Yeah, I'm sure I could still identify that toaster that I sold at a garage sale 18 years ago, too. Especially since it was in pieces when I got rid of it.
I think droids are a commodity in the SW universe, much like toasters are today. Mass produced, identical, and when you come down to it: mere tools.
No, they are usually "tight" with their money, not "loose" with it.:-)
Back to the topic, free copies (or at least easily distributable ones) got MS on top, and some recording artists (as well as Linux providers) see the wisdom in getting your show/music/product out there and popular. It's an old and successful tactic, I'm glad to see some producers using it. It's really good for _us_, the end user.
We're not talking about the difference between bling bling and cool, we're talking about the difference between cool and "coo". Why is it that it's only ignorant ghetto black people who have a problem with enunciating the English language? Like you have to grow up in the suburbs to be able to say the word "ask" without an x.
PS. I'm only used black in my post because you used white in yours. I think ignorance is colorless.:-)
Common sense would say it is the rest of the society. What's taught in schools? How does the potential employer in an interview talk?
I could decide it was proper for me to not use any vowels when I speak, but I'd flunk out of school, not get the job, and be treated like a retard. If you can't communicate effectively with your coworkers and customers you are not getting a job from me.
If I moved overseas, you had better believe that I'd have to learn to speak like the people over there that I want to interact with and work for.
On the mods for cars theme, am I the only person who finds the pick up trucks with the body jacked up a foot over the axles to look utterly ridiculous?
I don't think it looks any worse than the "riceboy" cars. You know, the Honda Civic lowered to the point that speedbumps are impassible with $3k in bodywork that doesn't help and $10k in engine mods so it can make eighty-one horsepower instead of the stock eighty.:-/
They both look stupid.
At least the truck mod has a legitimate use, though. I've only been offroading once, but it was a lot of fun. I'd never do it to any of my vehicles though, it still looks dumb.
maybe we should focus on the root of the problems: poverty and the education system
You can't teach people who don't want to learn. The inner city mentality doesn't value education, because the only way out is pro-sports or crime. Success by education is just not highly prized in that subculture. I had people in my high school that weren't interested in learning, and guess what: they didn't, no matter HOW HARD the educators tried.
And there are parts of rural America who are poor compared to the inner cities, but they don't seem to have the same problems you mentioned. The dialect is a bit bad, though.
Come back when you've come up with the REAL root to the problem. Hint: it's the culture.
Maybe if some of these people were given the same chances you had in life
I'm pissed off about this statement. If you want to talk about chances, how come I never had the chance to go to school for free because I'm white? How about the fact that I need to score higher on the SAT's to get into the same school because I'm white? How about the fact that I could easily be fired for being white if some Federal agency decides that my workplace is not "diverse" enough?
What's so damn difficult about speaking correctly?
I'm sorry, but I'll continue to treat anyone speaking "ghettoese" as a retard, whether they are black, white, or purple with blue stripes. I think the main point he was trying to make is that the white kids KNOW how to speak proper "American" English, why are they trying to dumb down to the level of people who don't?
It seems to me that another P2P network will pop up and take care of the advertising. All the band needs to do is encode their website into the mp3 id tag, and if you find music you like, you buy the music right from the artist.
If the RIAA keeps screwing up, I think this is the future.
It used to be that you had no way to buy music except established record clubs and local stores who had established distribution channels. The internet means that anyone can buy music directly from the artist with minimal effort. The RIAA controlled "established" channels are no longer necessary.
I think this frightens the RIAA badly. Expect them to litigate heavily.
I'm with you there. I've got MP3's on my comp, but if I really like the music enough to listen to it in the car I don't just burn it, I buy the CD.
I have NO cd's of burned music in my collection.
Admittedly, though, I would buy more cd's if they were reasonably priced, like $5 or so. The RIAA needs to remodel their business after a service provider, not a content provider. Anyone can get the content, but the service of having a nice CD all labeled, shrinkwrapped, and ready to go is worth paying for... Reasonable amounts, anyway.
And if the big labels don't catch onto this, then the independents will win in the long run. After all, I'd rather sell 5 cds at $4 profit each than 2 cds at $9 profit each...
So then you mean that we'd have to raise the bar to heroin, opium, or cocaine for our "illegal drug" category? Or would all drugs become legal for all purposes?
Marijuana is the main cash crop. That is the baseline source for all the dealers. The other drugs are just upsells. But if you take away that main source of income, the other drugs alone won't yield the same cash. Think how much money a store would not make if they could only sell $100+ items...
I guess that having about 1/4 of the population addicted to crack, heroin, or morphine from the least ethical and most greedy pharmeceutical company available would be "a step in the right direction".
How is this any different from having 1/2 the population addicted to cigarettes from the least ethical and most greedy tobacco company available? How about the least ethical beer company?
Personally, I think having the quality of the drugs regulated would be "a step in the right direction".
Also, those stupid mobsters would never find a new crime to make a bit o' fast cash off of, so they'd be quickly out of business.
I'm not as worried about the mob as I am the street gangs (who derive most of their income from illegal drugs, incdentally).
Also, if drugs were legal, prices would drop and the addicts would not need to go to extreme measures to support their habit.
