I went looking at iPods online today and I noticed that their price point for accessories and addons actually drives their price point on the iPod itself. For instance, I started with the intention of buying a 15 gig iPod for approx. $300, but then as I moved through the online store, I got to a point where they offer accessories. It got me thinking about what came with the 15 versus the 20 gig iPod and there are at least 2 of the 3 additions on the 20 gig iPod package that I would have bought that weren't included in the 15g package. The additions, plus tax, to my total price now put me in a position to buy the 20g iPod package for the same price (essentially). So now I'm looking at a larger capacity iPod with more accessories, for the same price as the lower capacity iPod and less accessories. And it gets worse because now going from the 20g pod package, and adding another 2 accessories with tax, now puts you in position to buy the 40g iPod package...
They obviously planned this carefully, because I think if you are looking at iPods in the first place, then the money isn't enough of a substantial issue for a move from $300 to $500. So at very little cost and effort from Apple, they've essentially priced their products in such a way that if you're really looking to buy one, you're going to go for the gold, and shell out the additional $$$.
Is Apple dying? Quite possible, but from all indications, not anytime soon.
With companies as big as these, with their large budgets and potential power in politics, and with the RIAA as an effective role model in lobbying, its possible that the WM-DRM software may become the de facto software for any copyrighted content online. If you can't monopolize the business, monopolize the media and the source.
This is easily the worst post I've ever seen on Slashdot. The Poster didn't read the article, and his conclusions are senseless. Furthermore, no one's rights are infringed upon if Adobe decides to add a feature that deters counterfeiting. Since when is it anyone's right to counterfeit money? Let's say that isn't your intention and you simply want to use the image of currency in a composition, you mean to tell me you can't findanimage elsewhere? Get real. Adobe added a feature to their software package to deter counterfeiting so that they could presumably sleep better at night. They probably understand that it won't stop everyone as there is always some determined individual out there that will find a way. With what they added to PS, it should at least stop some 14 year old kid who gets it in his head to start making some bills to spend on video games and skateboard trucks.
As for the prohibitive pricing of PS, speaking as a graphic design professional, I am perfectly fine with the pricing. If you're going to pirate it, and then try to compete against me for GD business, be prepared to have the BSA called on you. I'm tired of hearing, "...Well my 15 year old daughter could make me a website/flyer/brochure/logo/etc." If you can't afford to own it as a professional, then you have no business using the software in any other way other than for educational purposes. Go download GIMP otherwise.
Re:This is great and all...
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The big issue is not whether its a good idea to protect our borders, its whether or not they are being effectively protected at the possible expense of our civil liberties. Seems to me that if you have a machine which utilizes a database often used by law enforcement, then it's possible that it's only a matter of time before they start using it to stop people that aren't terrorists. You don't even have to be in trouble with the law at the time, you just have to show up on the radar, and suddenly you're being harrased about your Disney World vacation.
Then there's the secondary issue of the machine's level of inaccuracy. If you do any travelling at all via airline, there's a possibility that you might get flagged as a terrorist, and if you're a frequent traveller, then you have an even better chance of flagged. Small price to pay for the security you might say. Well how exactly would you feel if they stopped someone in your family, told them, "We think you're a terrorist, you're coming with us, and we're going to keep you in this room until we think otherwise, your rights, and your lawyer be damned."
You're right, we must do something, because it's better than nothing, but if the terror level is at Orange even with all this security, then it's probably not very good security. Why as a taxpayer am I paying for all this expensive, ineffective security?
Lastly, it still doesn't change the fact that a terrorist could land in Saskatchewan, rent a car to the border, take a stroll into the states, hop on a bus to some metropolitan area, and set off the dirty bomb in the briefcase he was carrying all that time. And when that happens (God forbid that it does), I'm going to be pissed as hell that I'm sitting in a cell at an airport because some $20 million plus in tax money decided that I was the real threat.
Actually, you have a point. It would also bring into play Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
Razors, and I'm not talkin' Gillette, have been appearing somewhat frequently in my discussions on/. and I can't imagine that's a good thing...
And they said that Kevin Mitnick could launch a nuclear strike with a telephone. Millions bought that load of FUD. Millions will undoubtely buy the story you posted about because they don't know any better. If they could find Saddam, a moving target in the literal sense, then how come they can't find some fairly stationary WMDs? I shouldn't have to explain Occam's razor to you, so I'll spare you that, but what seems more likely...those WMDs that we, the US think Saddam has are so well hidden that after all this time we still haven't found them, or that those WMDs simply don't exist? I wouldn't be surprised at this point that the Bush Administration will go as far as "manufacturing" and placing the WMD evidence they are looking for just so that their little campaign in Iraq doesn't look like it was all in vain.
