This is very timely. I was just reading a report yesterday which seeks to answer why e-Learning never got off the ground. The report has quite a bit of meat to it and is in PDF format...
I caught Gibson in New York yesterday. It was interesting to see him in person. He talked about how he is often accused of being prescient. As an example, he said that he had no idea that pilates would become so big by the time the book came out. Take that with a grain of salt, he didn't come across as arrogant at all. He read the first chapter of Pattern Recognition, answered a few questions from the audience, and then spent about an hour signing books.
Some of the questions were about:
The influence of No Logo on the main character (very tenuous, he saw the title and got the idea).
His writing technique and how he likes to describe everything in minute detail (he said the granularity is dictated by his subconcious).
One of the main points of the talk was how he would hate to be thought of as a didactic writer. He likes to shape the characters and let their motivations move the story along.
He denied being the creator of his own genre, but he said it was something he aspired to.
I had bought Pattern Recognition the week before and I hadn't known he was coming into town, so I spent the last few days fininshing it before seeing him speak in person. It's an excellent book and the reviews are quite right when they say that it's his best book since Neuromancer.
The best relatively new author on the scene is George RR Martin. I'm eagerly awaiting the next volume of his series.
The only downside of his books is that he tends to follow too many characters at once. For three books now, there is a thread about dragons, but none of the characters from that thread have interacted except in minor ways with anyone else.
Other than that, the plots are amazing and everything holds together. The writing is top-notch and all the books were page-turners.
The US would have been way better off if it had initially had the goal of building a space station instead of landing a man on the moon. Why? Because although landing a man on the moon was a great achievement, it has no long-term economic benefit. A space station could serve as a launching pad for future projects, lowering the cost for other missions (such as going to Mars). IMHO, it's still vitally important to get a station up and running so that other missions can reap the benefits of past work.
On2 could have been there first, but they squandered their chances by charging money for a codec while everyone else and his mother were giving it away for free.
Their technology was slightly better than the latest mpeg at the time, but marketting ruined another.bomb
Disclaimer: I used to have money invested in this company.
For informational purposes relating to the on2 codec, check out http://www.duck.com
Umm. How the hell did this get a Score of 3? They are DETAINEES. They have yet to be convicted in a court of law. And most of the article went on about how preventing candid discussions between a lawyer and the SUSPECT might have implications on the defence.
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
If I knew I was going to be charged for a ghosting (or whatever method you use), I'd nuke the hard drive and install my own apps. And I can't think of a developer who would do otherwise.
I have read Ayn Rand, but I think of her books more as a thought exercise than anything practical. Her characters are naive and simplistic and her philosophy is just ridiculous. What I meant by capitalist is free market, rather than government controlled (which includes subsidies, special tax breaks, and price fixing). Charity should not apply to business. Either you make it on your own merits, or make room for someone who can.
Having said that, it's still important for competition to exist and monopolies should be broken up if they use unfair tactics (dumping and certain M$ tactics come to mind). However, my entire point was that Linux/BSD are strong enough of their own and are competitors in their own right. They don't need government handouts.
Well, the whole issue behind the softwood dispute is that there used to be no tarrif, except the US had volume restrictions on softwood imports. That agreement has now expired and the US still wants to protect its industries. That's not what free trade is about.
As to the original point of punishing a company twice by fining it and then giving money to competitors, read this .
From the article: "Under the Byrd amendment, enacted last year, tens of millions of dollars in fines collected by the U.S. government will be handed over to companies that lodge complaints against foreign exporters judged to be 'dumping' products at artificially low prices."
Why not? They've done it before. Read up on the Canadian soft lumber dispute that was still going on as of four months ago. The US thinks British Columbia is flooding the market with cheap lumber, so they put up a 30% tarrif and gave that money to competitors in the US. In effect, Canadian companies are being punished twice!
This is the most blatantly anti-capitalist statement I have heard in a long time. Open Source software does NOT need charity. By accepting charity instead of becoming successful on its own merit, it undermines its very foundation and eliminates the possibility of ever becoming a legitimate competitor to M$.
I'm pretty familiar with the broadband situation in both Ontario and Oregon.
The bad thing about Ontario is that there's usually only one plan from each provider that is available unless you want to pay more than quintiple prices for the same connection. The good thing is that broadband is dirt cheap.
There used to be two major cable providers in Ontario (Rogers and Cogeco) with Cogeco offering 128kbits/sec upload and 8mbits/sec download. Recently Cogeco upgraded to be on par with Rogers and offers 400kbits/sec upload. I've never had Cogeco myself, but my parents are quite happy with it.
I found Rogers to be really fast. A lot of people complain that they don't get good speeds, but legitimate complaints are rare. With a bit of tweaking, I've gotten every cable modem I've run across to run at 4mbits per second or faster in a sustained transfer. My brother gets 8mbits/sec ALL THE TIME.
