I actually don't think 1 2 and 3 exist at this point.
However, I do think that they will be there in the near future. Linux is going to eventually hit "critical mass" where the masses actually ask for it. It is improving in leaps and bounds.
I do agree that over the next 2-3 years there won't be any change for the exact reasons given, especially in companies. People are happy with the equipment they have...for now..(although I'd argue that it's win2k, not win98 that is the standard). The question comes into play when Microsoft finally completes the plan to force users into yearly subscription licensing that the switchover will be made. That's what Paladium and all that is all about. Mind you..it is a horrible business decision, but I think that MS, like most large companies become blinded by ego.
Damn straight. It's the one thing I keep on coming back to. It has leagues running in practically every zone, and the CTF action can't be beat by ANY game.
Only problem with is is that it is not very friendly to new players, as the average skill level is rather high, and a kill is difficult in some zones.
Within 10 years Linux or one of its offshoots will be the primary OS used on desktop and server computers world-wide. India is looking towards placing themselves in a very advantageous position in this new IT world.
Same thing as anybody with any sort of intelligence has their eye on things such as alternative sources of energy..
In my opinion, news.google.com is just as useful as the search engine as a whole. In fact, I use it more, as it is my start page for my browser. The USENET browsing is just as good as it was in the Deja days..I won't use froogle much but it seems to be more of the same.
Google is getting rather broad, but hasn't sold itself out yet. It still is by far the best search engine.
The nature of the current P2P software is one where your computer is getting and sending requests multiple times a second. The sheer number of TCP/IP packets sent back and forth can cause serious bottlenecks.
In otherwords, it's very similar to most DoS attacks, which are known to seriously undermine the architecture of whole ISPs.
What you people have to realize is that P2P networks are very messy. There is lots of little packets sent and recieved that just eat up the bandwith way more than a connection can actually use it.
P2P clients such as Kazzaa and Gnutella are bandwidth hogs, regardless of any upload or downloading going on. They clog up pipes and routing servers like mad. They ARE bad for networks. DSL is a little bit different, because you're just screwing yourself for the most part (although the routing servers still get pounded)
I'm not anti file-sharing. I believe there are tons of MORAL uses of it, even for copyrighted material (The legality of it all needs serious reform). However current P2P software...is ugly, messy, and crap.
Sony Music and SCE/Sony Electronics apparently do not see eye to eye at all. Both are in a technological war to prove their dominance to the head honchos. That's why Sony produces MP3 players and the like.
Just to let you know..most people realize that times are tough, especially in a small business, and if there is not the money to go around, then there is not the money to go around. What people don't like is when the money all goes to the management for fancy perks while the people who actually make the money get screwed. The given example of a Bobblehead of the CEO..well that's just arrogant and plain mean-spirited. It's rubbing it in.
Which is actually what I said. P2P will send exposure from Top 40 to lesser promoted art.
I do realize what you are saying about bootlegs. In fact, more and more people are getting away from calling them that, in fact calling them what they are..live recordings. Bootleg does imply something illegal, which is why I don't use the term. I say this as someone who's main use for P2P is obtaining live material.
Pretty much right on the money. To sumerize for those who do not want to click and read (it is fairly long).
People for the most part are honest and will pay a resonable price for a product. When he says that P2P is a progressive taxation, he means that more music books and movies get exposure, which means that people will spend their money on more different things than just the Top 40 stuff they have access to. (Same thing most people have been saying since Napster).
On the other hand, actual selling of bootlegs is harmful because it dilutes the market for legitimate sales. However existing laws are enough to cover this. Finally, it ends in some options where possibly the media giants could come to some sort of agreement with ISPs to offer sort of like premium cable. Pay 60 a month for broadband and all the movies or music or whatever you can use off a local server.
Now I'm no Apple fan, but they may have a good idea here. Forget the scrawls. They are useless and ugly. However, looking at the No Doubt one, that's not a bad idea. They just need more options. I'd love if I could get various band logos of bands I liked scrawled onto an IPod, not just one, but logos of all the bands I like. Apple could have a large database of band logos and let you choose a bunch to throw on it together, make it look sortta raggadly put together.
Actually the MAIN difference is that you can rip out and sell the graphics card if you don't want it (considering it's not on-board of course:), while Microsoft is trying to restrict the re-selling of its packaged goods.
IMO EULAs are not worth the bits they are written on. Once you purchase something, it is yours to do with as you please with a few exceptions. It doesn't really matter what MS tells you you can or you can't do. You've already paid for the damn thing. (Even if it was included)
If Microsoft doesn't like that, fine. They can stop packing in their OS with computers.
