Without RF being split and regulated, we would be at the mercy of "the kid next door" broadcasting his own video blog on whatever frequency he chooses, including, yes, your local TV stations. Technically, he doesn't even have to broadcast over the TV frequencies in use. If the frequency is close enough and he puts out enough power, ingress will occur and you still won't be able to watch your TV. Hell, enough power and he could turn your cable line into an antenna and then you'd really be crying.
I haven't seen this recently, but I remember hearing CB over regular FM radio channels while taking long road trips with the family. It wasn't until much later that I learned that these guys were using huge linear amps to boost their signals quite a few magnitudes beyond the regulated wattage. In addition to seeing these "mega" CB radios, I've watched someone running a rogue ham station do stupid things with his setup. Needless to say, less than a year later he was caught and fined heavily. I lost contact with him after that...
Oh, as for belonging to the public. Get a ham license and play all that you want. There is quite a bit that can be done, including data networking over ham.
What I find amusing is that you are assuming that existing Mac enthusiasts are goig to want to dual-boot into XP (or possibly Vista later on). What about the existing Windows users that are considering using a Mac, but don't want to break away from Windows entirely?
Actually, the only reason IE is vulnerable but FF & Opera is not, is because the other big name browsers associate WMF files with Media Player instead of Picture and Fax viewer. WMP does nothing with WMF files, therefore nothing happens when exposed to the vulnerability. On the other hand, should the offending graphic actually get on your hard drive and you use Google Desktop, you will be vulnerable due to the indexing done immediately after download (obviously, if you have indexing turned off for graphics, this won't happen).
Prejudge much? I'm sure there are worse posts out there, so you don't qualify for a reward, but that was an amazing attempt at expressing a skewed view without explicitly saying "I hate rap and hip-hop, anybody who listens to this music should be killed and left unburied on a remote island."
Your logic regarding the "recurring cycle" is pretty flawed as well. That's like saying that your local grocery store will only stock chicken if they see that people are buying more of it. Soon thereafter the customers will start seeking beef in alternative avenues because all that is available is chicken.
If your local music store only stocks rap and hip-hop, then go find a different fucking music store, you're obviously in a specialty store. Actually, skip the music store and just head to your shrink, maybe he will be able to figure out why you feel so much hostility towards an entire group of people with musical tastes that differ from your own.
In case this is all too much for you, let me break it down for you.
This study will show that downloaders are looking for *ANYTHING* else to listen to
People download all types of music, INCLUDING rap and hip-hop. If the world felt the same way you did, according to your statement, they would only be downloading music that did not fall into either genre.
then it will be the hip-hop kiddies that are downloading
I'm sorry to break the news to you, but adults also listen to hip-hop as well as rap. I know, it just has to be hard to imagine that another adult would listen to something that does not coincide with your discriminating tastes, but alas, it happens all too often.
right now they are only focusing on teenage brats who wear doo-rags, have more of their underwear exposed than hidden, and have weapon-grade car stereos
Ahh, now where to begin? Ok, teenage brats? See the response above. Regarding how other people dress, I'm sure you were responsible for some serious faux pas yourself, Flock of Seagulls hair styles, paisley print vests, and tucking your slacks into ankle boots maybe? Or perhaps you're a boomer who used to wear long hair, beaded necklaces and bracelets, tie-dye t-shirts, et al. Every generation has their own fads. It's the nature of being alive these days. And wrapping things up are the stereos. I can't say much about these, if they are louder than local ordinances allow, they are in the wrong. If not, I would suggest either taking an active role in your community politics or moving to a retirement home where these decisions are made for you.
On a final note, you mention that a business will concentrate on where they make the most profit. This is probably the soundest statement in your whole brief post. This leads us to an interesting observation. Perhaps you should spend MORE money on the genres you like and convince people in your specific clique (oh sorry, does that make you sound too juvenile?) to spend more money as well. Don't be bitter because you are not a member of the most powerful demographic (in this circumstance). In the end, life goes on, the musicial flavor of the decade will change and you'll have something else to bitch about.
ps. I am not a member of this demographic either, nor can I claim rap and hip-hop as my primary musical interest. Figured I would put that on the table now before someone starts telling me to pull my pants up and turn my car stereo down, hehe.
Actually, if you get your hands on copies of the CD/DVDs, install the game and do a search for private WoW servers, not only can you join someone else's, you can easily find the code to run your own. So technically, yes, you can pirate WoW, and yes it has been. If you're bored, search for World of Warcraft torrents, I'm sure you'll get hits on any search engine of choice.
