Actually/. does have such a setting (unles I've completly missunderstood your meaning). However it also has, imho, not the most intuitive system for setting preferences I suspect it makes perfect sense to some people as it seems like one those sorts of things to me.
However if you click on your own 'name' and look near the bottom where it links to comments setting page and then go down that page there should be a box labled "comment post mode" very near the bottom.
There are some cases where employees cannot be fired at will, even in at will states.
IANAL, but dismissing an employee for threatening to tell the authorities about illeagle acts in the company MAY violate whistleblower protection laws and others.
However I can't get at many of the docs on that site cause some idiot put them into pdf's instead of something reasonable. And I've quit wasting time on pdf's. Those on that site cause the acrobat plug-in for FF to bring my comp to crawl and effectively locks FF up till it's done. Not to mention pdf's take what is a 5k text document and turn it into multi megabyte piece of useless crap in some idiotic attempt to make a computer into book.
The study I heard about (program on local radio) mentioned that they were studying pain and stress relief. They used accredited/liscensed acupuncturist on the group getting accupuncture and medical personell (RN's mostly a few md's and lpn IIRC) for the other group.
But again it is just one study, however the result seem reasonably credible and make sense.
At any rate I suspect the human body is sufficiently complex to make simple answers less likely.
Every time I hear about better solar cell efficiency there always seems to be some big drawback.
Eigther they're 3 times more effeicient and 5 times more costly, or only last 1/4th as long.
Still some of the more effiecient type do see some use, usually where the cost is less of a factor than size. At least one spacecraft had cells that were much more effiecient, but cost even more, just to save on mass.
Still there is lead time between a 'lab discovery' to 'proto-type' to $49.99 at Wall-Mart that means we seldom notice these great inventions when they hit the shelves.
I remember the first I hear of dvd's. They weren't called that then though. They were just some lab prototype to stack a cd ten layers deep or some such for data. The reader was some laser device several hundred pounds in wieght and overly suseptable to any sort of environmental issue.
I haven't really kept track but how do currently available Solar Cells stack up to what was out there in 80's or 90's?
OOOPS I said exploding cluster bombs when I meant exploding cluster banna's.
Of course having to correct it later rather dims the humour element. Guesse that's what I get for ignoring the preview button down there.
While I did notice the hints towards the elements,and a few not so subtle nods, I didn't find those elements nearly as well done as in the White Wolf game Bloddlines is based on. Still it was a decent game and if those hints were enough to make you ponder the issues involved (a beast one must be lest a Beast one becomes, to paraphrase WW) I guesse it worked. Jack is one amusing guy, hope he's in the next one.
Though that's a game I would hope a parent would discuss with a child they were considering let play it. Nothing necessarily heavy or deep, just point out the elements you mentioned and go over them. And hopefully said child is much closer to driving age than diaper age.
I do gotta agree on recomending Worms though. Completly cartoonish and load of fun. Shure it's pure violence on one level, but I think exploding cluster bombs droped on worms (the soldiers) in a junk yard, is suitably distanced from the blood and gore of a GTA or FPS to be suitable for kids. Plus the gameplay is good enough and entertaining enough for adults. Plus the little cut scenes before each match are hysterically funny, kinda like of some of the things that would happen to Wyle E. Coyote.
I tried to find a copy of X2 a while back, it was one of those games I'd thought about but decided not to buy. Then a friend went out of town for a week so I borrowed it and a couple of others, then searched high and low and couldn't find a copy anywhere.
NOT trying to step on your beliefs or even those of the 'Jedi' or anyone else. I'll say right here I've run into some out there things myself and can claim there are a lot of things outside current scientific explanation.
But that said the efficacy of acupunture (for pain controll) was tested a while back and it was shown those in the accupuncture group reported less pain than the controll group.
However a recent study showed the SAME results are obtained when one does acupuncture 'by the book' and when one just wings it (same needles, but applied nearly at random).
One suggestion was that the tiny pains of the needles cause the body to release more endorphins to deal with the pain. Another ascribes this effect to the placebo effect.
Not that because we know how what was once mysterious works it suddenly becomes less than it is. A rose no matter what the chemist says still smells like a rose.
Yes of course, the ongoing costs (all sorts) should be compared on both, I was just wondering if you were aware of them or not.
