Buying and selling Marijuana is illegal, yet it still goes on despite the efforts of a failed 20+ year long "drug war." Software piracy is illegal, yet it happens every day despite crackdowns. Misrepresenting corporate accounting is illegal. Yet it goes on every day among corporations, even with investigations. Downloading music is illegal, yet it goes on everyday despite the RIAA's efforts. You see a pattern here? Preach all you want, you can't stop it. Pass all the laws you want, you still can't stop it. If people want it badly enough, they'll get it.
You want to cry about who shouldn't do what? Tell Congress to kill lobbying and do the job it was meant to do: Speak for the People. Or maybe tell the RIAA to stop ripping artists off and give them the money they deserve instead of keeping it for themselves...
Not. Come on, do you actually expect us to believe that the artists are suffering because we download their tunes? That's complete bullshit. The artists suffer because of the lopsided contracts that the RIAA companies make them sign. They get an advance, sell so many copies, and still end up oweing the record companies money. That's an insane way of doing business.
The only ones hurting are the RIAA companies themselves. "Wah wah, we're not making the X number of billions we made last decade thanks to services like Napster(RIP), KaZaA, Limewire; We're only making Y number of billions now thanks to users downloading music. X Billions > Y Billions. We want more billions." Cough-bullshit-cough.
If we're smart, we'll continue downloading and taking a chunk out of the RIAA's profit. They're spending millions on this ad campaign, which won't work at all, and lose said millions. What we need is a commercial detailing the evils of the record companies' underhanded practices and how they are hurting artists.
And, for the record, I'm in total agreement with sy$manager's post on the subject. There is no way that downloading "Baby One More Time" is hurting Brittany "I've got fake tits before they're even done developing" Spears' bottom line. Duh, she has a multi-million dollar endorsment deal with Pepsi, is doing movies (that probably net her a few milion apiece), and has several other sources of income besides her contract with the RIAA. Nelly? What the hell kind of name is Nelly, anyway? I can't even take him seriously. And Missy Elliot earns her papers because she herself is a producer. There's no way downloading "Get Your Freak On" is hurting her wallet, that's for sure.
Just another case of RIAA Spin trying to get us to shill out damn near $20 for a CD with 12 lame songs on it, when we can download what we want for free, spend $0.20 on a blank CD-R, and put 150+ songs that don't suck on it ourselves. Who's going to win this fight? We are, plain and simple. The RIAA is wasting their time, and ours.
Business as usual, I suppose. Once everyone has their 1.whatever GHz processors, they have to go and show off something faster. People need to realize that, despite all these newer, faster processors, we don't need them. The Space Shuttle still launches, performs missions, and lands without too many failures, and they're not running much more than a 486 equivalent. We don't need 4.7 GHz. 2 GHz is more than sufficient for everyday use.
When you think about it, the average user (AKA Joe and Jane Sixpack) do three basic things with computers: Internet (including e-mail, browsing and the occasional Multimedia site), Music, and Games. That's it. They're not ubergeeks like most of us/.ers. They won't be trying to scan, edit and compress 10 gigs of high quality video/audio data. They won't be compiling an insanely huge Linux Kernel. They won't be dabbeling in Voice Over IP. Hell, they probably mindlessly rely on MS apps to do the work for them, using Outlook, IE, and others.
They'll get all wide-eyed and tickled pink at the thought of that kind of power, but all they'll really notice is windows opening faster. It's a huge waste of money, and they'd be too blinded by the thought of "this will make everything so much better" to notice.
It won't make MP3s play any clearer, it won't filter out the spam that clogs 90% of their inbox, and it sure won't make "HotChicksPorn.com" load any faster. Unless the Sixpack's are running SETI@Home, they wouldn't notice much of a difference and feel ripped off. Those FFTs would render rather quickly on a 4.7 GHz machine, though, which I wouldn't mind.
Production people like me would kill for a machine that fast. I do alot of digital video and audio work, and that kind of processing power would be most welcome. But people like me (and you, the ubergeeks of the world) are a relative rare breed. Maybe it's time for Intel and friends (or is it enemies) to start splitting demographics a little better and targeting specific types of "Joe and Jane Sixpacks" with different processors instead of just offering up the same two processors (Pentium and Celeron) to everyone as if we're all the same. The need to upgrade constantly isn't that big a deal, or at least it shouldn't be treated as such...
I'm pretty sure there's a FreeCiv client for Windoze. That way, when they make the switch (we can hope, right?), they'll have a little something familiar to jump into and play with...
Microsoft thinks that, with a few thousand "insiders" that know what's going on, they're going to "stomp Linux?" That's a knee slapper *proceeds to slap elbow*. While I don't have any exact numbers, I'm willing to bet that Linux has quite a bit more people behind it, whether it's mainstream or not.
The only thing MS can do to beat Linux is create a better product. And since their OS wasn't really designed with security in mind (it was designed to be used by the computer stupid masses, more or less), they'd litterally have to start from the ground up. *NIX style OSs have the jump on MS in many different areas, including 64bit architecture support, value for your buck (since Linux is free, it's a much better value, even if it lacks the major apps Windoze has), and even technical support (just scour the net, someone somewhere will be glad to help if they can).
Their "community" is bogus. Nothing more than just a bunch of higher-ups whom MS deems are suitable to be "in the know." The Linux community is just what it says it is. Regular people (not just higher-ups with keys to the executive bathroom) can take it upon themselves to learn what they want about it. And what makes up a community? Regular folks. Granted, it's regular folks with IQs higher than average and technical know-how, but regular folks all the same. From the geek in his/her parents' basement to Linus himself, and all points in between. Each, in some form or another, is welcome to take Linux apart and contribute whatever they want to it. With MS, the buck stops with Bill and company. When was the last time you saw a Windows CD that had a/contrib folder? I haven't seen any in my travels...
