To protect children's "sound growth and development" Sony is going to censor content deemed to be too sexy on their Playstation platform.
While, at the same time, titles with a violence level right off the charts like:
Hitman Grand Theft Auto Mortal Kombat Manhunt
seem to be just fine for the same audience ?
( Good thing Timmy can't see any video game skin, imagine the mental trauma it would cause. Now go eviscerate that Dark Elf ! They deserve it !:| )
Both Violence / Gore and Sexual Themes are designed for the Mature Audiences ( hence the M rating ).
If you really want to protect children's "sound growth and development", be a fucking parent. Understand what the M rating is and make the decision to let your kids play it or not.
If you're too lazy to actually be a parent, perhaps you shouldn't engage in activities that create the conditions where you become one in the first place.
When you purchase a hard copy ( disc ) of a brand new game, it is likely already useless as the game developers seem to be incapable of launching and shipping a game that actually works right out of the box. ( It's called incompetence )
You'll put your disc in and your game system will usually tell you that an n gigabyte level patch ( where n is a ridiculously large number ) is necessary before you can actually play the game. It may or may not also require a console firmware update as well.
The way I see it, owning the physical disc is pretty pointless as it usually contains a broken / buggy version of the game. ( Assuming you even get a physical disc. Some are giving you a pretty box with nothing more than a download link / code inside. Even high $$$ professional software is guilty of this. )
Additionally, moving to an all digital / download model is pretty much the final nail in the coffin for the secondary / used game markets. This will do for consoles what Steam did to PC's.
Tesla still dangling that $35k carrot out there I see. Non-news until they actually start selling the car they promised at the price / performance they promised.
If you want to try and peddle an inferior version of your cars on me, remember there are more than plenty of ICE options still out there.
If your option is too expensive or of inferior quality / performance, it really makes my choice a rather easy one doesn't it ?
My guess is this is due to the fact that their executive levels are all staffed with older generations who grew up under different rules. Time to hire some new blood if, for nothing else, to learn what needs to be modified with their business model.
Here's a tip:
The " new " generations doesn't want to be bogged down with physical stuff. They want the content available to them, on demand and a la carte, with an infinite choice of platforms to experience said content. ( Phones, Tablets, PCs, Consoles, etc )
They don't want to have to buy*: ( * Multiple times every time the format changes. See Betamax -> VHS -> Laserdisc -> DvD -> Blu Ray -> 4K -> Streaming -> ? )
1) An industry approved Smart Tv. 2) An industry approved content player. 3) An industry approved audio system. 4) A dozen different subscription services because exclusive content can only be found on Service X or Y.
Your physical media sales are down because the new generation is learning that, most of the time, steaming is " good enough ". It doesn't compete with the likes of BluRay or 4K ( streaming video compression sucks and I have yet to see any stream with 7.1 DTS / ATMOS ) but " good enough " is where most of your sales are going to be.
If you don't do something about the exclusive content being locked into Service X, you're going to start seeing your streaming services die off as well and get replaced with the always reliable Yarr Matey versions.
The sooner you figure out that non-exclusive streaming is where things are going, the better the odds your business will survive to see the next evolution.
If you have any spare Smart Monkeys laying about, please send us some.
We would like to replace most of our elected government as we feel Intelligent Monkeys could not possibly do any worse than what we've been forced to endure over the past few decades.
It's 2019, why the F*CK are ANY systems designated as critical infrastructure still connected to the GD internet. Lease a private line FFS and air-gap the head end systems.
Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's not very convenient. Yes, it's NECESSARY.
GDMIT.
Until we start throwing CEO's in prison for significant amounts of time when their incompetence results in epic level WTF, this sh*t will never get fixed.
Those of Caucasian decent have been told for years that they are racists simply because of their skin color. They can't be discriminated against because they aren't the right color. They have something called " White Privilege " that, apparently, is some sort of " I win " button available on tap. They get turned down for jobs and education slots because the Company or University has to have enough minorities lest they be called racists too. Standardized tests are all racist because, apparently, minorities have issues with them. So they just get rewritten to make the numbers look better. Slavery is still their fault apparently, irregardless of the fact the last " slaves " in America were freed ~150 years ago. ( The reparations movement, and all the politicians using it to further their political career, can just f*ck off. ) Starting a #WhiteLivesMatter movement would instantly be classified as some White Nationalist Klan Nazi Terrorist Group and the media would just lose it.
