I couldn't agree more. I dropped out of HS when I was 16, took a series of blue collar jobs for a few years until I started to get into computing. Read a shitload, did a bunch of freelance HTML programming to build an "IT" resume, got some entry level webmaster jobs after that, which led to a sysadmin position at IBM. Now, I work for a $150 million/year web hosting company as manager of the systems engineering group which has +200 servers in five grade "A" colos on three continents, pushing 12 gig of traffic every day at peak time. It was my ability and reputation that go me here, not a degree.
Well, ok... I admit that I came up through the ranks during dot.com, when even an idiot with 2 years experience could command six figures in a major city. That helped in the sense that employers tend to look at how much others have paid you to see if you are really worth what you are asking, but at the same time it hurt because I wound up with 7 jobs in 4 years and that scared some companies off.
Would it have been easier if I'd gotten a degree? Maybe. But have no regrets. In fact, I think I learned more in my days in the gutter than I'd have ever learned in a dorm.
"...am I the only one that's a bit concerned about seeing all the parents buying the game for their kids?"
Could you elaborate on what you find concerning?
Maestro4k said:
"You have to blame the parent there, it doesn't take much time to look at the package and see M (Mature) on it, then flip it over to see the sub warnings (which I'm sure include violence, adult language, adult situations, etc.) I worked at a Wal-mart..."
I almost completely agree with you. Where we differ is in the setting. Your comment, and the quote above it, seem to come from the standpoint that the parents who are buying the games are either ignorant, or don't give a shit. There are more viewpoints than that.
For example: a parent who heard the nightly news, read the game's label, perhaps researched the ESRB ratings and what they mean, and concluded that their 16 year old was mature enough to deal with it.
Herin lies the beast within arbitrary ratings systems such as this and the movie ratings. They become easy fodder for the FUD mills.
Sheetrock (152993) said: "...am I the only one that's a bit concerned about seeing all the parents buying the game for their kids?"
Could you elaborate on what you find concerning?
Maestro4k (707634) said: "You have to blame the parent there, it doesn't take much time to look at the package and see M (Mature) on it, then flip it over to see the sub warnings (which I'm sure include violence, adult language, adult situations, etc.) I worked at a Wal-mart..."
I almost completely agree with you. Where we differ is in the setting. Your comment, and the quote above it, seem to come from the standpoint that the parents who are buying the games are either ignorant, or don't give a shit. There are more viewpoints than that.
For example: a parent who heard the nightly news, read the game's label, perhaps researched the ESRB ratings and what they mean, and concluded that their 16 year old was mature enough to deal with it.
Herin lies the beast within arbitrary ratings systems such as this and the movie ratings. They become easy fodder for the FUD mills.
7) As the audience drops more and increasing number of children who already have alternatives will not be "educated" in the culture of watching mass broadcast television.
8) Massive databases are combined and cross referenced. The Prime Demographic will populate the Drones. Protogees, specially chosen from the general sample, are evaluated for key positions.
...they'll most likely be able to get fake tokens to use online.
Yep... and once the EEYORE (Electronic Enforcement Yardstick Of Rights Exemption) Act is signed into law, those pesky entrapment problems will be a thing of the past.
This is all well and good, but it isn't going to happen any time soon. But, it is very likely to happen, given today's reality.
Maybe Cringley is "just being Cringley" or "the one spreading FUD this time", but the point to be drawn is not that Cringley is making a mountain out of a mole hill.
No, the point is that in the present technology/legal climates, it _could_ happen. Do we need to rally for change pre-emptively, or can we just wait and see and take action later if something bad happens?
Ahh reminds me of my days as a jubilant delinquent... I used to have a master key that opened all the station padlocks on the New York subway system. Never had to pay a fare until I hid it in my shoe while running from the cops. Never saw it again.
I've had much damage done to cars for little apparent gain for the thief.
I used to keep a flashlight in my glove box (needed it for my job). Then, one of the local crackheads coat-hangared his way into my car and stole it.