Agreed. Tech support isn't for the techs. It's for the masses. That's what the call flow is designed for. If you are a tech, either ask a few pointed questions then do it yourself, or live with it. IceBaLM is exactly right. Even the most knowledgable person misses something from time to time.
I actually imported the jap. version a while earlier as well...
As an eerie coincidence, the first time I played the game I DID find that warp whistle. I found the secret in the first stage, so I was trying to fly up every place I could. I was a persistant kid:p
There's not too much difference between the two. At least not enough actual difference to make one the winner or one the loser. Both are pretty much the equivilant of one another..one does some things well and one does some other things well. Barring an application that will only run on one or the other, I just don't see the point of "switching" from one side to the other, or even back again.
Furthermore, there is NO difference between Apple and Microsoft. Both are big companies lead by egomaniacs. Who would be/are very bad monopolists, wanting complete, total and utter domanance of the industry.
I've used all the major OS's...and they have all for the most part "just worked"..yes even Linux. The problem is when something breaks..fixing something that is broken is not difficult if you know the OS you are using. If not...it's fdisk format reinstall time. No ands ifs or buts about it.
I do have a personal preference myself. I do not like Macs. OS X is a decent idea, but the UI just does not appeal to me. Same thing with XP, I like the older more sparse UIs like Windows and most Linux distros. If I was to buy a computer for a family member, even not counting the cost I would build a 2000/Linux duel boot box, with the linux box all set up with tons of end user apps easily catagorized. In fact, for a newbie this is a great setup.
My biggest problem with Macs, and this may be a limited problem, is that the video display gives me a headache. Everything seems to have a way too slow refresh rate. On the three Macs I've seen (old and new model Powerbooks and a G4 setup), everything seemed to update way too slow. Maybe that is just a setting..but on the IMac I actually used I've looked for a while, in both 9 and X for a solution. Couldn't find one.:(
If you like the story, I actually would suggest reading the side-story to that instead of Xenocide and Children of the Mind. Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon are extremely good books..havn't read the third one in that series yet, but it should be good.
In a nutshell, the side stories focus on Bean, a genetically engineered boy genius who was Ender's back-up, who is heading for self-destruction. Focuses more on the politics of that particular universe. What is interesting about Ender's Shadow in particular, is that the story is told from an almost outside the frame perspective. After all, Ender is the real interest.
Now that the GameCube is really getting its base together over the last two months, it looks like it's going to be a great system. The controller is great and perfectly responsive, the sound is top-notch and the graphics..the graphics is really the debating point.
Some people think that the X-Box has better graphics than the GameCube. It certainly can push out more polygonss...but is it just me or do X-Box games lack a certain charm? Most of the ones I've seen have looked pretty..but not amazing. Lots of polygons but no light sourcing, reflections, etc. The type of little effects that make you go ooooohhhh. Mere polygons don't do that for me:(. The GameCube and its Flipper chip pump out the lighting effects in shades..and it makes a wonderful difference. Check out Mario Sunshine if you don't believe me. The reflective effects and shadows in it are so nice. Especially when you start getting some shines and the cloud cover starts leaving. It feels too natural.
If all three game consoles are maxed out..it's all about gameplay. Unfortunately, the X-Box is being left behind in that catagory. Splinter Cell looks good but that's about it.
Eternal Darkness is the best mature game out there right now. A great story, amazing graphics and sound, and the great sanity system doesn't make you feel like you can kick everybodies butt. In fact, in most stages when I reach the end I'm usually just about to die. It really feels like survival horror:p
Actually it hasn't really, the movie studios still try to push DVD rental licenses. They don't have much success these days however...
Anyway, the post was more directed to a sort of double-think that I hate. Some people think that somehow paying money legitimizes an artistic transaction. WTF does that mean? With how easy it is these days to get media, (mind you I'm not even talking about P2P and the Internet) the reason I purchase media I enjoy is to encourage the producers to create more. It's that simple. In most rental situations, it is doing nothing to create that encouragement. Sure, the rental place has the legal right to do it. But from a moral point of view, it's no different than downloading a copy from P2P and watching it then deleting it. Both are not directly rewarding the producer.
This isn't an argument so much against rental, I like renting movies/games and I want these shops to suceed, I believe being an informed consumer trumps all other concerns. However, the whole idea , that like I said that as long as somebody is being paid it is fine and dandy...annoys me. To take a related one for example, Emulation. Go to any of the newsgroups and you will find "hardcore" people who will bitch and complain about ANY ROM, and then encourage you to go to e-bay or the like and buy a copy. Legalities aside, both, in fact are ripping off the producer. If they wanted you to buy that product it would still be for sale. They want you to buy the newer things. Mind you, I am a big purchaser of classic games, but I have no problem with downloading a rom for a few days to give it a test run to see if I like it. I will also rent it if I see it at a rental shop. I believe that being an informed consumer in reality trumps ALL other concerns.