Given the above:
Is there anyone out there who doesn't think a very small percentage of impacted folks might be just a tad bit angry about it all ? Is there anyone out there who doesn't think an even smaller percentage of that small percentage might even be REALLY angry about it ?
And of that laughably tiny percentage, a few folks might actually do something rather radical ?
This is shocking why ?
Maybe they're just tired of being the " Bad Guy " for nothing more than their skin color.
I refuse to pay what is effectively a " ghost " tax ( purchase of software to do my taxes ) for the privilege of submitting my taxes to an entity who could, just as easily, calculate them without involving us at all.
In fact, just to be fun, I do them manually and MAIL the physical paper forms to the IRS. All schedules and whatnot stapled to it. ( Try to force me to spend $ so I can prove to you that I overpaid and you owe me $ will you. . . . watch this. )
Other than some stocks, Capitol Gains, etc. I really have no deductions to speak of so it takes me about an hour to do the math and double check it. Costs me a stamp.
How many times does it have to be explained before it finally sinks in ? Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more . . . . .
It isn't because we like Microsoft. It isn't because we hate Linux. ( I use both depending on what I'm doing )
We don't abandon Windows for one simple reason:
MANY OF THE APPLICATIONS WE USE DON'T EXIST ON LINUX.
It's the same damn problem VR has. Developers don't want to commit resources to something that so few use while, at the same time, so few will consider it because very little is developed for it.
Some have Linux versions ( like Maya ) but, for the most part, many of the professional / commercial applications I use on a daily basis do not. There may be some open source alternatives but, none of them quite stack up to their established commercial brethren.
This, and only this, is why ( like it or not ) I am f*cking stuck with Windows.
In case you're curious and you want to go find me some free, open-source version *** that performs as well as any of the following ***, here's my list:
The entire Adobe CC suite Maya & various Maya Plugins ( covered, it works in Linux too ) Zbrush Rhinocerous 3D w/ Brazil Substance Designer / Painter Keyshot
Capture One Pro
Cubase Pro Sibelius Various Musical Instrument Libraries The driver that ties my synth to the DAW
The day all the above developers create a Linux version, I'll switch.
Why the hell would I want to pay an extra $$$$ for an option I will never have any need to use at all ? ( Subsidizing your drinking problem isn't on my list of things to accomplish in life )
The cheaper method is to simply deny anyone who is convicted of a DWI / DUI from driving at all until they go through treatment ( at their cost ).
Instead of adding some magical DUI sensing hardware, just put a card reader into the vehicle. Get in, insert Drivers License and the system will determine if you're allowed to drive or not based on what data is on your card. Too many points on your license or under a driving prohibition due to DWI / DUI conviction and the car simply doesn't start. ( give Uber or Lyft a ring )
Get caught using someone else's DL to bypass the restrictions and your license is permanently revoked + jail time, while their license gets a suspension. ( Don't steal your friends shit lest you not remain friends for very long )
If you want to get fancy, you can throw a fingerprint reader into the mix to ensure the prints contained within the card you have inserted match the drivers prints. ( Hell you can even lock the car to only a specific Drivers License and / or prints. )
Theoretical ideas only, I'm sure there are lots of problems with them.
or
Instead of wasting the time and money on this, why not put it into the self driving car problem ?
Over time, as the SDC replaces the traditional cars, the entire DUI / DWI, distracted driving, speeding, congestion, asshole-in-a-car problems will go away on their own. Folks will pretty much just be along for the ride.
Google stopped the deployment of Fiber to the Home due to the costs of making it happen.
I can't help but think that deploying an undersea cable would be quite the financial undertaking as well.
That got me thinking about why Google would be interested in such things, but the answer came rather quickly.
Considering the amount of traffic that cable would be carrying ( likely all routed through Google owned hardware ) it's a treasure trove for any Company who partakes in the " Big Data " business model of knowing anything and everything about everyone.