I replaced the flashlight and not too long after that it was stolen again. This happened three or four more times until I got fed up and locked the glove box. Bad move. Next morning, my dash board was busted up and the flash light gone.
I presume that the crackhead needed the light to assist him in burgling. The funny thing is, that if he had simply reached under the steering wheel and popped the trunk, there was at least $200 worth of tools and parts that I kept in there in case the piece of crap car broke down.
After that, I just left the doors unlocked and the flashlight on the seat in plain view.
A little off topic, but in the Hacidic areas of Brooklyn some years ago, guys were getting mugged for the pouches that they carry thier prayer shawls in. The average criminal assumed "They're Jews, so there must be big fat diamonds and cash in there!" So, they started making the pouches out of clear plastic. Muggings decreased.
Then, this guy put an end to crime once and for all!
Hey, I'm not saying I got the best deal in town, but yes the numbers and time are correct. I remember thinking I was getting a good deal because when I built that computer 6 months or so earlier RAM was about $60 per meg.
I remember memory prices dropping around that time though, and suspecting that M$ was subsiding the memory market in order to help Win95 get a foothold.
Had a p2p connection via 10 Base 2. Was troubleshooting one day and got a shock to one finger as I disconnected a bayonette.
Turned out that there was a current in the shield of the coax. Why? Because the outlet that one of the boxes was plugged into was miswired. 110 volts running between the computers for months, maybe even a year.
When I realized what was going on, I shut both PCs down and repaired the faulty outlet. Both booted right up. The problem that I was troubleshooting never appeared again.
VCRs were one of the first I heard about to do this... one motherboard, vendors enable the features that they want for each model, depending on their marketing strategy.
I'll be the first to rail against the RIAA and their skelly legal team, but the issue here is not that the listener (patient) heard the material, but that the destist used it to enhance his business.
The reason dentists give patients music to listen to is so that the patients are more relaxed, which contributes to a better overall image of the practice, as well as reducing the number and duration of time wasting events such as panic attacks. In short, by using the music, the practice is more successful.
The same argument applies to malls. The proprietors play music that enhances the mood of the listener in a way that benefits the mall's tenants (sales), which means a steadier tenant roster (successful tenants) and continuing lease payments. Music is not a small part of the strategy that goes into making a mall a pleasurable place to shop.
If copyrighted material is used by a business to improve its success, then royalties are in order, just as if it was used in an advertisement on TV.
I too have some first hand experience comparing M$ and Sun.
Whenever a M$ sales team comes-a-knocking, its always 3 or 4 pushy guys.
Whenever Sun calls, its a smoking hot sales chick (to weaken your resolve) and a grandfatherly guy who actually knows his shit (to instill confidence).
Slashdot Mirror
Well, ok... I admit that I came up through the ranks during dot.com, when even an idiot with 2 years experience could command six figures in a major city. That helped in the sense that employers tend to look at how much others have paid you to see if you are really worth what you are asking, but at the same time it hurt because I wound up with 7 jobs in 4 years and that scared some companies off.
Would it have been easier if I'd gotten a degree? Maybe. But have no regrets. In fact, I think I learned more in my days in the gutter than I'd have ever learned in a dorm.
I'm more inclined to consider a lie detection method that's based on behavior than one based on a machine that records vital signs.
Could you elaborate on what you find concerning?
I almost completely agree with you. Where we differ is in the setting. Your comment, and the quote above it, seem to come from the standpoint that the parents who are buying the games are either ignorant, or don't give a shit. There are more viewpoints than that.
For example: a parent who heard the nightly news, read the game's label, perhaps researched the ESRB ratings and what they mean, and concluded that their 16 year old was mature enough to deal with it.
Herin lies the beast within arbitrary ratings systems such as this and the movie ratings. They become easy fodder for the FUD mills.
Could you elaborate on what you find concerning?
I almost completely agree with you. Where we differ is in the setting. Your comment, and the quote above it, seem to come from the standpoint that the parents who are buying the games are either ignorant, or don't give a shit. There are more viewpoints than that.
