Once all the other mainstream venues open up then there will no longer be a need for a private soap box with limited audience.
Yes, more mainstream media are now turning to constantly-updating blogs and other pages to attract the Internet audience. However, the "private soap boxes" will have as much, if not more, appeal than they do today.
The reason is that people go to the outside blogs for perspective they aren't getting elsewhere. For example, I would not have gotten to see the Mohammed cartoons if blogs hadn't published them. Why? Because 99% of the press outlets in the USA has refused to print them. As Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit.com says, the press has seemed to envision their role as gatekeepers to information; they are beginning to decide what we should and shouldn't see instead of just giving us the information and letting us make up our own minds.
As more mainstream presses turn to blogs, more people will begin to wonder if they're not getting the entire side of the story. Blogs will become more popular if the mainstream presses open up, not less.
On one level, that makes sense: Apple doesn't share its DRM, and Microsoft is Google's biggest competition. However, inflicting yet another flavor of DRM on the public goes against the desire of many in Congress and in the consumer electronics industry to see a single, unified standard emerge."
Good! Muddle up the field more. The more confusing this stuff gets for the average consumer, the more they'll become aware of DRM and its potenially adverse repercussions.
If Congress and the electronics lobby were successful, we'd be forced into a crappy DRM scheme with little recourse. More DRM is good for us consumers; we can go elslewhere if the DRM scheme of one provider is horribly crippled.
A unified DRM scheme would no doubt include some form of hardware "Trusted Device" nonsense that would make life needlessly frustrating. Companies have the right to protect their products and services, but we certianly deserve the freedom to walk away and try some other firm's DRM. Hopefully one that is minimally intrusive.
I think the OP is saying what Blizzard says is cheating is not really cheating.
OP mentions some repetitive tasks, and I have to agree with him. I used to play Ultima Online, and trying to gain skill points in tasks such as blacksmithing without macroing was extremely annoying, repetitive, and would cause your wrist to hurt.
Origin considered automation of such tasks in any manner to be cheating. After a while, they changed it to "Unattended". So you could run the macros, as long as you were paying attention to the game. They did scan player actions for repetition, and would send GMs out to ask if you're there, etc.
So in this case at least, cheating became redefined. I haven't regularly played a MMO game since UO, but I hope developers are at least willing to listen to the userbase with regards to automating some of the more repetitive tasks and officially approve such behavior.
Sure, its a potential problem. So are illegally (or against an agreement) obtained weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a non-benevolent dictator. A large asteroid hitting the Earth is a potential problem. The airline mechanic who ran out of crack and is a little on edge is a potential problem. There are many potential problems.
Again, with my "event" vs "news" thesis. This is not even an event, but a potential event that is always a potential, and like a regular event that is not news, there is nothing that can be done by your average, above average, or below average person. This is fear based propaganda. This is not news.
I apologize for not making it clear, but what I meant by "potential" is more than likely. From what I've read, I consider the outbreak of avian flu to be probable enough to consider. Liken it to your asteroid scenario. Say it's now determined that an asteroid hitting the earth is somewhat likely. Wouldn't you be interested in hearing about it and what science is doing to cure/prevent it?
"The H5N1 strain of avian flu has led to the death from infection and culling of tens of millions of birds across South-East Asia. It has also infected 112 people in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, causing 57 deaths.
Scientists are concerned that the H5N1 strain of avian flu could mutate so that it is passed easily from one person to another. If that were to happen, it would have the potential to trigger a lethal pandemic on the scale of the the 1918-19 Spanish flu in which 20 million to 40 million people died."
Like you noted, the strain would have to mutate and pass on to humans. I would like more info about which "scientists" they're referring to here, but from what I've read in other places, it's not like some random group that bills themselves as medical authorities is passing this off as scare-mongering.
I'm not particularly scared of a pandemic, and I'm annoyed by the "WILL IT HAPPEN TO US???" type reports, but I am definitely interested in the migration patterns of animals carrying avian flu and any outbreaks in the human population. I would classify that as news, and definitely think it's something that deserves attention.
