Certainly seems like there are a lot of those businesses around nowadays, huh?
In the U.S., at least, which is bad for our whole economy -- companies in other countries don't have to screw around with this sort of crap. And just so you don't forget: SCO is still in court, claiming they own Linux or something like that. IBM is still spending millions on them.
Europeans and Asians just love the American patent and legal systems, mainly because they don't have to live with them.
Right now, the one thing that could really turn me off from buying a new Intel-Mac would be if they started slapping those stupid stickers on the outside -- you know, the ones that make Windows laptops look like hick suitcases. I don't care what the new logo ist, but they had better include the stickers in the box (like Apple does) instead of slapping them on the machine.
I'm probably in the minority here, and JW himself is probably tired of hearing it, but if Firefly is dead, this leaves him free to stop fooling around with this SciFi stuff and get back to the Buffyverse where he does his best work by far. Just about every single person I know who knows whom I mean by "JW" is waiting for him to do a series based on Willow. Alyson Hannigan is busy at the moment, so he has some time to think up a story arc that is complete (like Buffy) and just doesn't keep limping along with no clear goal in sight (like Angel).
I understand he was tired of the Buffyverse and had to take a break. Fine. Who wouldn't be. But in the end, a man has gotta accept his calling.
Apple doesn't have to care about IE, because Safari and Firefox do the trick a lot better now anyway. What Apple has to be scared shitless about, however, is Microsoft killing Office for OS X. There is nothing in the Apple universe to replace MS Office at the moment for Joe Average -- NeoOffice/J (OpenOffice for the Mac) works fine for me, but most Apple users I know gag on it not being completely aquified. Without a full office suite -- single programs like Pages doen't count -- Mac sales plummet. And please don't even mention Apple Works, which should be taken out and given a clean, quick, merciful death.
I have no idea why Apple let themselves get into this situation where Microsoft can do very serious damage any time they want. What Apple should do is a second Safari -- admit they can't support a complete office suite by themselves and start pushing a version based on NeoOffice/J or OpenOffice. Sooner or later, Bill Gates is going to pull the plug.
I don't see it here, but the far more important news in the big picture was that the "New York Times" basically admitted to helping Bush win the election. The story they finally published now about the NSA illegally spying on U.S. citizens by order of the president was held under wraps for one year (!) because the administration asked them to. Security my ass -- the NYT was asked not to ruin Bush's chances of re-election, and they went along like the good little poodles they are.
Tell me again about the liberal media. Please.
Anyway. If you are a U.S. citizen, now is the time to call, write, fax, or email your senator and tell him or her to kill the Patriot Act here and now. The link with the information is here
. This has gone far enough -- it is time to get our rights back.
Strange. Last time I checked, the world's total population was around six billion. You know, ten-to-the-power-of-nine. However, maybe they are collecting data from birds that sit on telephone wires as well. You can never tell with Europeans, they'll even tax tea if you let them...
(Real editors check names and numbers of every story before it is posted. It is part of their job description. They get into trouble if they don't. What Slashdot needs is some real competition to force the editors to at least pretend that they are doing their job.)
How often are technologies like PHP, Perl, and MySQL being pushed out once startups get managers who know nothing about the technology and only worry about name brands?
That is when they die. Seriously. Look at these guys, what was their name again, ah, yes, Google -- kinda silly but you know these computer types -- anyway, where would they be if they had dumped their Linux and stuff for Windows XP or even OS X (the Unix of the great GUI but crappy thread performance)? Not trading at about $400, that is for sure.
Don't worry. This is evolution in action: The clever ones, the more efficient ones survive. Those who pay $400 for Microsoft Office instead of using OpenOffice for free are not efficient. If Open Source can keep the legal playing field level, the rest will take care of itself.
Fact of the matter is, I actually know who Jack is and what he does. That was not my point. My point was that the Slashdot editors are assuming that everybody knows this, which is just terrible journalism -- it's like saying "Balkenende wants higher taxes" without explaining anywhere in the text just who Balkenende is. Like, king of Denmark? Mayor of Falluja?
I am getting increasingly frustrated with Slashdot's decline in quality, especially on the editorial side, and this is just another symptom. More and more, I find myself looking for this kind of news in other places.
Thanks for the backgrounder anyway -- you're heart is in the right place.
... is just WTF this Jack Thompson person is anyway, and why -- except on general princples -- I should care? Like, I'm sorry for him, but a bit of background might be nice, wouldn't it?
It's amazing how much information our ancestors passed on in oral and early written myths...we're finally getting smart enough to listen.
No -- we were listening before. We just didn't have the tools to prove that there might be something more to this than just myths. This is called the scientific method.
