" But donating $20 to the EFF doesn't seem moronic. RTFA"
Or the $9700 it's up to now. Who would've thought the slashdot effect could ever have a positive side for anyone.
Granted, that's probably not a serious bid.
from the xantus page "Just contact your local police department and ask if there are any state or local ordinances preventing you from landing a helicopter in your yard."
" Actually Microsoft is the only company I have ever seen that can delay a product 5 or 6 times and THEN rush it out the door ready or not."
I guess you never played Ultima Ascension:)
"Even though PostgreSQL has more features and is more promising and powerful, mySQL gets more publicity. This means that mySQL will be the open source database that will replace most commercial databases."
Um, no it doesn't. MySQL's popularity has absolutely nothing to do with it's ability to replace most commercial databases. Even if MySQL is the only open source option, if it doesn't have the features that companies need then they won't switch.
"Lawyers are the middle-(wo)men in all this. "
Those poor innocent drug dealers are middle men too... they don't make the drugs or create the need for them.
"Removing the lawyers won't solve the problem."
I'll agree with you on that. Lawyers may not be the sole problem but they are far from innocent in perpetuating the problem.
"while the cost of producing games increases exponentially as new technology comes online, consumer prices stay approximately the same"
Ok, I'll agree that the cost of producing games has gone up quite a bit but the cost of buying games has too. I sure don't remember paying $50 for every game when I was a kid. I think they were more like $20-$30.
There's also other things to consider like how many more copies of games are sold now. I'm just guessing it's quite a bit higher. We'll just forget about that one since I don't have numbers to back it up.
Another problem I have with this is the fact that engines can be reused/licensed so they don't have a huge development cost. Let's take for example Battlefield 1942. When I bought that game, I think it was $40. Road to Rome expansion pack was $20 and the Secret Weapons expansion coming out soon is another $30.
Oh, and I almost forgot about games like Ultima Online that get a monthly fee out of you for playing. So I really don't think it can be said that games cost a lot more to produce but that cost isn't being passed onto the consumer.
"What if we could do what the DOJ couldn't, and in the process make Eolas and everybody else, possibly excluding MS, richer? Wouldn't Eolas stand to profit more in such a scenario than any kind of pre-trial settlement could provide? Wouldn't everybody else?""
Sounds to me like Mr. Doyle isn't really any better than Bill Gates. He's not looking to change the way things are as much as just change who's in control and has the most money.
"who is going to keep the insurance companies in check?"
The same people keeping them in check now I presume. That would explain why my homeowner's insurance went up 37% in one year even though I haven't filed any claims. My experience with auto ins. isn't any better.
"Second, source code errors and typos appear regularly enough to frustrate an inexperienced reader."
but earlier you said
"4) The author encourages the reader to use a computer to enter, run and debug the book's programming examples"
Everyone that's ever had a programming class knows all of those errors were intentionaly put there to test you. At least that's what my profs always told me when they gave the class buggy code.
It may be regional to some degree but I think it has more to do with people than where they're located. I noticed a post yesterday where someone stated that MSN was the most popular in the Midwest part of the US.
I live in the Midwest and I've only ever had 2 friends that used MSN. One of them used it for a little but primarly used ICQ and I don't think he uses MSN at all any more. I lost touch with the other so I'm not sure if she still uses MSN or not.
Out of the people I know, I would say a majority use ICQ, followed by Yahoo, then AIM and MSN last.
I would guess that age might play a bit of a role. I started using ICQ when it first came out and there were no other options, as did most of my friends. If I was a few years younger though, I would have had at least 4 to choose from when I first started and I may have chose MSN since it comes with Windows.
haha, i was just going to post that but I didn't have a synopsis.
incidentally, the story summary even mentions that " they generally use artists who reconstruct the face by building up layers of clay over the skull." compared to using software so I don't know why there are so many 'this is old news' posts.
I'll admit I don't always read the articles but I at least read the summary on slashdot.
What kind of customizations are you talking about exactly?
You can change settings in Windows XP to make it look pretty much like 98. I'm talking about changing themes, folder options, control panel view, etc. I assume Longhorn will at least have that level of customization.
Much more customization than that probably wouldn't be worth the effort because as you said, only a small percentage of people would want it. Also consider that makes things much more difficult from a support standpoint.
Just the other day, one of our janitors was going down the hall introducing people to his new friend 'recycle man' which was constructed out of a bunch of blue styrofoam packing material.
He gets to make things and all I get is the internet.
Yea, I get paid more as a programmer than he does as a janitor but that's not my point. The point is, you don't need a computer with a web browser in front of you to goof off at work. I've never worked in construction but I'm sure they have their own way of goofing off, whether it's just standing around talking or practicing their aim with a nail gun.