Is it just me, or should Steve Ballmer be doing stand-up at wee-tiny coffee bars and little improv theaters? All his malarky is making me laugh, and that's about it...
If Rare's output has tanked since its days with Nintendo, why in the hell would Microsoft want to buy it? I smell a lemon, and it most certainly isn't lemony fresh, either.
Anyone got a hammer? It's time to slam another nail (albeit an early one) in the XBox's coffin. If noone bought Rare games when they were with the Mario bunch, what makes MS think that anyone's going to rush out and buy an XBox just to get their hands on more of the same? Apparently, according to the numbers, noone rushed out to get an XBox when MS bought up Bungie and made Halo an XBox-only title. They're more interested in shining MS off and getting Linux to load on it. That's the only positive reason I can see to buy one.
My prediction: The Rare name will all but disappear, save for the logos when games boot. Otherwise, it'll be nothing but Microsoft's latest lame attempt at the console market share they think they deserve. Smoothe move, Billy.
/. is becoming more of an entertainment venue, as I'm starting to read just for the "What bonehead move will MS pull next" factor. Somebody get the DOJ on the line and have them charge MS with "Lack of common sense..."
Hell with it. I've heard too many stories from people in my area who have had problems with theirs, and they're not even trying to hack the damn thing. Honestly, none of them are smart enough. But I digress.
What I'm planning on doing is waiting until MS forgets about the XBox (after they've released their next-gen stuff). They did it with Windows 95 and will soon with 98 in favor of XP. When this happens, XBoxes will go up for sale on the second hand market. And those are numbers MS can't claim. Once they go second hand, I'll get one and hack the living daylights out of it. By that time, hackers should have ways of getting around all of MS' so called "security features" and putting Linux on there with relative ease.
Take pictures of it running Mandrake or something, playing Tux Racer or maybe a hacked version of Halo, send them to MS' customer service department or whichever department will take user feedback. Shine them off all nice like.
Now more than ever, I'm closer to buying a PS2. With FFXI on the horizon and this new Kingdom Hearts coming out soon, I'm jumping on the competition's bandwagon.
Ultimately, we're the ones who will decide the XBox's fate. Let's wait till the XBox either fails or the next-gen stuff hits, then worry about modding the hell out of it. MS is setting themselves up for a huge fall. And when it happens, I'll be one of the millions standing, pointing and laughing. Long Live Freedom of Choice.
Whoopie. This is the single worst fad since Pop Music. Why in the hell would you pay for something you already own, and have owned since the day you were concieved? They typical answer for the richie chicken folk would be "Because I can."
So, if I go out and patent my gene sequence, does that mean I can sue my offspring for being a derivitive of me? Is that what these rich fools are after? Sick. Sick, sick, sick. Amazing what having a ton of money will do to your brain.
Meanwhile, us regular folk will continue to make more educated and well thought out decisions (or at least as many as we can without being clouded by one thing or another. After all, we're not perfect...)
This is perfect. Now all those washed-up "Tour de Where/Whatever" competitors have something to do when they can no longer race. They can put their urge to pedal to good use and keep the rest of us connected. Would that mean the leading pedal pounder would get a Green Jersey as opposed to a Yellow one? Oh, the possibilities...
...that Rock And Roll's most active senior citizens (they're STILL touring?!?)are the first major act to try and take the online music plunge? Isn't it kind of weird that Keith Richards (who's senior class includes Moses, the Sphinx, and Strom Thurmond) is explaining an online music business model? As a long-time Stones fan, I hope it works out for them and other artists follow suit.
Speaking of Keith, where do I sign up to get some of that man's blood?
Wild. One of the oldest active bands trying out the semi-latest technology/business ideas. Sorry Alanis, but it is a little too ironic. Yeah, I really do think...
...and manages to save P2P (while getting elected to Congress), does that mean that the truth about JFK, Hoffa, Roswell and other "conspiracies" will be available to download on NeoNapster? Just search for "MagicBullet.zip" and viola! We know that Kennedy was killed by a young Osama bin Laden, Hoffa is in a hubcap rolling around on a 79 Ford, the Vulcans crashed in Roswell, and an MP3/OGG of the missing 18.5 minutes of the Nixon tapes reveals that "Deep Throat" was Slick Dick's favorite DC hooker.
Ah shit. I'll BRB, the Feds are at my door asking how much I know...
This is almost a direct rip on Outlaw Star, an Anime series currently running as part of Cartoon Network'sAdult Swim Saturday night action lineup. Fuck Firefly.
Isn't that sweet. Their Op-Ed writers are plugging Linux, telling Government units abroad and in the United States and individual computer users should look for ways to support Linux and Linux-based products. Good for them to tell Joe Blow that reads their pack of dead trees with print.
Now how about they take a proactive stance on Linux if they want to plug it in Op-Ed. Here's how, and it hits right home here at/.:
Why doesn't the NYT open its big fat wallet and support Linux itself? Why don't they lay down some cash and support VA Systems, the people who run this (andother) sites that are very proactive in the Open Source community. Not only that, but partner up with sites like/. and offer/.ers free and clear (i.e. no registration needed) access to articles linked from/. itself. Put up a few banner ads that allow this free access,/. earns its keep, and the NYT gets readers.