Last I'd heard (a few years ago) solar balanced out near the same. Which to me means a little more hastle for the individual in exchange for less grid reliance and protection against chain reaction black outs.
This is a win in my book but some people aren't interested in putting out the work. And of course bussiness has come to the conclusion it's more economically expensive (for them it can be, the on-going costs in thier case includes support and maintenance that the home user can subsume in with cleaning the gutters and so once past the install stage).
Personally I would like to see more research into solar and such just on the basis of redundancy and such you'd get when a significant portion of your population is connected to the grid, but not reliant on it. This would be especially benificial in places where hot sunny days are the big strain, with solar this can be self correcting to an extent.
All that said solar is no panacea in of itself. just a single usefull technology that I think we could put a little more effort towards.
Besides the already mentioned mess of making them, they also have a limited lifespan so the mess is on-going.
BTW what location is that in your sig? I assume it's a C=64 reference, but I can't recall it.
Have you considered the prduction of the solar sails themselves? I understand a fair amount of environmentally crappy byproducts are produced.
Also solar cells wear out so the fiscal and evironmental costs to useing solar cells are ongoing. Has this been compared to the benfits of using them?
Well the post I was responding directly to did specify the units in question: $.
Still I probably should have provide them again for those unable to properly process contextual information.
O.K I'm going to respond to myself here just to cover as many responses at once as I can.
I did not intend to apear to be arguing for static language, or even 'just because it's in the dictionary doesn't make it so' or any such thing.
I was mearly trying to point out the distiction between common usage and more precise usage that may be needed for a specific argument or in law.
It seems to me some people are getting bent out of shape over whether the usage is good bad or ugly. It seems to me it's spin game to use that word, but a long accepted one.
Personally I'm gald language evolves (ever hear one of the more barroque versions of ancient english?!?), just so long as it happens slowly enough to stay usefull.
And I would like to thank all those who cleared up the missinformation my faulty memory caused me to spout about nautical pirates and thier flags, my drain bammage, sorry.
Yes general language is indeed mostly about common usage, I wasn't arguing the point eigther way.
However when talking about a subject (copywright infringement in this case) it's sometimes helpfull to remember the distinction between common language and specific usage as in scientific or leagle settings.
I suspect the original poster's objection to the use has to do with it's typical intent, to emotionalize something so as create a lopsided advantage. Another poster has offered an entemology(sp?) of it's use in this context that shows how far back this particular useage goes (about 300 years!) and it apears the usage has always been about emotional spin.
Personally I thought bootlegger was a better term for it (for when something less wordy than 'copyright infringer' was appropriate), and while it's still used a bit, pirate seems to have won out despite being somewhat less descriptive of the practice.
As far as the nautical usages of pirate and privateer and all that with flags and such it's quite likely you've got a better knowledge/memory than I. The main reason I put the 'IIRC' on there is the whole thing was a bit fuzzy to me.
Actually if you didn't make money from it, nor supply a large number of copies just to cause harm, it used to make a huge difference in the law.
I can't rember the details since it's been at least 20 years, but surely someone here can.
That's because it does the same job (especially in the beggining) as Computer. They were originally refered to as digital computers to differrentiate (sorry not intentional) from human or analog computers.
Odly enough I have some sf old enough (the stories, not the copies) that use the word computer to mean a person who computes. Check out the works E.E."Doc" Smith.
While I understand your point, I'd like to point out that while they can set any pricetag on something they have the rights to, it's no good if they can't get it. I'd argue the price is eigther set through negotion (explicit or implicit) or no sale occures.
Or in this case copyright infringement MAY occure. And to ignore this reaction to the prices they set is a bad idea. So they are not ignoring, but rather trying to reduce the other sides negotiating power with perhaps collateral consequences of a negative sort.
Not the best example. I haven't bought a dvd drive in a couple years that didn't come with player software. This is more than 20 as I don't just buy for me, that's only about 5 including writers.
Around here it's like 35-45 for a dvd drive with dvd viewing software or a 45-65 for a dvd reader that also does cd-r/rw with dvd viewing software and basic cd burning software.
Again the difference is that with stealing electricity or a pet rock someone is deprived of something they would have had if you had done nothing.
With copyright infringement this is only true if you would have bought a copy leagaly if making an illeagle copy had not been an option. And even then the connection is a bit less direct as what you are depriving them of is NOT the same thing you are 'taking'.