In the end, what it comes down to is that P2P is not a legal issue, it's a social issue. Most of my non-techie friends equivicate downloading a movie with going out and renting it. They don't see how it is any different, except for one they have to leave the house. As far as music goes, it is really that the record companies are not offering the service people want. Most people I know with huge *illegal* (Meaning a large permanent database they have no intention of buying, ever) collections rarely have more than 3 songs by a specific artist. They are basically after the hits. The record industry in a nutshell is going after singles less and less. Most young people don't actually know that you can BUY a single. To curb this most damaging sharing does not require new laws. It requires the record industry to make singles easily and widely available at an affordable price..say 3.99 (I've SEEN singles priced that low so I'm assuming it is possible). Then these people would, say at the checkout line or at the 7-11 (Which a local one used to sell singles at the counter actually), might pick up the single for a song or two they currently like.
But I guess that's the whole point. For most people it is not a legal issue, but a social issue.
Re:pretty empty article
on
Cringely on P2P
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Like it or not, renting a movie is not exactly a white-hat activity. Just because you are paying *SOMEBODY* for media does not make it legal. I believe that with the exception of Blockbuster which makes license agreements with the studios, most movie rentals are no differert than the above poster's actions. Both are limited time agreements to preview media. Both may be protected under fair use (or maybe not, depending on who you ask).
It's only a matter of time before the MPAA starts cracking down on non-Blockbuster video rental stores. It's all under the same murky laws, unfortunately.
Just to explain everything, I believe that both these activities are not ultimately economicly damaging and should be judged as such. The survival of parasitic entities such as your local vid store doesn't play into my mind. They don't have a right to survive (although I DO hope they do).
Slashdot Mirror
I actually don't think 1 2 and 3 exist at this point.
However, I do think that they will be there in the near future. Linux is going to eventually hit "critical mass" where the masses actually ask for it. It is improving in leaps and bounds.
I do agree that over the next 2-3 years there won't be any change for the exact reasons given, especially in companies. People are happy with the equipment they have...for now..(although I'd argue that it's win2k, not win98 that is the standard). The question comes into play when Microsoft finally completes the plan to force users into yearly subscription licensing that the switchover will be made. That's what Paladium and all that is all about. Mind you..it is a horrible business decision, but I think that MS, like most large companies become blinded by ego.
Damn straight. It's the one thing I keep on coming back to. It has leagues running in practically every zone, and the CTF action can't be beat by ANY game.
Only problem with is is that it is not very friendly to new players, as the average skill level is rather high, and a kill is difficult in some zones.
Within 10 years Linux or one of its offshoots will be the primary OS used on desktop and server computers world-wide. India is looking towards placing themselves in a very advantageous position in this new IT world.
Same thing as anybody with any sort of intelligence has their eye on things such as alternative sources of energy..
The Democrats only give the people what they want...(deserve?)..Don't like it? Change people's minds and hearts. Impossible..yes...
In my opinion, news.google.com is just as useful as the search engine as a whole. In fact, I use it more, as it is my start page for my browser. The USENET browsing is just as good as it was in the Deja days..I won't use froogle much but it seems to be more of the same.
Google is getting rather broad, but hasn't sold itself out yet. It still is by far the best search engine.
It's not even that.
The nature of the current P2P software is one where your computer is getting and sending requests multiple times a second. The sheer number of TCP/IP packets sent back and forth can cause serious bottlenecks.
In otherwords, it's very similar to most DoS attacks, which are known to seriously undermine the architecture of whole ISPs.
Which is true as it goes for Cable modems.
What you people have to realize is that P2P networks are very messy. There is lots of little packets sent and recieved that just eat up the bandwith way more than a connection can actually use it.
P2P clients such as Kazzaa and Gnutella are bandwidth hogs, regardless of any upload or downloading going on. They clog up pipes and routing servers like mad. They ARE bad for networks. DSL is a little bit different, because you're just screwing yourself for the most part (although the routing servers still get pounded)
I'm not anti file-sharing. I believe there are tons of MORAL uses of it, even for copyrighted material (The legality of it all needs serious reform). However current P2P software...is ugly, messy, and crap.
Sony Music and SCE/Sony Electronics apparently do not see eye to eye at all. Both are in a technological war to prove their dominance to the head honchos. That's why Sony produces MP3 players and the like.