The current big headline is about a flu pandemic. Ohhhh, scary. If yesterday wasn't halloween, a headline like this might be more effective.
You don't consider the possibility of a flu outbreak, combined with the rather limited supplies of Tamiflu, a potential problem?
Now, I know SARS was overhyped to death when it wasn't much of a problem, but given what I've read about avian flu, it seems like it really could be a problem.
What information do you have about it not being a big deal? I'm curious.
Good point. If people never know it's there, they won't learn from their mistakes.
Come to think of it, I do know a few people who do just what you said...reinstall their OS when things go wrong. Maybe in the long-long term, people will make an association between certain activities and having to reinstall.
"Hey, you don't know me, but I just KNOW you'll love what I have in this box. Go ahead, take it home and open it."
Trusting complete strangers isn't a mark of techno-ignorance, it's a mark of idiocy.
I think part of the problem--and nothing earth-shattering here--is that people still think of PCs as a regular appliance. I know people who think of websites the same way they would think of turning on a TV show. If a friend tells you to turn on a station, nothing bad could happen to the TV. They tend to think the same of a website.
Now, the question is whether people who get infected learn their lesson...that's what I'd like to see. Anyone know of any studies or such related to that? Do people take security more seriously once it happens? You'd think so, but we all know people who went back to using IE after we install Firefox/Opera/other because the Flash games wouldn't work.
I didn't get to see it before the server went down, but it almost reads like you're chasing down a guy like bin Laden...i.e. someone that definitely qualifies as wanting to cause harm.
Of course, I think I'm taking this way too far at this point!
(As far as the separate discussion goes, with regards to Iran, I found this link on AndrewSullivan.com. Interesting stuff...Iran scares me more than Iraq for sure, especially given the recent comments about Isreal. Scary stuff.)
If a consulting company takes over the outsourcing of the financial department of a company, that doesn't mean the consulting company controls what they purchase. They can't effectively shut down the corporation re-routing all their money.
Similarily, just because eBay is expanding its micropayment attempts, doesn't mean they'll have any control over their registries.
I suggest you go through the archives of HIV-positive writer Andrew Sullivan (andrewsullivan.com) and read his many posts talking about how much his and others' quality of life has improved as a result of the "evil" drug companies.
Nowhere did the OP say, "Anyone wearing a backpack is a terrorist since backpacks have been used in terrorist bombings."
He said, "Anyone wearing a backpack is more LIKELY to be preparing to commit a terrorist act as opposed to someone not carrying a backpack."
The obvious deduction is that in order to carry out a bombing, which would fit the preferred pattern of bombings, you need a mechanism to carry said bomb.
Whether or not such policies are EFFECTIVE is another matter entirely.
The whole Triumph/Pets.com thing started because Pets.com actually sued Robert Smigel for "defamation" of their puppet, claiming that Triumph's actions is ruining the sock puppet's reputation. Triumph responded on Conan with a hilarious mock apology press confrence.
The best thing was that Pets.com alleged that Triumph was a rip-off: Too bad Triumph had appeared before Pets.com!
Whenever quoting something that has an error, the author puts in [sic] to indicate "that's how the original author did it."
In this case, the original poster mispelled unnecessary, so tommck put [sic] in there...probably because he was correcting someone's grammar and he'd look kind of silly if he had an error in his reply:)
Slashdot Mirror
Once all the other mainstream venues open up then there will no longer be a need for a private soap box with limited audience.
Yes, more mainstream media are now turning to constantly-updating blogs and other pages to attract the Internet audience. However, the "private soap boxes" will have as much, if not more, appeal than they do today.
The reason is that people go to the outside blogs for perspective they aren't getting elsewhere. For example, I would not have gotten to see the Mohammed cartoons if blogs hadn't published them. Why? Because 99% of the press outlets in the USA has refused to print them. As Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit.com says, the press has seemed to envision their role as gatekeepers to information; they are beginning to decide what we should and shouldn't see instead of just giving us the information and letting us make up our own minds.