Sympatico is a different story. Don't waste your money people. Sympatico is the dsl monopoly up in Ontario. They offer 128kbits/sec upload and 640kbits download. Sure you'll get these speeds, but cable is just faster and cheaper.
I found service outages to be the same for both of them, once every two weeks on average, for an hour or so.
Finally, Rogers used to never change ip addresses on people, but that's recently changed and now it is dynamic (just like Sympatico).
The situation in Oregon is quite different. Cable from AT&T is about the same speed as Rogers when it comes to download, but uploads are capped to 128kbit/sec. I haven't had it myself, so I don't know what service outtages are like, nor do I know if they offer static ip even as an option.
I am quite happy with my ADSL package from QWest. My house is close enough to the switching station that I can get the full 7.1megabit package, but that's a bit too expensive for my taste. I have 960kbit/sec download and 816kbits/sec upload, and I use it to the fullest. I have QOS guarantees since for that kind of bandwidth you have to get the professional package. In the two months I've had this, I've never had a service outtage. I've been disconnected three times, but always while I was at my computer and I could just reconnect again. The downside is that QWest charges 15/month for static ip. Not worth it. You'll also need a router or a dsl modem, but there's a deal going on practically all the time that gives you the modem for free and also a free month or two. The setup I have with dynamic IP costs 120USD/month (Prices for Ontario were given in Canadian pesos).
The salesperson for the DSL was a bit of a twit and mischarged me, but the problems got resolved after a few back and forth e-mails. Remember that the price you pay for the DSL service does NOT INCLUDE ISP CHARGES. These are extra. Don't let the sales-rep trick you into getting the router because "you need it if you want more than one computer connected to the internet". Grit your teeth and lie. The router is probably a good idea if you're living there permanently, but it's just so much scrap if I were to take it back to Canada.
There are other solutions than DSL and cable obviously, but some of these are prohibitively expensive. Cisco offered wireless for a while in Toronto (they still might), you can get OC3 and above from your local tier 1 provider, but only if you're immortal.
"CIPA" is actually pussy.
"pizda" would be the word for cunt.
Re:Vulcan Logic at Work
on
Spidergoats
·
· Score: 1
I think the fallacy in your argument comes at the point where you say that ants build shelter, therefore ants build tools.
One does not imply the other.
Not that I accept any other part of the argument. That was just the most glaring error.
Re:What is wrong with US DSL?
on
DSL Woes
·
· Score: 1
Bell Sympatico has a 128kbit/sec upload cap. Rogers@home in Ontario, Canda is definitely the way to go. I've always had at least 4 megabits down and 400 kilobits up. The situation is different in the US. Cable in most places (at least on the west coast from AT&T) is also capped to 128kbit/sec upload. I'm happy with my 960/816 ADSL, but it's costing me an arm and a leg compared to what I would have had to pay for it in Canada. What's the deal with having to pay a MONTHLY fee for a static IP anyway? Such a rip-off.
During an interview with Amazon.com, I asked about some of their questionable policies, including the patents they were going after.
I was fed the company line that they would go agressively after any patent they could in order to stay ahead of the competition. My sense of things told me that the interviewer (who was a developer and not a marketroid) really had no grasp of the situation but was just regurgitating company policy.
From this experience it seems that companies will (ab)use the system in any way they can to stay ahead rather than try to change what is inherently broken.
So, to answer your questions: yes, the system is incompetent (not necessarily corrupt). They just don't have the experience or the time to go through all the patents and look for prior art. Greed of industry is definitely the primary reason for the sad state of the patent system from my experience.
KKNJ and LH not violent? You've got to be kidding me. Guess you've been desensitized. Narusegawa punches out the main character at least once every episode, and KKNJ has at least one scene that I remember in which the guy shows himself to be a control freak. That scene was probably more disturbing than any of the violence I've seen in a LONG time.
I own a pair of Klipsch promedia's and they've been THX certified for years. Sure, they may not measure up to Bose on B&W home systems, but for $250, they sound great (and I can take them with me when I move around).
Thanks, but no thanks.
I'd rather not have watered down versions of good series or (god forbid) dubbed and edited series.
Just look at the upcoming Escaflowne on Fox. What a travesty.
And I can just see series like Rurouni Kenshin, or movies like Ninja Scroll being approved (yeah right).
I'll just stick to DVD/VCD rather than make this kind of compromise.
heh.. Whatever happened to "The Medium is the message?"
Having read several books online, I can tell you that it is NOT the same experience. Distribution is good, but reading a book on a computer screen just plain sucks.
I think this will eventually catch on, but only when you can have a high resolution foldable screen to carry around with you.
You could even roll it up and bring back the reverence of the scroll:)
Starcraft, Diablo2 and Halflife... They're the only games I would play consistently. In fact, it's all that's keeping me from getting rid of Windows altogether.
