The good news may really be that the developers get most of the money and this will probably result in a greater percentage of your $50 being reinvested in the game via more content, expansions, new versions, etc.
Which is savings.. =). Man, what I wouldn't give to pay for more linux ports on games - this way it might actually happen.
This is how things are supposed to work. The RIAA and MPAA should take a lesson from these guys. Wow, pay for good content (program) get to use it as much/wherever you want and completely bypass the middleman = savings for the consumer.
Absolutely ridiculous that the music/video industry is refusing change or developing a new distrubution system like these guys are. I mean, consider what this will mean for small-time game developers. They get to keep a large share of the profits, reach a broader audience, and not have to deal with the bullsh*t that is typical of most game publishers. As for the consumer, you get cheaper games plain and simple.
Seriously, imagine this applied to the recording/music industry and I guess I realize why they are so afraid of the new digital medium.
That's not so funny. Before our local telco turned into ALltell they said that exact thing - we want to charge by the minute b/c of internet usage. Phreaking scary.
Man, after seeing the article on the bill-formerly-known-as-the-SSSCA as well as the scientologists delisted Xenu.net I thought today was going to be a bad day for (best braveheart voice) FREEDOM!
However, after google did this I must say this once again: Google ownz joo!
Improved a litte (I think) Spellchecked and all. Also, you should really say things that you liked them doing - makes them think you are an informed voter.
Senator Nelson,
I am writing to you with regards to the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion (formerly known as the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act) Act recently introduced by Senator Hollings onto the senate floor.
Do not be fooled by the sudden change in the bills name. This piece of legislation is not only inherently flawed but a true danger to the concept of 'fair use' of copyrighted materials and will do irreparable harm the computer and electronics industry.
This bill's intended design is to stop the distribution of copyrighted material, specifically movies and songs, across digital media by prohibits the sale of any kind of electronic device -- unless that device includes copy-protection standards to be set by the federal government. This sounds reasonable - until further examination.
Such a bill would require us to turn our computers, dvd-players, camcorders, etc into little more than a device for the recording and music industry to own. This is in response to the millions of songs and videos traded every yea across the internet. Senator Hollings, and his backers Disney, RIAA, and MPAA, believe that this will ruin their business and destroy profits - notwithstanding existing fair use copyright laws and ignoring the fact that much of music and video is traded legally, by bands trying to start out as well as the possible ramifications for consumers and the computer and electronics industry.
Their argument doesn't even make sense in the light that profits in the music/video industry continue to raise despite these methods having existed for 3 years. I am sure they will use the fact that only 'X out of X movies turn a profit'. This is not the consumer's fault that Hollywood is producing sub-standard movies that don't make money. They make the assumption that everyone is stealing from the recording/movie industry and must be stopped.
This might sound familiar. In the 1980's the VCR and Cassette where introduced. The recording and music industry immediately filed suit using the same arguments they use today - claiming they would destroy profits, etc. They didn't of course, today the movie studios derive 80% of their profits from VCR rentals and sales and cassettes had no discernable effect upon the music industry.
A similar situation exists today - the Music and Recording industry's refuse to adopt to a new distribution system and instead want to keep on doing things the same, old way - this time with congress's help. They haven't offered us any choice in getting digital media besides trading with other people. Most internet users would gladly pay a reasonable rate to get high-quality music and video that they could use.
This bill wants to destroy the very concept of 'fair use' of copyrighted material Americans have enjoyed for over 220 years. In addition, the computer industry is strongly opposed to these measures. Intel co-founder Leslie Vadasz recently told congress that his company was strongly against this measure because of the economic ramifications. Who would buy a computer, or electronic device, that would only play, or run, what the MPAA and the RIAA 'allowed' you to use? Mr. Vadasz asserted that this legislation would likely cause computer sales to plummet and the technology to stagnate as consumers hold onto to their old computers, not to mention the technical difficulty involved in doing so. The CSS protection the movie industry uses for its DVD's was 'cracked' after only a month. Microsoft's 'activation scheme' was cracked before Windows XP was even released! Also, he said that as an American company that pours $13.5 billion dollars into the U.S. economy every year, wants the freedom to independently negotiate the specifications for its equipment with the studios, without Congressional intervention.
