I got similar notices from Verisign for domain names as far back as a year ago. Of course, Verisign/NSI sucked anyway, so I had no qualms with immediately changing my service.
Say what you will about the rest of the movie, but David Cross (the bald video store guy) was hilarious. His performance was reminiscent of the ones he used to give in the oft-overlooked-yet-incredibly-funny HBO sketch-comedy series Mr. Show, which was a good deal more amusing than MIB2. The commercial-free episodes, which ran 30 minutes each, were also slightly longer. (:
5. All 2nd-generation coders are laid off and replaced with $1/hour replacements in India. The CEO buys his seventh yacht a few months later.
Seriously, though, I think the largest problem in software design is that the people who ultimately make the major decisions have no idea what the hell they're doing. The suits issue an edict, and the programmers are the ones left scrambling to cover the big holes left by forces such as common sense and the laws of physics. Software, at least in big business, is ultimately controlled by people who don't understand it. And therein lies the problem.
I've always thought it was kind of weird that Nintendo skipped over porting Super Mario Bros. 3 to the GBA, particularly when clearly inferior titles such as Yoshi's Island and SMB2 got the treatment. In light of this announcement, it wouldn't at all surprise me if SMB3 was a major part of Nintendo's marketing plan for this new system.
Because they have money. We (using the term very loosely, since this whole Microsoft vs. Open Source thing is pretty much Just Another Holy War by now, and I'm agnostic) do not. As many corporations are finding, it's pretty hard to raise money by giving away a product.
Nonononono. IE has a better interpretation of the DOM. Javascript's pretty standard, and simplistic enough that pretty much everybody gets it right. I also can't see why that would shock you, as the only part of JavaScript that Sun contributed to was the name.
No competing browser is going to gain anything on IE until they can render anything on the web just as well as IE. That includes the ability to render horribly broken HTML. Yes, it sucks. But there's nothing anyone can do about it at this point. Microsoft certainly has no reason to push for cleaner code, and no one else has the market share/leverage to dictate anything about the web anymore. The only group that comes to mind that could have any impact here is the W3C. And from what I understand, they're actually addressing that issue.
XHTML, due to its XML-based nature, is very strict about how documents are parsed. Non-well-formed documents are explicitly denied the ability to render. Even IE obeys that. As for what's out there now, there's not much you can do. I've found that, luckily, there's a pretty strong correlation between quality of site mechanics and quality of site content. Most of what won't render on standards-compliant browsers isn't worth looking at, anyway.
In any case, IE's competitors have taken great strides in the past few years. Just two years ago, there was nothing even remotely close to IE in terms of capability. Remember Netscape 4? Feature sets have become very similar among browsers, and standards adherence is much better than it used to be. Things are improving. Give it time.
I do. I know only a handful who have, and none with anything more complex than the original PlayStation. It probably depends on the types of people you know; I'm currently in a public high school. It's also worth pointing out that the PlayStation is hardly a hot platform anymore. I'm not sure of the availability of GameCube modchips, but I know that PS2 and XBox chips cost upwards of $50, require 40 or so solder points, and aren't terribly reliable. That's prohibitive enough for most people I know.
The key phrase there is "casual users." Modifying a console entails a significant amount of risk, money and effort. There will always be a small fraction of the user base that goes to the trouble of doing so, but those users comprise such a small percentage of the population that it's not really a financial issue. When the other 99% of the market has easy access to free games, that's another matter entirely.
Security is a huge issue in gaming consoles, particularly as they become similar in capability and more competitve with each other.
It's widely agreed that the making or breaking point for any console is the software library available for it. Console makers therefore spend a lot of time, money and effort attempting to win over software developers to their platform.
And regardless of how enticing an offer the developer receives, developers need to sell software to stay in business. The main advantage of the console market (as opposed to the PC gaming market) is that the platforms are closed and proprietary, and (ideally) make piracy virtually impossible without modifying the hardware. The main problem with the security holes isn't that malicious users can compromise a user's data; the problem is that even casual users will be able to pirate games.
This prospect scares the living hell out of developers, and rightfully so. Witness the demise of the Sega Dreamcast, which occurred a surprisingly short time after someone figured out how to boot CD-R's on the console.
The bottom line is that developers won't produce for a platform that facilitates piracy. That is very bad news for Microsoft, particularly in light of their bleeding money out of each console they sell.
Mine too, interestingly enough. Admittedly, mine does get bounced around a lot (I'm a high school student, and I carry it in a backpack all day), but it's a problem I don't see on a lot of other brands.
This isn't exactly a new phenomenon. Salon ran a story about it back in 1998. But as computer gaming becomes more and more mainstream, it's bound to become a bigger and bigger problem.
