What's baffling to me is that they've chosen to use one of the most tedious aspects of WoW.
People enjoy WoW *in spite of* the grinding, not because of it.
What's next, the Karate Kid "Wax on... wax off" emulator?
Isn't it funny how everyone who imagines this kind of dystopian revenge fantasy imagines themselves as the victorious overthrowers, rather than the overthrown or as those who get caught in the middle?
The truth is that the vast majority of those who think in these terms are too busy playing their dystopian video games to actually do anything.
The few wingnuts who do actually try to act usually just end up shooting up their school, place of employment, or whatever, and either end up in prison or shooting themselves.
The ones who post about it online at least provide a clue as to their intentions, increasing the probability that they will be stopped.
The article says linux is "free as in speech"; I think what was meant was "free as in beer".
On the other hand, there are times when it seems like a better description would be "free as in kitten".
It's great that they're finding ways to preserve data for longer periods of time. The idea of data simply disappearing because of the deterioration of the storage media is disturbing. However, what are we going to do with all that data after a millenia?
Our existing, relatively short-term storage media is replete with data that we can no longer read after only a decade or two. Certainly, not all data formats have been abandoned, but many do, and once that happens, all of that data is effectively useless.
This is not a new problem. The library where I work recently found a box of lantern slides; we were gifted several boxes of 78s and Victrola records. Presuming they are in good condition (these were), data on these storage media has lasted far longer than what current storage media can provide, but how do we get at it?
This is why microfilm and microfiche are still considered the de-facto preservation media of choice, in spite of the fact that everyone (librarians included) *hates* to use them. Stored properly, the media has an enormous life span, and all you need is a sufficiently strong lens to retrieve the data in a usable format.
Going back to the original question, I'd say the answer is "both".
I think the point has been sufficiently made in the comments thus far that this was blown way out of proportion and the fault for the panic lies with the response, not with the original act.
On the other hand, this is just another stupid marketing campaign. Sure, sure, it's an inside joke for everyone who watches the show to "get it" and everyone who doesn't to go "what the..?". It's meant to generate what the marketing weasles call "buzz".
But let's put aside the massive overreaction for a moment. Based on where these things were placed, they were essentially designed to cause a lot of rubbernecking. They're only a foot by a foot and a half, so you have to slow down and take a few seconds to figure out what this thing is... and wait... is that thing GIVING ME THE FINGER? Doh! (har de har) Only in the meantime, the rubberneck effect is rippling its way back.
Now if these were punk kids pulling a stunt and raising a little hell, that's one thing. But these are marketing weasles getting paid a chunk of money to make me late for dinner.
So, while I think the whole mess was much ado about nothing, I also think that corporate ad campaigns pretending to be cool and rebellious are a load of crap.
First off, I am a strong advocate of accessability - writing web pages whose content structure is generic, so that interpretation can occur at the browser (allowing assistive technology to do the interpreting).
[rant] But, come on! This is the mouse-equivalent of hotkeys! Hotkeys have been around for years, and I have never seen or heard about a single web page whose content solely relied on the use of hotkeys.
Oh sure, there'll be novelty sites: someone's going to come up with a simon-like game, where you do mouse-gestures in a certain order; or sites who have some secret bonus screen if you know the gesture (or know how to click View > Source).
But in the end, mouse gestures are going to be what they already are - a convenient shortcut to clicking buttons, *not* an exclusive means of accessing content. [/rant]
With recent developments, such as the capability to "store" photon states within a physical substance, and the progress in quantum NOT gates, there seems to be steady advancement towards quantum computing / quantum cryptography.
What roles do you see quantum computing and quantum cryptography taking in changing the way cryptography is handled at present? What hurdles would have to be overcome in order to make these of practical use?
Slashdot Mirror
What's baffling to me is that they've chosen to use one of the most tedious aspects of WoW. People enjoy WoW *in spite of* the grinding, not because of it. What's next, the Karate Kid "Wax on... wax off" emulator?
Isn't it funny how everyone who imagines this kind of dystopian revenge fantasy imagines themselves as the victorious overthrowers, rather than the overthrown or as those who get caught in the middle? The truth is that the vast majority of those who think in these terms are too busy playing their dystopian video games to actually do anything. The few wingnuts who do actually try to act usually just end up shooting up their school, place of employment, or whatever, and either end up in prison or shooting themselves. The ones who post about it online at least provide a clue as to their intentions, increasing the probability that they will be stopped.