As more mainstream presses turn to blogs, more people will begin to wonder if they're not getting the entire side of the story. Blogs will become more popular if the mainstream presses open up, not less.
Last I heard, the moron was trying to sell himself as a "disaster consultant." Now, who in the hell would hire *HIM* to advise them on disasters?
You're reading it incorrectly! He's not advertising himself as a disaster *management* consultant.
Heck, there's few better people to hire than Brown if you're looking for someone to advise how to create a huge disaster.
Sorry, first paragraph should be quoted. Preview, preview....
On one level, that makes sense: Apple doesn't share its DRM, and Microsoft is Google's biggest competition. However, inflicting yet another flavor of DRM on the public goes against the desire of many in Congress and in the consumer electronics industry to see a single, unified standard emerge."
Good! Muddle up the field more. The more confusing this stuff gets for the average consumer, the more they'll become aware of DRM and its potenially adverse repercussions.
If Congress and the electronics lobby were successful, we'd be forced into a crappy DRM scheme with little recourse. More DRM is good for us consumers; we can go elslewhere if the DRM scheme of one provider is horribly crippled.
A unified DRM scheme would no doubt include some form of hardware "Trusted Device" nonsense that would make life needlessly frustrating. Companies have the right to protect their products and services, but we certianly deserve the freedom to walk away and try some other firm's DRM. Hopefully one that is minimally intrusive.
I think the OP is saying what Blizzard says is cheating is not really cheating.
OP mentions some repetitive tasks, and I have to agree with him. I used to play Ultima Online, and trying to gain skill points in tasks such as blacksmithing without macroing was extremely annoying, repetitive, and would cause your wrist to hurt.
Origin considered automation of such tasks in any manner to be cheating. After a while, they changed it to "Unattended". So you could run the macros, as long as you were paying attention to the game. They did scan player actions for repetition, and would send GMs out to ask if you're there, etc.
So in this case at least, cheating became redefined. I haven't regularly played a MMO game since UO, but I hope developers are at least willing to listen to the userbase with regards to automating some of the more repetitive tasks and officially approve such behavior.
Sure, its a potential problem. So are illegally (or against an agreement) obtained weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a non-benevolent dictator. A large asteroid hitting the Earth is a potential problem. The airline mechanic who ran out of crack and is a little on edge is a potential problem. There are many potential problems.
Again, with my "event" vs "news" thesis. This is not even an event, but a potential event that is always a potential, and like a regular event that is not news, there is nothing that can be done by your average, above average, or below average person. This is fear based propaganda. This is not news.
I apologize for not making it clear, but what I meant by "potential" is more than likely. From what I've read, I consider the outbreak of avian flu to be probable enough to consider. Liken it to your asteroid scenario. Say it's now determined that an asteroid hitting the earth is somewhat likely. Wouldn't you be interested in hearing about it and what science is doing to cure/prevent it?
From what I've read on Bird Flu--this is a good hub of information--an outbreak is not exactly some far-fetched scenario. From the Times of London:
Like you noted, the strain would have to mutate and pass on to humans. I would like more info about which "scientists" they're referring to here, but from what I've read in other places, it's not like some random group that bills themselves as medical authorities is passing this off as scare-mongering.
I'm not particularly scared of a pandemic, and I'm annoyed by the "WILL IT HAPPEN TO US???" type reports, but I am definitely interested in the migration patterns of animals carrying avian flu and any outbreaks in the human population. I would classify that as news, and definitely think it's something that deserves attention.
Obviously the dropout probably watches TV/uses a VCR all day compared to the PHD who actually works for a living.
Reminds me of Breakfast Club:
Brian: I'm an idiot because I can't make a lamp?
Bender: No, you're a fucking genius because you can't.
The current big headline is about a flu pandemic. Ohhhh, scary. If yesterday wasn't halloween, a headline like this might be more effective.