Other than the fact that it keeps the DEA in a job, I just don't see the advantage to spending $800,000 an hour funding this "War on Drugs". It's stupid.
Mind you, I don't use any of these substances except the occasional mixed drink, I'm not saying this because I want to use them: I'm just questioning the logic of the situation.
I'm no Doogie Howser (sp) but I created fully fledged vehicles in a half hour or so... About the time it took me to make a good character for the game. Sure, it wasn't as simple as designing 'mechs for Battletech or cars for Car Wars, but it wasn't Starfleet Battles multivariate calculus, either.:-)
I think for the flexibility they gave, the system was pretty good. The reason I didn't think it was as elegant is bacause parts of it felt "forced". They couldn't think of a good way to do something, so they just arbitrarily threw in a number or rule to release the book.:-/
If somebody can't do basic algebra, they should put down the RPG and go back to AOL on their WebTV.
Algebra is a middle school subject now, you know. And most people can effectively use it before it is formally taught: they just don't know that they are using algebra, because the name is scary.
I'll admit, though, that Vehicles was not as "elegant" as the basic game mechanics.:-(
A system like this would be the most promising future for the music biz. The id tag should have the artist's sales website, and the mp3 should be the equivalent of radio airply... Oh so much advertising.
The RIAA needs to organize itself as a service provider, not a content provider. I think that will have to be the new business model for the digital age. And if the RIAA can't adapt, then the independents who distribute like this without the restrictive DRM will drive the RIAA out of business...
No. All generalisations are occasionally incorrect.
And before you think I've never interacted with the people I said that about, the college I went to had quite a few people from that part of the world in the engineering program. Some of those lecture halls got quite toxic by the end of class, thankyouverymuch.
monitor what you are doing during assembly and will warn you if you are doing something wrong or dangerous
If someone is too damn dumb to assemble a piece of prefab furniture, I want them to do something dangerous and get the hell out of the gene pool. I mean, really, we as a society are making it WAAAY too easy to be a moron...
Untrue. I'm not saying that all software should be free, no copyrights. I'm saying all file formats should be free and open. Let's use Autocad for an example, although MS Office is a good example too.
Autocad can keep their user base from leaving despite the flaws in their software. Any competitors they might have are effectively locked out because companies would no longer be able to access existing drawings properly if they switched from Autocad.
If other companies could use the format freely without having to reverse engineer it, then Autocad would be forced to compete on the quality of their copyrighted software, not on the control over the file format.
There would be even more incentive to improve. FYI, Autocad currently releases tons of bugs in each release. They use it as a tool to force upgrades. They can get away with this because they have a captive audience, so to speak.
Also, make certain that you point out that the ability to patent file formats (.dwg,.mp3, etc) creates a situation that can encourage a monopoly and stifle growth (Autodesk, Fraunhaufer). Think how much better Autocad would be if they had to compete to keep their customers based on quality instead of compatibility with their current files...
Slashdot Mirror
You meant before, right? ;-)
More likely, they will just be clearing the way for a new hyperspace bypass...
I think droids are a commodity in the SW universe, much like toasters are today. Mass produced, identical, and when you come down to it: mere tools.
Why would Owen remember it?
No, they are usually "tight" with their money, not "loose" with it. :-)
Back to the topic, free copies (or at least easily distributable ones) got MS on top, and some recording artists (as well as Linux providers) see the wisdom in getting your show/music/product out there and popular. It's an old and successful tactic, I'm glad to see some producers using it. It's really good for _us_, the end user.
PS. I'm only used black in my post because you used white in yours. I think ignorance is colorless. :-)
I could decide it was proper for me to not use any vowels when I speak, but I'd flunk out of school, not get the job, and be treated like a retard. If you can't communicate effectively with your coworkers and customers you are not getting a job from me.
If I moved overseas, you had better believe that I'd have to learn to speak like the people over there that I want to interact with and work for.
I don't think it looks any worse than the "riceboy" cars. You know, the Honda Civic lowered to the point that speedbumps are impassible with $3k in bodywork that doesn't help and $10k in engine mods so it can make eighty-one horsepower instead of the stock eighty. :-/
They both look stupid.
At least the truck mod has a legitimate use, though. I've only been offroading once, but it was a lot of fun. I'd never do it to any of my vehicles though, it still looks dumb.
It just shows where most of us place our values (unfortunately).
Maybe _both_ smart Americans are from the same state?
Well then, I guess I need to find out who the other one is. :-)
You can't teach people who don't want to learn. The inner city mentality doesn't value education, because the only way out is pro-sports or crime. Success by education is just not highly prized in that subculture. I had people in my high school that weren't interested in learning, and guess what: they didn't, no matter HOW HARD the educators tried.
And there are parts of rural America who are poor compared to the inner cities, but they don't seem to have the same problems you mentioned. The dialect is a bit bad, though.
Come back when you've come up with the REAL root to the problem. Hint: it's the culture.
Maybe if some of these people were given the same chances you had in life
I'm pissed off about this statement. If you want to talk about chances, how come I never had the chance to go to school for free because I'm white? How about the fact that I need to score higher on the SAT's to get into the same school because I'm white? How about the fact that I could easily be fired for being white if some Federal agency decides that my workplace is not "diverse" enough?
