In high school I was required to purchase a TI-82 graphing calculator. This was 1993 or so. I saw other kids had some kind dragon quest role playing games on them so I wrote my own. It was a football game that was choice based..."Do you want to run or pass?" "Do you want to punt". It used the random number generator to generate yards per play..."You completed a 23.445683 yard pass play". Something like that. I didn't know I was programming at the time. Years later I learned HTML to create my own porn sites, and from HTML I tried VB, which led me to C++.
I can see it now, my mother saying "Wow. I didn't know my son had business partners in Nigeria." I know when I die, I don't want my family reading all the "Young sluts get fucked in the ass and drink cum while sucking a midget's dick!" emails that fill up my inbox. Believe me, there is nothing of value in my emails.
If for no other reason, we use Firefox because it is new and hold the promise of a better experience. Too many of us have lived through Windows 95, 98 and ME's contant crashes, penchant for attracting virii and ease of spyware takeovers. Microsoft has never given us a reason to trust them in any way, shape, or form. After paying my hard earned cash to MS for buggy software, I'd trust a room full of monkeys to code a better web browser. Sorry, Microsoft, but history has doomed you and it's too late now.
The best part of the gamespot commentary is the line that describes where this rumor comes from..."According to dozens of forum posts and lower-end game sites". In other words, sites run by game fans as opposed to Gamespot which is owned by the conglomerate, CNet networks.
"MVP Baseball is so bad, especially in comparison to Sega's much superior offering." Most folks say the same thing about Madden and NBA live being so bad compared to Sega's games.
It doesn't surprise me that the gaming awards are immediately as tired and ridculous as MTV's music video awards have become. There was a time when music videos were awarded for the art form that they can be. Gone are the days when a Neil Young music video can win video of the year, without ever once being broadcast on MTV! MTV banned the video yet it remarkable won best video that year. That was back when the award for the best video went to the "best video" instead of the "most requested on TRL" video. These types of awards shows are not to be taken seriously.
Contact those responsible: As printed on yahoobusiness.com
Electronic Arts Trudy Muller, 650-628-7323 tmuller@ea.com or NFL Brian McCarthy, 212-450-2069 McCarthyB@NFL.com or PLAYERS INC Christy Moran, 202-496-2885 christy.moran@nflplayers.com
Also quote from the admin: "I would hope this is common sense to all of you, but make sure any contact you have with EA, the NFL, or the NFLPA is well-written and courteous. Polite disagreement / disapproval will go a lot further towards getting their attention than threats, swearing, or all caps. Be sure to sign the petition someone started as well."
http://www.petitiononline.com/nfleacon/petition. ht ml
You can show your support at the espnvideogames.com message boards.
This is no surprise. They realize that the current gen consoles (GCN, PS2 XBox) are pretty much tapped out as far as technical capabilities, plus developers have had a few years to get familiar with development on them making it cheaper to do. I'm imagining that the next generation consoles will be a bear to develop for, at least in the beginning, driving up development costs and therefore driving up retail prices. I'd gladly pay $40 for ESPN NFL 2k6 if it's for the Playstation 3. I think the price hike would be justified because the gaming experience in general would be improved. Although the article doesn't say, I assume that any more ESPN games produced for the current gen consoles will remain $20.
Now the question is, will there be a "2k6" series of games for the current gen consoles, or will "2k6" be exclusive to the next gen consoles? Will the next gen consoles be around in time for the "2k6" series? Probably not, so I think the first time we'll see this price hike will be on "2k7" for the PS3 or Xbox 2.
There are plenty of "freeware" download sites popping up lately. nonags.com is just one that I frequently visit. Put "freeware" into google and you'll get plenty more. There are plenty of freeware and open source apps available, it seems that people don't even know they exist.
That Pikachu character has even spawned several ridiculous kid movies, and a cartoon show. The movies apparently did so well that Nintendo is creating their own division to make MORE cartoon movies using their mascot characters. The reason people think the mascot is dead is because Nintendo is the only company still taking advantage of the mascot marketing premise. That may be because they know that the childrens' video game market is still a profitable industry that Sony and MS have yet to tap into.
In "the real world" I have several different ID numbers:
SSN
Bank account number (more than one)
Credit card number (more than one)
Employee ID
Student ID
Drivers license number
Supermarket loyaty discount card number
Blockbuster/Movie Gallery number
Library Card number
Auto/Home/Medical insurance ID
Voter Registration ID
I think I'm better off having those as separate numbers, and just keeping the cards around so I don't have to remember them. Why should online be any different? Can you imagine a world where all those numbers are the same, and are maybe our telephone number for instance (making everyting easy to remember). Scary.
People can still visit the Enclyclopedia Britannica website and get the "facts" if they choose (for a fee of course). There is also a CD/DVD-Rom that can be purchased for about $70, albeit every year to get updates. Encyclopedia makers are just like the music industry, in that there is a new market and a new business model is needed. Either you evolve or die.
Anyway, Wikiped is merely an "Everything" for dummies. A launching point. There is a reason why teachers require students to have more sources than just an encyclopedia.
