Yep, everybody thinks the press is biased. I happen to think it's biased in a conservative direction. I also think that the reason newspapers and magazines are in trouble is not because their product is "crap." I think it's more because there is such a plethora of stuff to read on the internet that coincides precisely with readers' own biases that they gravitate towards that. Why bother with real news when you can fulfill your sense of outrage by reading Drudge?
"Neighbours are allowed weapons sizeable to a small army and shoot trespassers with impunity
Actually that sounds pretty awesome.:)"
Democrats, Republicans. Whatever. What I'm interested in is civilization and civilized behavior, which apparently you aren't. You do have a point about tolerance, which Obama at least seems to have a good deal of. On the other hand, it would be hard to imagine a more whiny bunch than the Republicans right now. They lose the election by a large margin and all of the sudden they're talking about seceding from the union. Give me a break.
"The beauty is that a hundred years from now they will actually laugh at the fools that expect you to pay to watch the crap of the past century."
It probably won't unfold that way. The works will fall out of fashion--all the quicker because fewer people will make derived works due to cost--and this will cause them to be forgotten entirely. In the future, even if a song has been entirely forgotten and no one even knows who to contact for the copyright to the song it won't be able to be used in, say, a documentary because no one will take the chance of a lawsuit when a copyright holder finally steps forward. And this is how culture dies. Locked away in a lawyers file cabinet.
Really. It's so much better here in the US. Instead of CURP numbers and all that hassle the NSA just taps the phone companies on the shoulder and they give out whatever the government needs.
It's a good point. Most people don't understand what an OS even is. They just want to run some programs. It doesn't occur to them that all those little UI annoyances of Windows are even annoyances.
This is a me-too response but after having had some of the same thoughts as the original poster I'd like to say go for it if you are really interested in computers/IT. I recently finished my masters in computer science. At the age of 47. I had my first internship at age 45 (!) and ended up getting hired at what I think is an awesome place (a NASA center). This is all after having spent a lifetime in commercial photography.
I worried about ageism for the whole time. In the end, however, it seems that being willing to work hard and being diligent go a long, long way toward making you as desirable as a younger person. Plus, you're likely to have developed people skills and that the young ones haven't even dreamed they need yet. Before you know it, you'll be in management. Oh, wait, this was supposed to be an encouraging post.
I'm beginning to think this "Mac zealot" business is a figment of overly sensitive Windows users imaginations. I work at a place where around 40-50% of the employees choose to use a Mac. The only derisive comments I EVER hear are little snipes aimed at Macs by the Windows crowd. "The page isn't loading? Is it because you're using a Mac?" "You just can't get any work done on a Mac." And yet the Windows crowd loves to complain about Microsoft. I think Microsoft owes their success to the Stockholm syndrome.
Yes, I'm sure I did paint that comment with my widest brush. Of course there are good builders. Just probably not in Santa Monica unless you're in the multi-million dollar range. And I should mention that I did in fact grow up in the midwest, where stuff had to be built well to withstand the winters.:-)
Or perhaps he's not bigoted but simply lives in Southern California, where construction quality is an absolute joke, especially for new housing. My wife and I moved into a new condo that subsequently required $30,000 of repairs to make it mostly rain proof (there's still some work that needs to be done). That money came out of our pockets as the builder refused to correct the situation, and as it turns out lawyers are absolutely worthless when it comes to getting anything results when it comes to "small" jobs like this.
Lest you think this is a one-of-a-kind situation, this is the second new building we've been in in the past 7 years. The first one was exactly the same situation. Pretty building, crap construction that you can't see because it's hidden behind the walls and under the roof. So, yeah, I'd love to try a Japanese built house. Built to last only 30 years you say? That would be an improvement over the one we're living in now.
Yes, it would. But people would lose out on all the experience they are giving their 3-year-olds by letting them practice parking. At least I'm sure that's what's happening judging by the parking jobs I see on a daily basis.
Just because OP isn't fantasizing about performing brutal historical acts doesn't mean he is trying to ignore history. He is actually probably keenly aware of history and declines to glorify tactics such as "killing or enslaving peasants." In fact, it is people like OP are the ones trying to move society forward, not the people who are obsessed with reliving brutalities of the past and present.
In discussions such as these it's interesting to note that people who are offended by violent games and simply choose not to play them are told that they are "idiots" or that they are "missing the point." It comes across as defensive posturing by people who enjoy violence.
Slashdot Mirror
"...but they ought to be smart enough to take the feedback and do something with it."
The editors don't need this kind of feedback. They've had feedback for years. It's called Letters to the Editor.
"What color is the sky on your planet, anyway?"
It's blue. I'm sure your paisley sky is much more interesting, however.
Yep, everybody thinks the press is biased. I happen to think it's biased in a conservative direction. I also think that the reason newspapers and magazines are in trouble is not because their product is "crap." I think it's more because there is such a plethora of stuff to read on the internet that coincides precisely with readers' own biases that they gravitate towards that. Why bother with real news when you can fulfill your sense of outrage by reading Drudge?
Also, your first sentence doesn't make any sense.
