It is my choice... i personally feel that running non-free software on a free operating system is weird. People should be allowed to choose what kind of sw they want installed.
And in the end, this is the way it's always going to be. Let's face it, having only free software or only proprietary software is comparable to having a completely socialist or completely capitalist system. On one side you have no incentive for inovation from profit (which, as much as I hate to admit it, is as much a driving force as need at times, quality not withstanding), while on the other you have a Pol Pot style advocacy for any means necesary to create profits (read: monopolistic practices).
In the end, standards should be open, allowing for competition in proprietary and/or open software form quality and features as opposed to the cornering of a market.
(Yes, I know this is simplistic and probably has alot of holes, but I don't quite feel like re-writing my college thesis).
Ok, this is from a classically trained musician's point of view, so you might disagree:
The music for this show is at best mediocre in comparison to those of previous shows (those done in the past generation at least, no pun intended). Whose idea was it to rip off the Karate Kid 2 theme music? The images are great and inspiring (arguably one of the best Star Trek openers in the franchise's history), however the music just DOES not match. You have on one hand images that make us proud of what we've done and what we can do and on the other you have... the music. I do grant, however, that for the closing theme, the guitar/cello thing sounds good... until the Musak attacks. Then you might as well be watching "Baywatch, The Next Generation." At least if they had used a more interesting chord flow it MIGHT have sounded somewhat convincing. Heck, even the intrumentation lacked.
Perhaps they're trying to go with the entire Roswell/Dawson's Creek/Friends thing where the music makes it to the radio? To that extent, I say that they've done a good job - there's really not much qualitative stuff on the radio (save for the amazing job done by sound engineers everywhere - that's an artform in itself), and this wouldn't spoil that. Mind you, it is generally good music, but not for this. Nevertheless, I'm not a great judge of that, but seeing as Bryan Adams sound-alikes are not all that popular.... you decide.
At any rate, If anyone with the studio has any use for a Music Composition major who'd be interested in re-writting the theme to make it sound a bit more invigorating (this kind of stuff is supposed to inspire people to shoot for the stars, not sit in their cars), please reply to niccademous@hotmail.com (shameless plug, I know, but it's for the greater good, I promise).
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You mean someone actually uses the StarOffice Web Browser?! Sacre Bleu!!!!!!!
Ok, this is from a classically trained musician's point of view, so you might disagree:
The music for this show is at best mediocre in comparison to those of previous shows (those done in the past generation at least, no pun intended). Whose idea was it to rip off the Karate Kid 2 theme music? The images are great and inspiring (arguably one of the best Star Trek openers in the franchise's history), however the music just DOES not match. You have on one hand images that make us proud of what we've done and what we can do and on the other you have... the music. I do grant, however, that for the closing theme, the guitar/cello thing sounds good... until the Musak attacks. Then you might as well be watching "Baywatch, The Next Generation." At least if they had used a more interesting chord flow it MIGHT have sounded somewhat convincing. Heck, even the intrumentation lacked.
Perhaps they're trying to go with the entire Roswell/Dawson's Creek/Friends thing where the music makes it to the radio? To that extent, I say that they've done a good job - there's really not much qualitative stuff on the radio (save for the amazing job done by sound engineers everywhere - that's an artform in itself), and this wouldn't spoil that. Mind you, it is generally good music, but not for this. Nevertheless, I'm not a great judge of that, but seeing as Bryan Adams sound-alikes are not all that popular.... you decide.
At any rate, If anyone with the studio has any use for a Music Composition major who'd be interested in re-writting the theme to make it sound a bit more invigorating (this kind of stuff is supposed to inspire people to shoot for the stars, not sit in their cars), please reply to niccademous@hotmail.com (shameless plug, I know, but it's for the greater good, I promise).