Imagine if Microsoft actually did it, though. I have no doubts the backlash will be Companies and consumers reaffirming their love (addiction) to Microsoft, and making the DoJ look like the bully.
It would be exactly what Microsoft wants, because they know they have their clientele hooked like a heroin addict. Microsoft's presence in the government's agencies would be a signifigant mount of pressure when their support contracts and computer systems are in the hands of a corporation they themselves are trying to censure. I personally wouldn't be surprised if they did it, or at the very least, use this to get favorable media attention and the sympathy they want.
I think the question that needs to be asked is what is the ultimate underlying reason websites are being forced to charge for their services?
Advertising is what used to pay the ISP bill, but lately i've seen many virtual webhosts and colocation providers put limitations on traffic, and charge by the gigabyte when you go over. Are the ISPs getting charged more by their ISP's?
Can anyone offer some insight on who's getting greedy here?
The big question is, will all the non-paying users have to deal with more annoying and intrusive ads if they don't subscribe?
I don't care about the ads at the top either, because for one simple reason:
Slashdot (OSDN) has managed to keep their ads to the point, and for the most part, advertise legitimate companies that are directed towards geeks. (Rackspace, ThinkGeek, etc..). I'm not subjected to "pre-approved visas" and "punch the monkey" type bullshit ads. I also like ThinkGeek's new products that come through on the ads - it saves me time from browsing through their site to see if anything is new. Advertising can be a good thing if utilized appropriately. I have no doubt if there's any truth to this Slashdot subscription thing, that it will fail miserably.
It's interesting that while retailers have voluntarially tried to restrict sales of "violent" games to minors, developers are not required to have their games rated by organizations like the ESRB. So, what is to happen? Require every game software title to be rated by the ESRB? What about independent game developers? Last I heard, having your game rated by the ESRB isn't cheap.
I can remember back in Elementary school having the once-a-week trip to the computer lab, fashioned with the blazing-fast macintosh LC's.
Sim City and drawing with Kid Pix were what we played with after doing keyboarding or whatever. 1 hour once a week really wasn't that much, however that exposure was definitely beneficial being most kids didn't have a computer/weren't allowed to touch daddy's new Tandy computer... I didn't get a computer until I was 12, but by then, just from the small exposure in elementary school was beneficial then...
True. I have even heard of tobacco companies who will pay individuals to wear a hat or something that brandishes the company logo, and try to be a visible bystander during an live interview of a race driver or someone of importance. Just that exposure is evidently worth something, especially if the company is a competitor of the racer's sponsor:) .
Considering there is a hard disk and a operation system that is developed by "hackers," what is stopping someone from creating a bootloader for Linux to boot PS2/PSX burns (let it be a DVD-R/CDR).
You're right, it does open up alot of doors for exploitation in one form or another.
However, I will personally refuse to use anything made with the Linux kit to crack the PS2.
I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for Sony since the release of the PS2. They could have easily made people go out and buy a 50 dollar accessory so people could play their old PSX games on the PS2. There are many avenues they could have taken to be the traditional proprietary, corporate asses who will find a way to get into the consumer's wallet any way they can.
Sure, not all of Sony is perfect, but they are taking a revolutionary step and a possible risk that is not like a corporate giant. For that reason alone, I would surely hope the people who make use of this kit do so in the best interest of keeping a strong relationship between sony and the geek world.
After working in the shipping business, I learned quickly how the USPS is the government equivalent of Microsoft. Try sending an overnight letter via UPS or Federal Express to a PO Box. It can't be done. Why? Simple: The USPS forces senders to use their mail services.
When you are a business with no competition, you have no reason to improve. IMO, anybody would be crazy to send something of crucial value or importance via any postal service and expect the same service as a private equivalent (UPS/FedEx/Airbourne).
They are a corporate monopoly with government protection. Not to mention, the only government agency I have seen that runs TV ads ("Fly Like An Eagle" crap).
I remember that supposedly Lucas himself made an extra appearance in Star Wars Episode 1 in a battle scene. I don't know if it was confirmed or not, but I think there's alot more secrets yet to be revealed in the already-released star wars movies.