"Equal chances" my ass...
What's so damn difficult about speaking correctly?
I'm sorry, but I'll continue to treat anyone speaking "ghettoese" as a retard, whether they are black, white, or purple with blue stripes. I think the main point he was trying to make is that the white kids KNOW how to speak proper "American" English, why are they trying to dumb down to the level of people who don't?
If the RIAA keeps screwing up, I think this is the future.
It used to be that you had no way to buy music except established record clubs and local stores who had established distribution channels. The internet means that anyone can buy music directly from the artist with minimal effort. The RIAA controlled "established" channels are no longer necessary.
I think this frightens the RIAA badly. Expect them to litigate heavily.
I'm SURE there is a joke in there, somewhere. :-)
I got a mental picture of a car having a BSOD in the drive-by-wire computer...
I have NO cd's of burned music in my collection.
Admittedly, though, I would buy more cd's if they were reasonably priced, like $5 or so. The RIAA needs to remodel their business after a service provider, not a content provider. Anyone can get the content, but the service of having a nice CD all labeled, shrinkwrapped, and ready to go is worth paying for... Reasonable amounts, anyway.
And if the big labels don't catch onto this, then the independents will win in the long run. After all, I'd rather sell 5 cds at $4 profit each than 2 cds at $9 profit each...
Marijuana is the main cash crop. That is the baseline source for all the dealers. The other drugs are just upsells. But if you take away that main source of income, the other drugs alone won't yield the same cash. Think how much money a store would not make if they could only sell $100+ items...
I guess that having about 1/4 of the population addicted to crack, heroin, or morphine from the least ethical and most greedy pharmeceutical company available would be "a step in the right direction".
How is this any different from having 1/2 the population addicted to cigarettes from the least ethical and most greedy tobacco company available? How about the least ethical beer company?
Personally, I think having the quality of the drugs regulated would be "a step in the right direction".
Also, those stupid mobsters would never find a new crime to make a bit o' fast cash off of, so they'd be quickly out of business.
I'm not as worried about the mob as I am the street gangs (who derive most of their income from illegal drugs, incdentally).
Also, if drugs were legal, prices would drop and the addicts would not need to go to extreme measures to support their habit.
Other than the fact that it keeps the DEA in a job, I just don't see the advantage to spending $800,000 an hour funding this "War on Drugs". It's stupid.
Mind you, I don't use any of these substances except the occasional mixed drink, I'm not saying this because I want to use them: I'm just questioning the logic of the situation.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/ stupidwhitemen/onlinechapters/part01.php
Sorry, you'll have to cut and paste. I'm lazy. :-)
I think for the flexibility they gave, the system was pretty good. The reason I didn't think it was as elegant is bacause parts of it felt "forced". They couldn't think of a good way to do something, so they just arbitrarily threw in a number or rule to release the book. :-/
Disco CD's will always dominate that criteria, followed closely by country and rap. LOL
Algebra is a middle school subject now, you know. And most people can effectively use it before it is formally taught: they just don't know that they are using algebra, because the name is scary.
I'll admit, though, that Vehicles was not as "elegant" as the basic game mechanics. :-(
A system like this would be the most promising future for the music biz. The id tag should have the artist's sales website, and the mp3 should be the equivalent of radio airply... Oh so much advertising.
The RIAA needs to organize itself as a service provider, not a content provider. I think that will have to be the new business model for the digital age. And if the RIAA can't adapt, then the independents who distribute like this without the restrictive DRM will drive the RIAA out of business...
If it was a Lexx System SFF PC (lexx.com),you could buy it, feed your friends to it, and blow up a planet. :-)
No. All generalisations are occasionally incorrect.
And before you think I've never interacted with the people I said that about, the college I went to had quite a few people from that part of the world in the engineering program. Some of those lecture halls got quite toxic by the end of class, thankyouverymuch.
You're an A.C., right? Scared 'n shallow?
If someone is too damn dumb to assemble a piece of prefab furniture, I want them to do something dangerous and get the hell out of the gene pool. I mean, really, we as a society are making it WAAAY too easy to be a moron...
Autocad can keep their user base from leaving despite the flaws in their software. Any competitors they might have are effectively locked out because companies would no longer be able to access existing drawings properly if they switched from Autocad.
If other companies could use the format freely without having to reverse engineer it, then Autocad would be forced to compete on the quality of their copyrighted software, not on the control over the file format.
There would be even more incentive to improve. FYI, Autocad currently releases tons of bugs in each release. They use it as a tool to force upgrades. They can get away with this because they have a captive audience, so to speak.
Also, make certain that you point out that the ability to patent file formats (.dwg, .mp3, etc) creates a situation that can encourage a monopoly and stifle growth (Autodesk, Fraunhaufer). Think how much better Autocad would be if they had to compete to keep their customers based on quality instead of compatibility with their current files...
I dunno, I think he's right. The market for cheesy chrome crap to "decorate" your car is certainly at an all time high...
But then he'd have to quit his job announcing for the National Weather Service radio alerts!