Where I am we have Win98 machines for the Users. (Not my choice. Setup predates my employment here.)
Yes it's a commercial solution, but we use DeepFreeze to keep the machines locked down. It's very very hard to screw up one of the machines here, and if the worst comes to the worst we can re-clone a machine as a last resort.
The only drawback to this is that if it isn't set up for remote administration, it's a real bugger to install any legitimate upgrades. So minor changes (like adding one shortcut to the desktop) become a major undertaking. (And automatic antivirus-signatures will automaticcaly revert upon reboot)
Slashdot was the only thing carrying more than one viewpoint, and it weathered the storm quite well.
Well, seeing that 9/11 had an effect on News sites equivalent to a Slashdotting, and/. is usually the cause of such, ummmm, Slashdotting, well it stands to reason that it would stand up.
Although individual websites maybe vulnerable to over-saturation during such crises, the Internet as a whole can survive and awful lot, and allow you to try several alternative news-sources at once.
Whereas with Radio (or TV) news, you're kind of limited to one source at any one time.
But why have they waited for so long? The PS2's been out for a couple years now, and the advertising/hype about the "Emotion Engine" was circulating way before the console was even released.
This just seems like another in a long line of "Turn a blind eye until we know how much we can sue them for" infringement suits. If (if!) infringement was involved, why wait until a few years later? Going for them early might not yield as much in damages, but surely infringement is infringement whether they make a profit or a loss from using it.
I guess it just irritates me that it seems like a lot of companies will only enforce things like copyrights and patents when they can make money for it. Surely if their "intellectual rights" (or whatever) were so important, they'd do anything to protect them even if it's at a loss.
Cydoor? Hmm, my grandparents actually asked me to put that one BACK ON! (for eGames Collector's Edition to work)
I had that problem a couple years back when I used KaZaA/Grokster. Delete the SpyWare, abnd the app wouldn't run 'cos of the missing CYDOOR.DLL file.
It was possible to get around. Just get the cracked DLL that acted as a dummy. It'd fool the program that the 'Ware was there, but it didn't actually send anything out.
Of course, being a bit more tech-savvy now, I'd certainly check to make sure that such a cracked DLL didn't have it's own ulterior motives.
It is very useful. In fact the existance of MS's free PP viewer is what made using OO for presentations such a useful option for me eariler this year. Yeah, OO isn't the smoothest way to view presentations, but it creates 'em OK. And the free MS viewer makes it so easy to go straight into "Slideshow" mode.
Not wanting to buy or pirate a copy of MS Office, I used OpenOffice to create my presentations, used the PP viewer to check them, and then just ran them through the viewer.
Besides. using a Microsoft Product to improve the Open Source experience was just too much of an opportunity to pass up.
So the broadcast flag will stop a football fan from emailing a 34 gig Superbowl DTV attachment to his cousin overseas? Those entertainment folks must have some awesome ISP support to think that the average citizen is capable of such feats.
Nope. But the "average citizen" is capable of such stupidity.
There are still people out there who don't understand that files take up space/bandwidth. And will create high-quality images and wonder why they wobn't fit on a floppy disk. (I only wish I was joking!)
So convenient of the TV Industry to provide raw copies of the programs, without any irritating DOGs, newsflashes, competitions or commercials. Gives the encoders a much higher quality original to work with.
(I'm not quite sure whether I'm being sarcastic or serious here... should I be worried?)
Most people who pay for Cable/Satellite do so to get the programs they want, usually due to them not being catered for by the BBC. So not only are you paying your monthly subscription fees to your Cable Company, you're legally required to pay the BBC for all the channels that don't have anything you want.
However, since Microsoft implements this via the browser, it doesn't bloody break the internet!
And the amusing thing? One of Microsoft's "features" which is actually less irritating than the alternative.
Hmmmmm. Is there a way of implementing a similar service server/ISP-side? Whether via a proxy or DNS
So that if an incorrect domain-name is requested and it's an HTTP request then it could show up a site giving suggestions, offering a search-engine, and giving any other information that could be useful to your ISP/company/university.