I disagree. I always kind of wondered why Aragorn or anyone stronger than a hobbit didn't pull Gandalf back up but I don't think he necessarily planned on defeating the blarog and being brought back as Gandalf the White.
I took it as more of a self sacrificing move for the good of the fellowship. He knew that if they tried to help him, there would be a better chance they would be captured or someone else would get killed.
That was my interpretation anyway.
sorry, I hit my limit of articles before I got to that one so I had to pull a 'didn't RTFA':)
plus, I was mostly concerned with bringing down the 'homeless people are subhuman so who cares' attitude.
"Also, this would help hospitals treat patients they have never seen before, as it could assist them in identifying a mentally ill person that needs a specific form of medication."
That applies to everyone, whether they're homeless/mentally handicapped or not. Are you ready to be tagged?
I might end up in a serious car accident some day leaving me unconscious. It would be really helpful if I have some implant so medical personel could find out who I was and see my medical history. That doesn't mean I'm going to volunteer to be tagged and tracked like an animal though.
I haven't found any mention of Blast Corps 2 on ebgames, ign or even nintendo's web site. Do you have any links about it? I played the first on the N64 and it was one of my favorite games.
I can't believe you have a GC and don't know when Double Dash is coming out.. that's just wrong.;)
I agree though, multi-player games seem to be seriously lacking. I try to get more multiplayer games because I figure my gf can play them with me and maybe won't get quite so mad when I spend too much time playing games.
I was also kind of disappointed with Mario Golf Toadstool Tour. I don't really care for sports games much but I like the nintendo themed sports games. While Mario Golf had the characters, it didn't feel much like the nintendo world to me until the last couple of courses and those were pushing it. I guess I was expecting it to be more like mini-golf where the obstacles would move in and out of your path. It's still a fun game though and I'll probably buy a copy once it gets to my price range on half.com (around $30.. I another point I agree with you on).
On a side note, you can play multiplayer Mario Karts via the internet with most emulators like nemu
Slashdot Mirror
" But donating $20 to the EFF doesn't seem moronic. RTFA"
Or the $9700 it's up to now. Who would've thought the slashdot effect could ever have a positive side for anyone.
Granted, that's probably not a serious bid.
"they don't allow you to hide all but your head and shoulders,"
Why is that a problem? Do you normally ride in cars with your pants off?
from the xantus page
:)
"Just contact your local police department and ask if there are any state or local ordinances preventing you from landing a helicopter in your yard."
that's funny.
" Actually Microsoft is the only company I have ever seen that can delay a product 5 or 6 times and THEN rush it out the door ready or not." :)
I guess you never played Ultima Ascension
"Even though PostgreSQL has more features and is more promising and powerful, mySQL gets more publicity. This means that mySQL will be the open source database that will replace most commercial databases."
Um, no it doesn't. MySQL's popularity has absolutely nothing to do with it's ability to replace most commercial databases. Even if MySQL is the only open source option, if it doesn't have the features that companies need then they won't switch.
"Lawyers are the middle-(wo)men in all this. "
Those poor innocent drug dealers are middle men too... they don't make the drugs or create the need for them.
"Removing the lawyers won't solve the problem."
I'll agree with you on that. Lawyers may not be the sole problem but they are far from innocent in perpetuating the problem.
"while the cost of producing games increases exponentially as new technology comes online, consumer prices stay approximately the same"
Ok, I'll agree that the cost of producing games has gone up quite a bit but the cost of buying games has too. I sure don't remember paying $50 for every game when I was a kid. I think they were more like $20-$30.
There's also other things to consider like how many more copies of games are sold now. I'm just guessing it's quite a bit higher. We'll just forget about that one since I don't have numbers to back it up.
Another problem I have with this is the fact that engines can be reused/licensed so they don't have a huge development cost. Let's take for example Battlefield 1942. When I bought that game, I think it was $40. Road to Rome expansion pack was $20 and the Secret Weapons expansion coming out soon is another $30.
Oh, and I almost forgot about games like Ultima Online that get a monthly fee out of you for playing. So I really don't think it can be said that games cost a lot more to produce but that cost isn't being passed onto the consumer.
"What if we could do what the DOJ couldn't, and in the process make Eolas and everybody else, possibly excluding MS, richer? Wouldn't Eolas stand to profit more in such a scenario than any kind of pre-trial settlement could provide? Wouldn't everybody else?""
Sounds to me like Mr. Doyle isn't really any better than Bill Gates. He's not looking to change the way things are as much as just change who's in control and has the most money.
What? Are you trying to tell me this story isn't true either?
"who is going to keep the insurance companies in check?"