I am a firm believer in a copyright holder's right to protect their works, but no law should prevent copyright purchasers from exercising their rights. The CBDTPA goes too far in condemning piracy -- it prevents MANY of the rights given to the purchasers of a copy written material. Let the free market offer better ways to protect the rights of the copyright holders, such as better research into encryption technology, or let the software manufacturers create their own hardware that will only play their products. There are ways to totally lock the consumer out of their rights, without resorting to laws that will infringe on those rights. Let the software authors and publishers work them out themselves.
If you vote yes for this bill, I will have to conclude that you are not a friend of the consumers and an open market but rather a pawn to Hollywood and the Recording Industry. Mr. Nelson, I am not usually a one-issue voter. You have done many good things for Nebraska as a especially with regards to energy issues and ethanol legislation. However, if you vote yes, I can assure you that you will have lost my vote in the next election. Please, on behalf of consumers everywhere, vote NO!
Encyclopedia Astronautica is a great, and I mean the best, site on the internet for rocketry info. Here are some of their links to the N-1, and reasons why they built it the way they did:
Actually.. right now we are in one of the coldest periods in the planets history. For 250 million years palm trees and crocodiles grew north of the artic circle and the artic ocean was ice free... Average tempature then was 22 C, now it is 12 C.
You can read more about the earth's climate history Here
What you are talking about is this. The major downwelling zones for the worlds oceans are located off the coast of greenland. These downwelling zones take cold, artic water and circulate them all the way to the pacific oceans warming them up. It is called the "oceanic conveyor belt." Without these downwelling zones the artic would be locked into a permanent ice age like antartica which has an ocean current, called the Antartic Circumpolar Current which prenvents the cold water from mixing with the warm water from the equator.
Now, if global warming occurs the following scenario might happen. Ice melts from greenland (which is mostly covered in a ice cap). THis causes the water density to change (The halocline, pycocline, thermocline) and the downwelling zones disappear. If this happens than everything North and quite a bit south of greenland would freeze b/c the cold water fromt he artic ocean wouldn't mix with the warmer water from the equator. Ergo, ice age.
A good point that will have you flamed to death. You're absolutely right. THe concept of 'censorship' doesn't apply here. The 'internet' is a private domain - henceforth free speach doesn't apply (this is why spammers can't spam and claim free speach rights- the internet isn't a public domain).
Another point you could make is that people havea choice - if you're company's internet policies are buggin you go find a new job granted not applicable in all situations but still a valid point. And if these policies are really shortsighted, dumb, etc why the heck are you working there anyways?
Finally, people are saying to not use Microsoft products since they are so vulnerable. Good point. Unfortunately, the average user has an annoying tendency to download every single attachment that comes to them - and many are just general virii not outlook specific. A place where I have done work at a place that uses GroupWise with McAfee virus scan of all attachments. We had to go and change the settings of McAfee to "clean without prompting" because 90% of the time when users where presented with the dialog that the attachemnet contained a virus they would simply run it anyways. One intrepid soul even uninstalled McAfee because it was 'bothering him to much with all these warnings.'
they will disrupt GPS operations no matter how many systems are available.
How pray tell would they do that? It is damm near impossible (short of a tactical nuke in the upper atmosphere) to disrupt or jam satelite communications. Oh, you could do it over a small area with a EW plane but not over a large area like Europe.
Not to mention the US posses no ASM (anti-satelite missles) to use on these satelites which makes shutting it down slightly difficult.
Laser/Optical links also fail after very short distances due to water, dust, etc in the atmosphere(hell, there is a VOLCANO on the island) and are extremely expensive not to mention line-of-sight only.
Cmdr. Taco already said in his IRC chat that slashdot does not, and will not, except flash or java ads precisely b/c of the reasons you outlined above.