For example: a parent who heard the nightly news, read the game's label, perhaps researched the ESRB ratings and what they mean, and concluded that their 16 year old was mature enough to deal with it.
Herin lies the beast within arbitrary ratings systems such as this and the movie ratings. They become easy fodder for the FUD mills.
8) Massive databases are combined and cross referenced. The Prime Demographic will populate the Drones. Protogees, specially chosen from the general sample, are evaluated for key positions.
Yep... and once the EEYORE (Electronic Enforcement Yardstick Of Rights Exemption) Act is signed into law, those pesky entrapment problems will be a thing of the past.
These tokens solve nothing. They're like getting a massage: the things that stress you out don't go away, but for a small fee it sure feels good.
You're assuming that the token is not password protected?
"Jordan" is a film major at UCLA. He met the rest of the cast there.
**RING**
"Hello?"
"Do you take checks or cards?"
"No, sorry."
**CLICK**
Maybe Cringley is "just being Cringley" or "the one spreading FUD this time", but the point to be drawn is not that Cringley is making a mountain out of a mole hill.
No, the point is that in the present technology/legal climates, it _could_ happen. Do we need to rally for change pre-emptively, or can we just wait and see and take action later if something bad happens?
That my freinds, is for you to decide.
... stop broadcasting your ESSID? How would they even know its there, unless they are walking around sniffing the 2.4GHz band looking for hotspots.
Evaded the cops tho...
I used to keep a flashlight in my glove box (needed it for my job). Then, one of the local crackheads coat-hangared his way into my car and stole it.
I replaced the flashlight and not too long after that it was stolen again. This happened three or four more times until I got fed up and locked the glove box. Bad move. Next morning, my dash board was busted up and the flash light gone.
I presume that the crackhead needed the light to assist him in burgling. The funny thing is, that if he had simply reached under the steering wheel and popped the trunk, there was at least $200 worth of tools and parts that I kept in there in case the piece of crap car broke down.
After that, I just left the doors unlocked and the flashlight on the seat in plain view.
You can hacksaw through the steering wheel in under a minute, and then slap one of those after market steering wheel covers on to hide the damage.
Then, this guy put an end to crime once and for all!
I remember memory prices dropping around that time though, and suspecting that M$ was subsiding the memory market in order to help Win95 get a foothold.
Not too long after that I paid almost $800 for four 4MB SIMMS for my new illegal installation of Win95, and thought I was a badass.
It's not so much about enforcement as it is about giving companies leverage to scare people into submission. After all fear is effective.
I've already heard suggestions that legislation be introduced that would make providing false information to businesses a crime.
Scares most junk mail off.
Turned out that there was a current in the shield of the coax. Why? Because the outlet that one of the boxes was plugged into was miswired. 110 volts running between the computers for months, maybe even a year.
When I realized what was going on, I shut both PCs down and repaired the faulty outlet. Both booted right up. The problem that I was troubleshooting never appeared again.
VCRs were one of the first I heard about to do this... one motherboard, vendors enable the features that they want for each model, depending on their marketing strategy.
The reason dentists give patients music to listen to is so that the patients are more relaxed, which contributes to a better overall image of the practice, as well as reducing the number and duration of time wasting events such as panic attacks. In short, by using the music, the practice is more successful.
The same argument applies to malls. The proprietors play music that enhances the mood of the listener in a way that benefits the mall's tenants (sales), which means a steadier tenant roster (successful tenants) and continuing lease payments. Music is not a small part of the strategy that goes into making a mall a pleasurable place to shop.
If copyrighted material is used by a business to improve its success, then royalties are in order, just as if it was used in an advertisement on TV.
Whenever a M$ sales team comes-a-knocking, its always 3 or 4 pushy guys.
Whenever Sun calls, its a smoking hot sales chick (to weaken your resolve) and a grandfatherly guy who actually knows his shit (to instill confidence).