Slightly off topic, but, don't the US bills have a magnetic strip in them that identifies the bill's amount? ($5, 10, 20, 50, 100)... It's not unique to the dollar, but from what I understand, an airport security scanner could reveal the amount one is carrying. (OK, I admit, I remember "The Lone Gunmen" on an X-Files episode talking about it). Is this just a conspiracy theory or is there any truth to this? It seems possible, IMO.
Looking at the very poorly rendered snapshots and flybys of Santa, I would feel bad telling my kid that it's really him. Hell, no wonder kids can't distinguish video games from reality!
This just occured to me.. Imagine the possibilities with this USB key when Linux comes out for the Playstation 2... 1 GB of instant removable storage.
Anyone know what filesystem these keys use? It would definitely be an impressive hack if someone can get the PS2 to view it as a very big memory card. Or, vice versa, take a 8MB PS2 memory card and rig a USB adapter to it somehow for PC storage.. Just some ideas if anyone is bored..
Being that programs are simply computer instructions, how much different is this from food recipes? Both cost money to produce - programmers test and refine code, chefs test and refine recipes. The end result, we have companies like Microsoft and McDonalds.
It's easy to obtain fast food recipes on the Internet, just as Warez is.
The underlying difference here is, if I took the recipe of the McDonalds Big Mac and began selling a new sandwich, yes, it is going to hurt McDonalds, whether they have "1 billion burgers served" or not.
However, if I used the McDonalds recipe to make myself a burger, and saved myself a couple bucks, has McDonalds really lost anything?.
Same for software, if I were to take a software title, and turn around and sell it, I am financially profitting off someone else's code.
However, If I get software, and use it for myself, I am profitting in terms of enjoyment. You can't put a price on that...
This illustration (if anyone understood it) is making me hungry.
Remember, though, For many years, Honda has, and still does hold the title as one of the top stolen cars in the US. Your point is still legitimate, especially when these new ignition systems have no effect on making insurance rates cheaper...
It was not to be taken literally, but more of a question. What defines "human" under law? Lets assume they succeed and these "life forms" become introduced into society. Will human-animal hybrids have the same rights of a full-bred human/animal? Currently both species are governed in one form or another.
If I had sex with a human-animal hybrid would it beastality? What If I hunted and killed one of them would it be murder? If I ate one would it be cannibalism? Think about it.
The process ensures that the disks will remain _completely_ unreadable by PC-CDROM drives. inserting a "CD-Blank" disk in Microsoft Windows for example will cause the message "The disk is not formatted" to appear. However some independent testers have claimed that inserting it into some Windows machines will crash them.
Hmmm. I wonder if you could sue the RIAA for damages, say you were doing something really important and valuable in windows when you insert in your favorite music cd, and it crashes your system losing your data. Just a thought...
All I want for christmas is an industry standard removable media to replace that 1.44mb POS floppy drive (and someone to slap Iomega for not being a good citizen and opening up their proprietary zip/jazz formats like a good industry innovator should).
[..]This matches my experience shipping within the US (I recently shipped a PC to a friend and of course I bought the additional insurance).
So when you say that UPS doesn't insure, what you mean is that you neglected to ask for or buy insurance. Did you assume that you shipment was insured, or did you just forget to ask?
I used to work for a Pak Mail and have dealt with about every shipping/freight courier under the sun. In order to receive compensation for insurance, there is guidelines for packaging items. UPS (and FedEx) require fragile items (glass, ceramic or electronic) to be double-boxed with at least a two-inch diameter between the two boxes (packed with styrofoam peanuts or the like).
Depending on the insured value of the package, UPS will have an insurance claims representative inspect the packaging to make sure it was done correctly. If the package was lost somewhere in transit, a "tracer" is put on the tracking number for ten business days. All UPS waypoints are notified to look for the package, and if it turns up, it is sent to the recipient. If it doesn't within 10 days, claims paperwork is faxed or mailed to you.