Might I suggest you instead emphasize the fact that using incorrect terminology cast serious doubt on the veracity of thier research and or reporting and thus lowers significantly thier credibility and might lower thier readership (at the least in the eyes of advertisers). This might be a better tactic to achiev your goals.
Trying to get them to change thier usage because it plays into best interests media companies, <I>which is what they are</I>, might not be the best tack, especially when you make it clear you feel animosity (however justfied you show yourself to be) doesn't exactly mark you as someone on THIER side. And human nature what it is this likely got your e-mail lagely discounted as 'one of those'.
As a company that relies on publishing media they are going to more friendly than not towards drm and anti-piracy laws than the feelings of the 'warez' crowd or J.Random slashdoter. But point out where what they are doing hurts THEM and you stand a much better chance.
Or to quote(more or less) L.Long (ie. R.Heinlien) "Never apeal to a man's better nature, he might not have one. Apeal to his self interest, it gives you more leverage."
Most dictionary definitions reflect common usage, this particular common usage is brought on by a compound of both propaganda (by the producers attempting to add emotional spin to an otherwise borring sounding crime) and the adoption early on by some groups of 'pirate' to inflate thier self image.
However Piracy originally meant pretty much what the GP said with respect to sea-going enterprises.
I imagine that definition is still a good laymans translation of most leagle definitions of the word. I don't know that you would be charged with piracy if caught making 2000 bootleg copies of a Brittny Spears album (poor taste perhaps, copyright infringement certainly).
IIRC it's derived from 'privateer' which meant essentially a private ship with one countries official permission to attack the vessels of another country they were at war with. A pirate was simply a privateer without such a letter, and perhaps no particular care as to the targets nationality.
It's an interesting aside that the 'jolly roger' skull and crossbones flag wasn't an identifier of pirates per se, but rather of intent- no quarter given or asked. It took alot of anger to raise that flag.
HUH?!? what sort of natural law is fairness, nature is inherently unfair. I will agree it's hypocritical, but again so is nature.
Whether or not it's illogical depends on unstated premises.
Perhaps if you'd said 'get caught' it'd make sense.
Don't think I'm picking on you. A great many people assume some sort of inherent fairness or at least balance, to the universe.
A classic example is thinking that all big jocks are also big idiots. Not always, or even usually when you get to the pros, true.
Another is assuming all intelligent people are wimps. This is false even more often. In my high school two of the smartest teachers there were a rock climber and the arm wrestling champ(informal, but most everyone knew only a couple of the stronger seniors and the rock climber ever had a chance of beating him).
Small problem, what offender would repeat NEAR his home when that would make him suspect #1.
Of course I could see the argument that an offender might choose to do something near ANOTHER offender home to throw off anyone trying to figure out who did it, but that would only work if eigther no witnesses and he copied the M.O. or he looked like the guy (and still copied the MO most likely).
You know I've heard that said as well, yet the one time I see any data on the subject it shows just the opposite.
I was in a link earlier in another thread on this article.
Do you have any data(or rather links to), or this just 'everyone knows so it must be true'.
It could happen. I know of at least TWO people who closely enough resemble me to 'freak out' persons who do know me, and once very nearly asked a buddy why he was ignoring me before I noticed he didn't have the surgical scar on his neck and thus wasn't who I thought he was.
In one of the two cases it was an ex-girlfriend (a peacefull breakup, no vitriol, still friends, wasn't ever meant to be long term anyway) who ran into a dopple ganger of me. She was studying comercial recreation (NO not what you're thinking, things like cruise director, tour guide in public parks, theme park manager, etc.) and as coursework for one of her classes she worked as a councillor at a summer camp. She spent two weeks in the company of this guy and was slightly unnerved by the fact that he not only looked like me, but had many of the same mannerism and turns of speach and phrase, wore the same kind of glasses, and so on.
The other occurance was an employee of my mom's telling me how strongly I reminder her of another senior in her school, I was 24 at the time so the divergence here was a bit more.
Now admittedly this is purely anectedotal, but I'd say yes it could happen.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually /. does have such a setting (unles I've completly missunderstood your meaning).
However it also has, imho, not the most intuitive system for setting preferences I suspect it makes perfect sense to some people as it seems like one those sorts of things to me.