Why settle on a per area basis ( regional fiber deployments ) when you can own the backbone that feeds an entire country ?
If you've spent any time at sea then you already know how caustic sea water is to anything made from metal. It doesn't matter how well prepped the metal is. It doesn't matter how much you paint it. The sea finds a way. ( I can't imagine how much paint the Navy goes through per year )
Hell, living anywhere near the ocean isn't friendly to metallics. The closer you are, the more pronounced the effect.
For example:
A rather expensive lesson is the cooling fins on your home AC unit tend to disintegrate rather quickly just by daily exposure to the air along the coastlines.
Not saying it can't be done ( as we do it already ) but it will take a lot more effort and cost to maintain.
" Knife crime rising (still no where near gun level in America before you start) "
This is due to the fact that you all don't have any Scary Black Military Style Assault Knives with extended grip ! Once you get your hands on one of those beauties, you'll be overwhelmed with the desire to go knife up a bus full of Nuns . . . . .
This is basically the final nail in the coffin for places like Game-Stop. Under a subscription service, once you're done playing, there isn't any way to trade it in.
Steam, Origin, et. al. have pretty much killed the PC versions of the secondary market already.
Jokes on them though, I never buy anything on Steam unless it's = $20. Wait a year and get the fully patched, bug-free, game-of-the-year edition. I let everyone else pay full price to be the beta testers:D
The idea of a streaming service is laughable. US network infrastructure won't handle it, and data caps will blow it out of the water before it even leaves the harbor. Unless, of course, we get the same bullshit we see with streaming video. Stream with $service_provider and it won't count against your data plan !:|
If you want folks to participate in your bug bounty programs, you need to keep a simple fact in mind. Your bounties MUST pay out more than what a found exploit can be sold for on the open market.
It is really that simple.
Why would I divulge an exploit to $Corporation for a $10k prize, if I could sell it to multiple third parties for $100k each ?
You will be going up against folks with very deep pockets: Intelligence Agencies, Governments and Hacking Groups free lancing for either ( or both ).
So, quit being cheap. Start paying out what those bugs are truly worth.
THEN ( and only then ) you'll see far more interest in your bounty programs.
This is how the military operates. Take a ship for example.
If you are the Commanding Officer of a ship, then everything about that ship is ultimately your responsibility. Good or bad. If something stupid happens it's YOUR fault because there is likely something YOU could have done to prevent it. ( Be it better training for your crew, better judgement from your Officers, knowing everything about your ship inside and out, etc. etc. )
You don't get to blame it on a scapegoat. YOUR command, YOUR responsibility. Period. Your glory if you get it right, your shame if you don't.
The same thing should apply to the CEO's of any corporation.
If you want the big salaries, they should come with real risks. Not Golden Parachute retirements while everyone else goes down with the ship.
The risk alone will deter all but the most serious candidates to even apply for the job. Hell, it may even ensure that CEO's take security seriously. ( for once )
the Justice Department can be looking into . . . . . they look into a GD AWARDS SHOW ?
Where rich and famous celebrities co-mingle and congratulate each other for the ability to cry on que ? ( Does anyone even give a sh*t and watch it ? )
Not the opioid problem. Not the thousands of illegals streaming across the border problem. Not the Big Pharma cranking prices of drugs up by 5000% because they're a monopoly problem. Not the $infinitely_long_and_MUCH_MORE_IMPORTANT_list of problems they can be looking at. . .
Slashdot Mirror
To protect children's "sound growth and development" Sony is going to censor content deemed to be too sexy on their Playstation platform.
While, at the same time, titles with a violence level right off the charts like:
Hitman
Grand Theft Auto
Mortal Kombat
Manhunt
seem to be just fine for the same audience ?
( Good thing Timmy can't see any video game skin, imagine the mental trauma it would cause. Now go eviscerate that Dark Elf ! They deserve it ! :| )
Both Violence / Gore and Sexual Themes are designed for the Mature Audiences ( hence the M rating ).
If you really want to protect children's "sound growth and development", be a fucking parent.
Understand what the M rating is and make the decision to let your kids play it or not.