With international shipments, a commercial invoice needs to be enclosed with a description of the contents and a declared value. Most people *don't* send, or declare a high value on items sent to foreign countries. Foreign countries, including Canada, may charge duties and taxes based on this declaration. This tax can be billed to the sender or the recipient, whatever you prefer. UPS insurance is typically.35 cents for every $100 (past the free $100), but duties and taxes can add up very quickly. UPS insurance guidelines are available is here (PDF) or Google (cached HTML) here.
I try to discourage sending anything of value unless you are willing to fully insure the item and pay duties/taxes. In a nutshell, shipping internationally is a royal pain in the ass.
Another thing to note is the longer something is in transit, the chances increase of getting damaged. In my experience, anything *not* going UPS ground has signifigantly better chances of survival (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, etc..). While you can get by much cheaper sending internationally to Canada (via UPS standard, equivalent to UPS ground), you increase the risk, especially farther the destination. Hope that helps.
Why not do the opposite and make G/PG movies R? I'm sure there's a handful of deleted scenes in movies that were excluded due to ratings. Hell, even computer animated movies (Final Fantasy, Shrek, Toy Story) could be easily appended to just for fun.
My mistake, you're right, it was a radio. Apparently attempts were However the name's concept was from Victrola.
[..]William Lear teamed with Galvin in 1934, and successfully developed the automobile dashboard radio they named the "Motorola," the motorized Victrola. Galvin demonstrated the prototype model in his Studebaker. Motorola produced millions of car radios, followed by two-way radio systems for police and fire services. [..] Source
What really constitutes a name anyway?
Take the communications giant Motorola for example, a name derived from the beginning automotive era. Victrola record players were popular for the home, so Motorola was made a record player for the car. It didn't work that well (naturally) but they kept the name.
IMO, what establishes your image as a business should stay the same. The name "Linux" itself can mean so much than just an operating system.
Linux has allowed them to build a decent-sized business with little overhead. Why not just give Linux credit?
Slashdot Mirror
Imagine if Microsoft actually did it, though. I have no doubts the backlash will be Companies and consumers reaffirming their love (addiction) to Microsoft, and making the DoJ look like the bully.
It would be exactly what Microsoft wants, because they know they have their clientele hooked like a heroin addict. Microsoft's presence in the government's agencies would be a signifigant mount of pressure when their support contracts and computer systems are in the hands of a corporation they themselves are trying to censure. I personally wouldn't be surprised if they did it, or at the very least, use this to get favorable media attention and the sympathy they want.
I think the question that needs to be asked is what is the ultimate underlying reason websites are being forced to charge for their services?
Advertising is what used to pay the ISP bill, but lately i've seen many virtual webhosts and colocation providers put limitations on traffic, and charge by the gigabyte when you go over. Are the ISPs getting charged more by their ISP's?
Can anyone offer some insight on who's getting greedy here?
The big question is, will all the non-paying users have to deal with more annoying and intrusive ads if they don't subscribe? I don't care about the ads at the top either, because for one simple reason: Slashdot (OSDN) has managed to keep their ads to the point, and for the most part, advertise legitimate companies that are directed towards geeks. (Rackspace, ThinkGeek, etc..). I'm not subjected to "pre-approved visas" and "punch the monkey" type bullshit ads. I also like ThinkGeek's new products that come through on the ads - it saves me time from browsing through their site to see if anything is new. Advertising can be a good thing if utilized appropriately. I have no doubt if there's any truth to this Slashdot subscription thing, that it will fail miserably.
It's interesting that while retailers have voluntarially tried to restrict sales of "violent" games to minors, developers are not required to have their games rated by organizations like the ESRB. So, what is to happen? Require every game software title to be rated by the ESRB? What about independent game developers? Last I heard, having your game rated by the ESRB isn't cheap.
I can remember back in Elementary school having the once-a-week trip to the computer lab, fashioned with the blazing-fast macintosh LC's.
