Personally, I would love to see them take a hike, but even they are not stupid enough to quit playing in Europe. Eventually, they'll make up the fined money with slightly higher prices somewhere. As someone else said, it's simply the cost of doing business, which is a lot like what the Mafia used to say when one of them was arrested by the Feds.
I used to do oversight work on contractors that did gov't jobs.
The lowest bidder (usually) got the contract, but then, whatever they could charge Uncle Sam with a straight face (unforeseen delays, cost overruns, etc) the US paid without comment.
So a typical job of 250,000$, when it was all said and done, might actually have cost the gov't over 600,000$. Now start adding multiple contractors to a huge undertaking like this (one builds the suits, another the food, a third the life support, etc) and you can *easily* see where the original figure paled in comparison to the final pricetag, with most of that simply being pork and profit.
>>[sarcasm]Yep, "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" were definitely garbage.[/sarcasm]
Well, now that depends on your definition of garbage, no?
Case in point: Saving Private Ryan was supposed to be based on true events. Typical Hollywood, mucks that up big time. In addition, much of the details are wrong (uniforms, patches, weapons, tactics, etc.), which ruins the film in many ways, thus making it garbage.
Ditto with SList. So for my definition (and a few others I know) they were terrible films.
One that I have to disagree. Aliens and Alien Resurrection rocked. The Director's Cut of Alien3 was better than the initial movie release, but it still had huge issues.
Long before the US Naval Task Force even reaches in sight of european land, our subs would have wasted the europeans sea forces. Germany nearly brought the world to its knees with subs, I'm willing to wager it could happen again.
Mind you, I'm european, and this is all wargame theory, but in a US vs. Europe war, I'd place my bets on the US (assuming no nuclear exchange, as someone else said, all bets are off then)
>>Screens: Multiple workspaces, done dynamically. Why do OSes like BeOS (and Linux window managers?) bother to implement workspaces, but then only stick with a fixed number?
You can have as many workspaces under BeOS as you tell it to have. Different resolutions, colour depth, etc.
But how many people do you know that were at Tiananmen Square?
If you grow up without the concept of freedom, then perhaps you haven't lost anything (or don't know any better) but when (if?) the internet comes in full force, and the people see what they might never have had...what then?
There is much emphasis on the "growing" market for computers/internet stuff in China, and everyone who is anyone is trying to get into that market.
But does it really exist? The government has shown a marked distaste for anything that may threaten their power/viewpoint, and with many poor people in china (farmers, et al) does this market really exist, or are large corps. trying to forcibly open them up like they did with Japan in the early times?
I try to be funny, I get modded offtopic. I respond to an off-topic post, I get modded Insightful. I try for an insightful port, I'm modded as a Troll.
I really don't understand this system one bit...my original post was supposed to be humor, so mod it as Overrated..but off-topic? I don't think so.
Our firm is discussing the possibility of setting up a "caller ID" type of system.
In other words, for each person who has an e.mail account with us, they would get a message saying "such and such wants to send you e.mail, about this topic. Do you accept?"
If so, the e.mail goes through and the person can be authenticated in the future. If not, they can be blocked, either once, or permanently.
It could serve as an in-between system until something better is thought out, or it might function on a permanent basis. Still doing a small test run of it.
I'm late to the party, so I'm tagging along on your comment, but this idea is hardly new, I had a 286 Bondwell laptop that came with a built-in alarm. It was a mercury type switch, once set, if you moved the laptop, a BIOS-type password would lock the hard drive and a *LOUD* wail would be emitted.
Once I was asked to do some inspection work on a DOT (department of transportation) site, and they had just finished installing (and monitoring) useage of their DOT vehicles.
I was there when the output was generated. The DOT devices monitored how long the vehicles were in motion, how far they traveled, how fast, how long they stopped and using a GPS, where exactly they were at any given time.
The workmen knew nothing of this installation until that point in time.
The moral? The crews weren't doing what they were supposed ot be doing (running about filling potholes) and instead (as found by the GPS) were down at a local bar and grill, drinking it up.
So they were fired.
Sure, they probably deserved it, but should they have been fired in this manner? This device *sounds* like it could be used for *exactly* that.
At one point in time, IBM was the leader in all things computing, and would act as they saw fit.
Now a days, they are for open standards, helping out other firms, investing in open source, etc etc etc.
What changed, specifically? Mind you, I'm all for the change (it's very good in my opinion) and they seem to be doing the right things, but is this a response to Microsoft and its ways, or did the change come internally?
Slashdot Mirror
Personally, I would love to see them take a hike, but even they are not stupid enough to quit playing in Europe. Eventually, they'll make up the fined money with slightly higher prices somewhere. As someone else said, it's simply the cost of doing business, which is a lot like what the Mafia used to say when one of them was arrested by the Feds.
FWIW-
I used to do oversight work on contractors that did gov't jobs.
The lowest bidder (usually) got the contract, but then, whatever they could charge Uncle Sam with a straight face (unforeseen delays, cost overruns, etc) the US paid without comment.
So a typical job of 250,000$, when it was all said and done, might actually have cost the gov't over 600,000$. Now start adding multiple contractors to a huge undertaking like this (one builds the suits, another the food, a third the life support, etc) and you can *easily* see where the original figure paled in comparison to the final pricetag, with most of that simply being pork and profit.
Gotten people off welfare and got them a job where they can support themself.
Your point again?
It didn't say "Linux", it said "Open Source" which does NOT always equate with Linux.
Or am I reading the wrong article?