Auctions are also a *Very* good place to get laptops. Usually you local university will have computer actions, and if you live in/close to your state capital they will also have auctions.
Historians generally consider China to hold an edge over Europe until the early 1800's. By this I mean economic capacity and standard of living - not necassarily technological edge - which, you are right, they lost to Europe early in the 17th century. Until the early-1800's China exceeded Europe in GDP, per-capita income, and Standard of Living.
As for China being/not being in the tropics, the yellow river valley (where chinese civ. developed) is considered to be in the tropics while the Yangtze valley is more of a temperate climate comparable to italy/S. France/greece.
You are right. Any spammer based outside the U.S. will be able to spam at will. BUT inside the U.S. they will be liable to prosecution AND any company USING spam who is inside the U.S. will be liable for prosecution/civil suits. Believe me, enough of these get prosecuted and you won't have many left willing to risk it. If you *knew* that if you reported spam to a government agency they would prosecute the spammers wouldn't you send every piece to them?
My point is, Nuke alone isnt useful, the only people interested in nuke are terrorists who want to kill innocent people.
The nuclear bomb is meant to be a THREAT! not actually used, all this is doing is making sure our stockpile can continue to be a threat.
If india were to use nuke on pakistan, lots of innocent people in pakistan would die, the military would launch nuke and many people in india would die, both countries would get absolutely no where.
Precisely. Which is why the nukes will *never* be used in either case. To do so would mean the destruction of either/both country's and massive world commendation. The bombs are simply deterance, or, again a THREAT against an attack and actually probably will make that area more stable in the long run (neither country wants to risk a nuclear war).
Real wars are about missions, targets, and just throwing bombs around is not something thats usually done.
Real wars are about survival and winning - without firing a shot. Nuclear weapons ensure the safety of many countrys - not a single country on earth would dare attack the U.S. directly b/c of fear of instant annihilation. Note that Taliban continued to protest its innocence until the very end; and since WWII their hasn't been a single convential attack upon the U.S. A span of 51 years.
We threw a bomb at japan but it was because back then no one knew what nuke was.
Ahhh, we knew precisely what the bomb would do - but the japanese didn't. We dropped the bomb to end the war and prevent millions of casulties that would've occured if we had invaded Japan. Even after Hiroshima/Nagasaki the majority of the Japanese war council didn't want to surrender. Only the (supposed) intervention of Emperor Hirohito caused them to surrender.
I admit - I only read hear and their and skimmed the book, so it is quite possible (probable) that I got some of my stuff mixed up. Also, I cannot seem to find my copy of his book to look at. Oh well.
The simple statement I was trying to express is that Diamond's book, and thousands like his, just don't explain the whole story of rise/fall of civilizations and are full of contradictions and, sometimes, fallacies.
Even the book I recomended to you, ReOrient, doesn't fully explain the rise of the west (I imagine if it did it would've won the pulitzer by now..). The point that has been (Drilled) into me by most of my history prof. is that NOBODY has truly figured out why some civs rise/fall.
BTW, if you want an interesting contrast between the two (current) thoughts on the Rise of Europe (Industrial revolution) I would suggest reading David Landes: Wealth and Poverty of Nations and then reading ReOrient. Landes is... painfull to read (extremely eurocentric).
Slashdot Mirror
It would also help if they would learn how to code HTML
Validate Check
For those of you too lazy to look, something like 50 errors. Go Sharp.
These stories where all hoaxes. For more information I suggest you read this which explains the origins/myths of the so-called 'phantom cosmonauts'
Links to seti@home area for sky maps.
Because any discussion of orbital mechanics will run into the pages I suggest you visit these sites:
if that doesn't help try these
If you make a open-source program, email it to me. I'd love to try it out. bill_dinger@N.O.S.P.A.M.yahoo.com
Out of curiosity - and because I don't really know - should you just call your local office or the washington one?
You forgot play-doh.
God I used to love that stuff.