Slashdot Mirror
This is very timely. I was just reading a report yesterday which seeks to answer why e-Learning never got off the ground. The report has quite a bit of meat to it and is in PDF format...
n .html
http://www.thelearningalliance.info/WeatherStatio
Some of the questions were about:
One of the main points of the talk was how he would hate to be thought of as a didactic writer. He likes to shape the characters and let their motivations move the story along.
He denied being the creator of his own genre, but he said it was something he aspired to.
I had bought Pattern Recognition the week before and I hadn't known he was coming into town, so I spent the last few days fininshing it before seeing him speak in person. It's an excellent book and the reviews are quite right when they say that it's his best book since Neuromancer.
The best relatively new author on the scene is George RR Martin. I'm eagerly awaiting the next volume of his series.
The only downside of his books is that he tends to follow too many characters at once. For three books now, there is a thread about dragons, but none of the characters from that thread have interacted except in minor ways with anyone else.
Other than that, the plots are amazing and everything holds together. The writing is top-notch and all the books were page-turners.
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/
The US would have been way better off if it had initially had the goal of building a space station instead of landing a man on the moon. Why? Because although landing a man on the moon was a great achievement, it has no long-term economic benefit. A space station could serve as a launching pad for future projects, lowering the cost for other missions (such as going to Mars). IMHO, it's still vitally important to get a station up and running so that other missions can reap the benefits of past work.
On2 could have been there first, but they squandered their chances by charging money for a codec while everyone else and his mother were giving it away for free.
.bomb
Their technology was slightly better than the latest mpeg at the time, but marketting ruined another
Disclaimer: I used to have money invested in this company.
For informational purposes relating to the on2 codec, check out http://www.duck.com
Umm. How the hell did this get a Score of 3? They are DETAINEES. They have yet to be convicted in a court of law. And most of the article went on about how preventing candid discussions between a lawyer and the SUSPECT might have implications on the defence.
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Did you even read the article?
"Charging you"?
Is that even legal?
If I knew I was going to be charged for a ghosting (or whatever method you use), I'd nuke the hard drive and install my own apps. And I can't think of a developer who would do otherwise.
I have read Ayn Rand, but I think of her books more as a thought exercise than anything practical. Her characters are naive and simplistic and her philosophy is just ridiculous. What I meant by capitalist is free market, rather than government controlled (which includes subsidies, special tax breaks, and price fixing). Charity should not apply to business. Either you make it on your own merits, or make room for someone who can.
Having said that, it's still important for competition to exist and monopolies should be broken up if they use unfair tactics (dumping and certain M$ tactics come to mind). However, my entire point was that Linux/BSD are strong enough of their own and are competitors in their own right. They don't need government handouts.
Well, the whole issue behind the softwood dispute is that there used to be no tarrif, except the US had volume restrictions on softwood imports. That agreement has now expired and the US still wants to protect its industries. That's not what free trade is about.
As to the original point of punishing a company twice by fining it and then giving money to competitors, read this .
From the article: "Under the Byrd amendment, enacted last year, tens of millions of dollars in fines collected by the U.S. government will be handed over to companies that lodge complaints against foreign exporters judged to be 'dumping' products at artificially low prices."
Sounds pretty fishy to me.
Why not? They've done it before. Read up on the Canadian soft lumber dispute that was still going on as of four months ago. The US thinks British Columbia is flooding the market with cheap lumber, so they put up a 30% tarrif and gave that money to competitors in the US. In effect, Canadian companies are being punished twice!
This is the most blatantly anti-capitalist statement I have heard in a long time. Open Source software does NOT need charity. By accepting charity instead of becoming successful on its own merit, it undermines its very foundation and eliminates the possibility of ever becoming a legitimate competitor to M$.
I'm pretty familiar with the broadband situation in both Ontario and Oregon.
The bad thing about Ontario is that there's usually only one plan from each provider that is available unless you want to pay more than quintiple prices for the same connection. The good thing is that broadband is dirt cheap.
There used to be two major cable providers in Ontario (Rogers and Cogeco) with Cogeco offering 128kbits/sec upload and 8mbits/sec download. Recently Cogeco upgraded to be on par with Rogers and offers 400kbits/sec upload. I've never had Cogeco myself, but my parents are quite happy with it.
I found Rogers to be really fast. A lot of people complain that they don't get good speeds, but legitimate complaints are rare. With a bit of tweaking, I've gotten every cable modem I've run across to run at 4mbits per second or faster in a sustained transfer. My brother gets 8mbits/sec ALL THE TIME.
Sympatico is a different story. Don't waste your money people. Sympatico is the dsl monopoly up in Ontario. They offer 128kbits/sec upload and 640kbits download. Sure you'll get these speeds, but cable is just faster and cheaper.