If you're too lazy to actually be a parent, perhaps you shouldn't engage in activities that create the conditions where you become one in the first place.
When you purchase a hard copy ( disc ) of a brand new game, it is likely already useless as the game developers seem to be incapable of launching and shipping a game that actually works right out of the box. ( It's called incompetence )
You'll put your disc in and your game system will usually tell you that an n gigabyte level patch ( where n is a ridiculously large number ) is necessary before you can actually play the game. It may or may not also require a console firmware update as well.
The way I see it, owning the physical disc is pretty pointless as it usually contains a broken / buggy version of the game. ( Assuming you even get a physical disc. Some are giving you a pretty box with nothing more than a download link / code inside. Even high $$$ professional software is guilty of this. )
Additionally, moving to an all digital / download model is pretty much the final nail in the coffin for the secondary / used game markets.
This will do for consoles what Steam did to PC's.
When the Chinese workforce finally gets tired of being treated like slaves, the era of cheap labor in China will come to an abrupt end.
Companies and Markets the World over will feel the repercussions and it will not be pretty.
Considering nothing of value was lost during the outage, that should tell you just how valuable the service actually is.
Tesla still dangling that $35k carrot out there I see.
Non-news until they actually start selling the car they promised at the price / performance they promised.
If you want to try and peddle an inferior version of your cars on me, remember there are more than plenty of ICE options still out there.
If your option is too expensive or of inferior quality / performance, it really makes my choice a rather easy one doesn't it ?
for the trees apparently.
My guess is this is due to the fact that their executive levels are all staffed with older generations who grew up under different rules.
Time to hire some new blood if, for nothing else, to learn what needs to be modified with their business model.
Here's a tip:
The " new " generations doesn't want to be bogged down with physical stuff. They want the content available to them, on demand and a la carte, with an infinite choice of platforms to experience said content. ( Phones, Tablets, PCs, Consoles, etc )
They don't want to have to buy*:
( * Multiple times every time the format changes. See Betamax -> VHS -> Laserdisc -> DvD -> Blu Ray -> 4K -> Streaming -> ? )
1) An industry approved Smart Tv.
2) An industry approved content player.
3) An industry approved audio system.
4) A dozen different subscription services because exclusive content can only be found on Service X or Y.
Your physical media sales are down because the new generation is learning that, most of the time, steaming is " good enough ".
It doesn't compete with the likes of BluRay or 4K ( streaming video compression sucks and I have yet to see any stream with 7.1 DTS / ATMOS ) but " good enough " is where most of your sales are going to be.
If you don't do something about the exclusive content being locked into Service X, you're going to start seeing your streaming services die off as well and get replaced with the always reliable Yarr Matey versions.
The sooner you figure out that non-exclusive streaming is where things are going, the better the odds your business will survive to see the next evolution.
If you have any spare Smart Monkeys laying about, please send us some.
We would like to replace most of our elected government as we feel Intelligent Monkeys could not possibly do any worse than what we've been forced to endure over the past few decades.
Thanks in advance
It's 2019, why the F*CK are ANY systems designated as critical infrastructure still connected to the GD internet.
Lease a private line FFS and air-gap the head end systems.
Yes, it's expensive.
Yes, it's not very convenient.
Yes, it's NECESSARY.
GDMIT.
Until we start throwing CEO's in prison for significant amounts of time when their incompetence results in epic level WTF, this sh*t will never get fixed.
There is an awful lot of anger out there.
Those of Caucasian decent have been told for years that they are racists simply because of their skin color.
They can't be discriminated against because they aren't the right color.
They have something called " White Privilege " that, apparently, is some sort of " I win " button available on tap.
They get turned down for jobs and education slots because the Company or University has to have enough minorities lest they be called racists too.
Standardized tests are all racist because, apparently, minorities have issues with them. So they just get rewritten to make the numbers look better.
Slavery is still their fault apparently, irregardless of the fact the last " slaves " in America were freed ~150 years ago.
( The reparations movement, and all the politicians using it to further their political career, can just f*ck off. )
Starting a #WhiteLivesMatter movement would instantly be classified as some White Nationalist Klan Nazi Terrorist Group and the media would just lose it.