100 wires embedded in his wrist
also doesn't sound like a good idea.
would YOU want a computer to always know what your wrists where doing? Didn't think so =)
The good news may really be that the developers get most of the money and this will probably result in a greater percentage of your $50 being reinvested in the game via more content, expansions, new versions, etc.
Which is savings.. =). Man, what I wouldn't give to pay for more linux ports on games - this way it might actually happen.
This is how things are supposed to work. The RIAA and MPAA should take a lesson from these guys. Wow, pay for good content (program) get to use it as much/wherever you want and completely bypass the middleman = savings for the consumer.
Absolutely ridiculous that the music/video industry is refusing change or developing a new distrubution system like these guys are. I mean, consider what this will mean for small-time game developers. They get to keep a large share of the profits, reach a broader audience, and not have to deal with the bullsh*t that is typical of most game publishers. As for the consumer, you get cheaper games plain and simple.
Seriously, imagine this applied to the recording/music industry and I guess I realize why they are so afraid of the new digital medium.
That's not so funny. Before our local telco turned into ALltell they said that exact thing - we want to charge by the minute b/c of internet usage. Phreaking scary.
Man, after seeing the article on the bill-formerly-known-as-the-SSSCA as well as the scientologists delisted Xenu.net I thought today was going to be a bad day for (best braveheart voice) FREEDOM! However, after google did this I must say this once again: Google ownz joo!
Improved a litte (I think) Spellchecked and all. Also, you should really say things that you liked them doing - makes them think you are an informed voter. Senator Nelson, I am writing to you with regards to the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion (formerly known as the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act) Act recently introduced by Senator Hollings onto the senate floor. Do not be fooled by the sudden change in the bills name. This piece of legislation is not only inherently flawed but a true danger to the concept of 'fair use' of copyrighted materials and will do irreparable harm the computer and electronics industry. This bill's intended design is to stop the distribution of copyrighted material, specifically movies and songs, across digital media by prohibits the sale of any kind of electronic device -- unless that device includes copy-protection standards to be set by the federal government. This sounds reasonable - until further examination. Such a bill would require us to turn our computers, dvd-players, camcorders, etc into little more than a device for the recording and music industry to own. This is in response to the millions of songs and videos traded every yea across the internet. Senator Hollings, and his backers Disney, RIAA, and MPAA, believe that this will ruin their business and destroy profits - notwithstanding existing fair use copyright laws and ignoring the fact that much of music and video is traded legally, by bands trying to start out as well as the possible ramifications for consumers and the computer and electronics industry. Their argument doesn't even make sense in the light that profits in the music/video industry continue to raise despite these methods having existed for 3 years. I am sure they will use the fact that only 'X out of X movies turn a profit'. This is not the consumer's fault that Hollywood is producing sub-standard movies that don't make money. They make the assumption that everyone is stealing from the recording/movie industry and must be stopped. This might sound familiar. In the 1980's the VCR and Cassette where introduced. The recording and music industry immediately filed suit using the same arguments they use today - claiming they would destroy profits, etc. They didn't of course, today the movie studios derive 80% of their profits from VCR rentals and sales and cassettes had no discernable effect upon the music industry. A similar situation exists today - the Music and Recording industry's refuse to adopt to a new distribution system and instead want to keep on doing things the same, old way - this time with congress's help. They haven't offered us any choice in getting digital media besides trading with other people. Most internet users would gladly pay a reasonable rate to get high-quality music and video that they could use. This bill wants to destroy the very concept of 'fair use' of copyrighted material Americans have enjoyed for over 220 years. In addition, the computer industry is strongly opposed to these measures. Intel co-founder Leslie Vadasz recently told congress that his company was strongly against this measure because of the economic ramifications. Who would buy a computer, or electronic device, that would only play, or run, what the MPAA and the RIAA 'allowed' you to use? Mr. Vadasz asserted that this legislation would likely cause computer sales to plummet and the technology to stagnate as consumers hold onto to their