I suppose it depends on what you have them do. Maybe a competent but un-amazing modeler shouldn't be doing the always-onscreen main character by himself, but surely he could rough out content for his skilled boss to put the finishing touches on. In many cases, the best people might be more effective as editors.
Well good, I'm glad your needs are fulfilled. You're not one of the non-buyers who would like to be buyers. DRM probably doesn't affect you that much. But many people aren't content going down to the theater, and would like to buy media. Why should they just stop wanting it rather than trying to get it on terms they can accept?
You're probably right about that, at least to a certain extent. It's the whole problem with "scratch an itch" software development, isn't it? Only the software that the programmers want is going to get written. I don't think that software for the home user is going to be a problem, as it's what you might call a common itch. Plenty of programmers need a word processor.
I'm a little confused about what you mean by "consumer software" though. Is that software meant to be used in the home, or is it the sort of thing that small businesses who can't afford custom software would use? They seem to be the ones who are in the most trouble, as they have uncommon needs but insufficient resources to fill them.
It's almost more trouble than it's worth though. Digg is a pretty big site; it would take forever to filter out everyone you don't want to hear from. I've got nearly 70 people on my block list, but the supply doesn't seem to be running out. On top of that, Digg frequently takes you to the wrong page after blocking a user. Apparently you go to the last story you clicked on rather than the one you clicked the block button is. It's a pain in the ass.
Personally, I've given up on moderation systems. I read Slashdot at -1 and try to do the same on Digg, even though the option was broken last time I checked it. Since highly rated posts tend to be meaningless without context, and that context is often hidden away in buried posts, trying to make sense of what I see is just an exercise in frustration, with much unburying and re-burying of posts. I'd rather just skim the thread myself. That's assuming that the moderation system isn't abused. When it is, it becomes even more useless. So I just ignore it entirely. I honestly don't think it's necessary to have anything beyond a "report this user for breaking the rules" button in case someone starts crap flooding. I find it much more overwhelming to try to make sense of moderations than to just read through.
Digg's moderation system is pretty broken too. A posts's moderation tells you basically nothing about its content. If you look at the content and its moderation you can get a sense of the community's attitude about that topic, but the moderation alone is nearly meaningless. Not to mention that burying comments but not the replies to them does nothing but force you to expand posts to get the context necessary to make sense of things. Filtering useless posts is an exciting idea, but it doesn't do any good if worthwhile posts depend on them to make sense.
Slashdot's saving grace is that I can browse at -1 -- I read quickly enough that it's not a hardship. Digg seems to offer the same option, but it's broken.
I meant it was difficult to perform them because the leading software isn't available. Like Photoshop, for example, which is widely rumored to be the best in its class, but has no Linux version. Although I think that one may run in Wine.
I agree. I'm just arguing semantics (oh, the irony) here. I wouldn't call that question loaded. I've lost sight of what this whole thread is about, so forgive me if I'm just picking on things that catch my eye. Anything bigger fails to fit in my head. Interesting about the tax-evasive tomatoes.
I support the idea, but I wonder if there are enough hardware designers who want to make it happen. Hobbyists can write OSS, but not hardware. It's pretty easy to get into programming, and if you mess up, you're probably going to be fine. Hardware actually breaks and needs to be rebuilt, in a best case scenario, and catches fire at worst. I wonder if the numbers are there. I hope they are.
Everybody stop saying this! You're not helping anything. Yes, we should be more worried. That doesn not mean that we should worry exclusively about it! Multitasking is the word. Multi-worrying.
You raise good points, but please learn to use the paragraph. One sentence per line is very hard to read.
Better is in the eye of the beholder. For many non-technical people, Linux is ready, and it's certainly better in some ways. You're evidently a graphics guy, and the range of Linux apps available doesn't cut it. But for a person who needs to get on the Internet, IM people, sometimes type, and maybe listen to some music, Linux gets the job done.
As for the WM, yes, look at it. Vista and Mac OS may be getting 3d accelerated desktops first (although Linux's is at least available before Vista), but for years the window managers available for Linux have had *useful* features that the other two have still failed to incorporate. Point-to-focus, virtual desktops, windowshade mode (Mac OS has this, of course), tiling WMs, all kinds of menus, and so on. 3d acceleration is a nice gimmick, and I think it will create the possibility for some nice features, but it's not a big improvement yet.
You may be interested to know that Flash 9 for Linux is in the works. No idea how it's coming along, but they've got a guy working on it, and he's blogging a little to let everyone know he's alive.
