I agree whole heartedly. Sometimes it reminds of the Music Industry. If the miniatures were not so expensive, I would go ahead and buy them. For the battle I mentioned above, though, you're talking about a $300 investment! And then you are tied to a single army. My friends and I like to try different armies to get a different flavor each time. At $100-$300 an army (depending on the size of the battle) it just gets cost prohibitive.
Contrast that to Silent Death, a very fun space fighter game. The starter set (about $50) contains rules, starmap, and more than enough fighters to keep things lively for quite awhile. Course then again, ICE is out of business whilst GW is dominating the market...
GW did this to retailers as well, albeit in a different way. According to the local gameshop, to carry GW merchandise you had to buy all of the miniatures for any particular game, not just some of them. And don't even think about returning what doesn't sell!
That's why my friends and I would buy the set, sell the minatures on, and then make cardstock chits for our battles. We just played a 3,000 point Warmaster battle for the total investment of the rules and the 2002 annual (about $50).
Suppose that's a DMCA violation because I made an apparatus to bypass their propriatary miniatures?
Greg Bear also wrote a novella about this upon which I think the episode was based. It is called Blood Music and it is a very good read. I believe it won a Hugo even. It has also been recently expanded into a novel length story by Mr. Bear. I have not read the novel version yet, but would be interested in hearing what folks have to say about it.
*Plot Spoiler Ahead*
At the end of the novella, the nanos actually turn the guys body into a living planet on which they live. They also "colonize" other humans to the same ends. They see to the constant release of seretonin so the human bodies they exist within remain happy in their colony function. A far creepier way to go than lung cancer!
I think by their own admission that M$ and the Borg have similar goals- total domination. That is exactly what the icon portrays.
I am not in support of the icon because M$ has never done anything good for the computer industry, I am in support of the icon because it is accurate. M$ goal is to dominate the computer industry, and they rely upon their market share to force the issue.
As for the Linux icon being a guy with a beard, thick glasses, and bad hygeine, I chuckled at that one as well. Icons are, afterall, supposed to visually convey information. That the M$ one does is accurately is, I believe, all the evidence it needs in support.
Whether or not it is childish is, I think, a matter of opinion. As long as M$ is using its market clout to bully people into using its software, than a Borg representation is neither inappropriate nor childish. In the end, however, I think it boils down to taste- for which there is never accounting for;-)
The main reason why I linked to the search results was due to the number of articles. The RIAA has been preaching that the record industry is going to die for awhile now and there are just pages and pages of the stuff. This then, is an article counter to what we have been reading which points to some healthy gains in the music industry, but which the RIAA does not mention in their voluminous press releases.
That Bloodshot Records appeared on NPR I cannot really address. I did not listen to it and did not know that they had received other publicity recently.
As for the point that we are a recycled culture living in perpetual rewind, well, that just may be. It seems that with the advent of the web everyone has access to so much information that they spend more time absorbing what is already there than creating something new. That plus our culture values citiations as supporting evidence;-)
I was actually kinda surprised when I went to submit that there was not a RIAA section (or even a *AA section). With all the stories I just kinda figured there would have been one. I think that maybe its time has come.
As for the M$ logo (note biased use of $ instead of S), I think that even M$ apologists would have to agree that there is a certain amount of truth to the icon. I also do not know when, if ever, Slashdot has ever purported to be unbiased. There is no such thing in any media, and this way we at least know wherein the bias lies.
So now in addition to White Hats and Black Hats, we're supposed to buy into Red Hats? Next thing we'll be getting reviews of Blue Hat, Orange Hat, and Green Hat, or even software named after obscure African antelopes.
It's like the worst features of Windows meet the worst features of Linux, and a retard put it all together so other retards could half-use it but no one could fully use it.
Maybe its just the "dows" suffix that makes products blow monkey chunks. Its pronounced just like "Doh!", only its pluralized to indicate a whole mess of 'em.
It may not be likely, but it sure would explain a couple few things...
So if an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters will eventually bang out the complete works of Shakespeare, what would an infinite number of code monkeys on an infinite number of boxes crank out?
[cynacism]Won't this just get them used to the future we're heading towards anyway?[/cynacism]
I think that policing your children like this is going to sow more distrust than anything else. And, by teenage thinking, as long as they are going to get blamed for stuff they are not doing (distrust=blame in teenland), then they may as well do it. You would be, in effect, reinforcing the cycle of poor choices.
I realize that the article expressly states that the system is designed for 8-12 year olds, but it would most likely see application in the teen area as well. Further, if you start at the 8 year old range, won't the same effects occur later on? Only, this time the teen can point to distrust over the preceding 4+ years.
On a side note, I wonder if this technology will be picked up by somone of the blog type crowd. We'll have web pages with continous updates of the site owners location. Always something to look forward too...
You know, in a way I'm disappointed. I had always hoped to find out that Beowulf Clusters only acheived prominence after having slayed the evil Grendel Clusters in the back of some Scandanavian CompSci lab...
We all know that 42.78% of all statstics are made up, and that another 63.58% of statistics are wrong. Considering that the remaining 78.92% of statistics are "wildly inaccurate", I am wondering if you have contemplated using the Slashdot Poll as a way of reaching truly unbiased results?
As a follow-up question, does your reasarch support the CowboyNeal Theory that links "insensitive clods" with M$ desktops?
Maybe the easiest thing to do is ask your boss to detail in writing (and then sign) a directive that would implement your screen scraping work.