The same people keeping them in check now I presume. That would explain why my homeowner's insurance went up 37% in one year even though I haven't filed any claims. My experience with auto ins. isn't any better.
"Second, source code errors and typos appear regularly enough to frustrate an inexperienced reader."
but earlier you said
"4) The author encourages the reader to use a computer to enter, run and debug the book's programming examples"
Everyone that's ever had a programming class knows all of those errors were intentionaly put there to test you. At least that's what my profs always told me when they gave the class buggy code.
It may be regional to some degree but I think it has more to do with people than where they're located. I noticed a post yesterday where someone stated that MSN was the most popular in the Midwest part of the US.
I live in the Midwest and I've only ever had 2 friends that used MSN. One of them used it for a little but primarly used ICQ and I don't think he uses MSN at all any more. I lost touch with the other so I'm not sure if she still uses MSN or not.
Out of the people I know, I would say a majority use ICQ, followed by Yahoo, then AIM and MSN last.
I would guess that age might play a bit of a role. I started using ICQ when it first came out and there were no other options, as did most of my friends. If I was a few years younger though, I would have had at least 4 to choose from when I first started and I may have chose MSN since it comes with Windows.
How do they account for not knowing if the person is skinny, average or fat?
haha, i was just going to post that but I didn't have a synopsis.
incidentally, the story summary even mentions that " they generally use artists who reconstruct the face by building up layers of clay over the skull." compared to using software so I don't know why there are so many 'this is old news' posts.
I'll admit I don't always read the articles but I at least read the summary on slashdot.
What kind of customizations are you talking about exactly?
You can change settings in Windows XP to make it look pretty much like 98. I'm talking about changing themes, folder options, control panel view, etc. I assume Longhorn will at least have that level of customization.
Much more customization than that probably wouldn't be worth the effort because as you said, only a small percentage of people would want it. Also consider that makes things much more difficult from a support standpoint.
Just the other day, one of our janitors was going down the hall introducing people to his new friend 'recycle man' which was constructed out of a bunch of blue styrofoam packing material.
He gets to make things and all I get is the internet.
Yea, I get paid more as a programmer than he does as a janitor but that's not my point. The point is, you don't need a computer with a web browser in front of you to goof off at work. I've never worked in construction but I'm sure they have their own way of goofing off, whether it's just standing around talking or practicing their aim with a nail gun.
I disagree. I always kind of wondered why Aragorn or anyone stronger than a hobbit didn't pull Gandalf back up but I don't think he necessarily planned on defeating the blarog and being brought back as Gandalf the White.
I took it as more of a self sacrificing move for the good of the fellowship. He knew that if they tried to help him, there would be a better chance they would be captured or someone else would get killed.
That was my interpretation anyway.
*spolier alert*
:)
let's hope they don't show the phoenix in the next xmen trailer
How else do you expect them to pay for lawsuits against big companies like IBM? ;)
sorry, I hit my limit of articles before I got to that one so I had to pull a 'didn't RTFA' :)
plus, I was mostly concerned with bringing down the 'homeless people are subhuman so who cares' attitude.
That's certainly not my fault. I told everyone I knew how bad I thought the HULK was after I saw it. :)
"Also, this would help hospitals treat patients they have never seen before, as it could assist them in identifying a mentally ill person that needs a specific form of medication."
That applies to everyone, whether they're homeless/mentally handicapped or not. Are you ready to be tagged?
I might end up in a serious car accident some day leaving me unconscious. It would be really helpful if I have some implant so medical personel could find out who I was and see my medical history. That doesn't mean I'm going to volunteer to be tagged and tracked like an animal though.
" It's easy to talk about homeless people in online forums"
;)
I dunno, sounds kind of like making fun of someone in prison
I haven't found any mention of Blast Corps 2 on ebgames, ign or even nintendo's web site. Do you have any links about it? I played the first on the N64 and it was one of my favorite games.
I can't believe you have a GC and don't know when Double Dash is coming out.. that's just wrong. ;)
I agree though, multi-player games seem to be seriously lacking. I try to get more multiplayer games because I figure my gf can play them with me and maybe won't get quite so mad when I spend too much time playing games.
I was also kind of disappointed with Mario Golf Toadstool Tour. I don't really care for sports games much but I like the nintendo themed sports games. While Mario Golf had the characters, it didn't feel much like the nintendo world to me until the last couple of courses and those were pushing it. I guess I was expecting it to be more like mini-golf where the obstacles would move in and out of your path. It's still a fun game though and I'll probably buy a copy once it gets to my price range on half.com (around $30.. I another point I agree with you on).
On a side note, you can play multiplayer Mario Karts via the internet with most emulators like nemu