Now me, I don't give a rat's ass about earthquakes or floods. It just isn't news. Wake me when they have found proof that there really were dragons and unicorns and elves and orcs and cool old guys with pointy hats.
Does Sony still have good people at any level, in any capacity? You would think they are following the rats off the ship as fast as they can. Given the quality of their products, the bad management and the terrible PR, I find myself wondering if Sony is not in some sort of a death-spiral. As big as they are, this can happen. And after the rootkit fiasco, I also find myself wondering if this would really be a bad thing.
Actually, the system is pretty cool: They pay for websites that post ads that I don't see because of the Adblock plugin for Firefox. Everybody is happy: The companies get to pretend somebody is reading their ads, the websites get me as a visitor, and I get content.
Ah, capitalism and Open Source software. What a great combination.
For those of us whose lives are lived between two or more of the infamous DVD regions (in my case, Europe and the U.S.), VLC is an absolute godsend. Every Mac user should get it: Apple's DVD Player wants me do pick one or the other RC, while VLC just plays the damn thing. Quicktime gives me nag entries in the menus -- like, I pay a four-digit sum for a computer and they won't throw in the $40 fee for the full fuctionality? Really clever, Jobs -- and so if I want to play around with the size and other stuff, I just use VLC for QT instead. VLC is one of the coolest pieces of software out there, free or corporate, and anybody who is not using it on whatever platform should be treated with suspicion -- they probably work for the RIAA or eat babies. Or both.
Thanks, guys, for all the great work. This and Firefox are some of the ones that make all the difference.
Even the New York Times' free subscription sends many slashbots into fits of rage.
Which is strange because they will happily pay for most other forms of fiction...
Seriously, the "NYT" has far more serious problems at the moment than the way they deliver their product, such as the product itself. If there was ever a time to open up to keep as many readers as they can, it is now.
The main reason I use Firefox on my Mac over the otherwise pretty good Safari is the adblocker plugin. Not having crap blink in my face on every second site, not having a little bit of text squeezed in between fat columns of ads for stuff I simply don't want, let alone need, has really changed my attitude towards the web in general. There is no way I am ever going back to a browser that doesn't support this feature. If you are thinking about testing Firefox -- get that plugin when you do.
It shouldn't surprise anybody that the FBI and the other usual suspects are out there trying to control software: They tried it -- and out side the U.S. they did it for decades, nay, centuries -- with books. America has been spared most of that because of the genius of the Consitution, but unfortunately, software wasn't on the agenda back then any more than privacy. And the Bill of Rights just ain't getting any longer.
As somebody else has posted, this will just send people packing to Europe and India. The administration's attack on sex sites has already just done that: All those companies are simply moving out. Like it or not, that is a billion-dollar industry that is taking its tax money and jobs elsewhere. Giving the FBI that kind of power will just make people leave faster -- and bring us one more step closer to being a police state.
...such things as reputation and integrity can be more important for the long-term success/value of the company than near-term profit.
Except, my friend, your average CEO isn't there long enough to give a flying fuck about long-term success. He wants his three quarters of gold and glory, and then he's out of there.
Places like Apple and Microsoft are pretty much the exception with their stick-it CEOs. The half-live of top managers everywhere else is pretty bad.
This doesn't come under the heading of cheap, and probably won't help you because you seem to have all your hardware already, but in case somebody has not committed his resources like you have while being in the same situation: Install Macs to get rid of the viruses, and use Apple's Bonjour to have the computers configure themselves on the fly. I had the chance to build a Mac-only system recently, and have come away a rabid fan of zero configuration technology. Windows support of this stuff is sketchy (they have their own format, of course), while Linux has the Avahi-project making big strides. There is also Howl for Linux, but it doesn't seem to be GPL like Avahi.
The cool thing about all of this is that you just configure the routers/base stations and then the machines do the rest themselves wherever you plug them in (for Macs at least, Avahi needs a bit more work, and is still masked with Gentoo 2005.1). Then, when people start moving stuff around, it still configures itself. No more discussions about where the printer goes...just unplug the damn thing and move it where you want it.
Beautiful. Another thing that Apple has done right, Microsoft doesn't get and Linux needs to work on more.
The whole paradigm of using a mouse, trackpad and keyboard is so counter productive, except for specific desktop and power user applications.
Unless, of course, you are into typing for those exotic applications like email. Most people, even those who don't touch-type, can easily type faster than they can write. Tablets are nice for those FedEx people and their signatures, but for the rest of us, keyboards are just the thing.
If I were a Microsoft shareholder, this would really piss me off. Here we have a company that has 40 billion dollars sitting around, and what they do is invent the wheel all over again. Add to this poor stock peformance and measly dividends, and I'd really be wondering if Ballmer is looking out for my interests here or just trying to hide the fact that Microsoft doesn't have a coherent strategy to increase shareholder value. This is treading water.
Apple did a very intelligent thing: Stop trying to make a whole operating system, and instead use a base of 30 years of industrial strength Unix. The problems with bash etc. are well known, there is no limit to the people who are already trained in using it, and you can still graft your pretty desktop on top. The security advantages alone would be worth it.
And, more to the point, you could fire thousands of Microsoft employees who are just doing make-work like this "new feature" and use that money to do the company's real job: Make shareholders rich. Because in the end, what counts is this: MSFT vs. AAPL stock performace for one year. Or -- Christ -- even this: MSFT vs. RHAT stock performance for one year. Microsoft's in trouble, and this isn't helping.
I certainly don't hope hard disks are the way of the future -- I want get away from these lound power-hungrey spinning accidents waiting to happen and start moving stuff to flash solid-state memory. If the iPod Nano can have it, why not my next iBook?
As other posters have pointed out, your imune system needs something to do, or else -- like idle teenagers -- it will go out and start screwing around.
One interesting aspect of German reunification was the far lower number of allergies that East Germans had, though they were as industrial as communist countries get. Now that their life style is turning more western, the number of allergies is going up. Nobody doubts their statistics -- these are Prussians, after all -- and if you don't want to believe that capitalism causes allergies, you end up with the explanation that West Germany is just too clean. Without the cleaning industry forcing antibiotic sprays on people and whatnot, the East German's immune system had something to do, and they stayed healthier.
And I knew that there was a reason I never wanted to take a bath when I was a kid.
Not to mention the fact that with leaks like this, they keep the Vista name in the news...no matter if it's politics or selling products, name recognition is one of the most important things you can shoot for.
Especially because this has been Apple's week -- best year on record, 220 percent more iPods sold, about 50 percent more Macs sold, quadrupled quarterly profit, then yesterday a new iMac with built-in video camera and remote control, the big iPod with video features standard, a deal with Disney on selling Housewives. Microsoft had to do something to try to grab some mindshare so people don't forget they are still around.
(Sorry about "effect"-"affect" typo in 2nd graph)
on
Why Do You Block Ads?
·
· Score: 1
It is, of course, the effect on you, but how it affects your children. Sorry.
Slashdot Mirror
In the U.S., at least, which is bad for our whole economy -- companies in other countries don't have to screw around with this sort of crap. And just so you don't forget: SCO is still in court, claiming they own Linux or something like that. IBM is still spending millions on them.
Europeans and Asians just love the American patent and legal systems, mainly because they don't have to live with them.
Right now, the one thing that could really turn me off from buying a new Intel-Mac would be if they started slapping those stupid stickers on the outside -- you know, the ones that make Windows laptops look like hick suitcases. I don't care what the new logo ist, but they had better include the stickers in the box (like Apple does) instead of slapping them on the machine.
I understand he was tired of the Buffyverse and had to take a break. Fine. Who wouldn't be. But in the end, a man has gotta accept his calling.
I have no idea why Apple let themselves get into this situation where Microsoft can do very serious damage any time they want. What Apple should do is a second Safari -- admit they can't support a complete office suite by themselves and start pushing a version based on NeoOffice/J or OpenOffice. Sooner or later, Bill Gates is going to pull the plug.
Tell me again about the liberal media. Please.
Anyway. If you are a U.S. citizen, now is the time to call, write, fax, or email your senator and tell him or her to kill the Patriot Act here and now. The link with the information is here . This has gone far enough -- it is time to get our rights back.
Strange. Last time I checked, the world's total population was around six billion. You know, ten-to-the-power-of-nine. However, maybe they are collecting data from birds that sit on telephone wires as well. You can never tell with Europeans, they'll even tax tea if you let them...
(Real editors check names and numbers of every story before it is posted. It is part of their job description. They get into trouble if they don't. What Slashdot needs is some real competition to force the editors to at least pretend that they are doing their job.)
That is when they die. Seriously. Look at these guys, what was their name again, ah, yes, Google -- kinda silly but you know these computer types -- anyway, where would they be if they had dumped their Linux and stuff for Windows XP or even OS X (the Unix of the great GUI but crappy thread performance)? Not trading at about $400, that is for sure.
Don't worry. This is evolution in action: The clever ones, the more efficient ones survive. Those who pay $400 for Microsoft Office instead of using OpenOffice for free are not efficient. If Open Source can keep the legal playing field level, the rest will take care of itself.
I am getting increasingly frustrated with Slashdot's decline in quality, especially on the editorial side, and this is just another symptom. More and more, I find myself looking for this kind of news in other places.