Clu-Clu Land was amazing fun back in the NES days. The gameplay was original and fast and frantic..everything that was good back then.
Don't bash the crabs:(
The funny thing is that Rush would call him commie swine for what he posted.
Just pointing it out.
Just to let you know..most people realize that times are tough, especially in a small business, and if there is not the money to go around, then there is not the money to go around. What people don't like is when the money all goes to the management for fancy perks while the people who actually make the money get screwed. The given example of a Bobblehead of the CEO..well that's just arrogant and plain mean-spirited. It's rubbing it in.
*sigh*...
I really shouldn't have used that word. That's why I hate calling live recordings bootlegs in the first place. It reminds me of moonshine.
You're preaching to the choir here. As we speak I'm d/ling a Zwan concert, most of my MP3s are live recordings.
Sorry for the confusion.
Which is actually what I said. P2P will send exposure from Top 40 to lesser promoted art.
I do realize what you are saying about bootlegs. In fact, more and more people are getting away from calling them that, in fact calling them what they are..live recordings. Bootleg does imply something illegal, which is why I don't use the term. I say this as someone who's main use for P2P is obtaining live material.
Pretty much right on the money. To sumerize for those who do not want to click and read (it is fairly long).
People for the most part are honest and will pay a resonable price for a product. When he says that P2P is a progressive taxation, he means that more music books and movies get exposure, which means that people will spend their money on more different things than just the Top 40 stuff they have access to. (Same thing most people have been saying since Napster).
On the other hand, actual selling of bootlegs is harmful because it dilutes the market for legitimate sales. However existing laws are enough to cover this. Finally, it ends in some options where possibly the media giants could come to some sort of agreement with ISPs to offer sort of like premium cable. Pay 60 a month for broadband and all the movies or music or whatever you can use off a local server.
Not a bad idea.
Now I'm no Apple fan, but they may have a good idea here. Forget the scrawls. They are useless and ugly. However, looking at the No Doubt one, that's not a bad idea. They just need more options. I'd love if I could get various band logos of bands I liked scrawled onto an IPod, not just one, but logos of all the bands I like. Apple could have a large database of band logos and let you choose a bunch to throw on it together, make it look sortta raggadly put together.
Actually the MAIN difference is that you can rip out and sell the graphics card if you don't want it (considering it's not on-board of course:), while Microsoft is trying to restrict the re-selling of its packaged goods. IMO EULAs are not worth the bits they are written on. Once you purchase something, it is yours to do with as you please with a few exceptions. It doesn't really matter what MS tells you you can or you can't do. You've already paid for the damn thing. (Even if it was included) If Microsoft doesn't like that, fine. They can stop packing in their OS with computers.
Agreed. Tech support isn't for the techs. It's for the masses. That's what the call flow is designed for. If you are a tech, either ask a few pointed questions then do it yourself, or live with it. IceBaLM is exactly right. Even the most knowledgable person misses something from time to time.
I actually imported the jap. version a while earlier as well...
As an eerie coincidence, the first time I played the game I DID find that warp whistle. I found the secret in the first stage, so I was trying to fly up every place I could. I was a persistant kid:p
There's not too much difference between the two. At least not enough actual difference to make one the winner or one the loser. Both are pretty much the equivilant of one another..one does some things well and one does some other things well. Barring an application that will only run on one or the other, I just don't see the point of "switching" from one side to the other, or even back again.
:(
Furthermore, there is NO difference between Apple and Microsoft. Both are big companies lead by egomaniacs. Who would be/are very bad monopolists, wanting complete, total and utter domanance of the industry.
I've used all the major OS's...and they have all for the most part "just worked"..yes even Linux. The problem is when something breaks..fixing something that is broken is not difficult if you know the OS you are using. If not...it's fdisk format reinstall time. No ands ifs or buts about it.
I do have a personal preference myself. I do not like Macs. OS X is a decent idea, but the UI just does not appeal to me. Same thing with XP, I like the older more sparse UIs like Windows and most Linux distros. If I was to buy a computer for a family member, even not counting the cost I would build a 2000/Linux duel boot box, with the linux box all set up with tons of end user apps easily catagorized. In fact, for a newbie this is a great setup.
My biggest problem with Macs, and this may be a limited problem, is that the video display gives me a headache. Everything seems to have a way too slow refresh rate. On the three Macs I've seen (old and new model Powerbooks and a G4 setup), everything seemed to update way too slow. Maybe that is just a setting..but on the IMac I actually used I've looked for a while, in both 9 and X for a solution. Couldn't find one.
It's called "thread"
A sort of organic-metal parasite
Agreed...however...