Hanlon's razor actually reads, "Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
I once had an "argument" of sorts over the distiction between incompetence and stupidity and their effectiveness within the context of the quote, and based on that argument, I'm convinced Hanlon (whoever the hell that is) meant "stupidity."
Yeah but that still makes my point...
Why would you spend 1,200,000 USD on something that costs 1,000,000 EU when you could spend 928,000 USD (92.8 American pennies on the euro)? That's not backwards math. Everyone seems to be missing the really basic premise of all of this.
You aren't going to spend more money at place A, if you can get it cheaper at place B. And if place A is the only supplier, then you are going to spend what you have, and receive less product.
Layman's terms: You have $10. You need gas. Station A has it at $1 per gallon, Station B has is at $1.15. Where are you going to go? Now let's say the town you live in only has one gas station with the particular gas you need (let's say you drive a VW and you need diesel). They charge $1.22 a gallon for diesel, but you only have $10! Looks like you're only getting 8.2 gallons of fuel.
How does that effect the US? Well it increases dependency on us in two ways: we become the cheaper supplier, and we make it expensive to do business with the euro. So while, ya...we might end up importing less and exporting more, but what this is really about is the US becoming the "go-to" country. That puts the US in a position to manipulate those that have any kind of reliance on us for something, from oil to...hell, diapers.
What they did in Iraq was basically take control of their oil sales, but not necessarily so that we can have cheaper oil for the US (we get the majority of our oil from South America), we made sure that the currency that Iraq dealt with was primarily the USD. Since late 2000, Iraq was accepting the euro for oil (the first OPEC nation to do so). That was causing Iran (the second largest OPEC producer) to consider the same. The US's "invasion" may have been partly, or even mostly, to force the Iraq sellers to drop the euro and use only the USD.
Economic leverage. It all comes down to that.
I wasn't talking about the actual monetary values of the euro vs. the dollar. In fact your reply strengthens my argument. If the US can get the dollar to equal or just below the euro, then why spend 1,000,000EUR when you can spend $928,000? Where does that place the value, and in some cases, the power?
It's interesting that you take notice of the financing for this project. I sometimes wonder if this isn't just another attempt by the U.S. to undermine the value of the EURO against the US Dollar. They're doing it in Iraq with OPEC, and they see no reason to stop there.
In reference to your guns example: Guns can be used for good or for evil. However, the difference I see with these RFIDs is who has control of its intended purpose. If I pickup a gun, that choice lies with me. If I get an RFID implanted, regardless of my level of faith in the institution utilizing the RFID, that RFID can be used to collect information, to exploit people and their lives, invade their privacy, steal, etc. all by people and things which I have no control over. Also, I can try and fight against a percieved evil wielding a gun. It's harder to fight something or someone you can't see, or don't even realize is causing harm. I couldn't stand to be that knowingly helpless.
Just my $0.02
What the quote tends to take aim at are competent individuals that lack the common sense to have done it correctly in the first place. So rather than to assume that someone fucked something up just to make your life hell, you should first realize that they probably weren't thinking much...
Since this IS slashdot, I can safely use MS products as an example. It's obvious that they were made by programmers, since they wouldn't work at all otherwise, but because their products cause really stupid things to happen, its safe to assume that the programmers themselves weren't out to make trying to piss you off, but probably were...well....stupid.
I raise my cask of soft drink to the tall canvas in reverie and in hopes that there will not be a reprise of Laurence Fishburn's "for one hundred YEEAARS..." monologue.
Now, I may be wrong by definition of concept, but doesn't Cold Fusion (Macromedia, formerly of Allaire) do this sort of thing already? I mean, the code syntax and structure was pretty similar to markup, it allowed the developer to use it for both page style and structure, and for "non-trivial" user interaction through scripting. Granted, its not considered a low-level scripting language, but I think as a network/internet based language, it worked wonders before ASP/PHP even got off the ground. (Don't get me wrong, I'd still rather work in PHP)
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I went looking at iPods online today and I noticed that their price point for accessories and addons actually drives their price point on the iPod itself. For instance, I started with the intention of buying a 15 gig iPod for approx. $300, but then as I moved through the online store, I got to a point where they offer accessories. It got me thinking about what came with the 15 versus the 20 gig iPod and there are at least 2 of the 3 additions on the 20 gig iPod package that I would have bought that weren't included in the 15g package. The additions, plus tax, to my total price now put me in a position to buy the 20g iPod package for the same price (essentially). So now I'm looking at a larger capacity iPod with more accessories, for the same price as the lower capacity iPod and less accessories. And it gets worse because now going from the 20g pod package, and adding another 2 accessories with tax, now puts you in position to buy the 40g iPod package...