It doesn't take a nerd with millions of lines of code under his belt or some opinionated schmoe who happens to speak on behalf of one of the world's most read newspapers to figure that one out. The money that OSDN/VA Systems recieves goes into projects within the Open Source community, rapidly expanding the capabilities and usability of the Linux OS. Games get niftier, Utilities become more powerful, and the Internet becomes a halfway decent place to stake a claim. All of it free and open to the public at large (or with a big book and nice looking CDs for $25-30 at Wally World).
Who knows? Maybe a Linux applet or something that fires off real time headlines from the NYT? Stock quotes? Newsy stuff? Gee, wouldn't that get them even more exposure. Not to mention VA, OSDN, and/. getting in on the act as well...
It's Linux Making Money and Making Waves, not Rocket Science...
...Coke will be trying to top that with a "Win a Position as a UN Weapons Inspector and go to Iraq" contest.
Ever since that Boy Band Fruit Loop Lance Bass tried to hitch a ride with the Ruskies, my interest in the Space Program has been nullified (I had my interest all but killed after the Challenger disaster, that sealed the deal). Only way I'll go into space now is if we make a serious attempt to colonize the Moon, and we all know that EveryoneIsMarsCrazy...
How long before they strike a deal worth millions and, as the Sims are about to "get it on," that old familiar "Trojan Maaaaaaan" jingle is heard. To make matters worse (just because they simply _can_) Trojan Man himself makes an appearance, horse and all. In his tone of voice, we hear the Sim's patented mumble, obviously giving them advice on why to use his rubbers. Finally, he hands the couple a Magnum Size and rides off into the sunset.
Will Microsoft fight back and offer more money to, instead of the Intel jingle, have their Microsoft Sound play when a Sim sits at a computer? Could the Linux Community lobby in favor of Tux on the screen? Wouldn't it be just the shit if a Sim sits down, boots up Linux, starts WINE and plays The Sims?
I'd say I have too much free time on my hands, wouldn't you all?
John Persinger, an internal network administrator for Source4 Inc., in Roanoke, Va., said Microsoft will likely try to "crush any DRM competition." If successful, that would leave some 80 percent of those "digital assets" in its control, Persinger said. "While I won't use the word 'monopoly,' you can see the dangers of that type of widespread control," he said.
I rest my case. If MS is in bed with all these copyright- and patent-happy companies, you can kiss fair use goodbye.
And, could Microsoft use this to force us to use their latest software? I use Windows 98SE for alot of my design work, mostly because ME slows the hell out of my machine, and (after seeing it in all its sluggish glory) XP would do the same on a larger scale. But say I acquire/use some of their DRM enabled stuff. Would it be possible for them to find out that I'm using this outdated yet usable platform, and try to force me to upgrade to XP? Fuck that. I have a choice, and I choose to use the Win release that works best for me. When there's a chance that MS could take that choice away from me, I'm not a happy camper.
Another possibility could be use of the DRM software to, in effect, disable Open Source platforms and keep them from using DRM enabled content. It is possible, you know. A line of code here, a line there, and poof! It's all shot to hell. We need to keep a close eye on this one, folks.
Any anti-government fiend will tell you that it's just "'the Man's' way of limiting your options for having a good time" (a-la Marijuana being illegal and alcohol regulations). But this isn't one of those posts, and I'm not one of those fiends.
Instead, I look at it this way. First of all, G-Forces are nowhere near the problem. Most rollercoaster accidents happen for one of a select few reasons:
1. Safety Devices, like seat belts, lap rails or shoulder harnesses, fail. Only after they fail do G-Forces become a remote issue, as they could easily throw the rider from the car. More commonly, the force of 1G becomes more dangerous in this case, as it's the main one pulling you to the center of the Earth (ie falling out while inverted).
2. Mechanical Failure. Either the car or track could be to blame here. This includes brakes as well. But then again, coasters are often designed nowadays with a few redundant systems, which all but eliminate (accidents do happen) these concerns.
3. Human stupidity. This covers both rider and operator. Failure to heed warning signs (heart condition, pregnancy, etc.) on the rider's part contribute a great deal. Let's face it. Some people are just plain stupid. Operator failure sometimes contributes to injuries and deaths, be it lack of training on operations or just plain idiocy.
The only possible way G-Forces could kill is if number 3 happens, and someone who is stroke (etc.) prone, has extremely weak nerves, or doesn't use safety devices properly gets on.
John Glenn returning to space proved that even older folks can handle G-Forces in excess of 5 Gs. Age limits are enough to prevent small children, still growing and pretty much fragile, from being exposed to high Gs. And most people are intelligent enough to know that if they have a pre-existing condition, getting on might not be such a good idea. Safety and mechanical failures are either pure chance or lack of proper coaster upkeep.
So where's the problem, New Jersey? It's not science, studies and statistics. It's just plain common sense.
Oh, wait. What am I doing talking about New Jersey and Common Sense in the first place? We all know how toxic the place is. The people are good and hard working, but their government severely lacks any stroke to pull this kind of stunt...
They'll open the door, crawl down a short tunnel and find... Elvis, sitting with Bigfoot and Jimmy Hoffa, all playing poker. Behind the bar will be the Loch Ness Monster, mixing up a Manhattan that Adolf Hitler's brain ordered. And providing the entertainment? Why, none other than the wonderous and sexy Can-Can stylings of Amelia Erhart and Mraylin Monroe.
Sure, my spelling sucks. But my point is this: Whatever they find, it'll be something stupid. Since it's the Queen's Chamber they're so excited about, it'll probably be the world's first dildo. And oh, what an archeological find that would be.