You don't consider the possibility of a flu outbreak, combined with the rather limited supplies of Tamiflu, a potential problem?
Now, I know SARS was overhyped to death when it wasn't much of a problem, but given what I've read about avian flu, it seems like it really could be a problem.
What information do you have about it not being a big deal? I'm curious.
In their everyday usage, yes, you're correct. However, I'm talking about in terms of maintenance.
Good point. If people never know it's there, they won't learn from their mistakes.
Come to think of it, I do know a few people who do just what you said...reinstall their OS when things go wrong. Maybe in the long-long term, people will make an association between certain activities and having to reinstall.
I think part of the problem--and nothing earth-shattering here--is that people still think of PCs as a regular appliance. I know people who think of websites the same way they would think of turning on a TV show. If a friend tells you to turn on a station, nothing bad could happen to the TV. They tend to think the same of a website.
Now, the question is whether people who get infected learn their lesson...that's what I'd like to see. Anyone know of any studies or such related to that? Do people take security more seriously once it happens? You'd think so, but we all know people who went back to using IE after we install Firefox/Opera/other because the Flash games wouldn't work.
Separate discussion, but fair enough.
I didn't get to see it before the server went down, but it almost reads like you're chasing down a guy like bin Laden...i.e. someone that definitely qualifies as wanting to cause harm.
Of course, I think I'm taking this way too far at this point!
(As far as the separate discussion goes, with regards to Iran, I found this link on AndrewSullivan.com. Interesting stuff...Iran scares me more than Iraq for sure, especially given the recent comments about Isreal. Scary stuff.)
Jingoistic? So the desire to protect America is extremely nationalistic?
Either that, or Zonk has no idea what the word means.
Ah, that's it. Thanks.
I recall reading something where the newest 1% or something of new UIDs can't post comments.
I checked the FAQ, but didn't see anything about it. Am I just making this up?
The other posters have it right, I believe.
If a consulting company takes over the outsourcing of the financial department of a company, that doesn't mean the consulting company controls what they purchase. They can't effectively shut down the corporation re-routing all their money.
Similarily, just because eBay is expanding its micropayment attempts, doesn't mean they'll have any control over their registries.
I suggest you go through the archives of HIV-positive writer Andrew Sullivan (andrewsullivan.com) and read his many posts talking about how much his and others' quality of life has improved as a result of the "evil" drug companies.
How does this get modded up?
It's a complete distortion of what was said.
Nowhere did the OP say, "Anyone wearing a backpack is a terrorist since backpacks have been used in terrorist bombings."
He said, "Anyone wearing a backpack is more LIKELY to be preparing to commit a terrorist act as opposed to someone not carrying a backpack."
The obvious deduction is that in order to carry out a bombing, which would fit the preferred pattern of bombings, you need a mechanism to carry said bomb.
Whether or not such policies are EFFECTIVE is another matter entirely.
He said use, not carry.
I thought of that, too. Rottentomatoes + MRQE.
When people say things like that, I always think of The Breakfast Club:
Brian: So I'm a fucking idiot because I can't make a lamp?
Bender: No. You're a genius because you can't make a lamp.
The whole Triumph/Pets.com thing started because Pets.com actually sued Robert Smigel for "defamation" of their puppet, claiming that Triumph's actions is ruining the sock puppet's reputation. Triumph responded on Conan with a hilarious mock apology press confrence.
The best thing was that Pets.com alleged that Triumph was a rip-off: Too bad Triumph had appeared before Pets.com!
You need to read more if you believe the first sentence.
As for the second, that's like saying bombing the raillines to Auschwitz would have made the Nazis more vindictive.
Whenever quoting something that has an error, the author puts in [sic] to indicate "that's how the original author did it."
:)
In this case, the original poster mispelled unnecessary, so tommck put [sic] in there...probably because he was correcting someone's grammar and he'd look kind of silly if he had an error in his reply
Yeah, good point, I forgot these schools are generally equivalent to associate programs...a couple years if that.