They obviously planned this carefully, because I think if you are looking at iPods in the first place, then the money isn't enough of a substantial issue for a move from $300 to $500. So at very little cost and effort from Apple, they've essentially priced their products in such a way that if you're really looking to buy one, you're going to go for the gold, and shell out the additional $$$.
Is Apple dying? Quite possible, but from all indications, not anytime soon.
Will you buy them in a boat?
Will you buy them with a goat?
With companies as big as these, with their large budgets and potential power in politics, and with the RIAA as an effective role model in lobbying, its possible that the WM-DRM software may become the de facto software for any copyrighted content online. If you can't monopolize the business, monopolize the media and the source.
"...PRODUCE the evidence..."
Somewhere on the planet, at this precise moment, an SCO lawyer is corralling about a million monkeys into a room with about a million workstations...
This is easily the worst post I've ever seen on Slashdot. The Poster didn't read the article, and his conclusions are senseless. Furthermore, no one's rights are infringed upon if Adobe decides to add a feature that deters counterfeiting. Since when is it anyone's right to counterfeit money? Let's say that isn't your intention and you simply want to use the image of currency in a composition, you mean to tell me you can't find an image elsewhere? Get real. Adobe added a feature to their software package to deter counterfeiting so that they could presumably sleep better at night. They probably understand that it won't stop everyone as there is always some determined individual out there that will find a way. With what they added to PS, it should at least stop some 14 year old kid who gets it in his head to start making some bills to spend on video games and skateboard trucks.
As for the prohibitive pricing of PS, speaking as a graphic design professional, I am perfectly fine with the pricing. If you're going to pirate it, and then try to compete against me for GD business, be prepared to have the BSA called on you. I'm tired of hearing, "...Well my 15 year old daughter could make me a website/flyer/brochure/logo/etc." If you can't afford to own it as a professional, then you have no business using the software in any other way other than for educational purposes. Go download GIMP otherwise.
Hell I'll take a Powerloader for the time being.
The big issue is not whether its a good idea to protect our borders, its whether or not they are being effectively protected at the possible expense of our civil liberties. Seems to me that if you have a machine which utilizes a database often used by law enforcement, then it's possible that it's only a matter of time before they start using it to stop people that aren't terrorists. You don't even have to be in trouble with the law at the time, you just have to show up on the radar, and suddenly you're being harrased about your Disney World vacation.
Then there's the secondary issue of the machine's level of inaccuracy. If you do any travelling at all via airline, there's a possibility that you might get flagged as a terrorist, and if you're a frequent traveller, then you have an even better chance of flagged. Small price to pay for the security you might say. Well how exactly would you feel if they stopped someone in your family, told them, "We think you're a terrorist, you're coming with us, and we're going to keep you in this room until we think otherwise, your rights, and your lawyer be damned."
You're right, we must do something, because it's better than nothing, but if the terror level is at Orange even with all this security, then it's probably not very good security. Why as a taxpayer am I paying for all this expensive, ineffective security?
Lastly, it still doesn't change the fact that a terrorist could land in Saskatchewan, rent a car to the border, take a stroll into the states, hop on a bus to some metropolitan area, and set off the dirty bomb in the briefcase he was carrying all that time. And when that happens (God forbid that it does), I'm going to be pissed as hell that I'm sitting in a cell at an airport because some $20 million plus in tax money decided that I was the real threat.
"Besides, college is fun and is often a good place to mature and improve other important social skills."
Like proper keg-stand technique.
Honestly, it probably has something to do with the fact that The Lord of the Rings trilogy was mostly shot there.
Why don't I just form a company, sign a bunch of bands to produce lots of content, and then just give it away for free!?!
Anybody care to buy stock now?
Actually, you have a point. It would also bring into play Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
/. and I can't imagine that's a good thing...
Razors, and I'm not talkin' Gillette, have been appearing somewhat frequently in my discussions on
And they said that Kevin Mitnick could launch a nuclear strike with a telephone. Millions bought that load of FUD. Millions will undoubtely buy the story you posted about because they don't know any better. If they could find Saddam, a moving target in the literal sense, then how come they can't find some fairly stationary WMDs? I shouldn't have to explain Occam's razor to you, so I'll spare you that, but what seems more likely...those WMDs that we, the US think Saddam has are so well hidden that after all this time we still haven't found them, or that those WMDs simply don't exist? I wouldn't be surprised at this point that the Bush Administration will go as far as "manufacturing" and placing the WMD evidence they are looking for just so that their little campaign in Iraq doesn't look like it was all in vain.
