It's still an economy driven by free samples. If I can download the free sample, that's easier than if I have to go to the library to get it; both also lend themselves to random discoveries. But both books and music are too pricey for most folks to buy a pig in a poke. You must understand this yourself, since you've got plenty of "free samples" up on your own website... without which I'd probably never have read your stuff. Now I might, and if I like it, you might make money from me in the future.
The ads like the Chevy ad you describe are designed to indude a warm-and-fuzzy association with their name, to improve name recognition and hopefully bring you into THEIR store FIRST.
Of course, if the warm-and-fuzzy feels more like an enema, it can generate a reaction of "I wouldn't buy their product if it were the last one one on earth".
That's exactly true. I didn't block ad banners until they started to sing and dance and flash in my face. I liked Google's targeted ads until they got to be a cancer that slowed down every site I went to. I didn't block ads entirely until the whole industry slithered down to predominantly porn banners and herbal viagra. Badly done, intrusive, and noxious ads are what made me block them -- NOT advertising in general.
As to mindshare ads online -- there's no reason they can't be clever and creative just like some TV ads, and no reason they can't do their job of reminding you that Company X or Product Y exist.
Good idea. Also, they could also add a "Show me similar stuff" button for when the ad is somewhat interesting but still a near-miss.
Both would provide a lot of data on what ads and/or products people in a given venue like or dislike, which would save advertisers money on useless shotgunned or misaimed advertising.
In that case, there should be no sales tax on Autodesk products in states that only tax goods. It would only be taxable in states that also tax services.
There's probably some similar distinction re whether assets are taxable. Are leased services taxable as assets??
I suggest dragging the IRS and the various state tax boards into the fray.... I'd bet they'd all rule that since it's delivered via a physical disk, it's Goods, taxable, and therefore First Sale applies.
New can of tax-and-asset worms: Software delivered electronically ONLY.
It is generally held that you cannot barter away your rights -- such as, you cannot agree to sell yourself into slavery (even if you want to).
So why are we allowed to barter away other rights? Such as those taken away by EULAs, those taken away by municipal business licenses (generally you have to agree to give up your protection against unreasonable search and seizure), etc.
I think you are absolutely right. And as a wise AC says somewhere down below:
"So we're giving more control over the internet to total surveillance societies like Great Britain? Not that I'm against sharing control, but I also don't see how it's automatically a good thing."
Simple pragmatism: The Romans said as much, as did Alexander the Great -- in fact both encouraged their soldiers to marry into local families, to encourage stability via two-way loyalty.
A unified threat such as the USSR likely did cut down the warring among the European states... but when a couple decades later they hadn't actually invaded anyone, then we got WW2. I guess they're not happy if no one is beating anyone up.;)
[goes off, looks up book] Excerpts at http://evolutionofgod.net/... looks interesting. Thanks for the reference!
You are right, and India should be credited with having the smarts to retain what was good, including improved regional cohesion (more or less one country most of the time, rather than a dozen chronically warring states all the time) and broader educational opportunity (previously wholly lacking, per what I've read).
I suspect the breakpoint really is whether education and technical upgrades such as modern farm equipment (sufficiently improving conditions that average people note the benefits) have spread far enough into the general populace, and *if* the culture is able to recognise those benefits (some don't). If it has done so before the imperial power leaves, then the benefits of the cohesive state will remain, and the newly independent region will retain what it needs to develop its own resources and industry (again, India makes a great example). If not, or if the culture is too fundamentally backward, things will fall apart back to much as they were before, and maybe worse, because now the petty local warlords are better-equipped to fight among themselves.
In fact that's exactly what I was thinking of -- imperialized Africa was about as peaceful as that continent gets; pre- and post-imperial Africa has been one genocide after another.
Another good example is Europe after the Roman Empire was no longer around to knock heads together -- 500 years of one war after another, and notice how the moment the shorter-lived Soviet gorilla was no longer keeping order (however heavily imposed), the Balkans resumed killing one another!
And about 30 seconds later, Israel will cease to exist.
(Which I have mixed feelings about, because I'm not convinced creating a new country in the Middle East and importing a few million Europeans was such a smart move to begin with. However, we're stuck with it, so now what?)
There's a PhD on a mailing list that I get, who spent most of his career in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. One day we got to talking about the Aswan dam (he was there when that project was initiated) and he said that it had nothing to do with Egypt needing the dam; in fact it was quite thoroughly pointed out to TPTB that halting the seasonal floods would RUIN Egypt's delta ecology and fishing/ag delta economy (which it has). But TPTB were determined to have it no matter what, because having a BIG DAM would show the world that Egypt was Just As Modern As Everyone Else. It was essentially a psychological need to keep up with the Joneses, even if it killed them.
I suspect a great deal of the middle-eastern/SW-Asia attitude about nukes is more of the same -- it's a cultural thing where you can't let the other guy show you up by owning something you don't, even if having it will ruin you.
I've said the same. Sometimes it's GOOD to have an 800 pound gorilla on the playground -- ready, willing, and able to knock heads together if the little boys get into a fistfight.