" 10-30$ on movies per month?! NO FUCKING WAY IN HELL.
If I ever go to movies it's at most once per month, when a good movie comes out." ...
"For a movie, you pay the 10$ once,..."
So, where you live, going to the movies once a month at $10 a visit doesn't equate to being in the category of $10/mo? I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit confused. Don't get your panties in a ruffle, I know what you are saying--you don't go to the movies every month. My point is still valid though, the average of the people I have spoken to regarding this issue is typically 1-2 movies a month with snacks and drinks as additional charges, thus $10-$30 a month. I never said that everybody goes to the movies and spends $10-$30 a month doing so. You are obviously one of the "less thans". My girlfriend and I are one of the "more thans". Stop your sputtering prattle and read the content instead of looking for a spot to jump all over somebody.
Also, I would venture to say that the vast majority of people who are paying the $50 initial investment along with $15 a month are not stressing about whether or not they should play this month. Again, unbunch those panties, I'm saying the majority here. Most of the people that I know who play MMOs are more apt to say, "Man, I only got to play for a few nights last month." verses, "Man, I had to cancel my account for the month because of my deadline." or, "I have to play for 48 hours straight during the last weekend of this month to get any value out of my $15 because I haven't had time to play this month." Your point of people who are short on cash, teenagers/kids and unemployed people is, again, in my opinion, the exception, not the norm.
Then on the other hand, this is called "going to the movies". Big screen, kick-ass audio, lots of people there with you, and generally the feeling of "an event" instead of just an evening at home (be it with or without friends).
And playing a Massively Multiplayer Online Game is an experience you are unable to get, or duplicate anywhere else. Take keep sieges in Dark Age of Camelot--where else (but in an MMO) are you going to be able to play a game where hundreds of people can get together like this? There are specific elements that are built into the game to handle the logistics of doing just this, not to mention the strain this puts on the actual servers themselves (having this many players in such a small area). It is imposible to find something that duplicates this PvP experience in a non-MMO, much less any free MMO that I am aware of (not including games that are in beta and the like).
You point out that paying the extra money to watch a movie on the big screen is worth it because it gives you the feeling of doing something you are unable to do anywhere else.. The same applies to both MMOs (as I point out above) and music subscriptions (where else are you able to just select just about any type of music you are in the mood for and have it play that instant?). Again, it has been pointed out elsewhere that there are situations where people are more of an exception rather than the "common man". There will always be the occasional person who's musical tastes are so different from the average Joe's that he is unable to find any value in the music subscriptions due to lack of content. For the rest of us, they may not have everything, but there damn sure is plenty of other things I enjoy listening to./p
Good points as well. The only thing is, you are the exception, not the rule. The numbers in these industries back me up on this.
As I mentioned in my original post, the majority of the people I have spoke with regarding these issues are the basis for thinking. Not everyone I have spoken with match this template, nor did I mean to suggest that you, specifically, would match this template; rather, I suspect that a good number of people who will read that initial post will fall in the $10-$30/mo. movie watcher.
Regarding distribution, look at Valve's online distribution, Steam.
About the initial $50 investment, I agree to a point, then my reasoning takes a different tack. Most games on initial release tend to suck, especially MMOs. If you are allowing free access for a month and everyone tries a game during its first month, almost nobody will be back to pay-to-play for half a year or so. I fairly agree with the rest of your points/examples. There are good chances that something else will be released taking eyes away from last month's offerings, reducing the number of people returning at that six month mark.
Again, it comes down to percieved value. If you get something for nothing your initial expected percieved value is quite low. If you pay $50 for it, that initial value is expected to be higher. The more value we percieve the more likely we are to continue paying a monthly fee.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you just described Neverwinter Nights. There are tons of player run servers, not only are the tools made available for creating custom content/classes/items/etc, but there are player-made packs of items ready for the "weekend GM" to use for creating their own quasi-custom worlds. Not only do you get the online, persistant world, you get a huge single player, offline game with tons of official and unofficial content. One thing you didn't mention, but is available in NWN is the ability for a GM to adjust, control and change things on the fly, a la P&P D&D. Well, not quite pencil and paper, but close enough to make things interesting.
Gah, even with preview I didn't catch my typo until immediately hitting the / button. Change the amounts from $100 and $200 (per year and every other year) to $200 and $400.