Honestly, I'd rather watch that crackhead Aussie bloke who likes to play with crocs.
Mishap Central: My parents.
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When Users Attack
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· Score: 5, Funny
My parents are the typical lot when it comes to machines. When we first got one, they felt that it was "their toy" and wouldn't let me have at it. Not that I was taking computer classes in Elementary School or anything. Even at 10 years old, I was more way more qualified.
Since that time, my parents have learned to scream for me whenever something goes wrong. I'm sure alot of the rest of the/. bunch goes through that as well. And it doesn't stop when you leave home, either.
I remember that first PC. No hard drive, DOS on a 5.25", and another floppy with something called "Microsoft Desktop 2.0" Call it the prelude to windows. On to the mishaps. Dad thought he could take it apart and tinker as if it were some sort of Ford model. Genious that he is, he has it on and is looking in complete awe at some of the parts. Inside was a 1200bps modem. He had no clue what it was, even though I told him several times. Guess 10 year olds don't know much, do they. Anyway, while this thing was still running hot, Dad rips the modem out. Two chips on the card, toasted. Several other resisters, capacitors, etc. fried. The 8 bit slot it came out of, useless. From then on, my father couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why the machine would screw up every so often. Later I learned that he'd semi-fried the motherboard, and continual (ab)use wore it out.
Then came the 486. This was the first one with anything that resembled Windows on it, that being 3.1. Well, mom wanted to see what she could do with Windows (and again, new machine, I wasn't allowed to play). What she did was got into the settings area, played with numbers, changed addresses, and basically sent Windows to hell. Then she discovered that F1 gave her setup options. Thinking that would solve the problem, she proceeded to lock herself out of the BIOS (by forgetting her password in a matter of moments). This was at the advent of Prodigy and AOL, so I found my way around after learning that BIOS passwords could be cracked hardway, and fixed the problem.
Since then, I'm the PC fixit guy. But with all the advances we have, I'm still trying to get them to move forward. I can't wait to see what they do to Cable lines and modems, network hubs, and next-gen stuff. No matter how inept our fellow peons in the workforce get, the people we know at home always seem ever the slightest bit worse...
I'll tell you how it has affected me. Georgie boy down there in the White House made a decision that will haunt his entire presidency. If anyone else catches on, he'll be on the hot seat for showing one thing and doing another.
A small backstory: Everyone remembers the images of President Bush standing at Ground Zero with that Firefighter, right? Pictures of it are everywhere on the 'Net. And how many Firefighters did we lose that day in New York? Over 300. 300+!!! Statistically, a little over 100 Firefighters die each year in the entire nation. What New York, and what the Firefighting Brotherhood around the world, lost that day is three times the annual national average. On the date that matches their call to action (911, duh), hundreds answered that call for the last time, giving the ultimate sacrifice in order to uphold their primary duty: To Save A Life.
And Bush? He denies funding to Fire Departments.
That's right. The very people who lost so many, the people he stood side by side with at Ground Zero in the days following the attacks. He is now denying them funds, be it for department use or to assist the families of those brothers we lost.
I come from a small volunteer department. We don't have the money that professional departments or alot of other volunteer companies have. Our newest piece of apparatus is over 20 years old. Yet they serve perfectly with minimal problems. In short, we barely get by. We don't have the money to provide our members the proper training we need to do our jobs correctly and safely. We do not have the gear to give to active members, reducing the number of hands available on-scene. We have to fundraise our asses off just to break even.
There must be literally thousands of other companies, both professional and volunteer, that are in the same boat.
And Bush denies us funding. Shame on you, Dub-ya. You should be impeached for denying America the resources (their own money, no less) to do what it has to do to keep itself safe, healthy and alive. Bad form.
I know it isn't "nerd" news, but damnit, this nerd has a duty he is compelled to do, because very few others choose to do. To save the life of someone else, be they family, friend or complete stranger, is the greatest calling in the entire human race.
And to fuck that up is Un-American, and more importantly, inhuman...
Now, is that Digital Rights Managment or Digital Rights Manipulation? It's not the Government that's eliminating our rights, people. It's the "Big Businesses" that are going way too far in enforcing their copyrights. "Fair Use" will become an endangered term if we allow this to keep up.
While it never seems to do any good, I'm encouraging everyone here to write their local Government Lackey (read, Congressman/woman) and tell them "Hey. Fuck you. Fair Use is our right. We spend our money, that particular piece of Media becomes ours to do with as we see fit." Granted, we shouldn't be handing over this stuff to people who haven't paid their share of the cost, but come on.
Yet another thing for Europe to brag about. Could it be due to the fact that the Telecomm's here in the states are lagging behind in getting areas wired? As a country that's essentially the bastard child of European countries, you'ld think that this new finding would make us kick ourselves into high gear. We surpassed their centuries of being a dominant force in under 250 years. Now they're coming back in like 10 years. That's just wrong. Everyone knows we're the better nation...
So, does this mean that the French are online more, and are finally learning that women with hairy pits are just nasty? One can only pray that they discover the razor blade. Otherwise, France's nude beaches are just display showcases for nasty broads who look like they have Don King in a headlock...
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Buying and selling Marijuana is illegal, yet it still goes on despite the efforts of a failed 20+ year long "drug war." Software piracy is illegal, yet it happens every day despite crackdowns. Misrepresenting corporate accounting is illegal. Yet it goes on every day among corporations, even with investigations. Downloading music is illegal, yet it goes on everyday despite the RIAA's efforts. You see a pattern here? Preach all you want, you can't stop it. Pass all the laws you want, you still can't stop it. If people want it badly enough, they'll get it.
