Interesting idea. However, how many people are willing to uproot themselves every time they change jobs ? I mean, gone are the days where you found a single employer you would stick with for life. Even in the case where your employment lasts more than 5 years, the company you work for might decide to re-locate their premises, or shift you around between offices or whatever.
For those people who are merely renting, there are legal issues with breaking a lease, and for those who own their home, there are plenty of issues with dealing with the fluctuations of the market. Not everyone can freely move as the vagaries of their employment take them.
Smaller houses are not necessarily the answer either. I live in an apartment complex and the area is quite nice, pool, spa, manicured lawns much nicer than I'd keep them myself. I also live 10 miles from my workplace. It takes me 10 minutes by car on the freeway. Would I walk / bike? Nahh. I'm too time-oriented and there's no incentive for me to spend the extra time travelling. The smaller houses don't do anything except improve the local population density. However, if I could work from home more often, and if the extended community in which I lived had more soul, I might spend more time walking around.
In other words- did the high cost of transport into space deter potential customers ? Would a cheaper and more frequent launch schedule improve demand ?
Of course, since the Shuttle never attained that goal, we can't know what might have happened if it had lived up to its original intention.
I tend to agree though. It's like that XP design strategy "You'reNeverGonnaNeedIt".. in other words - don't bother building it till the demand for it exists.
Strawman argument.
I know no one reads the articles on Slashdot, but this time it might have helped.
In each of your examples you picked, the "herald of doom" was the introduction of a new technology which threatened the established controls of the previous norm.
Lessig is not suggesting that a new technology will render the internet obsolete, grandstanding within his bastion of the old.
On the contrary - he is suggesting that the control of the Internet as it stands is falling into the hands of a very small oligopoly of interests.
to Quote from his blog (and the article)
"When the content layer, the logical layer, and the physical layer are all effectively owned by a handful of companies, free of any requirements of neutrality or openness, what will you ask then? "
Or in other words : Who you gonna call ?
Don't confuse ethics with religious dogma.
There are plenty of occurrences of murder, theft, looting and rape that are *motivated* by religious beliefs.
It can make peoples lives unbearable, as much as giving others hope.
Many other people (most athiests in fact) will continue to make decisions based on an ethical framework with the good of the individual and society in mind. With no need for deities.
Re:Software is behind, not hardware
on
AI Going Nowhere?
·
· Score: 1
Or perhaps the fundamental distinction you're making between software and hardware doesn't exist in biological systems.
It might be likely that the "intelligence" we possess is an emergent property of the underlying physical structure, and not some external feature merely inhabiting it.
But surely if you account for the numbers over time you'd get the right percentage right ?
So you take the number of people married at time A. That year X marriages are performed.
If X/2 divorces occur that year, then obviously the statistic is X/2 / A+X not X/2 / X (ie 50%)
However, that doesn't take into account all the divorces that occurred in previous years (ie the number of "successful" marriages at this point in time (A) may have already been the subject of attrition from 2*A prior to this time)
So in short - lies, damn lies, and statistics:)
Well, being originally from Australia and having no exposure to the Amercian Greetings icon, to me Strawberry Shortcake means a kind of dessert.
I guess this is what it looks like.
http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa052 100p1.htm
I wonder if American Greetings can trademark the words "Strawberry Shortcake" ?
I doubt it.
That's probably why they got all upset. They have to protect their IP, and probably the only thing they have to stand on is their copyright.
(IANAL)
So obviously you should fire everyone except those people who know assembly, because you *think* that these people should be the *best* at whatever you are working in right now.
Don't be obtuse.
The code-jockeys who wrote assembler demos in high-school are not necessarily the same people who make constructive team-members in the business world. You need people who can communicate effectively. Not arrogant loners who think they know better than everyone else on the team and brood at their desks all day banging out incomprehensible, undocumented code that inexplicably works.
Oh wait - was I generalizing ?
Finding good people is far harder than you seem to think it is.
Whereas I estimate that the time I spend dealing with such trivia is worth more to me than the possible rebate. Therefore, I never factor in rebates. As a previous poster advised - if it's not worth it at full price, don't buy it.
Has anyone else noticed that rebates are often offered on lower quality items? That's another reason I don't usually go for them.
Besides - I'm Australian living in the US. I just don't get the rebate culture.:)
Not that I'm defending anyone - because I have no facts at all. But imagine what might have happened to those skilled workers in the concentration camp ? It's not like they played tennis there.
Now compare that with the alternative of working as a skilled labourer in a factory.
I'm not sure - but I think I'd prefer the rocket factory if given the choice.
Ok.. Firstly you're talking about being able to change the camera angle and change aiming point at the same time ? That's over the shoulder - not first person. Almost by definition, First Person Shooters tend to place the aimpoint directly in the center of your view angle. When you change where you look, you change where you aim. It's only in over-the-shoulder games like tomb raider, splinter cell etc where you can have an independant view angle from aim point.