old computers, not to mention the technical difficulty involved in doing so. The CSS protection the movie industry uses for its DVD's was 'cracked' after only a month. Microsoft's 'activation scheme' was cracked before Windows XP was even released! Also, he said that as an American company that pours $13.5 billion dollars into the U.S. economy every year, wants the freedom to independently negotiate the specifications for its equipment with the studios, without Congressional intervention. I am a firm believer in a copyright holder's right to protect their works, but no law should prevent copyright purchasers from exercising their rights. The CBDTPA goes too far in condemning piracy -- it prevents MANY of the rights given to the purchasers of a copy written material. Let the free market offer better ways to protect the rights of the copyright holders, such as better research into encryption technology, or let the software manufacturers create their own hardware that will only play their products. There are ways to totally lock the consumer out of their rights, without resorting to laws that will infringe on those rights. Let the software authors and publishers work them out themselves. If you vote yes for this bill, I will have to conclude that you are not a friend of the consumers and an open market but rather a pawn to Hollywood and the Recording Industry. Mr. Nelson, I am not usually a one-issue voter. You have done many good things for Nebraska as a especially with regards to energy issues and ethanol legislation. However, if you vote yes, I can assure you that you will have lost my vote in the next election. Please, on behalf of consumers everywhere, vote NO!
Encyclopedia Astronautica is a great, and I mean the best, site on the internet for rocketry info. Here are some of their links to the N-1, and reasons why they built it the way they did:
THe N-1 StoryMore technical than the bbc article
Soviet space history, broken down by year
great site with a ton of content if you want to waste a few hours.. =)
Exactly. Why the hell are people using it anyways? Go here to download the spyware free and opensource version.
Actually.. right now we are in one of the coldest periods in the planets history. For 250 million years palm trees and crocodiles grew north of the artic circle and the artic ocean was ice free... Average tempature then was 22 C, now it is 12 C.
You can read more about the earth's climate history Here
What you are talking about is this. The major downwelling zones for the worlds oceans are located off the coast of greenland. These downwelling zones take cold, artic water and circulate them all the way to the pacific oceans warming them up. It is called the "oceanic conveyor belt." Without these downwelling zones the artic would be locked into a permanent ice age like antartica which has an ocean current, called the Antartic Circumpolar Current which prenvents the cold water from mixing with the warm water from the equator.
Now, if global warming occurs the following scenario might happen. Ice melts from greenland (which is mostly covered in a ice cap). THis causes the water density to change (The halocline, pycocline, thermocline) and the downwelling zones disappear. If this happens than everything North and quite a bit south of greenland would freeze b/c the cold water fromt he artic ocean wouldn't mix with the warmer water from the equator. Ergo, ice age.
A good point that will have you flamed to death. You're absolutely right. THe concept of 'censorship' doesn't apply here. The 'internet' is a private domain - henceforth free speach doesn't apply (this is why spammers can't spam and claim free speach rights- the internet isn't a public domain).
Another point you could make is that people havea choice - if you're company's internet policies are buggin you go find a new job granted not applicable in all situations but still a valid point. And if these policies are really shortsighted, dumb, etc why the heck are you working there anyways?
Finally, people are saying to not use Microsoft products since they are so vulnerable. Good point. Unfortunately, the average user has an annoying tendency to download every single attachment that comes to them - and many are just general virii not outlook specific. A place where I have done work at a place that uses GroupWise with McAfee virus scan of all attachments. We had to go and change the settings of McAfee to "clean without prompting" because 90% of the time when users where presented with the dialog that the attachemnet contained a virus they would simply run it anyways. One intrepid soul even uninstalled McAfee because it was 'bothering him to much with all these warnings.'
Reality is a harsh world..
Spammers often cite first ammendment rites. In addition to what you posted a key, key point in all of this is:
The internet is a private domain
Wasn't built buy gov't, not owned by gov't, etc, so doesn't enjoy the same First ammendment rights. It is 'owned' by business and individuals.
There have been a couple of court cases that have reaffirmed this but not quite sure what they are.
they will disrupt GPS operations no matter how many systems are available.