If you like the story, I actually would suggest reading the side-story to that instead of Xenocide and Children of the Mind. Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon are extremely good books..havn't read the third one in that series yet, but it should be good.
In a nutshell, the side stories focus on Bean, a genetically engineered boy genius who was Ender's back-up, who is heading for self-destruction. Focuses more on the politics of that particular universe. What is interesting about Ender's Shadow in particular, is that the story is told from an almost outside the frame perspective. After all, Ender is the real interest.
I agree, go with the GameCube.
Now that the GameCube is really getting its base together over the last two months, it looks like it's going to be a great system. The controller is great and perfectly responsive, the sound is top-notch and the graphics..the graphics is really the debating point.
Some people think that the X-Box has better graphics than the GameCube. It certainly can push out more polygonss...but is it just me or do X-Box games lack a certain charm? Most of the ones I've seen have looked pretty..but not amazing. Lots of polygons but no light sourcing, reflections, etc. The type of little effects that make you go ooooohhhh. Mere polygons don't do that for me:(. The GameCube and its Flipper chip pump out the lighting effects in shades..and it makes a wonderful difference. Check out Mario Sunshine if you don't believe me. The reflective effects and shadows in it are so nice. Especially when you start getting some shines and the cloud cover starts leaving. It feels too natural.
If all three game consoles are maxed out..it's all about gameplay. Unfortunately, the X-Box is being left behind in that catagory. Splinter Cell looks good but that's about it.
Eternal Darkness is the best mature game out there right now. A great story, amazing graphics and sound, and the great sanity system doesn't make you feel like you can kick everybodies butt. In fact, in most stages when I reach the end I'm usually just about to die. It really feels like survival horror:p
Actually it hasn't really, the movie studios still try to push DVD rental licenses. They don't have much success these days however...
Anyway, the post was more directed to a sort of double-think that I hate. Some people think that somehow paying money legitimizes an artistic transaction. WTF does that mean? With how easy it is these days to get media, (mind you I'm not even talking about P2P and the Internet) the reason I purchase media I enjoy is to encourage the producers to create more. It's that simple. In most rental situations, it is doing nothing to create that encouragement. Sure, the rental place has the legal right to do it. But from a moral point of view, it's no different than downloading a copy from P2P and watching it then deleting it. Both are not directly rewarding the producer.
This isn't an argument so much against rental, I like renting movies/games and I want these shops to suceed, I believe being an informed consumer trumps all other concerns. However, the whole idea , that like I said that as long as somebody is being paid it is fine and dandy...annoys me. To take a related one for example, Emulation. Go to any of the newsgroups and you will find "hardcore" people who will bitch and complain about ANY ROM, and then encourage you to go to e-bay or the like and buy a copy. Legalities aside, both, in fact are ripping off the producer. If they wanted you to buy that product it would still be for sale. They want you to buy the newer things. Mind you, I am a big purchaser of classic games, but I have no problem with downloading a rom for a few days to give it a test run to see if I like it. I will also rent it if I see it at a rental shop. I believe that being an informed consumer in reality trumps ALL other concerns.
In the end, what it comes down to is that P2P is not a legal issue, it's a social issue. Most of my non-techie friends equivicate downloading a movie with going out and renting it. They don't see how it is any different, except for one they have to leave the house. As far as music goes, it is really that the record companies are not offering the service people want. Most people I know with huge *illegal* (Meaning a large permanent database they have no intention of buying, ever) collections rarely have more than 3 songs by a specific artist. They are basically after the hits. The record industry in a nutshell is going after singles less and less. Most young people don't actually know that you can BUY a single. To curb this most damaging sharing does not require new laws. It requires the record industry to make singles easily and widely available at an affordable price..say 3.99 (I've SEEN singles priced that low so I'm assuming it is possible). Then these people would, say at the checkout line or at the 7-11 (Which a local one used to sell singles at the counter actually), might pick up the single for a song or two they currently like.
But I guess that's the whole point. For most people it is not a legal issue, but a social issue.
Like it or not, renting a movie is not exactly a white-hat activity. Just because you are paying *SOMEBODY* for media does not make it legal. I believe that with the exception of Blockbuster which makes license agreements with the studios, most movie rentals are no differert than the above poster's actions. Both are limited time agreements to preview media. Both may be protected under fair use (or maybe not, depending on who you ask).
It's only a matter of time before the MPAA starts cracking down on non-Blockbuster video rental stores. It's all under the same murky laws, unfortunately.
Just to explain everything, I believe that both these activities are not ultimately economicly damaging and should be judged as such. The survival of parasitic entities such as your local vid store doesn't play into my mind. They don't have a right to survive (although I DO hope they do).