Secondly, what you gain in over the shoulder games with the ability to rotate camera angles using your dual analog joysticks you lose by giving up the precision of the mouse.
Generally speaking, people are more adept at using the mouse for precise positioning than other input devices.
(Oh - and BTW playing Splinter Cell on the PC with the mouse was much easier for me than playing it on the X-Box with their controller, due to this very problem... and I used the Keyboard to change the camera angle, while changing the aim point with my mouse...)
But as the article points out - our genetic structure isn't a clear roadmap to these kind of traits. There isn't a "smarts" gene in the same way there isn't a "grandmother" neuron.
You are correct: given the option to remove, without fear of mishap, genetic dispositions towards certain undesirable traits, most people would choose to do so. But we are a very long way of being able to promise that. If instead you asked a parent "Would you like a small chance your child might be more intelligent and healthier, but with a large risk that it may be paralyzed from the waist down from birth?" Most people would say no.
That's not to say that the day may not approach when we can sequence ourselves a better life, but until then, some forethought is required. Using ethical means of consideration is only good sense.
I think the key to making these games successful is to drop the RPG appelation entirely.
You're completely right - there isn't any roleplaying going on... so why bother claiming they're roleplaying games at all ?
So you control a character.. big deal. I humbly suggest that there really aren't *any* computer games that support role playing.
The distinguishing feature to RPGs is the playing of a role... assuming a persona different from ones own. This works best in a free form environment where you can interact with the world in any way imaginable... you just can't do that in a computer game (yet).
Don't bother with Plot in MMOgames. It's not going to be satisfactory. There's basically 2 ways of doing story in a game like this.
You put in quests anyone can do. Everyone does them - soon everyone knows about them, and it's not exactly conducive to a "uniqueness" experience for everyone.
You put in once only events. These are hosted by GMs. People clamour to get in on them because of the rewards they expect to recoup. Others are left out.
There are probably other approaches, but no one has really tried them yet - either due to lack of manpower or lack of vision.
Really?
Do you have a link to this study ?
How many samples ?
How many different people took part ?
Was there a skew towards or against the willed egress point ?
Was this skew the same for different people ?
I'm dubious about this sort of thing.
MM = Massively Moronic
Unless you count roleplayers as the people who scream "Huzzar" and "Have at thee".
There isn't a lot of real roleplaying online.
Most people you encounter are powergamers.. or power-lamers. Even those who aren't into being "the best" spend most of their time just chatting about real world stuff.. the latest Lakers game.. or game mechanics (Where do I find X Mob? What do I need to do to get Y ability/item/quest)
Social interaction in and of itself is not the same as roleplaying.
Slashdot Mirror
Interesting idea.
However, how many people are willing to uproot themselves every time they change jobs ? I mean, gone are the days where you found a single employer you would stick with for life. Even in the case where your employment lasts more than 5 years, the company you work for might decide to re-locate their premises, or shift you around between offices or whatever.
For those people who are merely renting, there are legal issues with breaking a lease, and for those who own their home, there are plenty of issues with dealing with the fluctuations of the market. Not everyone can freely move as the vagaries of their employment take them.
Smaller houses are not necessarily the answer either. I live in an apartment complex and the area is quite nice, pool, spa, manicured lawns much nicer than I'd keep them myself. I also live 10 miles from my workplace. It takes me 10 minutes by car on the freeway. Would I walk / bike? Nahh. I'm too time-oriented and there's no incentive for me to spend the extra time travelling. The smaller houses don't do anything except improve the local population density.
However, if I could work from home more often, and if the extended community in which I lived had more soul, I might spend more time walking around.
Is this the chicken or the egg ?
In other words- did the high cost of transport into space deter potential customers ? Would a cheaper and more frequent launch schedule improve demand ?
Of course, since the Shuttle never attained that goal, we can't know what might have happened if it had lived up to its original intention.
I tend to agree though. It's like that XP design strategy "You'reNeverGonnaNeedIt".. in other words - don't bother building it till the demand for it exists.
Strawman argument. I know no one reads the articles on Slashdot, but this time it might have helped. In each of your examples you picked, the "herald of doom" was the introduction of a new technology which threatened the established controls of the previous norm. Lessig is not suggesting that a new technology will render the internet obsolete, grandstanding within his bastion of the old. On the contrary - he is suggesting that the control of the Internet as it stands is falling into the hands of a very small oligopoly of interests. to Quote from his blog (and the article) "When the content layer, the logical layer, and the physical layer are all effectively owned by a handful of companies, free of any requirements of neutrality or openness, what will you ask then? " Or in other words : Who you gonna call ?
Don't confuse ethics with religious dogma. There are plenty of occurrences of murder, theft, looting and rape that are *motivated* by religious beliefs. It can make peoples lives unbearable, as much as giving others hope. Many other people (most athiests in fact) will continue to make decisions based on an ethical framework with the good of the individual and society in mind. With no need for deities.