How pray tell would they do that? It is damm near impossible (short of a tactical nuke in the upper atmosphere) to disrupt or jam satelite communications. Oh, you could do it over a small area with a EW plane but not over a large area like Europe.
Not to mention the US posses no ASM (anti-satelite missles) to use on these satelites which makes shutting it down slightly difficult.
Laser/Optical links also fail after very short distances due to water, dust, etc in the atmosphere(hell, there is a VOLCANO on the island) and are extremely expensive not to mention line-of-sight only.
Cmdr. Taco already said in his IRC chat that slashdot does not, and will not, except flash or java ads precisely b/c of the reasons you outlined above.
Auctions are also a *Very* good place to get laptops. Usually you local university will have computer actions, and if you live in/close to your state capital they will also have auctions.
Historians generally consider China to hold an edge over Europe until the early 1800's. By this I mean economic capacity and standard of living - not necassarily technological edge - which, you are right, they lost to Europe early in the 17th century. Until the early-1800's China exceeded Europe in GDP, per-capita income, and Standard of Living.
As for China being/not being in the tropics, the yellow river valley (where chinese civ. developed) is considered to be in the tropics while the Yangtze valley is more of a temperate climate comparable to italy/S. France/greece.
You are right. Any spammer based outside the U.S. will be able to spam at will. BUT inside the U.S. they will be liable to prosecution AND any company USING spam who is inside the U.S. will be liable for prosecution/civil suits. Believe me, enough of these get prosecuted and you won't have many left willing to risk it. If you *knew* that if you reported spam to a government agency they would prosecute the spammers wouldn't you send every piece to them?
Wham-Bam 90% of spam is eliminated.
My point is, Nuke alone isnt useful, the only people interested in nuke are terrorists who want to kill innocent people.
The nuclear bomb is meant to be a THREAT! not actually used, all this is doing is making sure our stockpile can continue to be a threat.
If india were to use nuke on pakistan, lots of innocent people in pakistan would die, the military would launch nuke and many people in india would die, both countries would get absolutely no where.
Precisely. Which is why the nukes will *never* be used in either case. To do so would mean the destruction of either/both country's and massive world commendation. The bombs are simply deterance, or, again a THREAT against an attack and actually probably will make that area more stable in the long run (neither country wants to risk a nuclear war).
Real wars are about missions, targets, and just throwing bombs around is not something thats usually done.
Real wars are about survival and winning - without firing a shot. Nuclear weapons ensure the safety of many countrys - not a single country on earth would dare attack the U.S. directly b/c of fear of instant annihilation. Note that Taliban continued to protest its innocence until the very end; and since WWII their hasn't been a single convential attack upon the U.S. A span of 51 years.
We threw a bomb at japan but it was because back then no one knew what nuke was.
Ahhh, we knew precisely what the bomb would do - but the japanese didn't. We dropped the bomb to end the war and prevent millions of casulties that would've occured if we had invaded Japan. Even after Hiroshima/Nagasaki the majority of the Japanese war council didn't want to surrender. Only the (supposed) intervention of Emperor Hirohito caused them to surrender.
I admit - I only read hear and their and skimmed the book, so it is quite possible (probable) that I got some of my stuff mixed up. Also, I cannot seem to find my copy of his book to look at. Oh well.
The simple statement I was trying to express is that Diamond's book, and thousands like his, just don't explain the whole story of rise/fall of civilizations and are full of contradictions and, sometimes, fallacies.
Even the book I recomended to you, ReOrient, doesn't fully explain the rise of the west (I imagine if it did it would've won the pulitzer by now..). The point that has been (Drilled) into me by most of my history prof. is that NOBODY has truly figured out why some civs rise/fall.
BTW, if you want an interesting contrast between the two (current) thoughts on the Rise of Europe (Industrial revolution) I would suggest reading David Landes: Wealth and Poverty of Nations and then reading ReOrient. Landes is... painfull to read (extremely eurocentric).