Incidentally, there are a good number of people who pay twice this amount (3x, 4x and even more) for multiple accounts solely for "botting". Please note, that is where I draw the line, although I have paid for multiple subscriptions for different games...
And how much money do you spend going to a movie theater every month? That is something you don't get to hold on to, are limited by what is immediately available (in the box office) and are required to enjoy on a set schedule.
If you are anything like many of the people I have discussed this with, you likely spend close to $10-$30 a month (single person) on tickets, a drink and a snack, depending on what is available (some months have multiple "must see" movies, while others are lacking).
So why is it such a bad thing to pay ~$15 a month on a subscription which you are able to enjoy on your own schedule, as often as you like. In the case of MMOs you get the added benifit of enjoying the company of new and old friends. In the case of music subscriptions (for $15) you get the benifit of taking your music with you to listen anywhere.
Honestly, in the case of music subscriptions, I own the music I feel are "must haves" and "rent" the music I happen to be in the mood for that month/day/hour/minute. As for playing MMOs, they're just fun. More fun than paying $50 for the latest game to hit the shelves every one or two months.
[for the record, I am not a WoW player]
At $15 dollars a month and $50 upfront cost, it costs almost 400 dollars to play for 2 years.
Any moderately serious gamer easily spends $100 a year (or in your quoted example, $200 every two years) on games they will likely play for at least that year, if not longer. Take Half-Life 2, and Battlefield 2--there's your $100 for the year. Tack on the miscellaneous other games that will get played for a month or two and you are well over $100 a year. Frankly, I think $100 a year is a reasonable price to pay for something that is always available (well, mostly) and has virtually infinite playability. Look at the original EQ players or DAoC, some of these people have found incredible amounts of leasure enjoyment for their $100 a year (and initial $50 investment with the occasional $20-30 add-on).
Ask any long time player of any MMO if they feel the value of their favorite MMO is worth the amount they pay monthly or yearly. I can guarantee every one will say "yes". Why? Because, otherwise they wouldn't have paid it for multiple years.
Percieved value will be different from person to person. The bottom line is, there are enough people, like myself, that find their own percieved value of these services are worth at least as much as the monetary requirements of each service, that these businesses not only exist, but do quite well.
Actually the hugemongous OEMs have special licensing which offloads the responsibility of support back to Microsoft. Attend a MS system builder lecture and ask during the Q&A...
The regular OEMs get no such thing, leaving them holding the bag (technically) when one of their customers have issues with their MS product. With that said, how many smaller OEMs actually put their contact information in Help and Support for their customers to contact in case of problems? Not many.
Actually, it is not so much a matter of informed consent as it is the computer tech accepting an EULA on behalf of the customer (in this case, a customer who has no idea what has been installed and agreed to in their absence). And for the record, yes, I too am the main tech for a mom 'n pop shop--and yes, I do mention Firefox et al when I am CHECKING the computer in for service. When one of my customers agree to trying out Firefox, Avast!, ad-aware, etc. I make sure to leave them links to the products websites giving them the opportunity to check online tutorials, EULAs, and so on.
Lemme guess, all of the above techs activate windows on new builds prior to sale too, right?
Never mind, after re-reading the article I suppose I can see where you could say he is offended by his touchpad from the part about a disabled touchpad going against his European taste(um, yeah). Although the part about the fact that he is unable to use a touchpad still has nothing to do with using an eraserhead pointer...
First off, the original article states that the guy cannot use a trackpad, the original poster believes it is tied to an extreme case of Raynaud's Phenomenon, there was no mention of being offended (how in the world did you get this idea???) by his trackpad. *sigh*
I often see "news" on other sites a week or more after originally seeing it covered on Slashdot. For something that has already made its rounds on a number of other sites a week ago it doesn't meet the usual bar of Slashdot standards.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's all relative -- if I want to read about somthing from a week ago on Slashdot, I'm used to going to the search engine, not the front page...
Heh, the first thing I thought to myself after reading the sidebar in Wired was, "Hmm, I wonder how many Sherlock Holmes wannabes are going to claim that this guy isn't even using his own MS products and is stupid enough to admit to it in a huge publication."
If you ask me (I know, nobody did. Piss off.), it seems like this was taken out of context (perhaps Toulouse mentioned previously how he monitors other browsers for functionality, or something similar) either due to space limitations or the sidebar author/editor specifically dropped this little tidbit in there without validation of why exactly Toulouse is concerned with patching a copy of Firebird.
Either way, those that are anxious to see Microsoft and their employees look like idiots must have felt really good about reading this small "interview".