My take on the whole thing is that fan reviews are preferable to professional ones any day--someone who would play the game for free is obviously going to have more interest in the game itself, and probably has a closer perspective to the reader's than a commercial reviewer would. Luckily, there are plenty of excellent non-profit gaming sites out there. I highly recommend The Gaming Intelligence Agency for console games, although their coverage is limited to the RPG, adventure, puzzle and rhythm genres. Anyone else have any favorites?
Charlie, lead designer of the AT7: "I'm glad you asked me that. MAX is a mother board with a legacy-free device interface, maximized CPU performance and memory capacity, on-board LAN, 6 Channel Audio, USB 2.0 and IEEE1394a..."
MAX: "Blah, blah, blah. Anybody can tell that by reading the specsheet! I'm more than a bunch of interfaces and memory slots! Without tooting my own horn, I'm everything anybody could possibly ever want in a computing system. I'm like the beautiful girlfriend you've always wanted who also cooks, cleans, mows the lawn, pays the bills AND lets you play CS all night-- if that's what you want."
Charlie: "Well, I guess you could put it that way..."
BUT WHY MAX?
Charlie: "Good question. MAX fully utilizes system bandwidth and provides the best storage management currently available in a motherboard. Combine that with all the fully integrated extra features, and you have the ultimate integrated computer platform."
MAX: "Charlie, We know that already. What people want to know is why would they want MAX. Well, the answer is, `cause I'll make your life easier, giving you more time to spend at the beach, or playing MOH: AA till your wrist seizes up and your brain melts."
Charlie: "We didn't think of that whenwe included all the integrated extra features, but I suppose you're right."
MAX: "Of course I'm right! I'm ABIT Engineered!"
Charlie: "Before MAX interrupted me, I was going to mention that MAX users will have the best platform solution in the market, with the best design for users thanks to ABIT Engineering. Because MAX includes just about all the integrated features users will need in a motherboard, MAX is designed for now and the future."
MAX: "That's right Charlie. I'm gonna be around for a long time...like Gandalf."
All I can say is: Wow. That's the most horrible thing I've ever read.
Slashdot Mirror
I got similar notices from Verisign for domain names as far back as a year ago. Of course, Verisign/NSI sucked anyway, so I had no qualms with immediately changing my service.
Say what you will about the rest of the movie, but David Cross (the bald video store guy) was hilarious. His performance was reminiscent of the ones he used to give in the oft-overlooked-yet-incredibly-funny HBO sketch-comedy series Mr. Show , which was a good deal more amusing than MIB2. The commercial-free episodes, which ran 30 minutes each, were also slightly longer. (:
5. All 2nd-generation coders are laid off and replaced with $1/hour replacements in India. The CEO buys his seventh yacht a few months later.
Seriously, though, I think the largest problem in software design is that the people who ultimately make the major decisions have no idea what the hell they're doing. The suits issue an edict, and the programmers are the ones left scrambling to cover the big holes left by forces such as common sense and the laws of physics. Software, at least in big business, is ultimately controlled by people who don't understand it. And therein lies the problem.
I've always thought it was kind of weird that Nintendo skipped over porting Super Mario Bros. 3 to the GBA, particularly when clearly inferior titles such as Yoshi's Island and SMB2 got the treatment. In light of this announcement, it wouldn't at all surprise me if SMB3 was a major part of Nintendo's marketing plan for this new system.
Because they have money. We (using the term very loosely, since this whole Microsoft vs. Open Source thing is pretty much Just Another Holy War by now, and I'm agnostic) do not. As many corporations are finding, it's pretty hard to raise money by giving away a product.
Nonononono. IE has a better interpretation of the DOM. Javascript's pretty standard, and simplistic enough that pretty much everybody gets it right. I also can't see why that would shock you, as the only part of JavaScript that Sun contributed to was the name.
Holy feeding the troll and missing the joke at the same time, Batman!
No competing browser is going to gain anything on IE until they can render anything on the web just as well as IE. That includes the ability to render horribly broken HTML. Yes, it sucks. But there's nothing anyone can do about it at this point. Microsoft certainly has no reason to push for cleaner code, and no one else has the market share/leverage to dictate anything about the web anymore. The only group that comes to mind that could have any impact here is the W3C. And from what I understand, they're actually addressing that issue.
XHTML, due to its XML-based nature, is very strict about how documents are parsed. Non-well-formed documents are explicitly denied the ability to render. Even IE obeys that. As for what's out there now, there's not much you can do. I've found that, luckily, there's a pretty strong correlation between quality of site mechanics and quality of site content. Most of what won't render on standards-compliant browsers isn't worth looking at, anyway.
In any case, IE's competitors have taken great strides in the past few years. Just two years ago, there was nothing even remotely close to IE in terms of capability. Remember Netscape 4? Feature sets have become very similar among browsers, and standards adherence is much better than it used to be. Things are improving. Give it time.