Those commercials really bug me. Do we see Cheverolet running comercials that say "Improve the road"? No. AOL is purposefully trying to get people to think that AOL is "the internet". I guess that's better than all those people who think Windows XP is "the internet".
Back in 1997 the only people who were using the internet at all were people looking for porn. I remember in 1996 being at a friends house and seeing all the free porn and thinking "I have to get this internet thing!" Now that the internet has become ubiquitus a much greater number of people have access and are accessing it. So now the percentage of people searching for porn is approaching the percentage of the general public who buy adult magazines, or rent adult videos (which is a lot higher that you think).
Go for the PhD but get your Masters along the way. The MS will help you get a good, well-paying job, and decent job security. The PhD will get you challenging, enjoyable, and ground-breaking assignments (not to mention respect) in that job. But of course that depends on what kind of company you work for. Does the company do ground-breaking work? or are they just making more pop-up blocker software?
I think you should stress that computers are a means to an end and not the end. Tell them that computer are a tool like a hammer or screwdriver, or calculator (which they all should be familiar with). But unlike a hammer, it's a tool that can be manipulated to solve different types of problems. It's nothing more than a problem solver. Also maybe introduce them to the concept of what the intenet is. They should understand that their computer has files on it, and Joe Smoe's computer has files on it. WHen you browse the internet you are looking at files on Joe Smoe's computer because he gives you access. Something like that. High level concepts.
People will have to learn that if they are going to rely on software that they know is buggy and not secure out of the box, then they have to understand that this kind of thing can happen. Microsoft can stop issuing updates and fixes at any time and screw everybody. If you don't like it, download Firefox for free.
I never understood why software can't just work right out of the box. Why does software require updates? Poor quality control? My refrigerator doesn't require updates. My car doesn't require updates. It works years later as well as it did right out of the box. Why can't software be as reliable? I'm not trying to be an ass, I'm asking a question here. I just returned to college to study CS, and I guess I haven't got to the "how to write half-assed, incomplete software" courses yet.
I back up all my CDs as well. I live in Florida, where if you accidentally leave a CD in your car in direct sunlight for an 8 hour workday, it will be destroyed. I only keep copies in my car, never the original. Sometimes both my wife and I will have a copy, but the original never leaves my shelf at home.
Slashdot Mirror
In high school I was required to purchase a TI-82 graphing calculator. This was 1993 or so. I saw other kids had some kind dragon quest role playing games on them so I wrote my own. It was a football game that was choice based..."Do you want to run or pass?" "Do you want to punt". It used the random number generator to generate yards per play..."You completed a 23.445683 yard pass play". Something like that. I didn't know I was programming at the time. Years later I learned HTML to create my own porn sites, and from HTML I tried VB, which led me to C++.
I can see it now, my mother saying "Wow. I didn't know my son had business partners in Nigeria." I know when I die, I don't want my family reading all the "Young sluts get fucked in the ass and drink cum while sucking a midget's dick!" emails that fill up my inbox. Believe me, there is nothing of value in my emails.
If for no other reason, we use Firefox because it is new and hold the promise of a better experience. Too many of us have lived through Windows 95, 98 and ME's contant crashes, penchant for attracting virii and ease of spyware takeovers. Microsoft has never given us a reason to trust them in any way, shape, or form. After paying my hard earned cash to MS for buggy software, I'd trust a room full of monkeys to code a better web browser. Sorry, Microsoft, but history has doomed you and it's too late now.
The best part of the gamespot commentary is the line that describes where this rumor comes from ..."According to dozens of forum posts and lower-end game sites". In other words, sites run by game fans as opposed to Gamespot which is owned by the conglomerate, CNet networks.
"MVP Baseball is so bad, especially in comparison to Sega's much superior offering."
Most folks say the same thing about Madden and NBA live being so bad compared to Sega's games.
It doesn't surprise me that the gaming awards are immediately as tired and ridculous as MTV's music video awards have become. There was a time when music videos were awarded for the art form that they can be. Gone are the days when a Neil Young music video can win video of the year, without ever once being broadcast on MTV! MTV banned the video yet it remarkable won best video that year. That was back when the award for the best video went to the "best video" instead of the "most requested on TRL" video. These types of awards shows are not to be taken seriously.
You don't have to be psychic to have seen this coming.
Contact those responsible:
. ht ml
As printed on yahoobusiness.com
Electronic Arts
Trudy Muller, 650-628-7323
tmuller@ea.com
or
NFL
Brian McCarthy, 212-450-2069
McCarthyB@NFL.com
or
PLAYERS INC
Christy Moran, 202-496-2885
christy.moran@nflplayers.com
Also quote from the admin:
"I would hope this is common sense to all of you, but make sure any contact you have with EA, the NFL, or the NFLPA is well-written and courteous. Polite disagreement / disapproval will go a lot further towards getting their attention than threats, swearing, or all caps. Be sure to sign the petition someone started as well."
http://www.petitiononline.com/nfleacon/petition
You can show your support at the espnvideogames.com message boards.