Brickbat, well put. I was about to say something similar, but you beat me to it.
Well, I live in a test market for video on demand from Comcast. A lot of the content is free and the movies you actually do have to pay for are a couple of bucks and are available for 24 hours. There is more than just movies, content comes from all over the channel line-up (I have yet to see anything that is not free from "regular" cable channels or things like sporting events, comedy specials, etc. ), has extras that are not part of their lineup (a limited selection of anime from some anime network not in the current lineup -- no this isn't stuff from TechTV or The Cartoon Network which is on demand as well BTW), Atom film shorts, behind the scenes and the making of . The only requirement? Be a digital subscriber, content from premium channels are available to subscribers of that channel only. Pause, rewind, f-forward all work while watching.
With all of this, why in the hell would I bother to subscribe to a RealNetwork offering? Sure if I'm travelling a lot and want to watch a movie on my laptop, oh wait, 600kbps connection required? Hmm, guess I'll start looking specifically for broadband in my rooms... On second thought, how about I just pay the $6 and watch one of the on demand movies from inside my hotel room...
Thanks for beating me to the punch on this stecoop. Saved me a bit of typing. I mean really, would you install Win2k or WinXP (depending on which you would consider the next iteration of Windows for the general use person) on an "average" system from three years prior to its release (Win2k or WinXP)?
This is just more sensationalism for the Anti-MS bandwagon.
Where are your powers of deduction? It's a common enough meme, it's posted under a story about Microsoft... Should we just assume that you lack the mental fortitude to figure this one out, or that you really enjoy ignoring the obvious if things aren't specifically spelled out for you? I bet you like correcting speeling errrors too, huh?
Have to agree w/NeoFunk on this one. I was die hard Matrox fan, but when 3d started getting popular I changed to ATI, then Nvidia (for a card or two) and back to ATI. Where we used to talk about new hardware on campus, pizza joints and other social gatherings, we now read on our favorite websites. Without information coming in, I would then agree with you networkBoy; most people who are fans would remain "extreme" fans and likely not change brands.
Look at this a couple of different ways. Joe Cardowner is a PC junkie. He has to own the latest and greatest. I would think that this type of person, who absolutely has to have the best card out there, is going to be heavily swayed by tons of positive feedback on one brand or another.
Scenario B: Joe IJustGotSomeExtraMoney um, just got some extra money. He's been in need of a computer upgrade for quite some time now. Joe is just savvy enough to know that paying more for bleeding edge is not a good way to spend your money since the prices may fall in a few months, but he wants his new system NOW and he wants it to be badass. His reasoning is, if he's going to drop tons of cash for a bleeding edge computer, he's damn well gonna make sure it's the best of the best. Joe pops on the internet and researches the top components and goes with the ones that have the general public going OOOOOOoooohhhhh.
I have known people from both categories, the 2nd one being my brother who got backpay from an old company he worked for. Pleasantly surprised by the rather large sum, a good portion of it was allocated for "play" then split with his wife. His portion went towards a bleeding edge replacement for his old HP. One day he's telling me of his plans and asking some advice on where to order, etc. and the next time I'm talking with him he's asking me about POST and the like. His purchases were very heavily based on "what was hot" at the time as gleaned by he and a cousin (who worked for the same company, got the same deal and decided to build a new computer as well). They didn't build identical computers, they each had their own opinions on what features were more important. The point being is that they spent enough time reading the tons of reviews out there to pick up on what features were hot, where a component shined and where it was lackluster, etc. They made informed decisions -- "Do I want speed or size in my HD" type of decisions.
Anyway, the original point was that, in my opinion, the type of people who are going to drop $400+ on a video card are less likely to do so blindly. Sure, some people are die hard fanboy/girls and will consider no alternatives, but I would think they are the minority and not vice versa.
Be that as it may, people still occasionally find themselves face to face with these animals (which were just pulled out of my ass spur of the moment like...)
Observe: Montana Arizona
Not to mention the occasional bear wandering into the city limits in places like Albuquerque, NM, etc.
Regardless of what they "usually" do, injuries and fatalities do occur on occasion. Besides, if it were available and actually worked in a way to keep a person safe while hiking, etc. people would buy it, look at the "bear mace" that's out there. I've never bought or even seen it so I don't recall the actual product name or what it is commonly called, all I remember is that it's heavy duty pepper spray supposedly strong enough to repel wild animals.