I'm not going to pretend that everyone will be able to do what they need to in Linux, but you were painting such a dismal picture. As someone whose sole OS is Linux, I know that general computing tasks are no trouble at all in Linux. Niche things are troublesome though.
We're trying to stop it from becoming so prevalent that we have to make a choice between accepting DRM or not buying products we like. Or rather, we're trying to undo that situation and prevent it from getting worse.
DRM doesn't stop that. The technology to defeat DRM advances just as fast as DRM technology.
Regardless of whether it's possible to prevent it, it's irrelevant. People *do* upload TV shows right now, every day, yet money is still made. There must be a hole in the "without DRM, no one will pay; boo hoo" reasoning. I submit that it's because many people *actually want* to pay artists for their work. As counterintuitive as that may seem to an amoral profit-driven corporation, many people care about things other than their bottom line, such as rewarding artists they respect.
It has a pretty big effect on the non-buyers who would like to be buyers and would be buyers save for that one deal-breaker. The idea behind a boycott isn't to ignore the problem; the idea is to get what you want, which is DRM unencumbered music. That's impossible without numbers though. Hence the activism.
Yes, because there's no concievable way DRM could affect him then. While voting with your wallet is important, it's not the whole answer. Unless a lot of people vote with their wallets, DRMed music will still be sold. That's no problem unless an overwhelming number of distributors choose to use it. Which they have. So what's a person who likes to buy music but doesn't like DRM to do? Activism would seem to be the answer. It doesn't make any sense to just tell anti-DRM folks to go sit in the corner quietly and vote with their wallets. They still need more people in the corner with them.
"All GPL does is encourage reinvention of the wheel...."
Not at all. It's true that a person can't use GPLed snippets of code in proprietary software, but it doesn't go so far as to encourage it. It simply gives a choice: GPL your code, or don't use mine. Whether it encourages wheel re-invention or usage of the GPL depends completely on which option is most odious. For you, it seems to be the latter, but for many people, it's the former.
Going by the way the word "animal" is usually used, it's not a loaded question. To object to the question's phrasing is to adopt a non-standard definition of the word. It's a valid definition in this case, but it's not appropriate to the context. It would be like an exterminator, when hired to clear your house of bugs, leaving all the roaches because, "You said bugs, and roaches aren't technically bugs." Or complaining about tomatoes appearing in your vegetable stew. Either is unreasonable, and so is assuming that everyone is using your preferred definition of a word.
Assuming that the question implies that humans aren't animals is what QuantumG is talking about. It's not really pertinent to protest that humans are animals. Of course we are, but anyone asking that question clearly has a division in their mind between humans and other animals -- reminding them that humans are animals too isn't going to elicit a response like, "Oh my god, you're right. These are my brothers we're talking about!" It won't erase that division, because it's a real one. Humans are animals, but not all animals are human. The question was clearly using "animals" to mean "non-human animals". In this case, debating semantics is just dodging the question. You (where you is a PETA member) are assuming that if humans should be treated ethically and humans are animals then all animals should be treated ethically. "Some animals should be treated ethically" != "All animals should be treated ethically". Additional logical gymnastics are required.
Here's what I think is happening: you people just have an axe to grind, so you're jumping on the first guy you find who is suggesting that just maybe Vista does have advantages over XP. Despite the impressive quantities of bold text in your post, you're not even making a response to his post. You're just unleashing a canned rant at the nearest target. Why isn't it exciting that Vista may suck less than XP?
1. The functionality of the new Start Menu is debatable. You don't like it, but I think its searchability will be a big plus. 2. So what if you think it's late? Does that make adding it any less of an improvement? Of course not! Although I think it exists in XP already. 3. The new security model is also late, but definitely a big plus. As I understand it, no tuning is needed. People just need to quit writing software that does things it shouldn't (and fix their bad code). 4. Yeah, you're not qualified to comment on much. 5. You're not qualified to comment. IE and WMP, of course, and Vancorps mentions Media Center and DVD maker. I would assume there are more. 6. See #2; lateness does not make it less of an improvement. 7. Some people don't want to search through dozens of benchmark apps. 8. It's a given. I don't see how this is something to boast about either, since there's a 64-bit version of XP.
Aero isn't the only exciting thing. In fact, it's pretty much the least exciting. I'm excited by the searchable Start Menu, the security model, and the new driver framework. And I don't even *use* Microsoft products.
Slashdot Mirror
People know when to shut up when they're in the car with you.
That's sexp.
