Did he read the same books I did?
on
David Brin On LOTR
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· Score: 2, Insightful
The tale of the ring is huge and covers many themes, but I can't imagine twisting a story as thouroughly as he did, even ententionally.
The central theme of The War of the Ring to me is that each person matters, any race, any sex, any size, any level of intellegence. Even characters that were failures their entire lives were able to find within themselves (at least) one shining moment to make their world a better place.
Are these ideas antiquated, belonging only in our past?
The subject of leaky abstractions applies to novice users as well.
I've felt for a long time that people are taught about computers the wrong way, and this article clarifies why this is true.
People are taught less and less about what the computer actually does, and instead focus on things like the desktop analogy, and task oriented training. The user must then remember all these seemingly strange things computers do that don't follow the abstraction they were taught. This makes them seem difficult and incomprehensable.
The problems created by abstractions intended for users can simply be solved with more complicated software that better models the analogy that the users are taught. Unfortunately, the opposite is probably true for programmers.
Also, how many average people are going to be able to program it? Most folks use 4 remotes when a programmable universal remote is already available for the devices they have.
There is one thing more important than user friendly with technical junk...*indestructability*
Technophobia is still at heart only fear. If you design your gadget so that you simply can not break it with the basic interface, then you eliminate the fear factor.
This will mean that some advanced features are *not* going to be part of the basic interface.
This would give people the freedom to play with their computers, VCR's, TV's, whatever to their heart's content, and they know if they don't cross this line, they can't break it.
Until that time, if you can't set the clock on your VCR, don't own a computer!
You-know-who that he is referring to is likely Jamie Wakefield, as further evidenced by his reference to punching 'Jankfield' later in the article.
Wakefield was a well known magic player and columnist who quit the game for Asheron's Call. Many magic players were fans of his articles, which were better thought out and written than this piece of tripe IMO.
If the author is consistant, he is likely to want to punch me in the skull. My email address is zaphod(at)charter.net, feel free to contact me for my physical address.
This is a plea to someone out there planning suicide..
First off, are you sure that your temporary problems are worth a permanent solution?
That being said, if you do go through with it, would you *please* make certain you are playing Mozart's requiem for the dead, and obsess over Edgar Allen Poe, and Macbeth before you go?
Maybe if these pinheads see someone committing suicide to the tune of classical music and literature, they will wake up, and frantically wave down the clue bus. (Thanks for the quote Tweety)
-Zaphod
Streetfighter was all I did in the early nineties.
on
Bang The Machine
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· Score: 1
Sad but true.
I recall beating folks by watching the screen in the mirror on the ceiling...
The fact that the arcade is disapearing is lamentable, and I'm glad someone has captured some of it's.. well glory isn't quite the right word.
I'd go into SF Alpha 3 witdrawal if it wasn't for Mame. Mame rules.
The User's License Agreement may or may not hold up in court, but the fundamental reasons for banning the sale of virtual items are unsupportable.
The argument is that sale of virtual items is damaging to the in game economy, and hurts the other players of the game. If this is true, then the in-game economy is already broken.
People can and will give powerful items and commodities to other players for free, whether they are friends, guildmates, or a second account owned by the same person. To the game, this is exactly the same effect as player A selling some pile of junk to player B for real cash.
Over time the line between 'real' money and virtual money will become increasingly blurred. ULA's like the ones existing game companies enforce are going to fail in the court system eventually.. I suggest game makers start making their economies robust enough to deal with it.
Software and movies.. both are code of some kind manipulating hardware to produce images on a screen. What is the difference? If intellectual property is to exist, then one broad law should be able to cover media copyright in any form. It should clearly state what fair use and restrictions exist. Until some sane version exists, people will simply do what they please.
The whole concept of intellectual property was intended to encourage innovation, but it has been appropriated and corrupted by corporations to protect their interests. The whole mess looks like a power user's windows registry after 3 years of abuse.. format and reinstall time baby.
Slashdot Mirror
The tale of the ring is huge and covers many themes, but I can't imagine twisting a story as thouroughly as he did, even ententionally.
The central theme of The War of the Ring to me is that each person matters, any race, any sex, any size, any level of intellegence. Even characters that were failures their entire lives were able to find within themselves (at least) one shining moment to make their world a better place.
Are these ideas antiquated, belonging only in our past?