Anyway, the original point I guess wasn't so much that the application I envisioned would make bears and bobcats like being around you, but perhaps something that makes them more sedate and not something you would normally wear during the entire time "in the woods" but something that can be applied/sprayed/whatever in a pinch.
Slashdot Mirror
Without RF being split and regulated, we would be at the mercy of "the kid next door" broadcasting his own video blog on whatever frequency he chooses, including, yes, your local TV stations. Technically, he doesn't even have to broadcast over the TV frequencies in use. If the frequency is close enough and he puts out enough power, ingress will occur and you still won't be able to watch your TV. Hell, enough power and he could turn your cable line into an antenna and then you'd really be crying.
I haven't seen this recently, but I remember hearing CB over regular FM radio channels while taking long road trips with the family. It wasn't until much later that I learned that these guys were using huge linear amps to boost their signals quite a few magnitudes beyond the regulated wattage. In addition to seeing these "mega" CB radios, I've watched someone running a rogue ham station do stupid things with his setup. Needless to say, less than a year later he was caught and fined heavily. I lost contact with him after that...
Oh, as for belonging to the public. Get a ham license and play all that you want. There is quite a bit that can be done, including data networking over ham.
What I find amusing is that you are assuming that existing Mac enthusiasts are goig to want to dual-boot into XP (or possibly Vista later on). What about the existing Windows users that are considering using a Mac, but don't want to break away from Windows entirely?
Actually, the only reason IE is vulnerable but FF & Opera is not, is because the other big name browsers associate WMF files with Media Player instead of Picture and Fax viewer. WMP does nothing with WMF files, therefore nothing happens when exposed to the vulnerability. On the other hand, should the offending graphic actually get on your hard drive and you use Google Desktop, you will be vulnerable due to the indexing done immediately after download (obviously, if you have indexing turned off for graphics, this won't happen).
Prejudge much? I'm sure there are worse posts out there, so you don't qualify for a reward, but that was an amazing attempt at expressing a skewed view without explicitly saying "I hate rap and hip-hop, anybody who listens to this music should be killed and left unburied on a remote island."
Your logic regarding the "recurring cycle" is pretty flawed as well. That's like saying that your local grocery store will only stock chicken if they see that people are buying more of it. Soon thereafter the customers will start seeking beef in alternative avenues because all that is available is chicken.
If your local music store only stocks rap and hip-hop, then go find a different fucking music store, you're obviously in a specialty store. Actually, skip the music store and just head to your shrink, maybe he will be able to figure out why you feel so much hostility towards an entire group of people with musical tastes that differ from your own.
In case this is all too much for you, let me break it down for you.
This study will show that downloaders are looking for *ANYTHING* else to listen to
People download all types of music, INCLUDING rap and hip-hop. If the world felt the same way you did, according to your statement, they would only be downloading music that did not fall into either genre.
then it will be the hip-hop kiddies that are downloading
I'm sorry to break the news to you, but adults also listen to hip-hop as well as rap. I know, it just has to be hard to imagine that another adult would listen to something that does not coincide with your discriminating tastes, but alas, it happens all too often.
right now they are only focusing on teenage brats who wear doo-rags, have more of their underwear exposed than hidden, and have weapon-grade car stereos
Ahh, now where to begin? Ok, teenage brats? See the response above. Regarding how other people dress, I'm sure you were responsible for some serious faux pas yourself, Flock of Seagulls hair styles, paisley print vests, and tucking your slacks into ankle boots maybe? Or perhaps you're a boomer who used to wear long hair, beaded necklaces and bracelets, tie-dye t-shirts, et al. Every generation has their own fads. It's the nature of being alive these days. And wrapping things up are the stereos. I can't say much about these, if they are louder than local ordinances allow, they are in the wrong. If not, I would suggest either taking an active role in your community politics or moving to a retirement home where these decisions are made for you.
On a final note, you mention that a business will concentrate on where they make the most profit. This is probably the soundest statement in your whole brief post. This leads us to an interesting observation. Perhaps you should spend MORE money on the genres you like and convince people in your specific clique (oh sorry, does that make you sound too juvenile?) to spend more money as well. Don't be bitter because you are not a member of the most powerful demographic (in this circumstance). In the end, life goes on, the musicial flavor of the decade will change and you'll have something else to bitch about.
ps. I am not a member of this demographic either, nor can I claim rap and hip-hop as my primary musical interest. Figured I would put that on the table now before someone starts telling me to pull my pants up and turn my car stereo down, hehe.
