You may very well be right. However, the scenario you're talking about where Google helps us because they're helping themselves is what prompted me to write this sentence the way I did:
actively and intentionally influencing American politics for the direct benefit of consumers
It worries me, because what Google wants this week might benefit me (if even by accident), but what if what Google wants next week hurts me? Quite suddenly they go from heros to just another hyper-mega-globocorp stomping all over my rights for a few extra percentage points.
I just get really nervous about companies with lots of cash pushing lobbyists on my representatives (not that any of my current representatives really represent me).
Maybe they can get some of the outdated and impractical copyright laws changed. I imagine they've probably got enough dirt on every member of Congress to get things done.
That's what we pray for, because "In Google we trust".
But honestly, when's the last time you heard of a major corporation actively and intentionally influencing American politics for the direct benefit of consumers?
Google always has been, and always will be, looking out for themselves first. The only question now is whether or not they'll hurt us in the process. It might be a bleak outlook on politics and the corporate world but I think its realistic.
Re:There was a story about power supplies earlier
on
Silent 500W Power Supply
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· Score: 4, Informative
This newest incarnation of the Antec Phantom line has an 80mm variable speed fan. Its in the article.
I have this problem every single day. At work they will often REFUSE to download and use an OSS option, and will even purchase software they don't really like or want it its place.
You know, its bad enough when you're wrong... but to be wrong AND an asshat?
This wasn't Microsoft's doing in the first place, and Microsoft has been helpful to the mono project.
But lets just say that they were, and they hadn't. You still don't need to give a guy grief for trying to make something alot of people might want, for FREE. Its just childish and makes us FOSS folks look like jagoffs.
"Oh, those evil French socialists! First they won't help us invade Iraq and now they are interfering with our right to lay off their lazy asses! I'm going to run down to McDonald's right now and loudly order some FREEDOM FRIES so if there's any French people eating there they will know how ANGRY I am!"
w00t! I would have left out evil and stressed lazy though. I'm sorry, ten months of holiday and 4 hour work days gets your ass laid off!:)
I love to take jabs at MS as much as the next guy, but this: "As part of its new 'Web 2.0 Platform' strategy, Microsoft will expose application programming interfaces, or APIs, for MSN Search using SOAP"...is a good thing. Its really hard to lock someone into proprietary technology if you're talking about SOAP (which is a beautiful thing, really).
Oh, and Firefox has its own standards compliance issues (as much as I love it).
Its not uncommon for a company with cash in the bank to buy up unrelated companies to diversify its holdings. Its much like an individual buying a mutual fund, you don't put all your eggs in one basket. Companies like Microsoft do this all the time. They've bought all kinds of seemingly unrelated companies.
Additionally, it could provide a near-turnkey solution for better buyer/seller communication, which could be cool.
From a number of persepectives, it could happen. It just doesn't look like the market approves right now.
The biggest problem it faces may be that it's so plain and easy to use that people have trouble accepting that it's as good as all the colorful commercial offerings they see.
I'm really not being a brat, but I have to point out that that their biggest problem is actually that it's NOT as useful as the flashy commercial offerings.
I hate bloated AV software as much as the next guy, but on access scanning is a deal breaker for me. I usually prefer the "enterprise" style clients which can run silent and chew up fewer resources.
I'm no "environmentalist whacko", but why NOT drive a car that saves you gas money and is better for the world around you?
Now that hybrids actually perform reasonably well, my only remaining concern would be maintenance. I can't imagine its cheap to have one worked on. I expect that will get better as hybrids increase in popularity.
If you're REALLY on a budget, there's the 900mhz Motorola IMFree. At the moment it only does AIM, and it's JUST a messenger, but Walmarts have been dropping it to the discount shelves at $15, with the usb base station. The girlfriend and I have them, and we can roam to each others base stations at each house. Someone also developed linux support for them. Really slick for a $15 setup.