Sim City and drawing with Kid Pix were what we played with after doing keyboarding or whatever. 1 hour once a week really wasn't that much, however that exposure was definitely beneficial being most kids didn't have a computer/weren't allowed to touch daddy's new Tandy computer... I didn't get a computer until I was 12, but by then, just from the small exposure in elementary school was beneficial then...
I know the article is about Caramack, but it was such a good bedtime story, I was wondering whatever happened to the fired Mr. Steed.
Anyone know whether he was asked back, refused to come back, or still holds a grudge?
True. I have even heard of tobacco companies who will pay individuals to wear a hat or something that brandishes the company logo, and try to be a visible bystander during an live interview of a race driver or someone of importance. Just that exposure is evidently worth something, especially if the company is a competitor of the racer's sponsor :) .
I'm sure it will be followed by:
WARNING: Masturbation with vibrating joysticks is not a safe alternate from using one's hand.
Considering there is a hard disk and a operation system that is developed by "hackers," what is stopping someone from creating a bootloader for Linux to boot PS2/PSX burns (let it be a DVD-R/CDR).
You're right, it does open up alot of doors for exploitation in one form or another.
However, I will personally refuse to use anything made with the Linux kit to crack the PS2.
I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for Sony since the release of the PS2. They could have easily made people go out and buy a 50 dollar accessory so people could play their old PSX games on the PS2. There are many avenues they could have taken to be the traditional proprietary, corporate asses who will find a way to get into the consumer's wallet any way they can.
Sure, not all of Sony is perfect, but they are taking a revolutionary step and a possible risk that is not like a corporate giant. For that reason alone, I would surely hope the people who make use of this kit do so in the best interest of keeping a strong relationship between sony and the geek world.
After working in the shipping business, I learned quickly how the USPS is the government equivalent of Microsoft. Try sending an overnight letter via UPS or Federal Express to a PO Box. It can't be done. Why? Simple: The USPS forces senders to use their mail services.
When you are a business with no competition, you have no reason to improve. IMO, anybody would be crazy to send something of crucial value or importance via any postal service and expect the same service as a private equivalent (UPS/FedEx/Airbourne).
They are a corporate monopoly with government protection. Not to mention, the only government agency I have seen that runs TV ads ("Fly Like An Eagle" crap).
I remember that supposedly Lucas himself made an extra appearance in Star Wars Episode 1 in a battle scene. I don't know if it was confirmed or not, but I think there's alot more secrets yet to be revealed in the already-released star wars movies.
Slightly off topic, but, don't the US bills have a magnetic strip in them that identifies the bill's amount? ($5, 10, 20, 50, 100)... It's not unique to the dollar, but from what I understand, an airport security scanner could reveal the amount one is carrying. (OK, I admit, I remember "The Lone Gunmen" on an X-Files episode talking about it). Is this just a conspiracy theory or is there any truth to this? It seems possible, IMO.
Looking at the very poorly rendered snapshots and flybys of Santa, I would feel bad telling my kid that it's really him. Hell, no wonder kids can't distinguish video games from reality!
This just occured to me.. Imagine the possibilities with this USB key when Linux comes out for the Playstation 2... 1 GB of instant removable storage.
Anyone know what filesystem these keys use? It would definitely be an impressive hack if someone can get the PS2 to view it as a very big memory card. Or, vice versa, take a 8MB PS2 memory card and rig a USB adapter to it somehow for PC storage.. Just some ideas if anyone is bored..
The underlying difference here is, if I took the recipe of the McDonalds Big Mac and began selling a new sandwich, yes, it is going to hurt McDonalds, whether they have "1 billion burgers served" or not.
However, if I used the McDonalds recipe to make myself a burger, and saved myself a couple bucks, has McDonalds really lost anything?.
Same for software, if I were to take a software title, and turn around and sell it, I am financially profitting off someone else's code.
However, If I get software, and use it for myself, I am profitting in terms of enjoyment. You can't put a price on that... This illustration (if anyone understood it) is making me hungry.
Remember, though, For many years, Honda has, and still does hold the title as one of the top stolen cars in the US. Your point is still legitimate, especially when these new ignition systems have no effect on making insurance rates cheaper...
