I've sat here and watched numerous slashdotters rant about steam and it's delays and what-not. I agree... it's a big hassle.
But on the other hand, steam does have its good qualities. It *does* discourage cheating (though I'm sure it's possible to bypass the system), and I think valve has done a good job of compensating for the disadvantages by adding a few other features:
Server listings -- Wanna play cstrike? Start up steam and it'll tell you who's playing where.
Friends list -- keep track of playing buddies, join them on a server, etc.
Automatic updates -- so you can easily get the latest version of half-life, cstrike, team fortress, etc with little worry.
Of course when a game this highly anticipated is released, there are going to be problems with too many people trying to authenticate at one time, but I really think Valve is trying their hardest. You've all waited patiently for several *years* to get this game, so what's another hour or two?
This sounds like one of those topics in high school where if you sounded interested you were written a raincheck for an after school beating by the rugby team.
That's a badge of honor, dude. I'd put that on my resume under "Experience" -- beat up 25 times in high school for being a "geek" or "nerd"
Mathematical formulas indicate an understanding of such laws, so without that understanding, your cell phone wouldn't work.
So you're saying that if I didn't know a mathematical representation of heat loss/gain within a system that an ice cube won't cool my cola as it melts?
Finally, we have some real competition to Apple's monopoly of online music stores. This is what competition is all about. Microsoft is offering higher quality music, and at lower prices.
Look at the article a little closer. Notice anything? "IE is required to use the store". You'll also notice that they require the use of windows media player to actually play the files. Basically, this whole thing is one of Microsoft's ploys to expand use of their buggy, insecure software. I, for one, would stick to iTunes if I had a need to download mp3s
How can the monopolies commission come down like a ton of bricks on Microsoft for locking people into a technology, when the only way you can legally download music for the iPod is through iTunes?
There are *plenty* of alternative mp3/minidisk/mp3cd players out there. Just because Apple is the sole provider for their product doesn't make it a monopoly.
Not that they are the sole provider... My roomate, for example, rips all his cds and puts the tracks on his iPod (he's still not even *close* to the 40GB limit), and I'm sure there are several other sites you can (legally) use to download music. Napster has become legit now, hasn't it?
Er, how can you call people who don't produce any open source code part of an open source community?
People who use open source tools (or other software) are just as much a part of the open source community as consumers are a part of a capitalist economy. Though they do not actively contribute to a specific product, they are supporting those that create products.
This is probably redundant, but anyway... I'll use an email as an example:
This process forces the sender to spend *more* time to get it's message through than it would for the recipient to have it verified and recieved -- It's basically a counter-spam algorithm. If the spammer has to create tokens left and right, it's going to slow him down a bit, thus the recipient gets less email from one specific person. On the other end, after the token is produced, it doesn't take much time for the recipient server to verify and allow the email through, thus the recipient machine does less work.
Hmmm... I guess it's harder to wrap your head around (and write out what you mean) than I thought.
Can someone explain the concept behind this in a little uhh easier terms.
Here's how I understand it:
Imagine you have to do a research paper. Though it takes a long time to write this research paper, what you turn in to your professor is (relatively) quickly checked. The paper itself is like a POW token -- It proves that you did the work without you having to redo the work while the teacher is watching.
So in other words, the laws are there to protect people who haven't take the time to ensure they've protected themselves?
no, the laws are there to protect people that are too ignorant to know that what there doing is risky -- and there will *always* be ignorant people, thus laws, or "government control" is neccessary.
But my point is that he's bashing lawmakers *just* for making laws -- it's like bitching at birds for flying! I've seen legitamate arguments against this law, but bitching about a law just because it's a law is just low-class.
Yeah! More government control! This is what we always wanted!
Yeah, yeah... we all know you got your computer and instantly turned off that "messenger" service, so for you it doesn't matter if everyone in the world wants to send you this sort of spam.
But guess what? Not everyone does. The average computer user still uses internet explorer and doesn't even know what "windows update" is, let alone how to use it.
Thus, laws must be made to protect the general populace. Remember, that you and I are *exceptions* within that group. I really don't think the government should be bashed just because they try to stop things that are a nuisance, or are considered morally wrong.
Slashdot Mirror
ok, enough is enough.
I've sat here and watched numerous slashdotters rant about steam and it's delays and what-not. I agree... it's a big hassle.
But on the other hand, steam does have its good qualities. It *does* discourage cheating (though I'm sure it's possible to bypass the system), and I think valve has done a good job of compensating for the disadvantages by adding a few other features:
Server listings -- Wanna play cstrike? Start up steam and it'll tell you who's playing where.
Friends list -- keep track of playing buddies, join them on a server, etc.
Automatic updates -- so you can easily get the latest version of half-life, cstrike, team fortress, etc with little worry.
Of course when a game this highly anticipated is released, there are going to be problems with too many people trying to authenticate at one time, but I really think Valve is trying their hardest. You've all waited patiently for several *years* to get this game, so what's another hour or two?
This sounds like one of those topics in high school where if you sounded interested you were written a raincheck for an after school beating by the rugby team.
That's a badge of honor, dude. I'd put that on my resume under "Experience" -- beat up 25 times in high school for being a "geek" or "nerd"
Pick one jock that you think you can beat...
that's a bad assumption to make in this crowd.
Why waste time or space?