Given the above:
Is there anyone out there who doesn't think a very small percentage of impacted folks might be just a tad bit angry about it all ?
Is there anyone out there who doesn't think an even smaller percentage of that small percentage might even be REALLY angry about it ?
And of that laughably tiny percentage, a few folks might actually do something rather radical ?
This is shocking why ?
Maybe they're just tired of being the " Bad Guy " for nothing more than their skin color.
I refuse to pay what is effectively a " ghost " tax ( purchase of software to do my taxes ) for the privilege of submitting my taxes to an entity who could, just as easily, calculate them without involving us at all.
In fact, just to be fun, I do them manually and MAIL the physical paper forms to the IRS. All schedules and whatnot stapled to it.
( Try to force me to spend $ so I can prove to you that I overpaid and you owe me $ will you. . . . watch this. )
Other than some stocks, Capitol Gains, etc. I really have no deductions to speak of so it takes me about an hour to do the math and double check it.
Costs me a stamp.
How many times does it have to be explained before it finally sinks in ?
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more . . . . .
It isn't because we like Microsoft. It isn't because we hate Linux.
( I use both depending on what I'm doing )
We don't abandon Windows for one simple reason:
MANY OF THE APPLICATIONS WE USE DON'T EXIST ON LINUX.
It's the same damn problem VR has. Developers don't want to commit resources to something that so few use while, at the same time, so few will consider it because very little is developed for it.
Some have Linux versions ( like Maya ) but, for the most part, many of the professional / commercial applications I use on a daily basis do not.
There may be some open source alternatives but, none of them quite stack up to their established commercial brethren.
This, and only this, is why ( like it or not ) I am f*cking stuck with Windows.
In case you're curious and you want to go find me some free, open-source version *** that performs as well as any of the following ***, here's my list:
The entire Adobe CC suite
Maya & various Maya Plugins ( covered, it works in Linux too )
Zbrush
Rhinocerous 3D w/ Brazil
Substance Designer / Painter
Keyshot
Capture One Pro
Cubase Pro
Sibelius
Various Musical Instrument Libraries
The driver that ties my synth to the DAW
The day all the above developers create a Linux version, I'll switch.
Until then, Windows it is.
I just don't answer any calls that I don't recognize. Period.
Everything else, goes to voice mail.
Why the hell would I want to pay an extra $$$$ for an option I will never have any need to use at all ?
( Subsidizing your drinking problem isn't on my list of things to accomplish in life )
The cheaper method is to simply deny anyone who is convicted of a DWI / DUI from driving at all until they go through treatment ( at their cost ).
Instead of adding some magical DUI sensing hardware, just put a card reader into the vehicle. Get in, insert Drivers License and the system will determine if you're allowed to drive or not based on what data is on your card. Too many points on your license or under a driving prohibition due to DWI / DUI conviction and the car simply doesn't start. ( give Uber or Lyft a ring )
Get caught using someone else's DL to bypass the restrictions and your license is permanently revoked + jail time, while their license gets a suspension.
( Don't steal your friends shit lest you not remain friends for very long )
If you want to get fancy, you can throw a fingerprint reader into the mix to ensure the prints contained within the card you have inserted match the drivers prints.
( Hell you can even lock the car to only a specific Drivers License and / or prints. )
Theoretical ideas only, I'm sure there are lots of problems with them.
or
Instead of wasting the time and money on this, why not put it into the self driving car problem ?
Over time, as the SDC replaces the traditional cars, the entire DUI / DWI, distracted driving, speeding, congestion, asshole-in-a-car problems will go away on their own. Folks will pretty much just be along for the ride.
Google stopped the deployment of Fiber to the Home due to the costs of making it happen.
I can't help but think that deploying an undersea cable would be quite the financial undertaking as well.
That got me thinking about why Google would be interested in such things, but the answer came rather quickly.
Considering the amount of traffic that cable would be carrying ( likely all routed through Google owned hardware ) it's a treasure trove for any Company who partakes in the " Big Data " business model of knowing anything and everything about everyone.
