Yes, Civ almost killed me (weeks of no sleep, cans of tuna for the one meal of the day, etc.). But at the time I was also single with a crappy job and a crappy apartment, and very little desire to live my own life (like the guy in the article, I also had to destroy the disk to stop).
Now I'm married, with a great job, a great apartment, etc. I got Civ3 and I really love it, but it hasn't killed me, ruined my marriage, etc. My point is that the Substance of Choice is usually not the key problem in addictions. The problem is usually something in the abusers character or circumstances.
Let me say again that I don't support censorship, but I also don't agree that our value system should be shoved down other people's throats. For that matter, I don't think anyone's value system should be forced upon anyone else. Make the information available, but don't shove it.
True, but selling censorware to a repressive government actively attacks our value system by enabling another, hostile one. In the long run, this gives the enemies of liberty a stronger position in the world. Not a good thing (according to my value system, of course).
Gilmore's current job as chairman of the Republican Party and his reputation of being tech-savvy -- AOL Time Warner's online operations are in Virginia -- add to his clout.
This service is also available here in Michigan from Ameritech/SBC (details). It's great: I haven't talked to a telemarketer since I moved from PA a year ago.
Hewlett-Packard is working on a similar effort with Swatch. In trials in Switzerland, wearers can pass through a train station turnstile while the watch charges their bank accounts for the cost of the ticket.
That is very good news for the eventual acceptance of linux on the desktop. Allowing users the ability to hot swap devices and not have to reconfigure the kernel for new devices will be a huge step towards mainstream acceptance, and it's good to see Torvalds is looking that way.
Exactly. Speaking as a luser (bye-bye karma), this is what terrified me about making the leap to Linux (well, okay, not totally: a Linux partition I could screw around with). The average user doesn't want to think about the OS, and generally shouldn't have to. In most cases, the OS should be invisible (though accessable) to the user. This is what "we" want and this is what I love about Linus: he seems to understand that. Also Geek god he may be, but he is actually comprehensible and interesting (in a way that RMS and even ESR aren't). He makes me want to learn more. He makes this stuff fun. End of love letter.
One of the worries I'm seeing here is this getting through because of a lack of technical understanding on the part of reps/senators. I'm thinking the best way to present this to them (in letters, etc.) is to avoid the tech issues. Rather, concentrate on the point that this legislation would be redundant (because of existing copyright law)and interferes with industry, as well as individual rights. Also point out that this is a waste of their time, time which belongs to us (I'm speaking to USians here, natch).
I was wondering if there are any senators/reps who stand out in your mind as particularly tech savvy? For instance, here in Michigan we're relatively proud of Lynn Rivers. By the same token, who sticks out as particularily clueless (perhaps that part wouldn't be the most politic to answer...)
Meanwhile, peace is represented by an embossed image of a dove carrying an olive branch.
Does this seem a little unfair to anybody else? all the other categories get a cool gimmick or groovy hook (using the old tech for the economics stamp is a great idea). Peace gets a dove and an olive branch. Yeah, that's the symbol of peace, sure, but how about this: all the peace stamps are printed on one big sheet that forms a picture of a dove. Then the postage marks are printed, preferations are added (I'm not familiar with the process, any stamp manufacturers out there?). Then the whole big picture is cut up into stamps with a unique part of the original picture on every one. Each peace stamp could be billed as "a little piece of peace." Or "everybody gets some peace". Or something. 'Kay, I'm officially rambling...
Ponemon, a privacy consultant, said he has been contacted by many companies -- such as banks and a national supermarket chain -- asking how they should tell consumers that they gave huge swaths of consumer data to law enforcement.
In the case of the supermarket chain it's pretty simple: "Hi. You know that personal information you were stupid enough to give us? Well, now the feds know how many ho-hos you ate last month. Fatty."
She asked that only people in the capacity to make decisions and "commit to spending" attend and that other parties would eventually be brought in to provide input...
Cuz right now they don't have enough brandy and cigars for everyone...
If anything, N'Sync is a testament to the fact that even though there are rippers and downloaders out there, people will still buy CDs from stores.
Exactly. I work in book/music retail and I can safely say that many people don't buy CDs just to have the music. The CD is a fetish, just like vinyl. People like having something to handle, they like taking the shrinkwrap off (well, okay, not everybody likes that part). The RIAA should play to that: put holgram stickers and gold foil trading cards in the packages, do more limited runs, special editions, multiple covers (like the new Tori Amos album). It's obnoxious, but for a lot of people, that's what they're really buying.
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Now I'm married, with a great job, a great apartment, etc. I got Civ3 and I really love it, but it hasn't killed me, ruined my marriage, etc. My point is that the Substance of Choice is usually not the key problem in addictions. The problem is usually something in the abusers character or circumstances.
Yes, but would it ever be successful outside of Oz?
True, but selling censorware to a repressive government actively attacks our value system by enabling another, hostile one. In the long run, this gives the enemies of liberty a stronger position in the world. Not a good thing (according to my value system, of course).
BTW,Theodore Sturgeon has been dead for years, IIRC.
Yeh, he sounds like a pretty 1337 d00d.
Look again: first two paragraphs are a wee bit different (by my memory: anybody have the original from this morning?).
Beats hell out of a barcode tattoo.
I think the trolls are all worn out from their big Tuesday. Yuck. I'm never looking at -1 again.
Exactly. Speaking as a luser (bye-bye karma), this is what terrified me about making the leap to Linux (well, okay, not totally: a Linux partition I could screw around with). The average user doesn't want to think about the OS, and generally shouldn't have to. In most cases, the OS should be invisible (though accessable) to the user. This is what "we" want and this is what I love about Linus: he seems to understand that. Also Geek god he may be, but he is actually comprehensible and interesting (in a way that RMS and even ESR aren't). He makes me want to learn more. He makes this stuff fun. End of love letter.
Does this seem a little unfair to anybody else? all the other categories get a cool gimmick or groovy hook (using the old tech for the economics stamp is a great idea). Peace gets a dove and an olive branch. Yeah, that's the symbol of peace, sure, but how about this: all the peace stamps are printed on one big sheet that forms a picture of a dove. Then the postage marks are printed, preferations are added (I'm not familiar with the process, any stamp manufacturers out there?). Then the whole big picture is cut up into stamps with a unique part of the original picture on every one. Each peace stamp could be billed as "a little piece of peace." Or "everybody gets some peace". Or something. 'Kay, I'm officially rambling...
Don't we already have these? There's this one cop in my town who looks like Jabba the-
Oh wait, you meant something else...
I bet that would grab a few of 'em. FBI? You listening?
In the case of the supermarket chain it's pretty simple: "Hi. You know that personal information you were stupid enough to give us? Well, now the feds know how many ho-hos you ate last month. Fatty."
So, (pant) I've got (pant) this great fart joke...
Oh. Too late.
Cuz right now they don't have enough brandy and cigars for everyone...
Exactly. I work in book/music retail and I can safely say that many people don't buy CDs just to have the music. The CD is a fetish, just like vinyl. People like having something to handle, they like taking the shrinkwrap off (well, okay, not everybody likes that part). The RIAA should play to that: put holgram stickers and gold foil trading cards in the packages, do more limited runs, special editions, multiple covers (like the new Tori Amos album). It's obnoxious, but for a lot of people, that's what they're really buying.