Along the same line as dictating and glasses--if your back goes out isn't there the option of a wheelchair? Just wondering...
Actually, if you get your hands on copies of the CD/DVDs, install the game and do a search for private WoW servers, not only can you join someone else's, you can easily find the code to run your own. So technically, yes, you can pirate WoW, and yes it has been. If you're bored, search for World of Warcraft torrents, I'm sure you'll get hits on any search engine of choice.
" 10-30$ on movies per month?! NO FUCKING WAY IN HELL. If I ever go to movies it's at most once per month, when a good movie comes out."
... ..."
"For a movie, you pay the 10$ once,
So, where you live, going to the movies once a month at $10 a visit doesn't equate to being in the category of $10/mo? I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit confused. Don't get your panties in a ruffle, I know what you are saying--you don't go to the movies every month. My point is still valid though, the average of the people I have spoken to regarding this issue is typically 1-2 movies a month with snacks and drinks as additional charges, thus $10-$30 a month. I never said that everybody goes to the movies and spends $10-$30 a month doing so. You are obviously one of the "less thans". My girlfriend and I are one of the "more thans". Stop your sputtering prattle and read the content instead of looking for a spot to jump all over somebody.
Also, I would venture to say that the vast majority of people who are paying the $50 initial investment along with $15 a month are not stressing about whether or not they should play this month. Again, unbunch those panties, I'm saying the majority here. Most of the people that I know who play MMOs are more apt to say, "Man, I only got to play for a few nights last month." verses, "Man, I had to cancel my account for the month because of my deadline." or, "I have to play for 48 hours straight during the last weekend of this month to get any value out of my $15 because I haven't had time to play this month." Your point of people who are short on cash, teenagers/kids and unemployed people is, again, in my opinion, the exception, not the norm.
You point out that paying the extra money to watch a movie on the big screen is worth it because it gives you the feeling of doing something you are unable to do anywhere else.. The same applies to both MMOs (as I point out above) and music subscriptions (where else are you able to just select just about any type of music you are in the mood for and have it play that instant?). Again, it has been pointed out elsewhere that there are situations where people are more of an exception rather than the "common man". There will always be the occasional person who's musical tastes are so different from the average Joe's that he is unable to find any value in the music subscriptions due to lack of content. For the rest of us, they may not have everything, but there damn sure is plenty of other things I enjoy listening to./p
Good points as well. The only thing is, you are the exception, not the rule. The numbers in these industries back me up on this.
As I mentioned in my original post, the majority of the people I have spoke with regarding these issues are the basis for thinking. Not everyone I have spoken with match this template, nor did I mean to suggest that you, specifically, would match this template; rather, I suspect that a good number of people who will read that initial post will fall in the $10-$30/mo. movie watcher.
Regarding distribution, look at Valve's online distribution, Steam.
About the initial $50 investment, I agree to a point, then my reasoning takes a different tack. Most games on initial release tend to suck, especially MMOs. If you are allowing free access for a month and everyone tries a game during its first month, almost nobody will be back to pay-to-play for half a year or so. I fairly agree with the rest of your points/examples. There are good chances that something else will be released taking eyes away from last month's offerings, reducing the number of people returning at that six month mark.
Again, it comes down to percieved value. If you get something for nothing your initial expected percieved value is quite low. If you pay $50 for it, that initial value is expected to be higher. The more value we percieve the more likely we are to continue paying a monthly fee.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you just described Neverwinter Nights. There are tons of player run servers, not only are the tools made available for creating custom content/classes/items/etc, but there are player-made packs of items ready for the "weekend GM" to use for creating their own quasi-custom worlds. Not only do you get the online, persistant world, you get a huge single player, offline game with tons of official and unofficial content. One thing you didn't mention, but is available in NWN is the ability for a GM to adjust, control and change things on the fly, a la P&P D&D. Well, not quite pencil and paper, but close enough to make things interesting.
Gah, even with preview I didn't catch my typo until immediately hitting the / button. Change the amounts from $100 and $200 (per year and every other year) to $200 and $400. Incidentally, there are a good number of people who pay twice this amount (3x, 4x and even more) for multiple accounts solely for "botting". Please note, that is where I draw the line, although I have paid for multiple subscriptions for different games...
And how much money do you spend going to a movie theater every month? That is something you don't get to hold on to, are limited by what is immediately available (in the box office) and are required to enjoy on a set schedule.