(Scottish "Fat Bastard" impression)
Kinda looks like a baby....
(smacks lips)
I want my baby back ribs....
It was not to be taken literally, but more of a question. What defines "human" under law? Lets assume they succeed and these "life forms" become introduced into society. Will human-animal hybrids have the same rights of a full-bred human/animal? Currently both species are governed in one form or another.
If I had sex with a human-animal hybrid would it beastality? What If I hunted and killed one of them would it be murder? If I ate one would it be cannibalism? Think about it.
The process ensures that the disks will remain _completely_ unreadable by PC-CDROM drives. inserting a "CD-Blank" disk in Microsoft Windows for example will cause the message "The disk is not formatted" to appear. However some independent testers have claimed that inserting it into some Windows machines will crash them.
Hmmm. I wonder if you could sue the RIAA for damages, say you were doing something really important and valuable in windows when you insert in your favorite music cd, and it crashes your system losing your data. Just a thought...
All I want for christmas is an industry standard removable media to replace that 1.44mb POS floppy drive (and someone to slap Iomega for not being a good citizen and opening up their proprietary zip/jazz formats like a good industry innovator should).
[..]This matches my experience shipping within the US (I recently shipped a PC to a friend and of course I bought the additional insurance).
So when you say that UPS doesn't insure, what you mean is that you neglected to ask for or buy insurance. Did you assume that you shipment was insured, or did you just forget to ask?
I used to work for a Pak Mail and have dealt with about every shipping/freight courier under the sun. In order to receive compensation for insurance, there is guidelines for packaging items. UPS (and FedEx) require fragile items (glass, ceramic or electronic) to be double-boxed with at least a two-inch diameter between the two boxes (packed with styrofoam peanuts or the like).
Depending on the insured value of the package, UPS will have an insurance claims representative inspect the packaging to make sure it was done correctly. If the package was lost somewhere in transit, a "tracer" is put on the tracking number for ten business days. All UPS waypoints are notified to look for the package, and if it turns up, it is sent to the recipient. If it doesn't within 10 days, claims paperwork is faxed or mailed to you.
With international shipments, a commercial invoice needs to be enclosed with a description of the contents and a declared value. Most people *don't* send, or declare a high value on items sent to foreign countries. Foreign countries, including Canada, may charge duties and taxes based on this declaration. This tax can be billed to the sender or the recipient, whatever you prefer. UPS insurance is typically .35 cents for every $100 (past the free $100), but duties and taxes can add up very quickly. UPS insurance guidelines are available is here (PDF) or Google (cached HTML) here.
I try to discourage sending anything of value unless you are willing to fully insure the item and pay duties/taxes. In a nutshell, shipping internationally is a royal pain in the ass.
Another thing to note is the longer something is in transit, the chances increase of getting damaged. In my experience, anything *not* going UPS ground has signifigantly better chances of survival (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, etc..). While you can get by much cheaper sending internationally to Canada (via UPS standard, equivalent to UPS ground), you increase the risk, especially farther the destination. Hope that helps.
Why not do the opposite and make G/PG movies R? I'm sure there's a handful of deleted scenes in movies that were excluded due to ratings. Hell, even computer animated movies (Final Fantasy, Shrek, Toy Story) could be easily appended to just for fun.
My mistake, you're right, it was a radio. Apparently attempts were However the name's concept was from Victrola.
[..]William Lear teamed with Galvin in 1934, and successfully developed the automobile dashboard radio they named the "Motorola," the motorized Victrola. Galvin demonstrated the prototype model in his Studebaker. Motorola produced millions of car radios, followed by two-way radio systems for police and fire services. [..] Source
What really constitutes a name anyway? Take the communications giant Motorola for example, a name derived from the beginning automotive era. Victrola record players were popular for the home, so Motorola was made a record player for the car. It didn't work that well (naturally) but they kept the name.
IMO, what establishes your image as a business should stay the same. The name "Linux" itself can mean so much than just an operating system. Linux has allowed them to build a decent-sized business with little overhead. Why not just give Linux credit?