NO!
-Zaphod
Cartman may be round, but even he had to say...
No... more... pie...
-Zaphod
The subject of leaky abstractions applies to novice users as well.
I've felt for a long time that people are taught about computers the wrong way, and this article clarifies why this is true.
People are taught less and less about what the computer actually does, and instead focus on things like the desktop analogy, and task oriented training. The user must then remember all these seemingly strange things computers do that don't follow the abstraction they were taught. This makes them seem difficult and incomprehensable.
The problems created by abstractions intended for users can simply be solved with more complicated software that better models the analogy that the users are taught. Unfortunately, the opposite is probably true for programmers.
-Zaphod
So the solution to cell phone idiots is to figure out a way to put in a nice (19) on the conversation process!
-Z
Sounds like a security nightmare to me.
Also, how many average people are going to be able to program it? Most folks use 4 remotes when a programmable universal remote is already available for the devices they have.
-Zaphod
Apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at all.
-Z
At the repair shop I work at, about one third of the systems I got were klez victims, all the same variant.
.exe files by failing to detect a preinfected fileand trashing the backup exe.
Oddly enough, the article doesn't mention this variant, which breaks
It scares me that there must be thousands of infected computers with less damaging varients right in my home town. =/
-Zaphod
There is one thing more important than user friendly with technical junk...*indestructability*
Technophobia is still at heart only fear. If you design your gadget so that you simply can not break it with the basic interface, then you eliminate the fear factor.
This will mean that some advanced features are *not* going to be part of the basic interface.
This would give people the freedom to play with their computers, VCR's, TV's, whatever to their heart's content, and they know if they don't cross this line, they can't break it.
Until that time, if you can't set the clock on your VCR, don't own a computer!
-Zaphod
You-know-who that he is referring to is likely Jamie Wakefield, as further evidenced by his reference to punching 'Jankfield' later in the article.
Wakefield was a well known magic player and columnist who quit the game for Asheron's Call. Many magic players were fans of his articles, which were better thought out and written than this piece of tripe IMO.
If the author is consistant, he is likely to want to punch me in the skull. My email address is zaphod(at)charter.net, feel free to contact me for my physical address.
-Zaphod
Of course there would be warring factions of clerics that worship the opposing gods Emacs and VI.
-Z
Charter?
Not in my area.. No filters on any setup I've seen. I hate TV, so I doesn't help me any. =/
This is a plea to someone out there planning suicide..
First off, are you sure that your temporary problems are worth a permanent solution?
That being said, if you do go through with it, would you *please* make certain you are playing Mozart's requiem for the dead, and obsess over Edgar Allen Poe, and Macbeth before you go?
Maybe if these pinheads see someone committing suicide to the tune of classical music and literature, they will wake up, and frantically wave down the clue bus. (Thanks for the quote Tweety)
-Zaphod
Sad but true.
I recall beating folks by watching the screen in the mirror on the ceiling...
The fact that the arcade is disapearing is lamentable, and I'm glad someone has captured some of it's.. well glory isn't quite the right word.
I'd go into SF Alpha 3 witdrawal if it wasn't for Mame. Mame rules.
-Z
The User's License Agreement may or may not hold up in court, but the fundamental reasons for banning the sale of virtual items are unsupportable.
The argument is that sale of virtual items is damaging to the in game economy, and hurts the other players of the game. If this is true, then the in-game economy is already broken.
People can and will give powerful items and commodities to other players for free, whether they are friends, guildmates, or a second account owned by the same person. To the game, this is exactly the same effect as player A selling some pile of junk to player B for real cash.
Over time the line between 'real' money and virtual money will become increasingly blurred. ULA's like the ones existing game companies enforce are going to fail in the court system eventually.. I suggest game makers start making their economies robust enough to deal with it.
-Zaphod
Software and movies.. both are code of some kind manipulating hardware to produce images on a screen. What is the difference? If intellectual property is to exist, then one broad law should be able to cover media copyright in any form. It should clearly state what fair use and restrictions exist. Until some sane version exists, people will simply do what they please.
The whole concept of intellectual property was intended to encourage innovation, but it has been appropriated and corrupted by corporations to protect their interests. The whole mess looks like a power user's windows registry after 3 years of abuse.. format and reinstall time baby.
-Zaphod