However if you click on your own 'name' and look near the bottom where it links to comments setting page and then go down that page there should be a box labled "comment post mode" very near the bottom.
Mcyroft
There are some cases where employees cannot be fired at will, even in at will states.
IANAL, but dismissing an employee for threatening to tell the authorities about illeagle acts in the company MAY violate whistleblower protection laws and others.
However I can't get at many of the docs on that site cause some idiot put them into pdf's instead of something reasonable. And I've quit wasting time on pdf's. Those on that site cause the acrobat plug-in for FF to bring my comp to crawl and effectively locks FF up till it's done. Not to mention pdf's take what is a 5k text document and turn it into multi megabyte piece of useless crap in some idiotic attempt to make a computer into book.
Mycroft
The study I heard about (program on local radio) mentioned that they were studying pain and stress relief. They used accredited/liscensed acupuncturist on the group getting accupuncture and medical personell (RN's mostly a few md's and lpn IIRC) for the other group.
But again it is just one study, however the result seem reasonably credible and make sense.
At any rate I suspect the human body is sufficiently complex to make simple answers less likely.
Mycroft
Every time I hear about better solar cell efficiency there always seems to be some big drawback.
Eigther they're 3 times more effeicient and 5 times more costly, or only last 1/4th as long.
Still some of the more effiecient type do see some use, usually where the cost is less of a factor than size. At least one spacecraft had cells that were much more effiecient, but cost even more, just to save on mass.
Still there is lead time between a 'lab discovery' to 'proto-type' to $49.99 at Wall-Mart that means we seldom notice these great inventions when they hit the shelves.
I remember the first I hear of dvd's. They weren't called that then though. They were just some lab prototype to stack a cd ten layers deep or some such for data. The reader was some laser device several hundred pounds in wieght and overly suseptable to any sort of environmental issue.
I haven't really kept track but how do currently available Solar Cells stack up to what was out there in 80's or 90's?
Mycroft
OOOPS I said exploding cluster bombs when I meant exploding cluster banna's.
Of course having to correct it later rather dims the humour element. Guesse that's what I get for ignoring the preview button down there.
Mycroft
While I did notice the hints towards the elements ,and a few not so subtle nods, I didn't find those elements nearly as well done as in the White Wolf game Bloddlines is based on. Still it was a decent game and if those hints were enough to make you ponder the issues involved (a beast one must be lest a Beast one becomes, to paraphrase WW) I guesse it worked. Jack is one amusing guy, hope he's in the next one.
Though that's a game I would hope a parent would discuss with a child they were considering let play it. Nothing necessarily heavy or deep, just point out the elements you mentioned and go over them. And hopefully said child is much closer to driving age than diaper age.
I do gotta agree on recomending Worms though. Completly cartoonish and load of fun. Shure it's pure violence on one level, but I think exploding cluster bombs droped on worms (the soldiers) in a junk yard, is suitably distanced from the blood and gore of a GTA or FPS to be suitable for kids. Plus the gameplay is good enough and entertaining enough for adults. Plus the little cut scenes before each match are hysterically funny, kinda like of some of the things that would happen to Wyle E. Coyote.
Mycroft
I tried to find a copy of X2 a while back, it was one of those games I'd thought about but decided not to buy. Then a friend went out of town for a week so I borrowed it and a couple of others, then searched high and low and couldn't find a copy anywhere.
Mycroft
NOT trying to step on your beliefs or even those of the 'Jedi' or anyone else. I'll say right here I've run into some out there things myself and can claim there are a lot of things outside current scientific explanation.
But that said the efficacy of acupunture (for pain controll) was tested a while back and it was shown those in the accupuncture group reported less pain than the controll group.
However a recent study showed the SAME results are obtained when one does acupuncture 'by the book' and when one just wings it (same needles, but applied nearly at random).
One suggestion was that the tiny pains of the needles cause the body to release more endorphins to deal with the pain. Another ascribes this effect to the placebo effect.
Not that because we know how what was once mysterious works it suddenly becomes less than it is. A rose no matter what the chemist says still smells like a rose.
Mycroft
Yes of course, the ongoing costs (all sorts) should be compared on both, I was just wondering if you were aware of them or not.
Last I'd heard (a few years ago) solar balanced out near the same. Which to me means a little more hastle for the individual in exchange for less grid reliance and protection against chain reaction black outs.