But if the request is for anything other than HTTP, then the proper response (NXDOMAIN?) is given.
That does sound like an interesting way of playing games like that. And it soudns like it adds a fun dimension to otherwise-solo games.
But I suppose it could still get irritating if you want to kill time with a solo game of something.
Although with modern games it's nice that they can use subtle colour differences to add more of a challenge, it would probably be best if game designers put in an option to allow alternative colour differentiation. (Even if not default, but make sure it's flagged in the manual)
"Floating text" (black or white text with visible inverted outline) colour-hex-code overlay? Would that work?
This reminds me of Back to the Future 2, where he plays an Arcade game and the kids go "Oh he has to use his hands, like a baby game" or something like that.
I'm reminded of that line so often in modern arcades.
What with DDR, and the bike/ski/tank games with a full-size controller. It makes old games with merely a jotstick (and 3 or less buttons to boot...) seem so tame by comparison.
The worst is when I have to switch to IE for the (very) odd site that doesn't like Mozilla - all of a sudden all these pop-ups appear and I remember just how annoying those things were!
I never notice that when I have to switch back to IE. Then again, I use the popup-blocker on the Google Toolbar.
Oh well, now Mozilla 1.5 is out, I can do that fresh install of Moz, to see if it gets rid of my "downloaded files won't save" problem.
(which is what forces me to use IE whenever I want to download a file)
That's what I meant. Even if you don't answer the phone, having it list the numbers of any missed calls is a v for leaving it switched on.
So assuming that any cellphone left switch on whilst driving would be used to make calls falls over at this point, as ther are other reasons for leaving it on.
Yes - some are, but a whole lot aren't and are in their positions because they're good at their jobs.
I've met a lot of Managers who are good at their jobs.
Sadly, they also think they're good at everyone else's jobs, too.
As a techie, I'm not qualified to make management decisions. But somehow managers (especially of the PHB mentality) seem to assume themselves quqlified to make technical decisions.
Point (c) is actually quite valid.
'Cos otherwise, what's the point of having a missed-call listing facility on your cellphone, if you're forced to turn the phone off during the main times you can't answer it.
I also don't think most people talking on cell phones are getting directions. I've seen people merging onto a freeway dialing a cell phone.
Oh, I know a lot of people do make pointless calls. but that doesn't stop the fact that for me I only make calls whilst driving when they're important.
But when I do it's something like when I'm in need of on-the-fly directions.
Now if I have a passenger in the car with me, I give the phone to them and let them relay the directions.
But if I'm alone in the car, the only way that I'm going to get un-lost is by using my phone.
Does this stop people being complete pillocks and chatting to their girlfriends or having business meetings whilst turning onto a main road?
No.
But does their stupidity negate the more legitimate needs other people have?
I'd say it shouldn't.
There's a bunch a grey areas here, but some are pretty black and white.
This is true.
But the problem comes when people (often politicians) only look at a situation in black and white, and many of us are stuck in the grey areas.
I can't really see how talking on a cellphone (handsfree) is any more dangerous than chatting to a passenger in the car you're driving. If anything it's safer, as you don't have to turn to face the other person.
Plus cellphones are an absolute godsend for people like me - bad sense of direction/spatial-awareness is unfamiliar places. The amount of times I've only got un-lost by being on the phone to someone who knows the area is pretty high.
And before anyone suggests "pull-over, get directions, then drive on", that's not practical. Being able to ask in real-time where I should be turning in comparison to where I am at any one time is essential.
I thought that one was a Personal information manager. I use it for flagging up important information to myself all the time. I didn't know it could be extended to group projects.
1: Yep. Very funny. And also really, well, realistic I guess. Actually having to psyche yourself up before doing something really dangerous.
2: *grins* I love it when things that take time are actually shown to take time. None of this "use a dialup account to hack into a network and download a 6-meg file - all in under a minute" stuff you see on TV.
3: Heh. There's nothing as bad as hearing the phone keep ringing, when you KNOW the other person ther is in a position to pick up.