You want to cry about who shouldn't do what? Tell Congress to kill lobbying and do the job it was meant to do: Speak for the People. Or maybe tell the RIAA to stop ripping artists off and give them the money they deserve instead of keeping it for themselves...
Not. Come on, do you actually expect us to believe that the artists are suffering because we download their tunes? That's complete bullshit. The artists suffer because of the lopsided contracts that the RIAA companies make them sign. They get an advance, sell so many copies, and still end up oweing the record companies money. That's an insane way of doing business.
The only ones hurting are the RIAA companies themselves. "Wah wah, we're not making the X number of billions we made last decade thanks to services like Napster(RIP), KaZaA, Limewire; We're only making Y number of billions now thanks to users downloading music. X Billions > Y Billions. We want more billions." Cough-bullshit-cough.
If we're smart, we'll continue downloading and taking a chunk out of the RIAA's profit. They're spending millions on this ad campaign, which won't work at all, and lose said millions. What we need is a commercial detailing the evils of the record companies' underhanded practices and how they are hurting artists.
And, for the record, I'm in total agreement with sy$manager's post on the subject. There is no way that downloading "Baby One More Time" is hurting Brittany "I've got fake tits before they're even done developing" Spears' bottom line. Duh, she has a multi-million dollar endorsment deal with Pepsi, is doing movies (that probably net her a few milion apiece), and has several other sources of income besides her contract with the RIAA. Nelly? What the hell kind of name is Nelly, anyway? I can't even take him seriously. And Missy Elliot earns her papers because she herself is a producer. There's no way downloading "Get Your Freak On" is hurting her wallet, that's for sure.
Just another case of RIAA Spin trying to get us to shill out damn near $20 for a CD with 12 lame songs on it, when we can download what we want for free, spend $0.20 on a blank CD-R, and put 150+ songs that don't suck on it ourselves. Who's going to win this fight? We are, plain and simple. The RIAA is wasting their time, and ours.
Business as usual, I suppose. Once everyone has their 1.whatever GHz processors, they have to go and show off something faster. People need to realize that, despite all these newer, faster processors, we don't need them. The Space Shuttle still launches, performs missions, and lands without too many failures, and they're not running much more than a 486 equivalent. We don't need 4.7 GHz. 2 GHz is more than sufficient for everyday use.
/.ers. They won't be trying to scan, edit and compress 10 gigs of high quality video/audio data. They won't be compiling an insanely huge Linux Kernel. They won't be dabbeling in Voice Over IP. Hell, they probably mindlessly rely on MS apps to do the work for them, using Outlook, IE, and others.
When you think about it, the average user (AKA Joe and Jane Sixpack) do three basic things with computers: Internet (including e-mail, browsing and the occasional Multimedia site), Music, and Games. That's it. They're not ubergeeks like most of us
They'll get all wide-eyed and tickled pink at the thought of that kind of power, but all they'll really notice is windows opening faster. It's a huge waste of money, and they'd be too blinded by the thought of "this will make everything so much better" to notice.
It won't make MP3s play any clearer, it won't filter out the spam that clogs 90% of their inbox, and it sure won't make "HotChicksPorn.com" load any faster. Unless the Sixpack's are running SETI@Home, they wouldn't notice much of a difference and feel ripped off. Those FFTs would render rather quickly on a 4.7 GHz machine, though, which I wouldn't mind.
Production people like me would kill for a machine that fast. I do alot of digital video and audio work, and that kind of processing power would be most welcome. But people like me (and you, the ubergeeks of the world) are a relative rare breed. Maybe it's time for Intel and friends (or is it enemies) to start splitting demographics a little better and targeting specific types of "Joe and Jane Sixpacks" with different processors instead of just offering up the same two processors (Pentium and Celeron) to everyone as if we're all the same. The need to upgrade constantly isn't that big a deal, or at least it shouldn't be treated as such...
I'm pretty sure there's a FreeCiv client for Windoze. That way, when they make the switch (we can hope, right?), they'll have a little something familiar to jump into and play with...
Microsoft thinks that, with a few thousand "insiders" that know what's going on, they're going to "stomp Linux?" That's a knee slapper *proceeds to slap elbow*. While I don't have any exact numbers, I'm willing to bet that Linux has quite a bit more people behind it, whether it's mainstream or not.
/contrib folder? I haven't seen any in my travels...
The only thing MS can do to beat Linux is create a better product. And since their OS wasn't really designed with security in mind (it was designed to be used by the computer stupid masses, more or less), they'd litterally have to start from the ground up. *NIX style OSs have the jump on MS in many different areas, including 64bit architecture support, value for your buck (since Linux is free, it's a much better value, even if it lacks the major apps Windoze has), and even technical support (just scour the net, someone somewhere will be glad to help if they can).
Their "community" is bogus. Nothing more than just a bunch of higher-ups whom MS deems are suitable to be "in the know." The Linux community is just what it says it is. Regular people (not just higher-ups with keys to the executive bathroom) can take it upon themselves to learn what they want about it. And what makes up a community? Regular folks. Granted, it's regular folks with IQs higher than average and technical know-how, but regular folks all the same. From the geek in his/her parents' basement to Linus himself, and all points in between. Each, in some form or another, is welcome to take Linux apart and contribute whatever they want to it. With MS, the buck stops with Bill and company. When was the last time you saw a Windows CD that had a
Is it just me, or should Steve Ballmer be doing stand-up at wee-tiny coffee bars and little improv theaters? All his malarky is making me laugh, and that's about it...