The article says linux is "free as in speech"; I think what was meant was "free as in beer".
On the other hand, there are times when it seems like a better description would be "free as in kitten".
It's great that they're finding ways to preserve data for longer periods of time. The idea of data simply disappearing because of the deterioration of the storage media is disturbing. However, what are we going to do with all that data after a millenia?
Our existing, relatively short-term storage media is replete with data that we can no longer read after only a decade or two. Certainly, not all data formats have been abandoned, but many do, and once that happens, all of that data is effectively useless.
This is not a new problem. The library where I work recently found a box of lantern slides; we were gifted several boxes of 78s and Victrola records. Presuming they are in good condition (these were), data on these storage media has lasted far longer than what current storage media can provide, but how do we get at it?
This is why microfilm and microfiche are still considered the de-facto preservation media of choice, in spite of the fact that everyone (librarians included) *hates* to use them. Stored properly, the media has an enormous life span, and all you need is a sufficiently strong lens to retrieve the data in a usable format.
Going back to the original question, I'd say the answer is "both".
I think the point has been sufficiently made in the comments thus far that this was blown way out of proportion and the fault for the panic lies with the response, not with the original act.
On the other hand, this is just another stupid marketing campaign. Sure, sure, it's an inside joke for everyone who watches the show to "get it" and everyone who doesn't to go "what the..?". It's meant to generate what the marketing weasles call "buzz".
But let's put aside the massive overreaction for a moment. Based on where these things were placed, they were essentially designed to cause a lot of rubbernecking. They're only a foot by a foot and a half, so you have to slow down and take a few seconds to figure out what this thing is... and wait... is that thing GIVING ME THE FINGER? Doh! (har de har) Only in the meantime, the rubberneck effect is rippling its way back.
Now if these were punk kids pulling a stunt and raising a little hell, that's one thing. But these are marketing weasles getting paid a chunk of money to make me late for dinner.
So, while I think the whole mess was much ado about nothing, I also think that corporate ad campaigns pretending to be cool and rebellious are a load of crap.
The difference between Linux security and Windows security is this:
while noone is specifically responsible for Linux' security, its developers, its users, and the open source community take ownership of it
meanwhile, someone may take responsiblity for Microsoft security, but not ownership
...or, if you're Wile E. Coyote...
.10 km/s (terminal velocity)
Inputs:
Projectile Diameter: 1 m = 3.28 ft
Projectile Density: 8000 kg/m3
Impact Velocity:
Impact Angle: 90 degrees
Output:
Crater depth: 3 ft
Crater shape: coyote
Sign poking out of crater: "Ouch!"
I can see it now... all the mods:
Warwalking mod: vibrates when you're in range of an open node
Bootcamp mod: cusses you out if your heart rate drops below a specified limit ("Get off yer ass, slacker! Double-time! hup! hup!")
slack mod: tells you to chill out if your blood pressure rises above a specified limit ("deep breath, dude... feel your chakra")
Good news: The study says that the brain cell damage effects were negated by use of "free radical scavengers" like melatonin!
Bad news: Now I have to worry about falling asleep on the freeway!
Good news for the cotton and steel industries... As we speak, ebay is retrofitting its servers with soup-can ports!
First off, I am a strong advocate of accessability - writing web pages whose content structure is generic, so that interpretation can occur at the browser (allowing assistive technology to do the interpreting).
[rant]
But, come on! This is the mouse-equivalent of hotkeys! Hotkeys have been around for years, and I have never seen or heard about a single web page whose content solely relied on the use of hotkeys.
Oh sure, there'll be novelty sites: someone's going to come up with a simon-like game, where you do mouse-gestures in a certain order; or sites who have some secret bonus screen if you know the gesture (or know how to click View > Source).
But in the end, mouse gestures are going to be what they already are - a convenient shortcut to clicking buttons, *not* an exclusive means of accessing content.
[/rant]
Finally! X-Ray glasses that *really* work!
With recent developments, such as the capability to "store" photon states within a physical substance, and the progress in quantum NOT gates, there seems to be steady advancement towards quantum computing / quantum cryptography. What roles do you see quantum computing and quantum cryptography taking in changing the way cryptography is handled at present? What hurdles would have to be overcome in order to make these of practical use?
It's not that Microsoft didn't *want* to contribute. Here's their proposed DTD: