I agree. I keep Facebook and MySpace accounts for this reason. It's great to get back in touch with someone I haven't seen or talked to in six years (or in many cases, more). It's just part of making the world more global.
I never mentioned any personal participation or lack of participation in the general public. I merely provided a couple (admittedly unencompassing) points to explain the parent's situation. Capitalism is built around the very fact that altruism is not commonplace (read The Modern Firm by John Roberts for insight as to why markets and companies exist or read this economic analysis of altruism). And, I think it's fairly safe to say that most individuals who sell items on Craigslist are not salespeople by trade (if you can provide some evidence proving otherwise, I will retract that statement). Incedentally, I am a licensed salesperson (real estate), although my license is inactive and that is not my profession.
I've used both eBay and Craigslist extensively (eBay more), both buying and selling (about 50%/50%). Because both those sites reach such a large audience, the range of users is really too great to summarize in any detail. The user groups get more homogenous when dealing in specific items, but even then there is a wide variety. One point I'd like to make is that in at least 600 transactions, I have not seen any bona fide altruism. I have never had any buyer pay more than was necessary and have never had a seller send me an item that was vastly better than what was shown in the auction (although every now and then they'll include something small that wasn't mentioned). If sellers included something small extra, it was often a way to vye for repeat business (and hence, they were probably more experienced salespeople). People do things for a reason (even the Dadaists ran into trouble there).
In judging on the amount of time it takes to list an item on eBay as compared to Craigslist, it's clear that Craigslist takes far less time to list an item on. It's also free to list most items/services. Because they have very little to lose, it's easy for anyone to throw a five-word ad up on Craigslist. Therefore it's reasonable to assume that because they have so little to lose, people will try to "reach" for the best deal they can. Craigslist does fill a need, though, for those of us who don't read newspapers at all....
Add me to the list....athough I am just starting to actually invest, I have been researching/following the markets for awhile (though I focus on Japanese ADRs). I've been using TradeKing for a few months (created by the founder and former president of SureTrade), and it rocks. It provides an excellent trading base for younger tech-savvy people and charges $4.95 a trade. I also signed up and adding my checking account without having to mail anything in. As homogenous as Slashdot is, there are many differing (and every now and then insightful) opinions that can change my thinking about a company or industry...
I agree with many of the previous posters...tea is great. I've always liked tea, but have only recently made it my primary beverage. It's really versatile. I'd get some white tea, green tea, and black tea (in ascending order of caffeine content) and decide which flavor/strength suits you (I generally drink green tea with occassional cups of white and black teas). I prefer my tea straight with no additions (don't dump sugar in your green tea unless you're in Morocco), but you can add many things if you like sugary drinks...
Panasonic is very high quality (but difficult to find in the US). Fujitsu and Sony also make some really high quality notebooks (the ones manufactured in Japan tend to be highest quality).
You're right about the V903SH. I have one, and it takes spectacular photos for the size. I actually bought it (sort of a hack unlock job though) because the camera's decent enough I don't need to travel with anything else. Look at this thread for examples.
As an IT admin, I communicate with all levels in the company. In general, picking on anyone's personal style is offensive to them (and often to the surrounding people). However, I agree that corporate speak is often annoying. Euphemistic language should only be used if there is a serious legal risk involved with being too direct (the ideal world is separate from the legal world!). Things should be spoken/written using the fewest and most concise words possible to convey the message. It saves everyone time. For generally great advice on clear writing (which also applies to speaking), look no further than the Economist Style Guide.
You can view information on those homes and some images of all the styles and prices here. It's pretty fascinating, but keep in mind the prices may have increased since 1940.
Whenever I sign up for a new cell phone contract, I simply get the most valuable free phone I can get and immediately sell it on eBay, new in the box. That way, I make up for the losses, and am free to get a nice unlocked phone (currently the Sharp 903SH from Japan).
I'm yet another one-man IT operation, and there's no question switching to some kind of remote access system eases up the petty problems. At my company, we're moving all 400+ users to the Citrix Metaframe system (remote access; they run Office from and save their stuff to the server). We keep a couple minor applications and web browsing client-side, but everything else is remote. The servers are sitting in a dedicated room we're leasing. I no longer have to clean out the client machines regularly. The downside to all this, of course, is that when the Citrix system goes down all hell breaks loose. Today, the print services in Citrix locked up and all printing was down until somebody got to the room to reboot the problem server (remotely rebooting failed of course).
I've also installed it multiple times. It's really terrific, but is very far from being mainstream usable, let alone installable. I remember the first time I installed it I didn't create a separate/video partition, and when it recorded right up to my hard disk space limit, the MySQL database got screwed up and everything stopped working. That was a real pain to figure out and fix, and is major enough to prevent everyday users from keeping MythTV running. Also, I was never able to get my Air2PC card working in MythTV (in all fairness, I wasn't able to get it working yet in Windows either).