>>[sarcasm]Yep, "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" were definitely garbage.[/sarcasm]
Well, now that depends on your definition of garbage, no?
Case in point: Saving Private Ryan was supposed to be based on true events. Typical Hollywood, mucks that up big time. In addition, much of the details are wrong (uniforms, patches, weapons, tactics, etc.), which ruins the film in many ways, thus making it garbage.
Ditto with SList. So for my definition (and a few others I know) they were terrible films.
>>...The Last Samurai was an excellent film.
Let down only by really bad acting on the part of....Tom Cruise.
Which is a shame really, he has proved that he *could* act, at least in the movie A Few Good Men.
One that I have to disagree. Aliens and Alien Resurrection rocked. The Director's Cut of Alien3 was better than the initial movie release, but it still had huge issues.
I think you miss one minor issue:
Unrestricted submarine warfare.
Long before the US Naval Task Force even reaches in sight of european land, our subs would have wasted the europeans sea forces. Germany nearly brought the world to its knees with subs, I'm willing to wager it could happen again.
Mind you, I'm european, and this is all wargame theory, but in a US vs. Europe war, I'd place my bets on the US (assuming no nuclear exchange, as someone else said, all bets are off then)
>>Screens: Multiple workspaces, done dynamically. Why do OSes like BeOS (and Linux window managers?) bother to implement workspaces, but then only stick with a fixed number?
You can have as many workspaces under BeOS as you tell it to have. Different resolutions, colour depth, etc.
>> if the goal is to "legitimize" p2p so that artists get paid, how would you do it?
Would you add a new Internet tax that everybody should pay?
Would you add new monitoring software so that an agency can track what people are doing on the net?
Would it actually be any more helpful to independents?
Perhaps we shouldn't?
But how many people do you know that were at Tiananmen Square?
If you grow up without the concept of freedom, then perhaps you haven't lost anything (or don't know any better) but when (if?) the internet comes in full force, and the people see what they might never have had...what then?
There is much emphasis on the "growing" market for computers/internet stuff in China, and everyone who is anyone is trying to get into that market.
But does it really exist? The government has shown a marked distaste for anything that may threaten their power/viewpoint, and with many poor people in china (farmers, et al) does this market really exist, or are large corps. trying to forcibly open them up like they did with Japan in the early times?
I don't get Slashdot at all...
I try to be funny, I get modded offtopic.
I respond to an off-topic post, I get modded Insightful.
I try for an insightful port, I'm modded as a Troll.
I really don't understand this system one bit...my original post was supposed to be humor, so mod it as Overrated..but off-topic? I don't think so.
>>...responds to changes such as bright lights and sudden movements...
well let's see, this comes from Microsoft (apparently much hated around here, imagine that.)
I wonder how it would respond to a sudden movement, of...say... it being smashed against the wall?
I don't own one :-)
Our firm is discussing the possibility of setting up a "caller ID" type of system.
In other words, for each person who has an e.mail account with us, they would get a message saying "such and such wants to send you e.mail, about this topic. Do you accept?"
If so, the e.mail goes through and the person can be authenticated in the future. If not, they can be blocked, either once, or permanently.
It could serve as an in-between system until something better is thought out, or it might function on a permanent basis. Still doing a small test run of it.
the e.mail protocol is broken, allowing massive amounts of spam.
So regardless of which program you use, you will have to contend with spam in one form or another.
It was a simple kep combination, customized by me. Once to turn it on, once to turn it off.
Piece of cake.
I'm late to the party, so I'm tagging along on your comment, but this idea is hardly new, I had a 286 Bondwell laptop that came with a built-in alarm. It was a mercury type switch, once set, if you moved the laptop, a BIOS-type password would lock the hard drive and a *LOUD* wail would be emitted.
This was way back in 1992....
215 thousand? Amature.
I got 250 thousand out of my 1985 Alfa Romeo GTV-6, and I would use it in Autocrossing.
Nothing broke on that car...nothing.
I do believe in giving everyone a second chance to shape up.
If I was their boss, I'd give them one chance to work properly, and if they did that, I'd overlook the issue.
If they didn't, well out they went.
I used to do EPA/OSHA type building inspections.
Once I was asked to do some inspection work on a DOT (department of transportation) site, and they had just finished installing (and monitoring) useage of their DOT vehicles.
I was there when the output was generated. The DOT devices monitored how long the vehicles were in motion, how far they traveled, how fast, how long they stopped and using a GPS, where exactly they were at any given time.
The workmen knew nothing of this installation until that point in time.
The moral? The crews weren't doing what they were supposed ot be doing (running about filling potholes) and instead (as found by the GPS) were down at a local bar and grill, drinking it up.
So they were fired.
Sure, they probably deserved it, but should they have been fired in this manner? This device *sounds* like it could be used for *exactly* that.
Something to think about.
At one point in time, IBM was the leader in all things computing, and would act as they saw fit.
Now a days, they are for open standards, helping out other firms, investing in open source, etc etc etc.
What changed, specifically? Mind you, I'm all for the change (it's very good in my opinion) and they seem to be doing the right things, but is this a response to Microsoft and its ways, or did the change come internally?
I'm reminded of this tune from Pop Will Eat Itself.
Part of the lyrics go
"Freedom of expression doesn't make it all right. Trampled under foot by the rise of the right."
In other words (I believe) if you don't fight for your rights, you will surely lose them.
Couldn't they just use all the infected Windows boxes out there for this?
Huh? Wazzat? Oh, it's not a DDOS? err...sorry carry on.