It was very well-done. Personally I don't think the lack fo a bullet-time effect was too much of a problem. Not eevyr "Matrix Move" needs to be accompanied by a 180 freeze-frame.
Dante's flying-punch looked cool.
Slashdot Mirror
Where I am we have Win98 machines for the Users. (Not my choice. Setup predates my employment here.)
Yes it's a commercial solution, but we use DeepFreeze to keep the machines locked down. It's very very hard to screw up one of the machines here, and if the worst comes to the worst we can re-clone a machine as a last resort.
The only drawback to this is that if it isn't set up for remote administration, it's a real bugger to install any legitimate upgrades. So minor changes (like adding one shortcut to the desktop) become a major undertaking.
(And automatic antivirus-signatures will automaticcaly revert upon reboot)
Well, seeing that 9/11 had an effect on News sites equivalent to a Slashdotting, and /. is usually the cause of such, ummmm, Slashdotting, well it stands to reason that it would stand up.
Although individual websites maybe vulnerable to over-saturation during such crises, the Internet as a whole can survive and awful lot, and allow you to try several alternative news-sources at once.
TiggsWhereas with Radio (or TV) news, you're kind of limited to one source at any one time.
Perhaps.
But why have they waited for so long? The PS2's been out for a couple years now, and the advertising/hype about the "Emotion Engine" was circulating way before the console was even released.
This just seems like another in a long line of "Turn a blind eye until we know how much we can sue them for" infringement suits. If (if!) infringement was involved, why wait until a few years later? Going for them early might not yield as much in damages, but surely infringement is infringement whether they make a profit or a loss from using it.
I guess it just irritates me that it seems like a lot of companies will only enforce things like copyrights and patents when they can make money for it. Surely if their "intellectual rights" (or whatever) were so important, they'd do anything to protect them even if it's at a loss.
I had that problem a couple years back when I used KaZaA/Grokster. Delete the SpyWare, abnd the app wouldn't run 'cos of the missing CYDOOR.DLL file.
It was possible to get around. Just get the cracked DLL that acted as a dummy. It'd fool the program that the 'Ware was there, but it didn't actually send anything out.
Of course, being a bit more tech-savvy now, I'd certainly check to make sure that such a cracked DLL didn't have it's own ulterior motives.
TiggsOoh. Does WinAmp (Classic) pick them up? 'Cos next 2K reinstall, I'm thinking of breaking from WMP.
It is very useful. In fact the existance of MS's free PP viewer is what made using OO for presentations such a useful option for me eariler this year. Yeah, OO isn't the smoothest way to view presentations, but it creates 'em OK. And the free MS viewer makes it so easy to go straight into "Slideshow" mode.
Not wanting to buy or pirate a copy of MS Office, I used OpenOffice to create my presentations, used the PP viewer to check them, and then just ran them through the viewer.
Besides. using a Microsoft Product to improve the Open Source experience was just too much of an opportunity to pass up.
Nope. But the "average citizen" is capable of such stupidity.
There are still people out there who don't understand that files take up space/bandwidth. And will create high-quality images and wonder why they wobn't fit on a floppy disk.
Tiggs(I only wish I was joking!)
The PHBs may pay for the software, but it's the Techies that install it.
and whatever it takes to work around it.
Tiggs
Nope. Quite a lot comes from Wild Feeds.
So convenient of the TV Industry to provide raw copies of the programs, without any irritating DOGs, newsflashes, competitions or commercials. Gives the encoders a much higher quality original to work with.
(I'm not quite sure whether I'm being sarcastic or serious here... should I be worried?)
Or, to put it another way...
Most people who pay for Cable/Satellite do so to get the programs they want, usually due to them not being catered for by the BBC.
So not only are you paying your monthly subscription fees to your Cable Company, you're legally required to pay the BBC for all the channels that don't have anything you want.
And the amusing thing? One of Microsoft's "features" which is actually less irritating than the alternative.
Hmmmmm. Is there a way of implementing a similar service server/ISP-side? Whether via a proxy or DNS
So that if an incorrect domain-name is requested and it's an HTTP request then it could show up a site giving suggestions, offering a search-engine, and giving any other information that could be useful to your ISP/company/university.