Thanks for the backgrounder anyway -- you're heart is in the right place.
... is just WTF this Jack Thompson person is anyway, and why -- except on general princples -- I should care? Like, I'm sorry for him, but a bit of background might be nice, wouldn't it?
No -- we were listening before. We just didn't have the tools to prove that there might be something more to this than just myths. This is called the scientific method.
Now me, I don't give a rat's ass about earthquakes or floods. It just isn't news. Wake me when they have found proof that there really were dragons and unicorns and elves and orcs and cool old guys with pointy hats.
Does Sony still have good people at any level, in any capacity? You would think they are following the rats off the ship as fast as they can. Given the quality of their products, the bad management and the terrible PR, I find myself wondering if Sony is not in some sort of a death-spiral. As big as they are, this can happen. And after the rootkit fiasco, I also find myself wondering if this would really be a bad thing.
Oh, wait ...
Ah, capitalism and Open Source software. What a great combination.
Thanks, guys, for all the great work. This and Firefox are some of the ones that make all the difference.
Which is strange because they will happily pay for most other forms of fiction...
Seriously, the "NYT" has far more serious problems at the moment than the way they deliver their product, such as the product itself. If there was ever a time to open up to keep as many readers as they can, it is now.
The main reason I use Firefox on my Mac over the otherwise pretty good Safari is the adblocker plugin. Not having crap blink in my face on every second site, not having a little bit of text squeezed in between fat columns of ads for stuff I simply don't want, let alone need, has really changed my attitude towards the web in general. There is no way I am ever going back to a browser that doesn't support this feature. If you are thinking about testing Firefox -- get that plugin when you do.
As somebody else has posted, this will just send people packing to Europe and India. The administration's attack on sex sites has already just done that: All those companies are simply moving out. Like it or not, that is a billion-dollar industry that is taking its tax money and jobs elsewhere. Giving the FBI that kind of power will just make people leave faster -- and bring us one more step closer to being a police state.
Except, my friend, your average CEO isn't there long enough to give a flying fuck about long-term success. He wants his three quarters of gold and glory, and then he's out of there.
Places like Apple and Microsoft are pretty much the exception with their stick-it CEOs. The half-live of top managers everywhere else is pretty bad.
The cool thing about all of this is that you just configure the routers/base stations and then the machines do the rest themselves wherever you plug them in (for Macs at least, Avahi needs a bit more work, and is still masked with Gentoo 2005.1). Then, when people start moving stuff around, it still configures itself. No more discussions about where the printer goes...just unplug the damn thing and move it where you want it.
Beautiful. Another thing that Apple has done right, Microsoft doesn't get and Linux needs to work on more.
Unless, of course, you are into typing for those exotic applications like email. Most people, even those who don't touch-type, can easily type faster than they can write. Tablets are nice for those FedEx people and their signatures, but for the rest of us, keyboards are just the thing.
Apple did a very intelligent thing: Stop trying to make a whole operating system, and instead use a base of 30 years of industrial strength Unix. The problems with bash etc. are well known, there is no limit to the people who are already trained in using it, and you can still graft your pretty desktop on top. The security advantages alone would be worth it.
And, more to the point, you could fire thousands of Microsoft employees who are just doing make-work like this "new feature" and use that money to do the company's real job: Make shareholders rich. Because in the end, what counts is this: MSFT vs. AAPL stock performace for one year. Or -- Christ -- even this: MSFT vs. RHAT stock performance for one year. Microsoft's in trouble, and this isn't helping.
I certainly don't hope hard disks are the way of the future -- I want get away from these lound power-hungrey spinning accidents waiting to happen and start moving stuff to flash solid-state memory. If the iPod Nano can have it, why not my next iBook?
One interesting aspect of German reunification was the far lower number of allergies that East Germans had, though they were as industrial as communist countries get. Now that their life style is turning more western, the number of allergies is going up. Nobody doubts their statistics -- these are Prussians, after all -- and if you don't want to believe that capitalism causes allergies, you end up with the explanation that West Germany is just too clean. Without the cleaning industry forcing antibiotic sprays on people and whatnot, the East German's immune system had something to do, and they stayed healthier.
And I knew that there was a reason I never wanted to take a bath when I was a kid.
Especially because this has been Apple's week -- best year on record, 220 percent more iPods sold, about 50 percent more Macs sold, quadrupled quarterly profit, then yesterday a new iMac with built-in video camera and remote control, the big iPod with video features standard, a deal with Disney on selling Housewives. Microsoft had to do something to try to grab some mindshare so people don't forget they are still around.
It is, of course, the effect on you, but how it affects your children. Sorry.