If you are anything like many of the people I have discussed this with, you likely spend close to $10-$30 a month (single person) on tickets, a drink and a snack, depending on what is available (some months have multiple "must see" movies, while others are lacking).
So why is it such a bad thing to pay ~$15 a month on a subscription which you are able to enjoy on your own schedule, as often as you like. In the case of MMOs you get the added benifit of enjoying the company of new and old friends. In the case of music subscriptions (for $15) you get the benifit of taking your music with you to listen anywhere.
Honestly, in the case of music subscriptions, I own the music I feel are "must haves" and "rent" the music I happen to be in the mood for that month/day/hour/minute. As for playing MMOs, they're just fun. More fun than paying $50 for the latest game to hit the shelves every one or two months.
Any moderately serious gamer easily spends $100 a year (or in your quoted example, $200 every two years) on games they will likely play for at least that year, if not longer. Take Half-Life 2, and Battlefield 2--there's your $100 for the year. Tack on the miscellaneous other games that will get played for a month or two and you are well over $100 a year. Frankly, I think $100 a year is a reasonable price to pay for something that is always available (well, mostly) and has virtually infinite playability. Look at the original EQ players or DAoC, some of these people have found incredible amounts of leasure enjoyment for their $100 a year (and initial $50 investment with the occasional $20-30 add-on).[for the record, I am not a WoW player]
Ask any long time player of any MMO if they feel the value of their favorite MMO is worth the amount they pay monthly or yearly. I can guarantee every one will say "yes". Why? Because, otherwise they wouldn't have paid it for multiple years.
Percieved value will be different from person to person. The bottom line is, there are enough people, like myself, that find their own percieved value of these services are worth at least as much as the monetary requirements of each service, that these businesses not only exist, but do quite well.
Actually the hugemongous OEMs have special licensing which offloads the responsibility of support back to Microsoft. Attend a MS system builder lecture and ask during the Q&A...
The regular OEMs get no such thing, leaving them holding the bag (technically) when one of their customers have issues with their MS product. With that said, how many smaller OEMs actually put their contact information in Help and Support for their customers to contact in case of problems? Not many.
Actually, it is not so much a matter of informed consent as it is the computer tech accepting an EULA on behalf of the customer (in this case, a customer who has no idea what has been installed and agreed to in their absence). And for the record, yes, I too am the main tech for a mom 'n pop shop--and yes, I do mention Firefox et al when I am CHECKING the computer in for service. When one of my customers agree to trying out Firefox, Avast!, ad-aware, etc. I make sure to leave them links to the products websites giving them the opportunity to check online tutorials, EULAs, and so on. Lemme guess, all of the above techs activate windows on new builds prior to sale too, right?
Never mind, after re-reading the article I suppose I can see where you could say he is offended by his touchpad from the part about a disabled touchpad going against his European taste(um, yeah). Although the part about the fact that he is unable to use a touchpad still has nothing to do with using an eraserhead pointer...
What a fine example of not reading the article!!!
First off, the original article states that the guy cannot use a trackpad, the original poster believes it is tied to an extreme case of Raynaud's Phenomenon, there was no mention of being offended (how in the world did you get this idea???) by his trackpad. *sigh*
I often see "news" on other sites a week or more after originally seeing it covered on Slashdot. For something that has already made its rounds on a number of other sites a week ago it doesn't meet the usual bar of Slashdot standards.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's all relative -- if I want to read about somthing from a week ago on Slashdot, I'm used to going to the search engine, not the front page...
Heh, the first thing I thought to myself after reading the sidebar in Wired was, "Hmm, I wonder how many Sherlock Holmes wannabes are going to claim that this guy isn't even using his own MS products and is stupid enough to admit to it in a huge publication."
If you ask me (I know, nobody did. Piss off.), it seems like this was taken out of context (perhaps Toulouse mentioned previously how he monitors other browsers for functionality, or something similar) either due to space limitations or the sidebar author/editor specifically dropped this little tidbit in there without validation of why exactly Toulouse is concerned with patching a copy of Firebird.
Either way, those that are anxious to see Microsoft and their employees look like idiots must have felt really good about reading this small "interview". Brickbat, well put. I was about to say something similar, but you beat me to it.