Apparently you don't read none too good... forget it, you're a loss.
Hanlon's razor actually reads, "Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
I once had an "argument" of sorts over the distiction between incompetence and stupidity and their effectiveness within the context of the quote, and based on that argument, I'm convinced Hanlon (whoever the hell that is) meant "stupidity."
Actually I think Amiga started the modular hardware thing, and IBM swiftly adopted it.
Don't quote me on that though.
Given some of the residual effects of the dot com bust (which is still evident with a few people I know), sad to say that might just be the case...
Yeah but that still makes my point...
...hell, diapers.
Why would you spend 1,200,000 USD on something that costs 1,000,000 EU when you could spend 928,000 USD (92.8 American pennies on the euro)? That's not backwards math. Everyone seems to be missing the really basic premise of all of this. You aren't going to spend more money at place A, if you can get it cheaper at place B. And if place A is the only supplier, then you are going to spend what you have, and receive less product. Layman's terms: You have $10. You need gas. Station A has it at $1 per gallon, Station B has is at $1.15. Where are you going to go? Now let's say the town you live in only has one gas station with the particular gas you need (let's say you drive a VW and you need diesel). They charge $1.22 a gallon for diesel, but you only have $10! Looks like you're only getting 8.2 gallons of fuel.
How does that effect the US? Well it increases dependency on us in two ways: we become the cheaper supplier, and we make it expensive to do business with the euro. So while, ya...we might end up importing less and exporting more, but what this is really about is the US becoming the "go-to" country. That puts the US in a position to manipulate those that have any kind of reliance on us for something, from oil to
What they did in Iraq was basically take control of their oil sales, but not necessarily so that we can have cheaper oil for the US (we get the majority of our oil from South America), we made sure that the currency that Iraq dealt with was primarily the USD. Since late 2000, Iraq was accepting the euro for oil (the first OPEC nation to do so). That was causing Iran (the second largest OPEC producer) to consider the same. The US's "invasion" may have been partly, or even mostly, to force the Iraq sellers to drop the euro and use only the USD.
Economic leverage. It all comes down to that.
I wasn't talking about the actual monetary values of the euro vs. the dollar. In fact your reply strengthens my argument. If the US can get the dollar to equal or just below the euro, then why spend 1,000,000EUR when you can spend $928,000? Where does that place the value, and in some cases, the power?
It's interesting that you take notice of the financing for this project. I sometimes wonder if this isn't just another attempt by the U.S. to undermine the value of the EURO against the US Dollar. They're doing it in Iraq with OPEC, and they see no reason to stop there.
In reference to your guns example: Guns can be used for good or for evil. However, the difference I see with these RFIDs is who has control of its intended purpose. If I pickup a gun, that choice lies with me. If I get an RFID implanted, regardless of my level of faith in the institution utilizing the RFID, that RFID can be used to collect information, to exploit people and their lives, invade their privacy, steal, etc. all by people and things which I have no control over. Also, I can try and fight against a percieved evil wielding a gun. It's harder to fight something or someone you can't see, or don't even realize is causing harm. I couldn't stand to be that knowingly helpless. Just my $0.02
What the quote tends to take aim at are competent individuals that lack the common sense to have done it correctly in the first place. So rather than to assume that someone fucked something up just to make your life hell, you should first realize that they probably weren't thinking much...
Since this IS slashdot, I can safely use MS products as an example. It's obvious that they were made by programmers, since they wouldn't work at all otherwise, but because their products cause really stupid things to happen, its safe to assume that the programmers themselves weren't out to make trying to piss you off, but probably were...well....stupid.
I believe it's Hanlon's Razor.
The quote is "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
I raise my cask of soft drink to the tall canvas in reverie and in hopes that there will not be a reprise of Laurence Fishburn's "for one hundred YEEAARS..." monologue.
Now, I may be wrong by definition of concept, but doesn't Cold Fusion (Macromedia, formerly of Allaire) do this sort of thing already? I mean, the code syntax and structure was pretty similar to markup, it allowed the developer to use it for both page style and structure, and for "non-trivial" user interaction through scripting. Granted, its not considered a low-level scripting language, but I think as a network/internet based language, it worked wonders before ASP/PHP even got off the ground. (Don't get me wrong, I'd still rather work in PHP)