After posting so many "moon first" comments in /.'s overabundance of Mars articles, my wish is finally granted!
Now, where do I sign up to be the first guy to grow "Moon Weed?"
If Rare's output has tanked since its days with Nintendo, why in the hell would Microsoft want to buy it? I smell a lemon, and it most certainly isn't lemony fresh, either.
Anyone got a hammer? It's time to slam another nail (albeit an early one) in the XBox's coffin. If noone bought Rare games when they were with the Mario bunch, what makes MS think that anyone's going to rush out and buy an XBox just to get their hands on more of the same? Apparently, according to the numbers, noone rushed out to get an XBox when MS bought up Bungie and made Halo an XBox-only title. They're more interested in shining MS off and getting Linux to load on it. That's the only positive reason I can see to buy one.
My prediction: The Rare name will all but disappear, save for the logos when games boot. Otherwise, it'll be nothing but Microsoft's latest lame attempt at the console market share they think they deserve. Smoothe move, Billy.
/. is becoming more of an entertainment venue, as I'm starting to read just for the "What bonehead move will MS pull next" factor. Somebody get the DOJ on the line and have them charge MS with "Lack of common sense..."
Hell with it. I've heard too many stories from people in my area who have had problems with theirs, and they're not even trying to hack the damn thing. Honestly, none of them are smart enough. But I digress.
What I'm planning on doing is waiting until MS forgets about the XBox (after they've released their next-gen stuff). They did it with Windows 95 and will soon with 98 in favor of XP. When this happens, XBoxes will go up for sale on the second hand market. And those are numbers MS can't claim. Once they go second hand, I'll get one and hack the living daylights out of it. By that time, hackers should have ways of getting around all of MS' so called "security features" and putting Linux on there with relative ease.
Take pictures of it running Mandrake or something, playing Tux Racer or maybe a hacked version of Halo, send them to MS' customer service department or whichever department will take user feedback. Shine them off all nice like.
Now more than ever, I'm closer to buying a PS2. With FFXI on the horizon and this new Kingdom Hearts coming out soon, I'm jumping on the competition's bandwagon.
Ultimately, we're the ones who will decide the XBox's fate. Let's wait till the XBox either fails or the next-gen stuff hits, then worry about modding the hell out of it. MS is setting themselves up for a huge fall. And when it happens, I'll be one of the millions standing, pointing and laughing. Long Live Freedom of Choice.
Whoopie. This is the single worst fad since Pop Music. Why in the hell would you pay for something you already own, and have owned since the day you were concieved? They typical answer for the richie chicken folk would be "Because I can."
So, if I go out and patent my gene sequence, does that mean I can sue my offspring for being a derivitive of me? Is that what these rich fools are after? Sick. Sick, sick, sick. Amazing what having a ton of money will do to your brain.
Meanwhile, us regular folk will continue to make more educated and well thought out decisions (or at least as many as we can without being clouded by one thing or another. After all, we're not perfect...)
This is perfect. Now all those washed-up "Tour de Where/Whatever" competitors have something to do when they can no longer race. They can put their urge to pedal to good use and keep the rest of us connected. Would that mean the leading pedal pounder would get a Green Jersey as opposed to a Yellow one? Oh, the possibilities...
...that Rock And Roll's most active senior citizens (they're STILL touring?!?)are the first major act to try and take the online music plunge? Isn't it kind of weird that Keith Richards (who's senior class includes Moses, the Sphinx, and Strom Thurmond) is explaining an online music business model? As a long-time Stones fan, I hope it works out for them and other artists follow suit.
Speaking of Keith, where do I sign up to get some of that man's blood?
Wild. One of the oldest active bands trying out the semi-latest technology/business ideas. Sorry Alanis, but it is a little too ironic. Yeah, I really do think...
...and manages to save P2P (while getting elected to Congress), does that mean that the truth about JFK, Hoffa, Roswell and other "conspiracies" will be available to download on NeoNapster? Just search for "MagicBullet.zip" and viola! We know that Kennedy was killed by a young Osama bin Laden, Hoffa is in a hubcap rolling around on a 79 Ford, the Vulcans crashed in Roswell, and an MP3/OGG of the missing 18.5 minutes of the Nixon tapes reveals that "Deep Throat" was Slick Dick's favorite DC hooker.
Ah shit. I'll BRB, the Feds are at my door asking how much I know...
This is almost a direct rip on Outlaw Star, an Anime series currently running as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Saturday night action lineup. Fuck Firefly.
Isn't that sweet. Their Op-Ed writers are plugging Linux, telling Government units abroad and in the United States and individual computer users should look for ways to support Linux and Linux-based products. Good for them to tell Joe Blow that reads their pack of dead trees with print.
/.:
/. and offer /.ers free and clear (i.e. no registration needed) access to articles linked from /. itself. Put up a few banner ads that allow this free access, /. earns its keep, and the NYT gets readers.
/. getting in on the act as well...
Now how about they take a proactive stance on Linux if they want to plug it in Op-Ed. Here's how, and it hits right home here at
Why doesn't the NYT open its big fat wallet and support Linux itself? Why don't they lay down some cash and support VA Systems, the people who run this (and other) sites that are very proactive in the Open Source community. Not only that, but partner up with sites like
It doesn't take a nerd with millions of lines of code under his belt or some opinionated schmoe who happens to speak on behalf of one of the world's most read newspapers to figure that one out. The money that OSDN/VA Systems recieves goes into projects within the Open Source community, rapidly expanding the capabilities and usability of the Linux OS. Games get niftier, Utilities become more powerful, and the Internet becomes a halfway decent place to stake a claim. All of it free and open to the public at large (or with a big book and nice looking CDs for $25-30 at Wally World).