I think they're actually quite smart about it. The day they start making software for linux, is the day that a PHB can look at linux as a real option. Its just so much harder to pitch opensource solutions to a boss. If MS made MS-Office (and their other misc. crap) available on linux, the decision makers of the world would figure linux was viable (MS says so), and its free (as in beer)... and switch.
As it is, the switch is still a scary decision, and rightly so. Interoperability and familiarity are a big deal.
Re:Captain Obvious to the Resue!
on
How Ice Melts
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· Score: 1
Uh, yeah... actually it is here. If you can't communicate with people who speak my "dialect", then you basically don't speak english. You're unemployable, and that's what were ultimately talking about. Also, don't think I didn't notice you indirectly elevating ebonics to "dialect" status.
Those immigrants you talk about learned to speak the white American dialect of English, thus have have done better amongst white Americans.
Yes they did, and good for them. Now everyone else who bitches about not being able to compete can do the same. That goes for people who have constant learning devices for it MORE than the people who have to come here halfway through life and start new.
Some people just odon't care about doing well by white folks, so who are you to say that you set the standard?
Oh sure, I'm fine with that. If you want to live in a refrigerator box because you think that means you're somehow enlightened... by all means. Just don't do it in my neighborhood, we work hard here and buy homes. Oh, and stop taking a portion of MY paycheck so you can afford to "fight white culture", where we value hard work in exchange for a paycheck.
Slashdot Mirror
Around here we're more concerned with the fact that major funding for this production was provided by Google.
No, really.
You may very well be right. However, the scenario you're talking about where Google helps us because they're helping themselves is what prompted me to write this sentence the way I did:
actively and intentionally influencing American politics for the direct benefit of consumers
It worries me, because what Google wants this week might benefit me (if even by accident), but what if what Google wants next week hurts me? Quite suddenly they go from heros to just another hyper-mega-globocorp stomping all over my rights for a few extra percentage points.
I just get really nervous about companies with lots of cash pushing lobbyists on my representatives (not that any of my current representatives really represent me).
Maybe they can get some of the outdated and impractical copyright laws changed. I imagine they've probably got enough dirt on every member of Congress to get things done.
That's what we pray for, because "In Google we trust".
But honestly, when's the last time you heard of a major corporation actively and intentionally influencing American politics for the direct benefit of consumers?
Google always has been, and always will be, looking out for themselves first. The only question now is whether or not they'll hurt us in the process. It might be a bleak outlook on politics and the corporate world but I think its realistic.
This newest incarnation of the Antec Phantom line has an 80mm variable speed fan. Its in the article.
It is absolutely frightening how right you are.
I have this problem every single day. At work they will often REFUSE to download and use an OSS option, and will even purchase software they don't really like or want it its place.
You know, its bad enough when you're wrong... but to be wrong AND an asshat?
This wasn't Microsoft's doing in the first place, and Microsoft has been helpful to the mono project.
But lets just say that they were, and they hadn't. You still don't need to give a guy grief for trying to make something alot of people might want, for FREE. Its just childish and makes us FOSS folks look like jagoffs.
Dell is crap.
True dat.
But then it wouldn't have made digg.com, /., and thousands of other major sites.
Whats the point of a mature ad campaign that nobody notices. An obnoxious one is almost always better. Just ask AFLAK.
So that's my take. Can you hear me now?
"Oh, those evil French socialists! First they won't help us invade Iraq and now they are interfering with our right to lay off their lazy asses! I'm going to run down to McDonald's right now and loudly order some FREEDOM FRIES so if there's any French people eating there they will know how ANGRY I am!"
w00t! I would have left out evil and stressed lazy though. I'm sorry, ten months of holiday and 4 hour work days gets your ass laid off!
I love to take jabs at MS as much as the next guy, but this: ...is a good thing. Its really hard to lock someone into proprietary technology if you're talking about SOAP (which is a beautiful thing, really).
"As part of its new 'Web 2.0 Platform' strategy, Microsoft will expose application programming interfaces, or APIs, for MSN Search using SOAP"
Oh, and Firefox has its own standards compliance issues (as much as I love it).