I'm currently investigating SageTV's 14-day trial. Setup was really easy, and it provides most of the functionality (and lots of more refined details like the ability to choose "Delete this recording when space is needed") without the maintenance hassles. I will check out BeyondTV next...
KDDI's definitely trying hard to capture the "cutting-edge" market. I don't know if you're in Tokyo or not, but if you haven't already, you should check out the KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku (just opposite one of the ends of Takeshita St.). It's pretty neat. You can print out business cards with your picture and barcode. Incedentally, I'm using a Vodafone 903SH right now, which is a typical high-end Japanese market mobile (and hence, was ranked #1 in Vodafone JP sales for quite a while).
I've tried all the consumer Panasonic Toughbooks out in Japan (and will probably buy one after my 700Mhz Fujitsu B-Series gets too slow!). They are terrific. Amazingly light and built well. The only downside is that they don't make any widescreen models (they're missing out on a market segment). They have no trackpoint, but they do have a great circular scroll touchpad that takes a little getting used to but works really well (you draw circles to scroll). I agree Lenovo is taking the wrong path here...
I moved into my new apartment (1200sq ft) with a 5.1ch system, ready to wire it up, and quickly realized it wouldn't be easily possible to wire it in a way that the cables wouldn't be in the way (I'd have to throw them over doorframes, etc.). I said "screw it!" and promptly ditched the old system (Mission FS2-AV) for some PSB bookshelf speakers. I listen to music and watch TV more than movies anyway.
As a side note, I built my amplifier from a great kit. It's a tube amplifier, and sounds better than anything I've heard anywhere near it's price range ($140). Of course the downside is no remote control (for now), but it does glow! To get any kind of serious sound out of a PC you MUST have an external DAC. I'm running the lossless digital sound out of a Turtle Beach USB sound card (around $30) straight from the PC to an external DAC (California Audio Sigma II, $750 new, bought for $400 used). The DAC outputs straight to the integrated amplifier, and I couldn't be happier. I hate having tons of CDs lying around, so I FLACed the collection...
I have reasons to use multiple formats (i.e. my cell phone only accepts.m4a files, which I would like more compressed than the files found on my hard drive). Therefore, I like to use FLAC so I can easily reencode the files into new formats. While you may not hear the difference between a 320kbps MP3 and a FLAC file, you almost certainly will hear many artifacts when you reencode a 320kbps MP3 into an.ogg or.m4a file. Keeping much of my collection in FLAC helps me easily allow for future conversions into other (potentially better) formats.
I have used the QuietComfort 2 headphones (and use other Bose noise-cancelling headsets regularly when flying in small planes). It's the fact that they're "over-the-ear" type that makes them less practical for usage in a place where occasional conversation is required. Over-the-ear headphones may be what the OP is looking for, though.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree. I keep Facebook and MySpace accounts for this reason. It's great to get back in touch with someone I haven't seen or talked to in six years (or in many cases, more). It's just part of making the world more global.
I've used both eBay and Craigslist extensively (eBay more), both buying and selling (about 50%/50%). Because both those sites reach such a large audience, the range of users is really too great to summarize in any detail. The user groups get more homogenous when dealing in specific items, but even then there is a wide variety. One point I'd like to make is that in at least 600 transactions, I have not seen any bona fide altruism. I have never had any buyer pay more than was necessary and have never had a seller send me an item that was vastly better than what was shown in the auction (although every now and then they'll include something small that wasn't mentioned). If sellers included something small extra, it was often a way to vye for repeat business (and hence, they were probably more experienced salespeople). People do things for a reason (even the Dadaists ran into trouble there).
In judging on the amount of time it takes to list an item on eBay as compared to Craigslist, it's clear that Craigslist takes far less time to list an item on. It's also free to list most items/services. Because they have very little to lose, it's easy for anyone to throw a five-word ad up on Craigslist. Therefore it's reasonable to assume that because they have so little to lose, people will try to "reach" for the best deal they can. Craigslist does fill a need, though, for those of us who don't read newspapers at all....
...the members of the General Public (A) are selfish by nature and (B) aren't salespeople.
...are fuel-cell powered AC outlets, which will cerainly result in cost-savings!
I second Bonk! Brains and brawn! Well, brains that ARE brawn!
Add me to the list....athough I am just starting to actually invest, I have been researching/following the markets for awhile (though I focus on Japanese ADRs). I've been using TradeKing for a few months (created by the founder and former president of SureTrade), and it rocks. It provides an excellent trading base for younger tech-savvy people and charges $4.95 a trade. I also signed up and adding my checking account without having to mail anything in. As homogenous as Slashdot is, there are many differing (and every now and then insightful) opinions that can change my thinking about a company or industry...