Who knows? Maybe a Linux applet or something that fires off real time headlines from the NYT? Stock quotes? Newsy stuff? Gee, wouldn't that get them even more exposure. Not to mention VA, OSDN, and
It's Linux Making Money and Making Waves, not Rocket Science...
And now for something... Completely different (thank you Monty Python)
A California court just rejected that idea in California.
Moderation: -1(Redundant). If it's a California Court, of course it would reject the idea in California.
And for michael: Moderation: -1(Oversight).
I hate to be overcritical, but damnit, we're supposed to be GEEKS here. We need to show some intellignence.
And yes, I'm willing to take the Karma hit for this statement, so mod away...
Will Microsoft wait till the new company comes up with something truely nifty, and then buy it up (like they did to get their hands on Halo)?
...Coke will be trying to top that with a "Win a Position as a UN Weapons Inspector and go to Iraq" contest.
Ever since that Boy Band Fruit Loop Lance Bass tried to hitch a ride with the Ruskies, my interest in the Space Program has been nullified (I had my interest all but killed after the Challenger disaster, that sealed the deal). Only way I'll go into space now is if we make a serious attempt to colonize the Moon, and we all know that Everyone Is Mars Crazy...
How long before they strike a deal worth millions and, as the Sims are about to "get it on," that old familiar "Trojan Maaaaaaan" jingle is heard. To make matters worse (just because they simply _can_) Trojan Man himself makes an appearance, horse and all. In his tone of voice, we hear the Sim's patented mumble, obviously giving them advice on why to use his rubbers. Finally, he hands the couple a Magnum Size and rides off into the sunset.
Will Microsoft fight back and offer more money to, instead of the Intel jingle, have their Microsoft Sound play when a Sim sits at a computer? Could the Linux Community lobby in favor of Tux on the screen? Wouldn't it be just the shit if a Sim sits down, boots up Linux, starts WINE and plays The Sims?
I'd say I have too much free time on my hands, wouldn't you all?
This is the last paragraph.
John Persinger, an internal network administrator for Source4 Inc., in Roanoke, Va., said Microsoft will likely try to "crush any DRM competition." If successful, that would leave some 80 percent of those "digital assets" in its control, Persinger said. "While I won't use the word 'monopoly,' you can see the dangers of that type of widespread control," he said.
I rest my case. If MS is in bed with all these copyright- and patent-happy companies, you can kiss fair use goodbye.
And, could Microsoft use this to force us to use their latest software? I use Windows 98SE for alot of my design work, mostly because ME slows the hell out of my machine, and (after seeing it in all its sluggish glory) XP would do the same on a larger scale. But say I acquire/use some of their DRM enabled stuff. Would it be possible for them to find out that I'm using this outdated yet usable platform, and try to force me to upgrade to XP? Fuck that. I have a choice, and I choose to use the Win release that works best for me. When there's a chance that MS could take that choice away from me, I'm not a happy camper.
Another possibility could be use of the DRM software to, in effect, disable Open Source platforms and keep them from using DRM enabled content. It is possible, you know. A line of code here, a line there, and poof! It's all shot to hell. We need to keep a close eye on this one, folks.
Any anti-government fiend will tell you that it's just "'the Man's' way of limiting your options for having a good time" (a-la Marijuana being illegal and alcohol regulations). But this isn't one of those posts, and I'm not one of those fiends.
Instead, I look at it this way. First of all, G-Forces are nowhere near the problem. Most rollercoaster accidents happen for one of a select few reasons:
1. Safety Devices, like seat belts, lap rails or shoulder harnesses, fail. Only after they fail do G-Forces become a remote issue, as they could easily throw the rider from the car. More commonly, the force of 1G becomes more dangerous in this case, as it's the main one pulling you to the center of the Earth (ie falling out while inverted).
2. Mechanical Failure. Either the car or track could be to blame here. This includes brakes as well. But then again, coasters are often designed nowadays with a few redundant systems, which all but eliminate (accidents do happen) these concerns.
3. Human stupidity. This covers both rider and operator. Failure to heed warning signs (heart condition, pregnancy, etc.) on the rider's part contribute a great deal. Let's face it. Some people are just plain stupid. Operator failure sometimes contributes to injuries and deaths, be it lack of training on operations or just plain idiocy.
The only possible way G-Forces could kill is if number 3 happens, and someone who is stroke (etc.) prone, has extremely weak nerves, or doesn't use safety devices properly gets on.
John Glenn returning to space proved that even older folks can handle G-Forces in excess of 5 Gs. Age limits are enough to prevent small children, still growing and pretty much fragile, from being exposed to high Gs. And most people are intelligent enough to know that if they have a pre-existing condition, getting on might not be such a good idea. Safety and mechanical failures are either pure chance or lack of proper coaster upkeep.
So where's the problem, New Jersey? It's not science, studies and statistics. It's just plain common sense.
Oh, wait. What am I doing talking about New Jersey and Common Sense in the first place? We all know how toxic the place is. The people are good and hard working, but their government severely lacks any stroke to pull this kind of stunt...
They'll open the door, crawl down a short tunnel and find... Elvis, sitting with Bigfoot and Jimmy Hoffa, all playing poker. Behind the bar will be the Loch Ness Monster, mixing up a Manhattan that Adolf Hitler's brain ordered. And providing the entertainment? Why, none other than the wonderous and sexy Can-Can stylings of Amelia Erhart and Mraylin Monroe.