I do. I know only a handful who have, and none with anything more complex than the original PlayStation. It probably depends on the types of people you know; I'm currently in a public high school. It's also worth pointing out that the PlayStation is hardly a hot platform anymore. I'm not sure of the availability of GameCube modchips, but I know that PS2 and XBox chips cost upwards of $50, require 40 or so solder points, and aren't terribly reliable. That's prohibitive enough for most people I know.
The key phrase there is "casual users." Modifying a console entails a significant amount of risk, money and effort. There will always be a small fraction of the user base that goes to the trouble of doing so, but those users comprise such a small percentage of the population that it's not really a financial issue. When the other 99% of the market has easy access to free games, that's another matter entirely.
Security is a huge issue in gaming consoles, particularly as they become similar in capability and more competitve with each other.
It's widely agreed that the making or breaking point for any console is the software library available for it. Console makers therefore spend a lot of time, money and effort attempting to win over software developers to their platform.
And regardless of how enticing an offer the developer receives, developers need to sell software to stay in business. The main advantage of the console market (as opposed to the PC gaming market) is that the platforms are closed and proprietary, and (ideally) make piracy virtually impossible without modifying the hardware. The main problem with the security holes isn't that malicious users can compromise a user's data; the problem is that even casual users will be able to pirate games.
This prospect scares the living hell out of developers, and rightfully so. Witness the demise of the Sega Dreamcast, which occurred a surprisingly short time after someone figured out how to boot CD-R's on the console.
The bottom line is that developers won't produce for a platform that facilitates piracy. That is very bad news for Microsoft, particularly in light of their bleeding money out of each console they sell.
Not to mention the fact that we all know that only communists use open-source software...
Hmmmm...
Actually, according to your website, it should actually be Kishan Thomas. And Tucker, GA is one hell of a drive from Cupertino, CA. Troll much?
Mine too, interestingly enough. Admittedly, mine does get bounced around a lot (I'm a high school student, and I carry it in a backpack all day), but it's a problem I don't see on a lot of other brands.
He should be writing for some shallow bundle of buzzword-intensive hype like Wired. Oh, wait...
This isn't exactly a new phenomenon. Salon ran a story about it back in 1998. But as computer gaming becomes more and more mainstream, it's bound to become a bigger and bigger problem.
My take on the whole thing is that fan reviews are preferable to professional ones any day--someone who would play the game for free is obviously going to have more interest in the game itself, and probably has a closer perspective to the reader's than a commercial reviewer would. Luckily, there are plenty of excellent non-profit gaming sites out there. I highly recommend The Gaming Intelligence Agency for console games, although their coverage is limited to the RPG, adventure, puzzle and rhythm genres. Anyone else have any favorites?
An excerpt from Abit's MAX FAQ:
WHAT IS MAX?
Charlie, lead designer of the AT7: "I'm glad you asked me that. MAX is a mother board with a legacy-free device interface, maximized CPU performance and memory capacity, on-board LAN, 6 Channel Audio, USB 2.0 and IEEE1394a..."
MAX: "Blah, blah, blah. Anybody can tell that by reading the specsheet! I'm more than a bunch of interfaces and memory slots! Without tooting my own horn, I'm everything anybody could possibly ever want in a computing system. I'm like the beautiful girlfriend you've always wanted who also cooks, cleans, mows the lawn, pays the bills AND lets you play CS all night-- if that's what you want."
Charlie: "Well, I guess you could put it that way..."
BUT WHY MAX?
Charlie: "Good question. MAX fully utilizes system bandwidth and provides the best storage management currently available in a motherboard. Combine that with all the fully integrated extra features, and you have the ultimate integrated computer platform."
MAX: "Charlie, We know that already. What people want to know is why would they want MAX. Well, the answer is, `cause I'll make your life easier, giving you more time to spend at the beach, or playing MOH: AA till your wrist seizes up and your brain melts."
Charlie: "We didn't think of that whenwe included all the integrated extra features, but I suppose you're right."
MAX: "Of course I'm right! I'm ABIT Engineered!"
Charlie: "Before MAX interrupted me, I was going to mention that MAX users will have the best platform solution in the market, with the best design for users thanks to ABIT Engineering. Because MAX includes just about all the integrated features users will need in a motherboard, MAX is designed for now and the future."
MAX: "That's right Charlie. I'm gonna be around for a long time...like Gandalf."
All I can say is: Wow. That's the most horrible thing I've ever read.
Quite pleased that I'll be able to get the content on the limited edition CD, actually. (:
For those who are interested, there's an earlier story, samples, and an interview with Stephen Kennedy, the project's manager at the GIA:
http://www.thegia.com/features/f991030.html