situation.
I would like to note that I firmly believe our society lacks a fundamental understanding of critical thought and basic scientific principles. Even if this is partially due to human nature, I believe our schools (at all levels) could do a better job and pushing these ideals. It would better prepare people to take active roles in their medical treatments as well as other aspects of life. Of course, at the same time, it would not proof society against con men nor make their victims any more deserving of being conned.
Fuck you.
I would assume you're healthy and if you're lucky, you'll remain so the rest of your life. You'll never experience a condition where your body shuts down or begins to attack itself. You'll never go through the helplessness of not being able to trust what you perceive yet fully aware that your body is degrading and the symptom you're feeling might be real and life-threatening. You'll never have to go through the process of working with numerous doctors who, being much more educated and experienced on the subject than you, still have to make educated guesses as to what MIGHT work to slow the damage; each drug or procedure involving reams of documentation outlining dire risks and medical details (that require years of training to really understand) as to why they THINK the treatment might be doing something beneficial. Not a cure. Just something to maintain some degree of a quality of life until maybe sometime in the future a cure can be found.
The people who prey on the desperation inherent in this situation are among the worst kind of criminal. Their victims, while perhaps lacking some of the clarity of reasoning, are still purely victims. They do not deserve to be preyed on while everything else in their lives is being torn down around them. Whats worse is the unfortunate soul who passes up on a treatment that might have actually given them something of a life in favor of one of these snake-oil treatments that simply took from them and their loved ones.
It's a real chuckle to see this article tagged "bush" and "republicans" followed by this post about the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution... while this is all about a UK law acted on by UK police. The law sucks. The US Executive Administration is in a shambles. But these things aren't directly related.
It'd be nice if folks criticizing said branch of US Government could maintain some degree of focus on real issues. There's enough of THOSE to go around without flailing about.