Sure, my spelling sucks. But my point is this: Whatever they find, it'll be something stupid. Since it's the Queen's Chamber they're so excited about, it'll probably be the world's first dildo. And oh, what an archeological find that would be.
Honestly, I'd rather watch that crackhead Aussie bloke who likes to play with crocs.
My parents are the typical lot when it comes to machines. When we first got one, they felt that it was "their toy" and wouldn't let me have at it. Not that I was taking computer classes in Elementary School or anything. Even at 10 years old, I was more way more qualified.
/. bunch goes through that as well. And it doesn't stop when you leave home, either.
Since that time, my parents have learned to scream for me whenever something goes wrong. I'm sure alot of the rest of the
I remember that first PC. No hard drive, DOS on a 5.25", and another floppy with something called "Microsoft Desktop 2.0" Call it the prelude to windows. On to the mishaps. Dad thought he could take it apart and tinker as if it were some sort of Ford model. Genious that he is, he has it on and is looking in complete awe at some of the parts. Inside was a 1200bps modem. He had no clue what it was, even though I told him several times. Guess 10 year olds don't know much, do they. Anyway, while this thing was still running hot, Dad rips the modem out. Two chips on the card, toasted. Several other resisters, capacitors, etc. fried. The 8 bit slot it came out of, useless. From then on, my father couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why the machine would screw up every so often. Later I learned that he'd semi-fried the motherboard, and continual (ab)use wore it out.
Then came the 486. This was the first one with anything that resembled Windows on it, that being 3.1. Well, mom wanted to see what she could do with Windows (and again, new machine, I wasn't allowed to play). What she did was got into the settings area, played with numbers, changed addresses, and basically sent Windows to hell. Then she discovered that F1 gave her setup options. Thinking that would solve the problem, she proceeded to lock herself out of the BIOS (by forgetting her password in a matter of moments). This was at the advent of Prodigy and AOL, so I found my way around after learning that BIOS passwords could be cracked hardway, and fixed the problem.
Since then, I'm the PC fixit guy. But with all the advances we have, I'm still trying to get them to move forward. I can't wait to see what they do to Cable lines and modems, network hubs, and next-gen stuff. No matter how inept our fellow peons in the workforce get, the people we know at home always seem ever the slightest bit worse...
Fuck Dub-ya.
I'll tell you how it has affected me. Georgie boy down there in the White House made a decision that will haunt his entire presidency. If anyone else catches on, he'll be on the hot seat for showing one thing and doing another.
A small backstory: Everyone remembers the images of President Bush standing at Ground Zero with that Firefighter, right? Pictures of it are everywhere on the 'Net. And how many Firefighters did we lose that day in New York? Over 300. 300+!!! Statistically, a little over 100 Firefighters die each year in the entire nation. What New York, and what the Firefighting Brotherhood around the world, lost that day is three times the annual national average. On the date that matches their call to action (911, duh), hundreds answered that call for the last time, giving the ultimate sacrifice in order to uphold their primary duty: To Save A Life.
And Bush? He denies funding to Fire Departments.
That's right. The very people who lost so many, the people he stood side by side with at Ground Zero in the days following the attacks. He is now denying them funds, be it for department use or to assist the families of those brothers we lost.
I come from a small volunteer department. We don't have the money that professional departments or alot of other volunteer companies have. Our newest piece of apparatus is over 20 years old. Yet they serve perfectly with minimal problems. In short, we barely get by. We don't have the money to provide our members the proper training we need to do our jobs correctly and safely. We do not have the gear to give to active members, reducing the number of hands available on-scene. We have to fundraise our asses off just to break even.
There must be literally thousands of other companies, both professional and volunteer, that are in the same boat.
And Bush denies us funding. Shame on you, Dub-ya. You should be impeached for denying America the resources (their own money, no less) to do what it has to do to keep itself safe, healthy and alive. Bad form.
I know it isn't "nerd" news, but damnit, this nerd has a duty he is compelled to do, because very few others choose to do. To save the life of someone else, be they family, friend or complete stranger, is the greatest calling in the entire human race.
And to fuck that up is Un-American, and more importantly, inhuman...
Now, is that Digital Rights Managment or Digital Rights Manipulation? It's not the Government that's eliminating our rights, people. It's the "Big Businesses" that are going way too far in enforcing their copyrights. "Fair Use" will become an endangered term if we allow this to keep up.
While it never seems to do any good, I'm encouraging everyone here to write their local Government Lackey (read, Congressman/woman) and tell them "Hey. Fuck you. Fair Use is our right. We spend our money, that particular piece of Media becomes ours to do with as we see fit." Granted, we shouldn't be handing over this stuff to people who haven't paid their share of the cost, but come on.
Recently, there has been an alarming rash of Patenting and subsequent lawsuits of things from , to E-Mail Forwarding and the extremely stupid renig of the free portion of the MP3 license.
This has got to stop. We might end up relying on the Government to put a stop to this madness, otherwise we're going to have a Digital Oligarchy...
Yet another thing for Europe to brag about. Could it be due to the fact that the Telecomm's here in the states are lagging behind in getting areas wired? As a country that's essentially the bastard child of European countries, you'ld think that this new finding would make us kick ourselves into high gear. We surpassed their centuries of being a dominant force in under 250 years. Now they're coming back in like 10 years. That's just wrong. Everyone knows we're the better nation...
So, does this mean that the French are online more, and are finally learning that women with hairy pits are just nasty? One can only pray that they discover the razor blade. Otherwise, France's nude beaches are just display showcases for nasty broads who look like they have Don King in a headlock...