I agree with many of the previous posters...tea is great. I've always liked tea, but have only recently made it my primary beverage. It's really versatile. I'd get some white tea, green tea, and black tea (in ascending order of caffeine content) and decide which flavor/strength suits you (I generally drink green tea with occassional cups of white and black teas). I prefer my tea straight with no additions (don't dump sugar in your green tea unless you're in Morocco), but you can add many things if you like sugary drinks...
I didn't see any explicit support for MythTV. Does anyone know if it has support?
Panasonic is very high quality (but difficult to find in the US). Fujitsu and Sony also make some really high quality notebooks (the ones manufactured in Japan tend to be highest quality).
Take a look at some of the Panasonic laptop offerings.
You're right about the V903SH. I have one, and it takes spectacular photos for the size. I actually bought it (sort of a hack unlock job though) because the camera's decent enough I don't need to travel with anything else. Look at this thread for examples.
As an IT admin, I communicate with all levels in the company. In general, picking on anyone's personal style is offensive to them (and often to the surrounding people). However, I agree that corporate speak is often annoying. Euphemistic language should only be used if there is a serious legal risk involved with being too direct (the ideal world is separate from the legal world!). Things should be spoken/written using the fewest and most concise words possible to convey the message. It saves everyone time. For generally great advice on clear writing (which also applies to speaking), look no further than the Economist Style Guide.
You can view information on those homes and some images of all the styles and prices here. It's pretty fascinating, but keep in mind the prices may have increased since 1940.
...from what I understand. It's part of a complete TV/internet/telephone "Yahoo BB" system. You can see an English page here.
Whenever I sign up for a new cell phone contract, I simply get the most valuable free phone I can get and immediately sell it on eBay, new in the box. That way, I make up for the losses, and am free to get a nice unlocked phone (currently the Sharp 903SH from Japan).
Lao Tzu was a senior contemporary of Confucius.
I'm yet another one-man IT operation, and there's no question switching to some kind of remote access system eases up the petty problems. At my company, we're moving all 400+ users to the Citrix Metaframe system (remote access; they run Office from and save their stuff to the server). We keep a couple minor applications and web browsing client-side, but everything else is remote. The servers are sitting in a dedicated room we're leasing. I no longer have to clean out the client machines regularly. The downside to all this, of course, is that when the Citrix system goes down all hell breaks loose. Today, the print services in Citrix locked up and all printing was down until somebody got to the room to reboot the problem server (remotely rebooting failed of course).
The new Sharp 904SH, soon to be released, has a VGA display in a 2.4" screen. That's got to be as high as necessary for text.
I'm currently investigating SageTV's 14-day trial. Setup was really easy, and it provides most of the functionality (and lots of more refined details like the ability to choose "Delete this recording when space is needed") without the maintenance hassles. I will check out BeyondTV next...
KDDI's definitely trying hard to capture the "cutting-edge" market. I don't know if you're in Tokyo or not, but if you haven't already, you should check out the KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku (just opposite one of the ends of Takeshita St.). It's pretty neat. You can print out business cards with your picture and barcode. Incedentally, I'm using a Vodafone 903SH right now, which is a typical high-end Japanese market mobile (and hence, was ranked #1 in Vodafone JP sales for quite a while).
I've tried all the consumer Panasonic Toughbooks out in Japan (and will probably buy one after my 700Mhz Fujitsu B-Series gets too slow!). They are terrific. Amazingly light and built well. The only downside is that they don't make any widescreen models (they're missing out on a market segment). They have no trackpoint, but they do have a great circular scroll touchpad that takes a little getting used to but works really well (you draw circles to scroll). I agree Lenovo is taking the wrong path here...
As a side note, I built my amplifier from a great kit. It's a tube amplifier, and sounds better than anything I've heard anywhere near it's price range ($140). Of course the downside is no remote control (for now), but it does glow! To get any kind of serious sound out of a PC you MUST have an external DAC. I'm running the lossless digital sound out of a Turtle Beach USB sound card (around $30) straight from the PC to an external DAC (California Audio Sigma II, $750 new, bought for $400 used). The DAC outputs straight to the integrated amplifier, and I couldn't be happier. I hate having tons of CDs lying around, so I FLACed the collection...
I have reasons to use multiple formats (i.e. my cell phone only accepts .m4a files, which I would like more compressed than the files found on my hard drive). Therefore, I like to use FLAC so I can easily reencode the files into new formats. While you may not hear the difference between a 320kbps MP3 and a FLAC file, you almost certainly will hear many artifacts when you reencode a 320kbps MP3 into an .ogg or .m4a file. Keeping much of my collection in FLAC helps me easily allow for future conversions into other (potentially better) formats.
That's "emglassened".
I have used the QuietComfort 2 headphones (and use other Bose noise-cancelling headsets regularly when flying in small planes). It's the fact that they're "over-the-ear" type that makes them less practical for usage in a place where occasional conversation is required. Over-the-ear headphones may be what the OP is looking for, though.