"Neighbours are allowed weapons sizeable to a small army and shoot trespassers with impunity
Actually that sounds pretty awesome. :)"
Democrats, Republicans. Whatever. What I'm interested in is civilization and civilized behavior, which apparently you aren't. You do have a point about tolerance, which Obama at least seems to have a good deal of. On the other hand, it would be hard to imagine a more whiny bunch than the Republicans right now. They lose the election by a large margin and all of the sudden they're talking about seceding from the union. Give me a break.
"The beauty is that a hundred years from now they will actually laugh at the fools that expect you to pay to watch the crap of the past century."
It probably won't unfold that way. The works will fall out of fashion--all the quicker because fewer people will make derived works due to cost--and this will cause them to be forgotten entirely. In the future, even if a song has been entirely forgotten and no one even knows who to contact for the copyright to the song it won't be able to be used in, say, a documentary because no one will take the chance of a lawsuit when a copyright holder finally steps forward. And this is how culture dies. Locked away in a lawyers file cabinet.
You mean sort of like what Bush Co. did to Valerie Plame?
Really. It's so much better here in the US. Instead of CURP numbers and all that hassle the NSA just taps the phone companies on the shoulder and they give out whatever the government needs.
It's a good point. Most people don't understand what an OS even is. They just want to run some programs. It doesn't occur to them that all those little UI annoyances of Windows are even annoyances.
This is a me-too response but after having had some of the same thoughts as the original poster I'd like to say go for it if you are really interested in computers/IT. I recently finished my masters in computer science. At the age of 47. I had my first internship at age 45 (!) and ended up getting hired at what I think is an awesome place (a NASA center). This is all after having spent a lifetime in commercial photography.
I worried about ageism for the whole time. In the end, however, it seems that being willing to work hard and being diligent go a long, long way toward making you as desirable as a younger person. Plus, you're likely to have developed people skills and that the young ones haven't even dreamed they need yet. Before you know it, you'll be in management. Oh, wait, this was supposed to be an encouraging post.
I'm beginning to think this "Mac zealot" business is a figment of overly sensitive Windows users imaginations. I work at a place where around 40-50% of the employees choose to use a Mac. The only derisive comments I EVER hear are little snipes aimed at Macs by the Windows crowd. "The page isn't loading? Is it because you're using a Mac?" "You just can't get any work done on a Mac." And yet the Windows crowd loves to complain about Microsoft. I think Microsoft owes their success to the Stockholm syndrome.
You are likely to be eaten by a GRU...
Sweet. After the failed OCO launch this is great news.
Sounds to me it's more like smokescreen voting.
Yes, I'm sure I did paint that comment with my widest brush. Of course there are good builders. Just probably not in Santa Monica unless you're in the multi-million dollar range. And I should mention that I did in fact grow up in the midwest, where stuff had to be built well to withstand the winters. :-)
Man, your neighborhood sounds charming....
Or perhaps he's not bigoted but simply lives in Southern California, where construction quality is an absolute joke, especially for new housing. My wife and I moved into a new condo that subsequently required $30,000 of repairs to make it mostly rain proof (there's still some work that needs to be done). That money came out of our pockets as the builder refused to correct the situation, and as it turns out lawyers are absolutely worthless when it comes to getting anything results when it comes to "small" jobs like this.
Lest you think this is a one-of-a-kind situation, this is the second new building we've been in in the past 7 years. The first one was exactly the same situation. Pretty building, crap construction that you can't see because it's hidden behind the walls and under the roof. So, yeah, I'd love to try a Japanese built house. Built to last only 30 years you say? That would be an improvement over the one we're living in now.
"Which one is the chemist? And which one is the guy who died on a passenger ship in the first half of the 1900s? "
So, you're saying you faked your own death?
Yes, it would. But people would lose out on all the experience they are giving their 3-year-olds by letting them practice parking. At least I'm sure that's what's happening judging by the parking jobs I see on a daily basis.
"PS - can we avoid turning this into a fanboy flamewar - just this once?"
No, not when you start out the conversation like this:
"It's not that impressive, every douche already owns one."
So, no, apparently we can't. And you started it.
Just think of it as a short Gitmo stint.
And even worse posts in 3, 2, 1...
Just because OP isn't fantasizing about performing brutal historical acts doesn't mean he is trying to ignore history. He is actually probably keenly aware of history and declines to glorify tactics such as "killing or enslaving peasants." In fact, it is people like OP are the ones trying to move society forward, not the people who are obsessed with reliving brutalities of the past and present.
In discussions such as these it's interesting to note that people who are offended by violent games and simply choose not to play them are told that they are "idiots" or that they are "missing the point." It comes across as defensive posturing by people who enjoy violence.
I know. I really don't expect the Mac fad to last for yet another 25 years, do you?
So, you're saying you got a product for free that wasn't well designed and not particularly well done? ;-)
"But being that a standard computer has the brain power of a bug..."
I didn't realize we were that close to replacing most humans with robots.
You'll first have to replace the default install of netcat with one that was compiled with the GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE flag set.