I decided to put the ESRB to the test and see exactly what ratings they gave to Quake.
Interesting to note: for Quake and Quake II, they gave them "Animated Blood & Gore,Animated Violence".
But then for the latest version, Quake III Team Arena, they gave it "Blood and Gore,Violence" - I guess the animation became good enough to be considered realistic. Technology is making progress.
Mind you, the original Lemmings got "No Descriptors", even though you can nuke a large number of the cute little guys at once...
Does this mean I can set up a moisture vaporator farm on mars? (or was it binary loadlifters? But first I was going to Tashi station to pick up some power converters...)
I think the reasons why the team was doing it in spite of ethical considerations are:
We all knew pretty much from the start that the product would almost certainly never sell. Like so many internet startup software products, it basically wasn't useful to the end user.
No one wanted to lose the job because the work environment was fantastic. Table tennis in the middle of the work area; regular Unreal Tournament sessions; flexible hours; great rates...
Although you can only take so much of the surreal environment that comes from working on something you don't believe in.
During the height of the IT boom I was wokring for an internet startup. One of the other teams in the company was writing some spyware (not particularly happy about it, but work is work). The software sent all of your web clicks to the server to be perused at leisure.
Guess who one of our major customers was... the Chinese Government!
I work for Qantas, and right now the forward bookings for the next six months are down approx. 60% compared to previous years (because of Terrorism, SARS, SLOPS (severe lack of perspective syndrome)). Not sure we'll be needing new planes anytime soon.
But the same applies to Australia. It's even more spread out, with around 1 person/km^2, but much better public transport overall. This is not something that's forced on you by geographical features, it's a result of choices that have been made by the Nation/culture as a whole.
And by the way, that is something you have control over.
Don't feel guilty about using cars when you have no choice. I agree that many individuals have no option, at least in the short term.
But the value of this discussion is to identify where the real problem lies - it's not at the individual level, it's at the group level.
You lived in Central Farmland/prairieland America and say that eco-friendly transportion was out. The lesson I take from that is that we should not emuulate city design like that in the future.
Good point. And why isn't this the case already? Because cars are not focused on the concept of efficient transportation. They are too much about image.
I travelled around India for a while, and the train system there is far more convenient than anything in the US. What prevents the US from setting up any good public transport? It's a cultural barrier.
Given the types to ride the bus
That's an example of what I mean by you thinking only losers ride public transport.
If you live 30 miles from work, then granted you as an individual don't have much choice about cars. But maybe we have to start looking at how cities are designed, so people can live closer to work.
So, they are proud of a slight decrease in fuel consumption and pollution.
Okay.
RANT MODE ON
You can be MUCH more eco-friendly by using alternatives to cars. Public transport, bicycles, walking - why are so many people fixated on lugging around a huge steel box with them whenever they go anywhere?
I think the obsession with your own car is particularly strong among Americans, who see it as a symbol of freedom and wealth, and they associate public transport with poor losers. This is re-inforced by car and oil company marketing.
In a final irony, said marketing makes a token effort toward awareness of the problem, hence the website this story is about.
"Firemaking experts fear that the wild popularity of matches and firelighters, particularly among kids, could erase flint and tinder within a few decades. With 90 percent of Americans between the ages of 5 and 17 using matches, it's not uncommon for kids to light fires in only seconds by the time they leave elementary school. Matches, candles and cigarette lighters have ruined kids' ability to hold a pair of wooden sticks properly, let alone make a spark, says the former president of the International Association of Master Firekeepers, Lighters and Teachers of Firemaking."
And most of us don't know how to throw a spear at a woolly mammoth either...
Some skills used to be important, but not anymore. I've read some very plausible sci-fi with advanced civilizations where most people don't know how to read or write at all, but it's not a problem.
For what it's worth, here is my take on C#,.NET etc.
Background: I've been an IT contractor for 7 years, mostly C++, Windows, Unix... I don't really care about the whole Linux vs MS thing, more about job vs no-job
Anyway I recently started looking at C# and.NET for a few months, and here is my take.
It scares the hell out of me, because the language and library is much better designed so you can be twice as productive... which means there is half as many jobs. D'Oh!
Seriously, it's a pleasure to work with compared to C++. The analogy is like,
c and stdio.h == flint rocks
c++ and iostream == matches
c# and.net == flame thower
I guess the fact that the mono people have been so quick to produce is good evidence of how productive this development system can be.