Prime numbers are our friends. They help us with several issues in computer science, not the least of which is encryption.
check out post #10773458
-nova20
if you honestly believe [media] plays ANY hands in making people violent or sexually depraved,
Yes.
then you are trying to tell me that before media: before videogames, movies, records, books... that we were somehow peaceful and loving
That does not follow from what I believe. You are not thinking clearly.
Well then what do you believe? I'm sorry, but if you're going to make a point, you should back it up!
Mathematical formulas indicate an understanding of such laws, so without that understanding, your cell phone wouldn't work.
So you're saying that if I didn't know a mathematical representation of heat loss/gain within a system that an ice cube won't cool my cola as it melts?
-nova20
At first I thought this was something I'd have in the kitchen
Well, if you buy crappy media you'll have a lot of coasters you can use in the kitchen...
-nova20
For a web designer, this guy sure has a boring web site.
-nova20
Finally, we have some real competition to Apple's monopoly of online music stores. This is what competition is all about. Microsoft is offering higher quality music, and at lower prices.
Look at the article a little closer. Notice anything? "IE is required to use the store". You'll also notice that they require the use of windows media player to actually play the files. Basically, this whole thing is one of Microsoft's ploys to expand use of their buggy, insecure software. I, for one, would stick to iTunes if I had a need to download mp3s
-nova20
There's an ActiveX plugin for Mozilla
pardon my redundancy, but...
Gee, why don't I just go and install Banzai Buddy (or some such crap) and save myself the trouble?
-nova20
How can the monopolies commission come down like a ton of bricks on Microsoft for locking people into a technology, when the only way you can legally download music for the iPod is through iTunes?
There are *plenty* of alternative mp3/minidisk/mp3cd players out there. Just because Apple is the sole provider for their product doesn't make it a monopoly.
Not that they are the sole provider... My roomate, for example, rips all his cds and puts the tracks on his iPod (he's still not even *close* to the 40GB limit), and I'm sure there are several other sites you can (legally) use to download music. Napster has become legit now, hasn't it?
-nova20
there are activex plugins for Mozilla folks..
Gee, why don't I just go and install Banzai Buddy (or some such crap) and save myself the trouble?
-nova20
Er, how can you call people who don't produce any open source code part of an open source community?
People who use open source tools (or other software) are just as much a part of the open source community as consumers are a part of a capitalist economy. Though they do not actively contribute to a specific product, they are supporting those that create products.
-nova20
It was a harddrive a keyboard, and I think a nic card. Pretty cool stuff, I think there are still kits floating around.
HD, keyboard & mouse, NIC, and install disks. My college bought 2 kits for our PS2 development team.
-nova20
This is probably redundant, but anyway... I'll use an email as an example:
This process forces the sender to spend *more* time to get it's message through than it would for the recipient to have it verified and recieved -- It's basically a counter-spam algorithm. If the spammer has to create tokens left and right, it's going to slow him down a bit, thus the recipient gets less email from one specific person. On the other end, after the token is produced, it doesn't take much time for the recipient server to verify and allow the email through, thus the recipient machine does less work.
Hmmm... I guess it's harder to wrap your head around (and write out what you mean) than I thought.
-nova20
Can someone explain the concept behind this in a little uhh easier terms.
Here's how I understand it:
Imagine you have to do a research paper. Though it takes a long time to write this research paper, what you turn in to your professor is (relatively) quickly checked. The paper itself is like a POW token -- It proves that you did the work without you having to redo the work while the teacher is watching.
-nova20
How is the Windows icon derogaroty or belittling?? It's a WINDOW! And it even has the MS colors!
Look closer... all the window panes are cracked.
-nova20
Of the list of slashdot topics, only Microsoft and the Windows icons are of a derogatory and belittling nature.
I think that the education icon is somewhat belittling... 2+2=5 ?
-nova20
I thought "bork bork bork" was the swedish stereotype thingy, not german :O
OK, you caught me... but German just isn't as funny.
Um geesh de bork, bork!
-nova20
I think you missed his point.
Think of it like this... when I say "look at that asian kid", do you look for a middle eastern guy? No! You look for a Chinese/Japanese/etc. guy.
The point is, when someone says "asian", our minds instantly think about south*east* asia.
-nova20
Only the true geeks (the ones who love the stuff) will stay with it even when it gets rocky
Hell, I must be *really* hard core. I've been at it for almost 7 years!
-nova20
Damnit, babelfish doesn't have a "bork bork bork to english" translator!
-nova20
So in other words, the laws are there to protect people who haven't take the time to ensure they've protected themselves?
no, the laws are there to protect people that are too ignorant to know that what there doing is risky -- and there will *always* be ignorant people, thus laws, or "government control" is neccessary.
But my point is that he's bashing lawmakers *just* for making laws -- it's like bitching at birds for flying! I've seen legitamate arguments against this law, but bitching about a law just because it's a law is just low-class.
-nova20
Yeah! More government control! This is what we always wanted!
Yeah, yeah... we all know you got your computer and instantly turned off that "messenger" service, so for you it doesn't matter if everyone in the world wants to send you this sort of spam.
But guess what? Not everyone does. The average computer user still uses internet explorer and doesn't even know what "windows update" is, let alone how to use it.
Thus, laws must be made to protect the general populace. Remember, that you and I are *exceptions* within that group. I really don't think the government should be bashed just because they try to stop things that are a nuisance, or are considered morally wrong.
-nova20
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Windows is not responding. We are going down!
It seems the plane's resources are being used up by a program called... "sol.exe"????
-nova20