I am guessing that so far he has asked you to do this out of the corner of his mouth so he is not responsible. If you force him to commit a paper trail to the endeavor, he might suddenly grow similar ethics;-) Never underestimate the power of a signature in the business world.
Law, too, has its cycles. My experience is in litigation and bankruptcy. We are currently booming. I can also remember, during the dotcom fiasco, when there was no work for anyone in lit or bankruptcy. Everything was in corporate. In a year maybe two, we'll be scrounging for work.
Long story short, everything in the economy has cycles. When we get a decent economy back, there will be much less bickering about patents. The pissing matches don't start until the money stops.
Slashdot Mirror
Contrast that to Silent Death, a very fun space fighter game. The starter set (about $50) contains rules, starmap, and more than enough fighters to keep things lively for quite awhile. Course then again, ICE is out of business whilst GW is dominating the market...
That's why my friends and I would buy the set, sell the minatures on, and then make cardstock chits for our battles. We just played a 3,000 point Warmaster battle for the total investment of the rules and the 2002 annual (about $50).
Suppose that's a DMCA violation because I made an apparatus to bypass their propriatary miniatures?
*Plot Spoiler Ahead*
At the end of the novella, the nanos actually turn the guys body into a living planet on which they live. They also "colonize" other humans to the same ends. They see to the constant release of seretonin so the human bodies they exist within remain happy in their colony function. A far creepier way to go than lung cancer!
I am not in support of the icon because M$ has never done anything good for the computer industry, I am in support of the icon because it is accurate. M$ goal is to dominate the computer industry, and they rely upon their market share to force the issue.
As for the Linux icon being a guy with a beard, thick glasses, and bad hygeine, I chuckled at that one as well. Icons are, afterall, supposed to visually convey information. That the M$ one does is accurately is, I believe, all the evidence it needs in support.
Whether or not it is childish is, I think, a matter of opinion. As long as M$ is using its market clout to bully people into using its software, than a Borg representation is neither inappropriate nor childish. In the end, however, I think it boils down to taste- for which there is never accounting for;-)
That Bloodshot Records appeared on NPR I cannot really address. I did not listen to it and did not know that they had received other publicity recently.
As for the point that we are a recycled culture living in perpetual rewind, well, that just may be. It seems that with the advent of the web everyone has access to so much information that they spend more time absorbing what is already there than creating something new. That plus our culture values citiations as supporting evidence;-)
I was actually kinda surprised when I went to submit that there was not a RIAA section (or even a *AA section). With all the stories I just kinda figured there would have been one. I think that maybe its time has come.
As for the M$ logo (note biased use of $ instead of S), I think that even M$ apologists would have to agree that there is a certain amount of truth to the icon. I also do not know when, if ever, Slashdot has ever purported to be unbiased. There is no such thing in any media, and this way we at least know wherein the bias lies.
That plus I chuckle ever time I see it;-)
Not to mention the DC-3 which began service in the 30's! And is still a working aircraft all over the world. There is a design for the ages.
I mean, come on, as long as we're running everything into the ground, its all open game right?*
*In the interest of "staying on topic" I would like to just say that In Soviet Russia, Gnu Hurd tramples you!
So now in addition to White Hats and Black Hats, we're supposed to buy into Red Hats? Next thing we'll be getting reviews of Blue Hat, Orange Hat, and Green Hat, or even software named after obscure African antelopes.
Maybe its just the "dows" suffix that makes products blow monkey chunks. Its pronounced just like "Doh!", only its pluralized to indicate a whole mess of 'em.
It may not be likely, but it sure would explain a couple few things...
So if an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters will eventually bang out the complete works of Shakespeare, what would an infinite number of code monkeys on an infinite number of boxes crank out?
Weren't they trying to do this in the Utah Salt Flats?
I think that policing your children like this is going to sow more distrust than anything else. And, by teenage thinking, as long as they are going to get blamed for stuff they are not doing (distrust=blame in teenland), then they may as well do it. You would be, in effect, reinforcing the cycle of poor choices.
I realize that the article expressly states that the system is designed for 8-12 year olds, but it would most likely see application in the teen area as well. Further, if you start at the 8 year old range, won't the same effects occur later on? Only, this time the teen can point to distrust over the preceding 4+ years.
On a side note, I wonder if this technology will be picked up by somone of the blog type crowd. We'll have web pages with continous updates of the site owners location. Always something to look forward too...
Busted!
You know, in a way I'm disappointed. I had always hoped to find out that Beowulf Clusters only acheived prominence after having slayed the evil Grendel Clusters in the back of some Scandanavian CompSci lab...
As a follow-up question, does your reasarch support the CowboyNeal Theory that links "insensitive clods" with M$ desktops?
At least she didn't bake it!
Remember, as long as it is humorous or anti-M$, then its truth is secondary;-)
I am guessing that so far he has asked you to do this out of the corner of his mouth so he is not responsible. If you force him to commit a paper trail to the endeavor, he might suddenly grow similar ethics;-) Never underestimate the power of a signature in the business world.
Can you tell us your password?
I'll bite (someone has to), because if we based it on Windows, it would cra... er, nevermind, guess they already did.
You're a hug away from free energy!
How frustratuing would it be to have sit through the copyright disclaimer everytime you wanted to remember something...
Maybe Dr. Bussard could speed up the work a bit to help make this happen?
Long story short, everything in the economy has cycles. When we get a decent economy back, there will be much less bickering about patents. The pissing matches don't start until the money stops.