I suppose it depends on what you have them do. Maybe a competent but un-amazing modeler shouldn't be doing the always-onscreen main character by himself, but surely he could rough out content for his skilled boss to put the finishing touches on. In many cases, the best people might be more effective as editors.
Well good, I'm glad your needs are fulfilled. You're not one of the non-buyers who would like to be buyers. DRM probably doesn't affect you that much. But many people aren't content going down to the theater, and would like to buy media. Why should they just stop wanting it rather than trying to get it on terms they can accept?
You're probably right about that, at least to a certain extent. It's the whole problem with "scratch an itch" software development, isn't it? Only the software that the programmers want is going to get written. I don't think that software for the home user is going to be a problem, as it's what you might call a common itch. Plenty of programmers need a word processor.
I'm a little confused about what you mean by "consumer software" though. Is that software meant to be used in the home, or is it the sort of thing that small businesses who can't afford custom software would use? They seem to be the ones who are in the most trouble, as they have uncommon needs but insufficient resources to fill them.
It's almost more trouble than it's worth though. Digg is a pretty big site; it would take forever to filter out everyone you don't want to hear from. I've got nearly 70 people on my block list, but the supply doesn't seem to be running out. On top of that, Digg frequently takes you to the wrong page after blocking a user. Apparently you go to the last story you clicked on rather than the one you clicked the block button is. It's a pain in the ass.
Personally, I've given up on moderation systems. I read Slashdot at -1 and try to do the same on Digg, even though the option was broken last time I checked it. Since highly rated posts tend to be meaningless without context, and that context is often hidden away in buried posts, trying to make sense of what I see is just an exercise in frustration, with much unburying and re-burying of posts. I'd rather just skim the thread myself. That's assuming that the moderation system isn't abused. When it is, it becomes even more useless. So I just ignore it entirely. I honestly don't think it's necessary to have anything beyond a "report this user for breaking the rules" button in case someone starts crap flooding. I find it much more overwhelming to try to make sense of moderations than to just read through.
Digg's moderation system is pretty broken too. A posts's moderation tells you basically nothing about its content. If you look at the content and its moderation you can get a sense of the community's attitude about that topic, but the moderation alone is nearly meaningless. Not to mention that burying comments but not the replies to them does nothing but force you to expand posts to get the context necessary to make sense of things. Filtering useless posts is an exciting idea, but it doesn't do any good if worthwhile posts depend on them to make sense.
Slashdot's saving grace is that I can browse at -1 -- I read quickly enough that it's not a hardship. Digg seems to offer the same option, but it's broken.
I meant it was difficult to perform them because the leading software isn't available. Like Photoshop, for example, which is widely rumored to be the best in its class, but has no Linux version. Although I think that one may run in Wine.
I agree. I'm just arguing semantics (oh, the irony) here. I wouldn't call that question loaded. I've lost sight of what this whole thread is about, so forgive me if I'm just picking on things that catch my eye. Anything bigger fails to fit in my head. Interesting about the tax-evasive tomatoes.
I support the idea, but I wonder if there are enough hardware designers who want to make it happen. Hobbyists can write OSS, but not hardware. It's pretty easy to get into programming, and if you mess up, you're probably going to be fine. Hardware actually breaks and needs to be rebuilt, in a best case scenario, and catches fire at worst. I wonder if the numbers are there. I hope they are.
Support contracts would appear to be a big part of this.
Everybody stop saying this! You're not helping anything. Yes, we should be more worried. That doesn not mean that we should worry exclusively about it! Multitasking is the word. Multi-worrying.
You raise good points, but please learn to use the paragraph. One sentence per line is very hard to read.
Better is in the eye of the beholder. For many non-technical people, Linux is ready, and it's certainly better in some ways. You're evidently a graphics guy, and the range of Linux apps available doesn't cut it. But for a person who needs to get on the Internet, IM people, sometimes type, and maybe listen to some music, Linux gets the job done.
As for the WM, yes, look at it. Vista and Mac OS may be getting 3d accelerated desktops first (although Linux's is at least available before Vista), but for years the window managers available for Linux have had *useful* features that the other two have still failed to incorporate. Point-to-focus, virtual desktops, windowshade mode (Mac OS has this, of course), tiling WMs, all kinds of menus, and so on. 3d acceleration is a nice gimmick, and I think it will create the possibility for some nice features, but it's not a big improvement yet.
You may be interested to know that Flash 9 for Linux is in the works. No idea how it's coming along, but they've got a guy working on it, and he's blogging a little to let everyone know he's alive.
I'm not going to pretend that everyone will be able to do what they need to in Linux, but you were painting such a dismal picture. As someone whose sole OS is Linux, I know that general computing tasks are no trouble at all in Linux. Niche things are troublesome though.