Its not uncommon for a company with cash in the bank to buy up unrelated companies to diversify its holdings. Its much like an individual buying a mutual fund, you don't put all your eggs in one basket. Companies like Microsoft do this all the time. They've bought all kinds of seemingly unrelated companies.
Additionally, it could provide a near-turnkey solution for better buyer/seller communication, which could be cool.
From a number of persepectives, it could happen. It just doesn't look like the market approves right now.
Skype needs cash to fend off Microsoft's entry into VOIP.
I would have said Google.
The biggest problem it faces may be that it's so plain and easy to use that people have trouble accepting that it's as good as all the colorful commercial offerings they see.
I'm really not being a brat, but I have to point out that that their biggest problem is actually that it's NOT as useful as the flashy commercial offerings.
I hate bloated AV software as much as the next guy, but on access scanning is a deal breaker for me. I usually prefer the "enterprise" style clients which can run silent and chew up fewer resources.
Maybe they're doing both. That would be fine with me.
I have to say, this sounds kinda like, "The bitch was asking for it... she was dressed like a hooker."
Yes, without targets there wouldn't be attackers, but we don't blame the targets.
war is simply incompatible with civil society
Some would say that civil societies won't exist if they're not willing to make war.
And it was already mentioned in a /. article today.
Well said, sir.
I'm no "environmentalist whacko", but why NOT drive a car that saves you gas money and is better for the world around you?
Now that hybrids actually perform reasonably well, my only remaining concern would be maintenance. I can't imagine its cheap to have one worked on. I expect that will get better as hybrids increase in popularity.
Fuck I just got new sneakers...
I suspect you wouldn't have gotten an "offtopic" mod if you had followed that up with, "My voice is my passport. Verify me."
Fewer reboots? That's funny. I haven't rebooted most of my machines in months... and that's usually due to power failures.
C'mon MS, get your head out of your ass. Its not like you haven't had enough time to work things out.
Seriously, this list of wicked-cool new features sounds like a layman's description of my little 600mhz kick-around laptop running ubuntu.
If you're REALLY on a budget, there's the 900mhz Motorola IMFree. At the moment it only does AIM, and it's JUST a messenger, but Walmarts have been dropping it to the discount shelves at $15, with the usb base station. The girlfriend and I have them, and we can roam to each others base stations at each house. Someone also developed linux support for them. Really slick for a $15 setup.
I think they're actually quite smart about it. The day they start making software for linux, is the day that a PHB can look at linux as a real option. Its just so much harder to pitch opensource solutions to a boss. If MS made MS-Office (and their other misc. crap) available on linux, the decision makers of the world would figure linux was viable (MS says so), and its free (as in beer)... and switch.
As it is, the switch is still a scary decision, and rightly so. Interoperability and familiarity are a big deal.
Step 1: Ice gets warmer.
:)
Step 2: Warm ice turns into liquid water.
Wait, wait... could you explain that from the beginning?
Seriously, you should have gotten the grant money for this.
Your dialect of English is not basic English.
Uh, yeah... actually it is here. If you can't communicate with people who speak my "dialect", then you basically don't speak english. You're unemployable, and that's what were ultimately talking about. Also, don't think I didn't notice you indirectly elevating ebonics to "dialect" status.
Those immigrants you talk about learned to speak the white American dialect of English, thus have have done better amongst white Americans.
Yes they did, and good for them. Now everyone else who bitches about not being able to compete can do the same. That goes for people who have constant learning devices for it MORE than the people who have to come here halfway through life and start new.
Some people just odon't care about doing well by white folks, so who are you to say that you set the standard?
Oh sure, I'm fine with that. If you want to live in a refrigerator box because you think that means you're somehow enlightened... by all means. Just don't do it in my neighborhood, we work hard here and buy homes. Oh, and stop taking a portion of MY paycheck so you can afford to "fight white culture", where we value hard work in exchange for a paycheck.
These games exist. Check out www.puzzlepirates.com
You really don't have to CARE about someone being ranked higher than you in anything. Its just always a good time.
Oh, and no nuclear swords... although there are plenty to choose from.