I found service outages to be the same for both of them, once every two weeks on average, for an hour or so.
Finally, Rogers used to never change ip addresses on people, but that's recently changed and now it is dynamic (just like Sympatico).
The situation in Oregon is quite different. Cable from AT&T is about the same speed as Rogers when it comes to download, but uploads are capped to 128kbit/sec. I haven't had it myself, so I don't know what service outtages are like, nor do I know if they offer static ip even as an option.
I am quite happy with my ADSL package from QWest. My house is close enough to the switching station that I can get the full 7.1megabit package, but that's a bit too expensive for my taste. I have 960kbit/sec download and 816kbits/sec upload, and I use it to the fullest. I have QOS guarantees since for that kind of bandwidth you have to get the professional package. In the two months I've had this, I've never had a service outtage. I've been disconnected three times, but always while I was at my computer and I could just reconnect again. The downside is that QWest charges 15/month for static ip. Not worth it. You'll also need a router or a dsl modem, but there's a deal going on practically all the time that gives you the modem for free and also a free month or two. The setup I have with dynamic IP costs 120USD/month (Prices for Ontario were given in Canadian pesos).
The salesperson for the DSL was a bit of a twit and mischarged me, but the problems got resolved after a few back and forth e-mails. Remember that the price you pay for the DSL service does NOT INCLUDE ISP CHARGES. These are extra. Don't let the sales-rep trick you into getting the router because "you need it if you want more than one computer connected to the internet". Grit your teeth and lie. The router is probably a good idea if you're living there permanently, but it's just so much scrap if I were to take it back to Canada.
There are other solutions than DSL and cable obviously, but some of these are prohibitively expensive. Cisco offered wireless for a while in Toronto (they still might), you can get OC3 and above from your local tier 1 provider, but only if you're immortal.
"CIPA" is actually pussy.
"pizda" would be the word for cunt.
I think the fallacy in your argument comes at the point where you say that ants build shelter, therefore ants build tools.
One does not imply the other.
Not that I accept any other part of the argument. That was just the most glaring error.
Bell Sympatico has a 128kbit/sec upload cap. Rogers@home in Ontario, Canda is definitely the way to go. I've always had at least 4 megabits down and 400 kilobits up. The situation is different in the US. Cable in most places (at least on the west coast from AT&T) is also capped to 128kbit/sec upload. I'm happy with my 960/816 ADSL, but it's costing me an arm and a leg compared to what I would have had to pay for it in Canada. What's the deal with having to pay a MONTHLY fee for a static IP anyway? Such a rip-off.
Haha.. Move to Canada. That's funny. Canada instituted a CDR tax earlier this year.
During an interview with Amazon.com, I asked about some of their questionable policies, including the patents they were going after.
I was fed the company line that they would go agressively after any patent they could in order to stay ahead of the competition. My sense of things told me that the interviewer (who was a developer and not a marketroid) really had no grasp of the situation but was just regurgitating company policy.
From this experience it seems that companies will (ab)use the system in any way they can to stay ahead rather than try to change what is inherently broken.
So, to answer your questions: yes, the system is incompetent (not necessarily corrupt). They just don't have the experience or the time to go through all the patents and look for prior art. Greed of industry is definitely the primary reason for the sad state of the patent system from my experience.
KKNJ and LH not violent? You've got to be kidding me. Guess you've been desensitized. Narusegawa punches out the main character at least once every episode, and KKNJ has at least one scene that I remember in which the guy shows himself to be a control freak. That scene was probably more disturbing than any of the violence I've seen in a LONG time.
Don't forget "Forever Peace" by Joe Haldeman. Definitely a classic.
I own a pair of Klipsch promedia's and they've been THX certified for years. Sure, they may not measure up to Bose on B&W home systems, but for $250, they sound great (and I can take them with me when I move around).
Klipsch are definitely good (I have the THX 4.1 Klipsch myself), but for home theatre, you can't beat Bose or B&W.
Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather not have watered down versions of good series or (god forbid) dubbed and edited series. Just look at the upcoming Escaflowne on Fox. What a travesty. And I can just see series like Rurouni Kenshin, or movies like Ninja Scroll being approved (yeah right). I'll just stick to DVD/VCD rather than make this kind of compromise.
heh.. Whatever happened to "The Medium is the message?"
:)
Having read several books online, I can tell you that it is NOT the same experience. Distribution is good, but reading a book on a computer screen just plain sucks.
I think this will eventually catch on, but only when you can have a high resolution foldable screen to carry around with you.
You could even roll it up and bring back the reverence of the scroll
I thought there was already a port of the Infocom interpreter to Linux?
Maybe it's just the newer text adventures. I really recommend Little Blue Men btw..
Starcraft, Diablo2 and Halflife... They're the only games I would play consistently. In fact, it's all that's keeping me from getting rid of Windows altogether.