This is a win in my book but some people aren't interested in putting out the work. And of course bussiness has come to the conclusion it's more economically expensive (for them it can be, the on-going costs in thier case includes support and maintenance that the home user can subsume in with cleaning the gutters and so once past the install stage).
Personally I would like to see more research into solar and such just on the basis of redundancy and such you'd get when a significant portion of your population is connected to the grid, but not reliant on it. This would be especially benificial in places where hot sunny days are the big strain, with solar this can be self correcting to an extent.
All that said solar is no panacea in of itself. just a single usefull technology that I think we could put a little more effort towards.
Mycroft
Besides the already mentioned mess of making them, they also have a limited lifespan so the mess is on-going.
BTW what location is that in your sig? I assume it's a C=64 reference, but I can't recall it.
Mycroft
Have you considered the prduction of the solar sails themselves? I understand a fair amount of environmentally crappy byproducts are produced.
Also solar cells wear out so the fiscal and evironmental costs to useing solar cells are ongoing. Has this been compared to the benfits of using them?
Mycroft
Well the post I was responding directly to did specify the units in question: $.
Still I probably should have provide them again for those unable to properly process contextual information.
Mycroft
O.K I'm going to respond to myself here just to cover as many responses at once as I can.
I did not intend to apear to be arguing for static language, or even 'just because it's in the dictionary doesn't make it so' or any such thing.
I was mearly trying to point out the distiction between common usage and more precise usage that may be needed for a specific argument or in law.
It seems to me some people are getting bent out of shape over whether the usage is good bad or ugly. It seems to me it's spin game to use that word, but a long accepted one.
Personally I'm gald language evolves (ever hear one of the more barroque versions of ancient english?!?), just so long as it happens slowly enough to stay usefull.
And I would like to thank all those who cleared up the missinformation my faulty memory caused me to spout about nautical pirates and thier flags, my drain bammage, sorry.
Mycroft
Yes general language is indeed mostly about common usage, I wasn't arguing the point eigther way.
However when talking about a subject (copywright infringement in this case) it's sometimes helpfull to remember the distinction between common language and specific usage as in scientific or leagle settings.
I suspect the original poster's objection to the use has to do with it's typical intent, to emotionalize something so as create a lopsided advantage. Another poster has offered an entemology(sp?) of it's use in this context that shows how far back this particular useage goes (about 300 years!) and it apears the usage has always been about emotional spin.
Personally I thought bootlegger was a better term for it (for when something less wordy than 'copyright infringer' was appropriate), and while it's still used a bit, pirate seems to have won out despite being somewhat less descriptive of the practice.
As far as the nautical usages of pirate and privateer and all that with flags and such it's quite likely you've got a better knowledge/memory than I. The main reason I put the 'IIRC' on there is the whole thing was a bit fuzzy to me.
Mcyroft
Actually if you didn't make money from it, nor supply a large number of copies just to cause harm, it used to make a huge difference in the law.
I can't rember the details since it's been at least 20 years, but surely someone here can.
Mcyroft
That's because it does the same job (especially in the beggining) as Computer. They were originally refered to as digital computers to differrentiate (sorry not intentional) from human or analog computers.
Odly enough I have some sf old enough (the stories, not the copies) that use the word computer to mean a person who computes. Check out the works E.E."Doc" Smith.
Mcyroft
While I understand your point, I'd like to point out that while they can set any pricetag on something they have the rights to, it's no good if they can't get it. I'd argue the price is eigther set through negotion (explicit or implicit) or no sale occures.
Or in this case copyright infringement MAY occure. And to ignore this reaction to the prices they set is a bad idea. So they are not ignoring, but rather trying to reduce the other sides negotiating power with perhaps collateral consequences of a negative sort.
Mcyroft
Not the best example. I haven't bought a dvd drive in a couple years that didn't come with player software. This is more than 20 as I don't just buy for me, that's only about 5 including writers.
Around here it's like 35-45 for a dvd drive with dvd viewing software or a 45-65 for a dvd reader that also does cd-r/rw with dvd viewing software and basic cd burning software.
Mycroft
Again the difference is that with stealing electricity or a pet rock someone is deprived of something they would have had if you had done nothing.