Or perhaps the fundamental distinction you're making between software and hardware doesn't exist in biological systems. It might be likely that the "intelligence" we possess is an emergent property of the underlying physical structure, and not some external feature merely inhabiting it.
But surely if you account for the numbers over time you'd get the right percentage right ? So you take the number of people married at time A. That year X marriages are performed. If X/2 divorces occur that year, then obviously the statistic is X/2 / A+X not X/2 / X (ie 50%) However, that doesn't take into account all the divorces that occurred in previous years (ie the number of "successful" marriages at this point in time (A) may have already been the subject of attrition from 2*A prior to this time) So in short - lies, damn lies, and statistics :)
Well, being originally from Australia and having no exposure to the Amercian Greetings icon, to me Strawberry Shortcake means a kind of dessert. I guess this is what it looks like. http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa052 100p1.htm
I wonder if American Greetings can trademark the words "Strawberry Shortcake" ?
I doubt it.
That's probably why they got all upset. They have to protect their IP, and probably the only thing they have to stand on is their copyright.
(IANAL)
So obviously you should fire everyone except those people who know assembly, because you *think* that these people should be the *best* at whatever you are working in right now.
Don't be obtuse.
The code-jockeys who wrote assembler demos in high-school are not necessarily the same people who make constructive team-members in the business world.
You need people who can communicate effectively. Not arrogant loners who think they know better than everyone else on the team and brood at their desks all day banging out incomprehensible, undocumented code that inexplicably works.
Oh wait - was I generalizing ?
Finding good people is far harder than you seem to think it is.
Whereas I estimate that the time I spend dealing with such trivia is worth more to me than the possible rebate.
:)
Therefore, I never factor in rebates. As a previous poster advised - if it's not worth it at full price, don't buy it.
Has anyone else noticed that rebates are often offered on lower quality items?
That's another reason I don't usually go for them.
Besides - I'm Australian living in the US. I just don't get the rebate culture.
Not that I'm defending anyone - because I have no facts at all.
But imagine what might have happened to those skilled workers in the concentration camp ?
It's not like they played tennis there.
Now compare that with the alternative of working as a skilled labourer in a factory.
I'm not sure - but I think I'd prefer the rocket factory if given the choice.
Ok.. Firstly you're talking about being able to change the camera angle and change aiming point at the same time ? That's over the shoulder - not first person. Almost by definition, First Person Shooters tend to place the aimpoint directly in the center of your view angle. When you change where you look, you change where you aim. It's only in over-the-shoulder games like tomb raider, splinter cell etc where you can have an independant view angle from aim point.
Secondly, what you gain in over the shoulder games with the ability to rotate camera angles using your dual analog joysticks you lose by giving up the precision of the mouse.
Generally speaking, people are more adept at using the mouse for precise positioning than other input devices.
(Oh - and BTW playing Splinter Cell on the PC with the mouse was much easier for me than playing it on the X-Box with their controller, due to this very problem... and I used the Keyboard to change the camera angle, while changing the aim point with my mouse...)
But as the article points out - our genetic structure isn't a clear roadmap to these kind of traits.
There isn't a "smarts" gene in the same way there isn't a "grandmother" neuron.
You are correct: given the option to remove, without fear of mishap, genetic dispositions towards certain undesirable traits, most people would choose to do so.
But we are a very long way of being able to promise that. If instead you asked a parent
"Would you like a small chance your child might be more intelligent and healthier, but with a large risk that it may be paralyzed from the waist down from birth?"
Most people would say no.
That's not to say that the day may not approach when we can sequence ourselves a better life, but until then, some forethought is required.
Using ethical means of consideration is only good sense.
they use a "." instead of a "," to delimit their thousands. It's not a mistake. It's a communication deficit. Get over it.
Don't bother with Plot in MMOgames. It's not going to be satisfactory. There's basically 2 ways of doing story in a game like this.
- You put in quests anyone can do. Everyone does them - soon everyone knows about them, and it's not exactly conducive to a "uniqueness" experience for everyone.
- You put in once only events. These are hosted by GMs. People clamour to get in on them because of the rewards they expect to recoup. Others are left out.
There are probably other approaches, but no one has really tried them yet - either due to lack of manpower or lack of vision.Really? Do you have a link to this study ? How many samples ? How many different people took part ? Was there a skew towards or against the willed egress point ? Was this skew the same for different people ? I'm dubious about this sort of thing.
MM = Massively Moronic Unless you count roleplayers as the people who scream "Huzzar" and "Have at thee". There isn't a lot of real roleplaying online. Most people you encounter are powergamers.. or power-lamers. Even those who aren't into being "the best" spend most of their time just chatting about real world stuff .. the latest Lakers game .. or game mechanics (Where do I find X Mob? What do I need to do to get Y ability/item/quest)
Social interaction in and of itself is not the same as roleplaying.
I thought Ghandi was the worlds longest resistor. His passive resistance shaped an entire nation. Oh.. wait