Wired: September 2004
Hot Seat sidebar: "Microsoft's War on Bugs" page 098
Well, I live in a test market for video on demand from Comcast. A lot of the content is free and the movies you actually do have to pay for are a couple of bucks and are available for 24 hours. There is more than just movies, content comes from all over the channel line-up (I have yet to see anything that is not free from "regular" cable channels or things like sporting events, comedy specials, etc. ), has extras that are not part of their lineup (a limited selection of anime from some anime network not in the current lineup -- no this isn't stuff from TechTV or The Cartoon Network which is on demand as well BTW), Atom film shorts, behind the scenes and the making of . The only requirement? Be a digital subscriber, content from premium channels are available to subscribers of that channel only. Pause, rewind, f-forward all work while watching.
With all of this, why in the hell would I bother to subscribe to a RealNetwork offering? Sure if I'm travelling a lot and want to watch a movie on my laptop, oh wait, 600kbps connection required? Hmm, guess I'll start looking specifically for broadband in my rooms... On second thought, how about I just pay the $6 and watch one of the on demand movies from inside my hotel room...
I think this is too little, too late and will be about as popular as Yahoo!'s Games on Demand.
Thanks for beating me to the punch on this stecoop. Saved me a bit of typing. I mean really, would you install Win2k or WinXP (depending on which you would consider the next iteration of Windows for the general use person) on an "average" system from three years prior to its release (Win2k or WinXP)?
This is just more sensationalism for the Anti-MS bandwagon.
Where are your powers of deduction? It's a common enough meme, it's posted under a story about Microsoft... Should we just assume that you lack the mental fortitude to figure this one out, or that you really enjoy ignoring the obvious if things aren't specifically spelled out for you? I bet you like correcting speeling errrors too, huh?
Have to agree w/NeoFunk on this one. I was die hard Matrox fan, but when 3d started getting popular I changed to ATI, then Nvidia (for a card or two) and back to ATI. Where we used to talk about new hardware on campus, pizza joints and other social gatherings, we now read on our favorite websites. Without information coming in, I would then agree with you networkBoy; most people who are fans would remain "extreme" fans and likely not change brands.
Look at this a couple of different ways. Joe Cardowner is a PC junkie. He has to own the latest and greatest. I would think that this type of person, who absolutely has to have the best card out there, is going to be heavily swayed by tons of positive feedback on one brand or another.
Scenario B: Joe IJustGotSomeExtraMoney um, just got some extra money. He's been in need of a computer upgrade for quite some time now. Joe is just savvy enough to know that paying more for bleeding edge is not a good way to spend your money since the prices may fall in a few months, but he wants his new system NOW and he wants it to be badass. His reasoning is, if he's going to drop tons of cash for a bleeding edge computer, he's damn well gonna make sure it's the best of the best. Joe pops on the internet and researches the top components and goes with the ones that have the general public going OOOOOOoooohhhhh.
I have known people from both categories, the 2nd one being my brother who got backpay from an old company he worked for. Pleasantly surprised by the rather large sum, a good portion of it was allocated for "play" then split with his wife. His portion went towards a bleeding edge replacement for his old HP. One day he's telling me of his plans and asking some advice on where to order, etc. and the next time I'm talking with him he's asking me about POST and the like. His purchases were very heavily based on "what was hot" at the time as gleaned by he and a cousin (who worked for the same company, got the same deal and decided to build a new computer as well). They didn't build identical computers, they each had their own opinions on what features were more important. The point being is that they spent enough time reading the tons of reviews out there to pick up on what features were hot, where a component shined and where it was lackluster, etc. They made informed decisions -- "Do I want speed or size in my HD" type of decisions.
Anyway, the original point was that, in my opinion, the type of people who are going to drop $400+ on a video card are less likely to do so blindly. Sure, some people are die hard fanboy/girls and will consider no alternatives, but I would think they are the minority and not vice versa.
Be that as it may, people still occasionally find themselves face to face with these animals (which were just pulled out of my ass spur of the moment like...)
Observe:
Montana
Arizona Not to mention the occasional bear wandering into the city limits in places like Albuquerque, NM, etc.
Regardless of what they "usually" do, injuries and fatalities do occur on occasion. Besides, if it were available and actually worked in a way to keep a person safe while hiking, etc. people would buy it, look at the "bear mace" that's out there. I've never bought or even seen it so I don't recall the actual product name or what it is commonly called, all I remember is that it's heavy duty pepper spray supposedly strong enough to repel wild animals.
Anyway, the original point I guess wasn't so much that the application I envisioned would make bears and bobcats like being around you, but perhaps something that makes them more sedate and not something you would normally wear during the entire time "in the woods" but something that can be applied/sprayed/whatever in a pinch.
*shrug*