We're trying to stop it from becoming so prevalent that we have to make a choice between accepting DRM or not buying products we like. Or rather, we're trying to undo that situation and prevent it from getting worse.
DRM doesn't stop that. The technology to defeat DRM advances just as fast as DRM technology.
Regardless of whether it's possible to prevent it, it's irrelevant. People *do* upload TV shows right now, every day, yet money is still made. There must be a hole in the "without DRM, no one will pay; boo hoo" reasoning. I submit that it's because many people *actually want* to pay artists for their work. As counterintuitive as that may seem to an amoral profit-driven corporation, many people care about things other than their bottom line, such as rewarding artists they respect.
It has a pretty big effect on the non-buyers who would like to be buyers and would be buyers save for that one deal-breaker. The idea behind a boycott isn't to ignore the problem; the idea is to get what you want, which is DRM unencumbered music. That's impossible without numbers though. Hence the activism.
"Don't like DRM'd music? Don't buy it."
Yes, because there's no concievable way DRM could affect him then. While voting with your wallet is important, it's not the whole answer. Unless a lot of people vote with their wallets, DRMed music will still be sold. That's no problem unless an overwhelming number of distributors choose to use it. Which they have. So what's a person who likes to buy music but doesn't like DRM to do? Activism would seem to be the answer. It doesn't make any sense to just tell anti-DRM folks to go sit in the corner quietly and vote with their wallets. They still need more people in the corner with them.
Well, that's pretty hard to refute.
"All GPL does is encourage reinvention of the wheel...."
Not at all. It's true that a person can't use GPLed snippets of code in proprietary software, but it doesn't go so far as to encourage it. It simply gives a choice: GPL your code, or don't use mine. Whether it encourages wheel re-invention or usage of the GPL depends completely on which option is most odious. For you, it seems to be the latter, but for many people, it's the former.
It would be voting, but it would also be important to convince others to vote with you.
Going by the way the word "animal" is usually used, it's not a loaded question. To object to the question's phrasing is to adopt a non-standard definition of the word. It's a valid definition in this case, but it's not appropriate to the context. It would be like an exterminator, when hired to clear your house of bugs, leaving all the roaches because, "You said bugs, and roaches aren't technically bugs." Or complaining about tomatoes appearing in your vegetable stew. Either is unreasonable, and so is assuming that everyone is using your preferred definition of a word.
Assuming that the question implies that humans aren't animals is what QuantumG is talking about. It's not really pertinent to protest that humans are animals. Of course we are, but anyone asking that question clearly has a division in their mind between humans and other animals -- reminding them that humans are animals too isn't going to elicit a response like, "Oh my god, you're right. These are my brothers we're talking about!" It won't erase that division, because it's a real one. Humans are animals, but not all animals are human. The question was clearly using "animals" to mean "non-human animals". In this case, debating semantics is just dodging the question. You (where you is a PETA member) are assuming that if humans should be treated ethically and humans are animals then all animals should be treated ethically. "Some animals should be treated ethically" != "All animals should be treated ethically". Additional logical gymnastics are required.
Here's what I think is happening: you people just have an axe to grind, so you're jumping on the first guy you find who is suggesting that just maybe Vista does have advantages over XP. Despite the impressive quantities of bold text in your post, you're not even making a response to his post. You're just unleashing a canned rant at the nearest target. Why isn't it exciting that Vista may suck less than XP?
1. The functionality of the new Start Menu is debatable. You don't like it, but I think its searchability will be a big plus.
2. So what if you think it's late? Does that make adding it any less of an improvement? Of course not! Although I think it exists in XP already.
3. The new security model is also late, but definitely a big plus. As I understand it, no tuning is needed. People just need to quit writing software that does things it shouldn't (and fix their bad code).
4. Yeah, you're not qualified to comment on much.
5. You're not qualified to comment. IE and WMP, of course, and Vancorps mentions Media Center and DVD maker. I would assume there are more.
6. See #2; lateness does not make it less of an improvement.
7. Some people don't want to search through dozens of benchmark apps.
8. It's a given. I don't see how this is something to boast about either, since there's a 64-bit version of XP.
Aero isn't the only exciting thing. In fact, it's pretty much the least exciting. I'm excited by the searchable Start Menu, the security model, and the new driver framework. And I don't even *use* Microsoft products.
Hell yeah. Still play it to this day (I've literally played already today). 6dof shooters > all. Except maybe Thief, which is about equal.