But if the request is for anything other than HTTP, then the proper response (NXDOMAIN?) is given.
That does sound like an interesting way of playing games like that. And it soudns like it adds a fun dimension to otherwise-solo games.
But I suppose it could still get irritating if you want to kill time with a solo game of something.
Although with modern games it's nice that they can use subtle colour differences to add more of a challenge, it would probably be best if game designers put in an option to allow alternative colour differentiation. (Even if not default, but make sure it's flagged in the manual)
"Floating text" (black or white text with visible inverted outline) colour-hex-code overlay?
Would that work?
I never notice that when I have to switch back to IE. Then again, I use the popup-blocker on the Google Toolbar.
Oh well, now Mozilla 1.5 is out, I can do that fresh install of Moz, to see if it gets rid of my "downloaded files won't save" problem.
(which is what forces me to use IE whenever I want to download a file)
Got very very lost at times.
Like it being an hour between me arriving in a town and me finally finding my way to where I was trying to go.
And yes, this was with maps and written directions.
My direction-sense really is that bad...
That's what I meant. Even if you don't answer the phone, having it list the numbers of any missed calls is a v for leaving it switched on.
So assuming that any cellphone left switch on whilst driving would be used to make calls falls over at this point, as ther are other reasons for leaving it on.
I've met a lot of Managers who are good at their jobs.
Sadly, they also think they're good at everyone else's jobs, too.
As a techie, I'm not qualified to make management decisions. But somehow managers (especially of the PHB mentality) seem to assume themselves quqlified to make technical decisions.
Point (c) is actually quite valid. 'Cos otherwise, what's the point of having a missed-call listing facility on your cellphone, if you're forced to turn the phone off during the main times you can't answer it.
Oh, I know a lot of people do make pointless calls. but that doesn't stop the fact that for me I only make calls whilst driving when they're important.
But when I do it's something like when I'm in need of on-the-fly directions.
Now if I have a passenger in the car with me, I give the phone to them and let them relay the directions.
But if I'm alone in the car, the only way that I'm going to get un-lost is by using my phone.
Does this stop people being complete pillocks and chatting to their girlfriends or having business meetings whilst turning onto a main road?
No.
But does their stupidity negate the more legitimate needs other people have?
I'd say it shouldn't.
This is true.
But the problem comes when people (often politicians) only look at a situation in black and white, and many of us are stuck in the grey areas.
What about Slashdot?
It destroys random bandwidth, and instills fear in the sysyadmins who recognise their company website linked from an article.
Tiggs
I can't really see how talking on a cellphone (handsfree) is any more dangerous than chatting to a passenger in the car you're driving. If anything it's safer, as you don't have to turn to face the other person.
Plus cellphones are an absolute godsend for people like me - bad sense of direction/spatial-awareness is unfamiliar places. The amount of times I've only got un-lost by being on the phone to someone who knows the area is pretty high.
And before anyone suggests "pull-over, get directions, then drive on", that's not practical. Being able to ask in real-time where I should be turning in comparison to where I am at any one time is essential.
Tiggs
I thought that one was a Personal information manager. I use it for flagging up important information to myself all the time.
I didn't know it could be extended to group projects.
Tiggs
1:
Yep. Very funny. And also really, well, realistic I guess. Actually having to psyche yourself up before doing something really dangerous.
2:
*grins* I love it when things that take time are actually shown to take time.
None of this "use a dialup account to hack into a network and download a 6-meg file - all in under a minute" stuff you see on TV.
3:
Heh. There's nothing as bad as hearing the phone keep ringing, when you KNOW the other person ther is in a position to pick up.
Tiggs
Although not a new technique, I'd certainly class digital removal of the wires used in stunts a "special effect".
Or did you think Dante actually managed to fly in that last stunt? ;)
TiggsIt was very well-done. Personally I don't think the lack fo a bullet-time effect was too much of a problem. Not eevyr "Matrix Move" needs to be accompanied by a 180 freeze-frame. Dante's flying-punch looked cool.