I live in the Netherlands ("the most bicycle-friendly country in the western world") and there is a major flaw in the article: it is that the only two means of transport compared are bike and auto. We also have here very extensive train and bus systems. I used to work for a small IT company about 70km from my home. My employer offered me an auto or a train pass. At the time, I selected the auto. However, since I had to drive to and from work during the rush hours, I spent between 3 and six hours per day sitting in the auto. Had I chosen the train, the trip would have taken a bit over two hours per day.
Transport is a bit like a tool: you choose the most efficient tool for the job. Yes, cost is also a factor, nevertheless, you wouldn't turn a screw with a hammer.
Indeed, if you look at older cities, particularly in Europe, you will find that almost all are located on or near water, eg, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, Naples, Lyons, et al. Water not only provided food, but transport. Boats have existed for tens of thousand of years before wheels and the only technology needed to make a boat is a stone to hollow out a fallen tree.
UPC may operate in the Netherlands and other European countries, however it is an American company (and always has been). The owner is Liberty Global based in Colorado, US: http://www.lgi.com/europe_broadband.html
Yet another example of market-speak corrupting the language. But, blame belongs with the Nazis - they started it: the sign at Auschwitz read "Arbeit macht frei."
The alleged victim in this, Jack Campbell, is well known in the Mac community for business practices that teeter on the edge of legality (http://www.macintouch.com/mactable.html). He has ripped off customers in the past and (allegedly) served time in prison on fraud charges. I would give his tale of persecution all the worth of the paper it is printed on.
Apparently SCO thinks they bought a lot more than a license. From the SEC filing: "We own the UNIX operating system and are a provider of UNIX-based products and services."
If Congress had acted ten years ago when spam first raised its ugly head, we wouldn't have the mess we are stuck in now. Spam took hold and grew precisely because the government did nothing. The Direct Marketing Association had more influence with the governement than voters.
Now, after years of fine tuning their torture, spammers have web sites and mail servers in China, Brazil, Iraq (?), etc. and the US government won't be able to do a thing.
I read the article and was glad that you made it clear how expensive (time+money) spam is to society.
Further, I thought you might find it interesting/ironic that, just shortly before your article appeared online, I was spammed by.. the NY Times! And, they do not deny it:
"This e-mail was sent to you on behalf of the New York Times newspaper by a third party, which obtained your address through an opt-in list of addresses.
In any event, we have contacted our colleagues at the newspaper and they are placing your e-mail address
on their Do Not Send list."
(my italics)
The "third party" used by the Times is a subsidiary of Scott Hirsch's edata.com spam dynasty. For further reading about Hirsch & co.
I don't think price is the reason Apple failed to overthrow M$. For big corporations, I don't think these differences in price matter very much. Especially considering how much it cost to keep sending cash to Redmond and the cost of an internal support organization for Windows.
It seems more reasonable to me that Bill's little games (didn't some court in Washington have a good take on this a while back?) squashed the possibility of competition.
Over at www.media-box.org they've got what looks like a more mature product than this, though, alas, it runs only on (yeeech) Windows (/yeeech). There are also a couple of projects over at Sourceforge.
Yes, you need to have your own hardware for these, but I see that as a benefit rather than a drawback. For example, I don't live in NTSC-land. So, that makes the ZapStation unavailable to me. But, with Media-box, that's no problem.
Also, with Open Source projects (like Sourceforge and, I believe, Media-Box), if you don't like something, you can just replace it or improve it.
I would think these solutions would also cost a lot less that U$1500.
A lot of companies that Microsoft "drove out of business" were driven out of business because
they made stupid mistakes.
Well, what would constitute "a lot" in your view? Would all be "a lot"?
Take a look at the desktop application market today: spreadsheet, word processor, dbms, etc. Does any company, aside from M$, have an alternative (not counting shareware)? Is there anyone left?
And yes, no doubt that Netscape made mistakes, but what effect did M$ bundling IE with Windose and tying it into the OS have on Netscape?
The pompous a*hole interviewed sees M$ as basically blameless and the rest of the world as deeply flawed. Which world does he live in?
Why does it have to be sent over a phone line? How is it any different (legally) if you just pack the tape in a box and mail it? Of even just go to your friend's house and drop it off?
There was an expirament done in Germany in the early 1900's of stereo sound. Two phone lines were hooked up and the receivers were placed in front of the Opera stage. Some miles away, people were asked to put two phone receivers to their heads and listen.