The problem with southwest Asia (and post-imperial Africa, for that matter) is that there are dozens of disparate cultures that all hate each other, and there ISN'T any 800 pound gorilla, so *everyone* feels free to swagger around, beat their chests, and try to bully their neighbours.
India is as solid as it is because its former dozen warring states (remember, it was not always a single country) got head-banged by the Brits during the Imperial era -- if that job had been finished, rather than abandoned as the British Empire fell apart, we might not have today's conflicts, or at least they'd be on a smaller scale. Witness that South America had an essentially enforced uniculture mainly courtesy of Spain, and considering its size has been relatively trouble-free (compared to Asia and Africa).
It's politically incorrect to say this, but.... Imperialism may be "evil" if your small state is the loser, but in the long view it appears to stop more trouble than it causes.
If Iran doesn't have the capacity to capture and utilize the natural gas it is presently wasting (a resource that the whole rest of the world has known how to capture and utilize since the mid-1800s), then why is it wasting resources on alleged nuclear power, which requires far more advanced technology than natural gas??
As I recall the FBI's stats on the matter, if you meekly hand over your wallet, you're about twice as likely to be injured (and twice as likely to lose your wallet) as if you resist. It's counterintuitive, but apparently true.
Would make a fun poll just to see what the demographics here really are -- tho as with most such venues there's probably a separation that could be codified as "loudmouths who fit the stereotype" and "silent majority";)
Depending on where you are, yes. Or no. But there is usually a default (majority) of *some* identifiable trait(s), and "white" is often one of those traits. Frex, if the class is "farmers in North Dakota" then it's a damned good bet.
Much as if the class is "Privates in the U.S. Army in 1950", then "male" is a reasonable default assumption. It won't be wholly accurate, but it'll be right more often than not (and sexism has no more to do with it than the racism you tried to imply with your response).
Slashdot Mirror
An AC responded, "Hey, we see you used an escort service yesterday - don't you wish you had had some condoms?"
Tee hee, exactly what I was thinking :D
Next targeted ad: "New medication to treat the clap!"
It's still an economy driven by free samples. If I can download the free sample, that's easier than if I have to go to the library to get it; both also lend themselves to random discoveries. But both books and music are too pricey for most folks to buy a pig in a poke. You must understand this yourself, since you've got plenty of "free samples" up on your own website... without which I'd probably never have read your stuff. Now I might, and if I like it, you might make money from me in the future.
The ads like the Chevy ad you describe are designed to indude a warm-and-fuzzy association with their name, to improve name recognition and hopefully bring you into THEIR store FIRST.
Of course, if the warm-and-fuzzy feels more like an enema, it can generate a reaction of "I wouldn't buy their product if it were the last one one on earth".
I think you got that one backwards ;)
That's exactly true. I didn't block ad banners until they started to sing and dance and flash in my face. I liked Google's targeted ads until they got to be a cancer that slowed down every site I went to. I didn't block ads entirely until the whole industry slithered down to predominantly porn banners and herbal viagra. Badly done, intrusive, and noxious ads are what made me block them -- NOT advertising in general.
As to mindshare ads online -- there's no reason they can't be clever and creative just like some TV ads, and no reason they can't do their job of reminding you that Company X or Product Y exist.
Good idea. Also, they could also add a "Show me similar stuff" button for when the ad is somewhat interesting but still a near-miss.
Both would provide a lot of data on what ads and/or products people in a given venue like or dislike, which would save advertisers money on useless shotgunned or misaimed advertising.
Don't feel bad -- we Americans are having trouble wrapping our minds around our laws too. This is why our lawyers all have minds like Klein bottles!
In that case, there should be no sales tax on Autodesk products in states that only tax goods. It would only be taxable in states that also tax services.
There's probably some similar distinction re whether assets are taxable. Are leased services taxable as assets??
I suggest dragging the IRS and the various state tax boards into the fray.... I'd bet they'd all rule that since it's delivered via a physical disk, it's Goods, taxable, and therefore First Sale applies.
New can of tax-and-asset worms: Software delivered electronically ONLY.
It is generally held that you cannot barter away your rights -- such as, you cannot agree to sell yourself into slavery (even if you want to).
So why are we allowed to barter away other rights? Such as those taken away by EULAs, those taken away by municipal business licenses (generally you have to agree to give up your protection against unreasonable search and seizure), etc.
I think you are absolutely right. And as a wise AC says somewhere down below:
"So we're giving more control over the internet to total surveillance societies like Great Britain? Not that I'm against sharing control, but I also don't see how it's automatically a good thing."
Simple pragmatism: The Romans said as much, as did Alexander the Great -- in fact both encouraged their soldiers to marry into local families, to encourage stability via two-way loyalty.
A unified threat such as the USSR likely did cut down the warring among the European states ... but when a couple decades later they hadn't actually invaded anyone, then we got WW2. I guess they're not happy if no one is beating anyone up. ;)
[goes off, looks up book] Excerpts at http://evolutionofgod.net/ ... looks interesting. Thanks for the reference!