With copyright infringement this is only true if you would have bought a copy leagaly if making an illeagle copy had not been an option. And even then the connection is a bit less direct as what you are depriving them of is NOT the same thing you are 'taking'.
Mycroft
Might I suggest you instead emphasize the fact that using incorrect terminology cast serious doubt on the veracity of thier research and or reporting and thus lowers significantly thier credibility and might lower thier readership (at the least in the eyes of advertisers). This might be a better tactic to achiev your goals.
Trying to get them to change thier usage because it plays into best interests media companies, <I>which is what they are</I>, might not be the best tack, especially when you make it clear you feel animosity (however justfied you show yourself to be) doesn't exactly mark you as someone on THIER side. And human nature what it is this likely got your e-mail lagely discounted as 'one of those'.
As a company that relies on publishing media they are going to more friendly than not towards drm and anti-piracy laws than the feelings of the 'warez' crowd or J.Random slashdoter. But point out where what they are doing hurts THEM and you stand a much better chance.
Or to quote(more or less) L.Long (ie. R.Heinlien) "Never apeal to a man's better nature, he might not have one. Apeal to his self interest, it gives you more leverage."
Mycroft
Most dictionary definitions reflect common usage, this particular common usage is brought on by a compound of both propaganda (by the producers attempting to add emotional spin to an otherwise borring sounding crime) and the adoption early on by some groups of 'pirate' to inflate thier self image.
However Piracy originally meant pretty much what the GP said with respect to sea-going enterprises.
I imagine that definition is still a good laymans translation of most leagle definitions of the word. I don't know that you would be charged with piracy if caught making 2000 bootleg copies of a Brittny Spears album (poor taste perhaps, copyright infringement certainly).
IIRC it's derived from 'privateer' which meant essentially a private ship with one countries official permission to attack the vessels of another country they were at war with. A pirate was simply a privateer without such a letter, and perhaps no particular care as to the targets nationality.
It's an interesting aside that the 'jolly roger' skull and crossbones flag wasn't an identifier of pirates per se, but rather of intent- no quarter given or asked. It took alot of anger to raise that flag.
Mcyroft
HUH?!? what sort of natural law is fairness, nature is inherently unfair. I will agree it's hypocritical, but again so is nature.
Whether or not it's illogical depends on unstated premises.
Perhaps if you'd said 'get caught' it'd make sense.
Don't think I'm picking on you. A great many people assume some sort of inherent fairness or at least balance, to the universe.
A classic example is thinking that all big jocks are also big idiots. Not always, or even usually when you get to the pros, true.
Another is assuming all intelligent people are wimps. This is false even more often. In my high school two of the smartest teachers there were a rock climber and the arm wrestling champ(informal, but most everyone knew only a couple of the stronger seniors and the rock climber ever had a chance of beating him).
Mycroft
Small problem, what offender would repeat NEAR his home when that would make him suspect #1.
Of course I could see the argument that an offender might choose to do something near ANOTHER offender home to throw off anyone trying to figure out who did it, but that would only work if eigther no witnesses and he copied the M.O. or he looked like the guy (and still copied the MO most likely).
Mycroft
You know I've heard that said as well, yet the one time I see any data on the subject it shows just the opposite.
I was in a link earlier in another thread on this article.
Do you have any data(or rather links to), or this just 'everyone knows so it must be true'.
Mycroft
It could happen. I know of at least TWO people who closely enough resemble me to 'freak out' persons who do know me, and once very nearly asked a buddy why he was ignoring me before I noticed he didn't have the surgical scar on his neck and thus wasn't who I thought he was.
In one of the two cases it was an ex-girlfriend (a peacefull breakup, no vitriol, still friends, wasn't ever meant to be long term anyway) who ran into a dopple ganger of me. She was studying comercial recreation (NO not what you're thinking, things like cruise director, tour guide in public parks, theme park manager, etc.) and as coursework for one of her classes she worked as a councillor at a summer camp. She spent two weeks in the company of this guy and was slightly unnerved by the fact that he not only looked like me, but had many of the same mannerism and turns of speach and phrase, wore the same kind of glasses, and so on.
The other occurance was an employee of my mom's telling me how strongly I reminder her of another senior in her school, I was 24 at the time so the divergence here was a bit more.
Now admittedly this is purely anectedotal, but I'd say yes it could happen.
Mycroft