Apparently, it was marvelous.
Almost. It was France and it was the late 19th century (the 1880s, IIRC). And it was an experiment.
Slashdot Mirror
I live in the Netherlands ("the most bicycle-friendly country in the western world") and there is a major flaw in the article: it is that the only two means of transport compared are bike and auto. We also have here very extensive train and bus systems. I used to work for a small IT company about 70km from my home. My employer offered me an auto or a train pass. At the time, I selected the auto. However, since I had to drive to and from work during the rush hours, I spent between 3 and six hours per day sitting in the auto. Had I chosen the train, the trip would have taken a bit over two hours per day.
Transport is a bit like a tool: you choose the most efficient tool for the job. Yes, cost is also a factor, nevertheless, you wouldn't turn a screw with a hammer.
We haven't lost our privacy - we've just loaned it out to the corporations. As soon as our pockets are empty, we'll get it back.
Indeed, if you look at older cities, particularly in Europe, you will find that almost all are located on or near water, eg, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, Naples, Lyons, et al. Water not only provided food, but transport. Boats have existed for tens of thousand of years before wheels and the only technology needed to make a boat is a stone to hollow out a fallen tree.
I don't trust the opinions of all the people I know, why would I (or any sane person) give a toss what a stranger thinks about something?
UPC may operate in the Netherlands and other European countries, however it is an American company (and always has been). The owner is Liberty Global based in Colorado, US: http://www.lgi.com/europe_broadband.html
Yet another example of market-speak corrupting the language. But, blame belongs with the Nazis - they started it: the sign at Auschwitz read "Arbeit macht frei."
Does this mean he's going to be doing for poor people what he has been doing for computer users for the past 25 years?
The alleged victim in this, Jack Campbell, is well known in the Mac community for business practices that teeter on the edge of legality (http://www.macintouch.com/mactable.html). He has ripped off customers in the past and (allegedly) served time in prison on fraud charges. I would give his tale of persecution all the worth of the paper it is printed on.
Apparently SCO thinks they bought a lot more than a license. From the SEC filing: "We own the UNIX operating system and are a provider of UNIX-based products and services."
If Congress had acted ten years ago when spam first raised its ugly head, we wouldn't have the mess we are stuck in now. Spam took hold and grew precisely because the government did nothing. The Direct Marketing Association had more influence with the governement than voters.
Now, after years of fine tuning their torture, spammers have web sites and mail servers in China, Brazil, Iraq (?), etc. and the US government won't be able to do a thing.
I read the article and was glad that you made it clear how expensive (time+money) spam is to society.
.. the NY Times! And, they do not deny it:
Further, I thought you might find it interesting/ironic that, just shortly before your article appeared online, I was spammed by
"This e-mail was sent to you on behalf of the New York Times newspaper by a third party, which obtained your address through an opt-in list of addresses.
In any event, we have contacted our colleagues at the newspaper and they are placing your e-mail address
on their Do Not Send list."
(my italics)
The "third party" used by the Times is a subsidiary of Scott Hirsch's edata.com spam dynasty. For further reading about Hirsch & co.
It seems more reasonable to me that Bill's little games (didn't some court in Washington have a good take on this a while back?) squashed the possibility of competition.
From the moxi site. Got your wallet out yet?
Yes, you need to have your own hardware for these, but I see that as a benefit rather than a drawback. For example, I don't live in NTSC-land. So, that makes the ZapStation unavailable to me. But, with Media-box, that's no problem.
Also, with Open Source projects (like Sourceforge and, I believe, Media-Box), if you don't like something, you can just replace it or improve it.
I would think these solutions would also cost a lot less that U$1500.
A lot of companies that Microsoft "drove out of business" were driven out of business because
they made stupid mistakes.
Well, what would constitute "a lot" in your view? Would all be "a lot"?
Take a look at the desktop application market today: spreadsheet, word processor, dbms, etc. Does any company, aside from M$, have an alternative (not counting shareware)? Is there anyone left?
And yes, no doubt that Netscape made mistakes, but what effect did M$ bundling IE with Windose and tying it into the OS have on Netscape?
The pompous a*hole interviewed sees M$ as basically blameless and the rest of the world as deeply flawed. Which world does he live in?
Why does it have to be sent over a phone line? How is it any different (legally) if you just pack the tape in a box and mail it? Of even just go to your friend's house and drop it off?
Almost. It was France and it was the late 19th century (the 1880s, IIRC). And it was an experiment.