You are right, and India should be credited with having the smarts to retain what was good, including improved regional cohesion (more or less one country most of the time, rather than a dozen chronically warring states all the time) and broader educational opportunity (previously wholly lacking, per what I've read).
I suspect the breakpoint really is whether education and technical upgrades such as modern farm equipment (sufficiently improving conditions that average people note the benefits) have spread far enough into the general populace, and *if* the culture is able to recognise those benefits (some don't). If it has done so before the imperial power leaves, then the benefits of the cohesive state will remain, and the newly independent region will retain what it needs to develop its own resources and industry (again, India makes a great example). If not, or if the culture is too fundamentally backward, things will fall apart back to much as they were before, and maybe worse, because now the petty local warlords are better-equipped to fight among themselves.
It makes good discussion fodder, anyway :)
In fact that's exactly what I was thinking of -- imperialized Africa was about as peaceful as that continent gets; pre- and post-imperial Africa has been one genocide after another.
Another good example is Europe after the Roman Empire was no longer around to knock heads together -- 500 years of one war after another, and notice how the moment the shorter-lived Soviet gorilla was no longer keeping order (however heavily imposed), the Balkans resumed killing one another!
Sounds like they still want to make good and damned sure everyone NOTICES how ***MODERN*** Egypt has become!
And about 30 seconds later, Israel will cease to exist.
(Which I have mixed feelings about, because I'm not convinced creating a new country in the Middle East and importing a few million Europeans was such a smart move to begin with. However, we're stuck with it, so now what?)
There's a PhD on a mailing list that I get, who spent most of his career in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. One day we got to talking about the Aswan dam (he was there when that project was initiated) and he said that it had nothing to do with Egypt needing the dam; in fact it was quite thoroughly pointed out to TPTB that halting the seasonal floods would RUIN Egypt's delta ecology and fishing/ag delta economy (which it has). But TPTB were determined to have it no matter what, because having a BIG DAM would show the world that Egypt was Just As Modern As Everyone Else. It was essentially a psychological need to keep up with the Joneses, even if it killed them.
I suspect a great deal of the middle-eastern/SW-Asia attitude about nukes is more of the same -- it's a cultural thing where you can't let the other guy show you up by owning something you don't, even if having it will ruin you.
I've said the same. Sometimes it's GOOD to have an 800 pound gorilla on the playground -- ready, willing, and able to knock heads together if the little boys get into a fistfight.
The problem with southwest Asia (and post-imperial Africa, for that matter) is that there are dozens of disparate cultures that all hate each other, and there ISN'T any 800 pound gorilla, so *everyone* feels free to swagger around, beat their chests, and try to bully their neighbours.
India is as solid as it is because its former dozen warring states (remember, it was not always a single country) got head-banged by the Brits during the Imperial era -- if that job had been finished, rather than abandoned as the British Empire fell apart, we might not have today's conflicts, or at least they'd be on a smaller scale. Witness that South America had an essentially enforced uniculture mainly courtesy of Spain, and considering its size has been relatively trouble-free (compared to Asia and Africa).
It's politically incorrect to say this, but.... Imperialism may be "evil" if your small state is the loser, but in the long view it appears to stop more trouble than it causes.
Like he wouldn't have found some other way to cause the deaths of "undesirable" elements, without the convenient excuse of blame-the-foreigners??
If Iran doesn't have the capacity to capture and utilize the natural gas it is presently wasting (a resource that the whole rest of the world has known how to capture and utilize since the mid-1800s), then why is it wasting resources on alleged nuclear power, which requires far more advanced technology than natural gas??
The OP is right, their excuse doesn't wash.
Why did http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/24/238251/CA-City-Mulls-Evading-the-Law-On-Red-Light-Cameras come to this comment chain apparently about coding and Microsoft??
As I recall the FBI's stats on the matter, if you meekly hand over your wallet, you're about twice as likely to be injured (and twice as likely to lose your wallet) as if you resist. It's counterintuitive, but apparently true.
It also tells her that you do not TRUST her, AT ALL, unless the eye of god is following her (in the form of the watch).
Trust has to run both ways, or it is just coercion.
No, no, no. Eno is not God. The correct form of worship, as promulgated back a few decades, went like this:
"If Fripp is God, then Eno is Jesus."
Geez... get it RIGHT, people, otherwise you just come off as mindless fanatics!
Nope, think that pretty much covers it :D
Would make a fun poll just to see what the demographics here really are -- tho as with most such venues there's probably a separation that could be codified as "loudmouths who fit the stereotype" and "silent majority" ;)
Depending on where you are, yes. Or no. But there is usually a default (majority) of *some* identifiable trait(s), and "white" is often one of those traits. Frex, if the class is "farmers in North Dakota" then it's a damned good bet.
Much as if the class is "Privates in the U.S. Army in 1950", then "male" is a reasonable default assumption. It won't be wholly accurate, but it'll be right more often than not (and sexism has no more to do with it than the racism you tried to imply with your response).