Now, for you Linux vs MS fanatics who are unsure whether this is good or evil: I don't know, but I do know that the technology is a great step forward (imho) and an art worth your learning
Slashdot Mirror
Consumers are copying music ... No es nada
Music company puts in anti-piracy system ... Who cares
You can't play music in you car while trying to seduce the seniorita ... LAWSUIT! Revolución!
Interesting to note: for Quake and Quake II, they gave them "Animated Blood & Gore,Animated Violence".
But then for the latest version, Quake III Team Arena, they gave it "Blood and Gore,Violence" - I guess the animation became good enough to be considered realistic. Technology is making progress.
Mind you, the original Lemmings got "No Descriptors", even though you can nuke a large number of the cute little guys at once...
But which one comes with the best auto-airbrushing feature? Many slashdot readers will no doubt need this.
Does this mean I can set up a moisture vaporator farm on mars? (or was it binary loadlifters? But first I was going to Tashi station to pick up some power converters...)
Well, it's difficult to refute that argument, given the level of evidence you use to substantiate it.
The biggest difference my parents are aware of is they can't fast-forward the copyright warnings on DVDs...
Otherwise I would say this is a great idea.
The internet's strength - it gives everyone a voice - is also it's weakness because there is too much noise.
Filtering the signal from the noise is the challenge, and it's one the government is not up to.
Just don't mention it on slashdot - it can barely handle one connection let alone thousands!
We all knew pretty much from the start that the product would almost certainly never sell. Like so many internet startup software products, it basically wasn't useful to the end user.
No one wanted to lose the job because the work environment was fantastic. Table tennis in the middle of the work area; regular Unreal Tournament sessions; flexible hours; great rates...
Although you can only take so much of the surreal environment that comes from working on something you don't believe in.
Guess who one of our major customers was ... the Chinese Government!
Luckily it never got off the ground...
I work for Qantas, and right now the forward bookings for the next six months are down approx. 60% compared to previous years (because of Terrorism, SARS, SLOPS (severe lack of perspective syndrome)). Not sure we'll be needing new planes anytime soon.
And by the way, that is something you have control over.
But the value of this discussion is to identify where the real problem lies - it's not at the individual level, it's at the group level.
You lived in Central Farmland/prairieland America and say that eco-friendly transportion was out. The lesson I take from that is that we should not emuulate city design like that in the future.
I travelled around India for a while, and the train system there is far more convenient than anything in the US. What prevents the US from setting up any good public transport? It's a cultural barrier.
That's an example of what I mean by you thinking only losers ride public transport.
If you live 30 miles from work, then granted you as an individual don't have much choice about cars. But maybe we have to start looking at how cities are designed, so people can live closer to work.
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."
Voltaire (1694 - 1778)
"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress."
Ghandi
Okay.
RANT MODE ON
You can be MUCH more eco-friendly by using alternatives to cars. Public transport, bicycles, walking - why are so many people fixated on lugging around a huge steel box with them whenever they go anywhere?
I think the obsession with your own car is particularly strong among Americans, who see it as a symbol of freedom and wealth, and they associate public transport with poor losers. This is re-inforced by car and oil company marketing.
In a final irony, said marketing makes a token effort toward awareness of the problem, hence the website this story is about.
RANT MODE OFF
And most of us don't know how to throw a spear at a woolly mammoth either...
Some skills used to be important, but not anymore. I've read some very plausible sci-fi with advanced civilizations where most people don't know how to read or write at all, but it's not a problem.
Background: I've been an IT contractor for 7 years, mostly C++, Windows, Unix... I don't really care about the whole Linux vs MS thing, more about job vs no-job
Anyway I recently started looking at C# and .NET for a few months, and here is my take.
It scares the hell out of me, because the language and library is much better designed so you can be twice as productive... which means there is half as many jobs. D'Oh!
Seriously, it's a pleasure to work with compared to C++. The analogy is like,
c and stdio.h == flint rocks .net == flame thower
c++ and iostream == matches
c# and
I guess the fact that the mono people have been so quick to produce is good evidence of how productive this development system can be.
Now, for you Linux vs MS fanatics who are unsure whether this is good or evil: I don't know, but I do know that the technology is a great step forward (imho) and an art worth your learning