Why settle on a per area basis ( regional fiber deployments ) when you can own the backbone that feeds an entire country ?
If you've spent any time at sea then you already know how caustic sea water is to anything made from metal.
It doesn't matter how well prepped the metal is. It doesn't matter how much you paint it. The sea finds a way.
( I can't imagine how much paint the Navy goes through per year )
Hell, living anywhere near the ocean isn't friendly to metallics. The closer you are, the more pronounced the effect.
For example:
A rather expensive lesson is the cooling fins on your home AC unit tend to disintegrate rather quickly just by daily
exposure to the air along the coastlines.
Not saying it can't be done ( as we do it already ) but it will take a lot more effort and cost to maintain.
" Knife crime rising (still no where near gun level in America before you start) "
This is due to the fact that you all don't have any Scary Black Military Style Assault Knives with extended grip !
Once you get your hands on one of those beauties, you'll be overwhelmed with the desire to go knife up a bus full of Nuns . . . . .
Children aren't using THEIR credit cards to purchase all of this crap.
If parents are so damned concerned about it, quit funding the addiction.
This is basically the final nail in the coffin for places like Game-Stop.
Under a subscription service, once you're done playing, there isn't any way to trade it in.
Steam, Origin, et. al. have pretty much killed the PC versions of the secondary market already.
Jokes on them though, I never buy anything on Steam unless it's = $20. Wait a year and get :D
the fully patched, bug-free, game-of-the-year edition. I let everyone else pay full price to be the
beta testers
The idea of a streaming service is laughable. US network infrastructure won't handle it, and data :|
caps will blow it out of the water before it even leaves the harbor. Unless, of course, we get the
same bullshit we see with streaming video. Stream with $service_provider and it won't count against
your data plan !
If you want folks to participate in your bug bounty programs, you need to keep a simple fact in mind.
Your bounties MUST pay out more than what a found exploit can be sold for on the open market.
It is really that simple.
Why would I divulge an exploit to $Corporation for a $10k prize, if I could sell it to multiple third parties for $100k each ?
You will be going up against folks with very deep pockets: Intelligence Agencies, Governments and Hacking Groups free lancing for either ( or both ).
So, quit being cheap. Start paying out what those bugs are truly worth.
THEN ( and only then ) you'll see far more interest in your bounty programs.
Ban people from having kiddos if they're not up to the task of actually being a parent.
If you NEED the Government to step in to keep your kids from playing a game, you are doing it wrong on multiple levels.
I'm all for this bill to be honest.
This is how the military operates. Take a ship for example.
If you are the Commanding Officer of a ship, then everything about that ship is ultimately your responsibility. Good or bad.
If something stupid happens it's YOUR fault because there is likely something YOU could have done to prevent it.
( Be it better training for your crew, better judgement from your Officers, knowing everything about your ship inside and out, etc. etc. )
You don't get to blame it on a scapegoat. YOUR command, YOUR responsibility. Period.
Your glory if you get it right, your shame if you don't.
The same thing should apply to the CEO's of any corporation.
If you want the big salaries, they should come with real risks. Not Golden Parachute retirements while everyone else goes down with the ship.
The risk alone will deter all but the most serious candidates to even apply for the job.
Hell, it may even ensure that CEO's take security seriously. ( for once )
Because we just don't have quite enough advertising in our lives as it is :|
If their stupid stunt ends up destroying the ISS and / or requires its abandonment due to their incompetence.
Usually it's the company you work for or are interviewing to work for that demands your Social Media account info.
Hilarious that your Social Media Accounts are now demanding access to other account info as well :D
the Justice Department can be looking into . . . . .
they look into a GD AWARDS SHOW ?
Where rich and famous celebrities co-mingle and congratulate each other for the ability to cry on que ?
( Does anyone even give a sh*t and watch it ? )
Not the opioid problem.
Not the thousands of illegals streaming across the border problem.
Not the Big Pharma cranking prices of drugs up by 5000% because they're a monopoly problem.
Not the $infinitely_long_and_MUCH_MORE_IMPORTANT_list of problems they can be looking at. . .
No no no. . . . The Academy Awards :|
W-T-F