This is no surprise. They realize that the current gen consoles (GCN, PS2 XBox) are pretty much tapped out as far as technical capabilities, plus developers have had a few years to get familiar with development on them making it cheaper to do. I'm imagining that the next generation consoles will be a bear to develop for, at least in the beginning, driving up development costs and therefore driving up retail prices. I'd gladly pay $40 for ESPN NFL 2k6 if it's for the Playstation 3. I think the price hike would be justified because the gaming experience in general would be improved. Although the article doesn't say, I assume that any more ESPN games produced for the current gen consoles will remain $20.
Now the question is, will there be a "2k6" series of games for the current gen consoles, or will "2k6" be exclusive to the next gen consoles? Will the next gen consoles be around in time for the "2k6" series? Probably not, so I think the first time we'll see this price hike will be on "2k7" for the PS3 or Xbox 2.
There are plenty of "freeware" download sites popping up lately. nonags.com is just one that I frequently visit. Put "freeware" into google and you'll get plenty more. There are plenty of freeware and open source apps available, it seems that people don't even know they exist.
That Pikachu character has even spawned several ridiculous kid movies, and a cartoon show. The movies apparently did so well that Nintendo is creating their own division to make MORE cartoon movies using their mascot characters. The reason people think the mascot is dead is because Nintendo is the only company still taking advantage of the mascot marketing premise. That may be because they know that the childrens' video game market is still a profitable industry that Sony and MS have yet to tap into.
Let's announce it to Slashdot. That ought to keep it quiet.
In "the real world" I have several different ID numbers:
SSN
Bank account number (more than one)
Credit card number (more than one)
Employee ID
Student ID
Drivers license number
Supermarket loyaty discount card number
Blockbuster/Movie Gallery number
Library Card number
Auto/Home/Medical insurance ID
Voter Registration ID
I think I'm better off having those as separate numbers, and just keeping the cards around so I don't have to remember them. Why should online be any different? Can you imagine a world where all those numbers are the same, and are maybe our telephone number for instance (making everyting easy to remember). Scary.
So Netscape will be based on Firefox which was based on Mozilla which was based on Netscape? Do I have that correct? ;)
People can still visit the Enclyclopedia Britannica website and get the "facts" if they choose (for a fee of course). There is also a CD/DVD-Rom that can be purchased for about $70, albeit every year to get updates. Encyclopedia makers are just like the music industry, in that there is a new market and a new business model is needed. Either you evolve or die.
Anyway, Wikiped is merely an "Everything" for dummies. A launching point. There is a reason why teachers require students to have more sources than just an encyclopedia.
Those commercials really bug me. Do we see Cheverolet running comercials that say "Improve the road"? No.
AOL is purposefully trying to get people to think that AOL is "the internet". I guess that's better than all those people who think Windows XP is "the internet".
This suit may seek to recover a percentage of Microsoft's profits from all XBox's sold -- which amounts to roughly zero. Well, good luck with that.
Back in 1997 the only people who were using the internet at all were people looking for porn. I remember in 1996 being at a friends house and seeing all the free porn and thinking "I have to get this internet thing!"
Now that the internet has become ubiquitus a much greater number of people have access and are accessing it. So now the percentage of people searching for porn is approaching the percentage of the general public who buy adult magazines, or rent adult videos (which is a lot higher that you think).
Well, lots of people have GBA SP's and yet THEY feel the need to upgrade.
Go for the PhD but get your Masters along the way. The MS will help you get a good, well-paying job, and decent job security. The PhD will get you challenging, enjoyable, and ground-breaking assignments (not to mention respect) in that job. But of course that depends on what kind of company you work for. Does the company do ground-breaking work? or are they just making more pop-up blocker software?
It's both a stimulant and a depressant. They offset so you feel NOTHING at all!
I think you should stress that computers are a means to an end and not the end. Tell them that computer are a tool like a hammer or screwdriver, or calculator (which they all should be familiar with). But unlike a hammer, it's a tool that can be manipulated to solve different types of problems. It's nothing more than a problem solver. Also maybe introduce them to the concept of what the intenet is. They should understand that their computer has files on it, and Joe Smoe's computer has files on it. WHen you browse the internet you are looking at files on Joe Smoe's computer because he gives you access. Something like that. High level concepts.
People will have to learn that if they are going to rely on software that they know is buggy and not secure out of the box, then they have to understand that this kind of thing can happen. Microsoft can stop issuing updates and fixes at any time and screw everybody. If you don't like it, download Firefox for free.
I never understood why software can't just work right out of the box. Why does software require updates? Poor quality control? My refrigerator doesn't require updates. My car doesn't require updates. It works years later as well as it did right out of the box. Why can't software be as reliable? I'm not trying to be an ass, I'm asking a question here. I just returned to college to study CS, and I guess I haven't got to the "how to write half-assed, incomplete software" courses yet.
I back up all my CDs as well. I live in Florida, where if you accidentally leave a CD in your car in direct sunlight for an 8 hour workday, it will be destroyed. I only keep copies in my car, never the original. Sometimes both my wife and I will have a copy, but the original never leaves my shelf at home.
That would be the "worst idea since Greedo shooting first." -Holden McNeil, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back