I wonder how this is going to work - if there will be a limit per computer or something. You know people are just going to try random combinations to see if they work - I'm guessing you will have to register a valid account with credit card number, etc., so that they have something to track if someone reports 100 winning numbers in a day.
Not necessarily impossible to get 100, just suspicious.
However, there are a few things I'm really afraid of, the most notable one is the various e-governement initiatives. I'm dead scared that these will be based on proprietary, Windows-only solutions, making it harder and harder to be a part of the society as a non-Windows-user.
I remember reading that the airline business in America was slower than Europe to 'take off', because of patent disputes. However with the World War the US government stepped in and said 'these are now ours' so they could make planes, and once they were they were effectively in the public domain.
Could this happen with proprietary e-standards? If the U.S. government decides to standardize on a certain company's format for whatever reason, could they force that format open? If not, couldn't we then write off a Microsoft PC and software on our taxes more easily?
Obviously I'm stretching a little, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if anyone can run with it better.
hat the documents are in.PDF instead of.doc. Of all the document formats to put it in, they put it in one that they don't support in their OS or office suite.
Didn't you know? Their marketing department uses Powerbooks.
That's an informed, well written post; there's just one problem with it. You can replace every instance of GTA3/video game/etc. in it with any of sex, comic books, drugs, D&D, religion, sugar, Harry Potter books, etc. and still have an informed, well written post.
A ban is censorship, and censorship always sets human progress backwards. That poorly raised kid down the street is not so borderline that GTA3 and only GTA3 will push him over the edge. Anything could, if the kid has no respect for others. And if nothing else existed he could just fall back on the voices in his head. Before defense lawyers become prolific that was all the defense these nuts would have - now that's a rarity: it's always someone rich's fault.
As I've said every time this issue comes up: in the 50's it was comic books. Then Rock music. Then science fiction. Then Disco. Then Dungeons and Dragons. Then Heavy Metal. Then Rap. Now video games. The only real difference between video games and these past 'corruptions of minors' is the higher level of communication now. Not just the internet, but news channels and misinformed talkshows all looking for ratings. So video games seems much worse when statistically they almost certainly aren't.*
*(Of course, if anyone did a statistical comparison of various alleged 'corruptions' and their real effects it would be a waste of time. Anyone swayed be sensationalism will never be swayed by numbers.)
IT'S ONLY CENSORSHIP WHEN THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS SPEECH, Mr. Wolf-cryer.
So if your ISP starts blocking web sites they disagree with, it isn't censorship? If your local tv station blanks out part of a show they deem inappropriate, it isn't censorship? After all, they aren't the government.
I will agree that Walmart is in their rights to sell only certain versions, as long as they post this fact. But that doesn't change the fact that it can be the start of a long slippery slope.
From the original article: How cocky are you feeling now, Mac elite?
While the original article's criticism may not have come from "zealous hate", it certainly didn't come from impartial journalism. This and other statements like it definitely tinted it from simple reporting to an apparent attack, complete with the subliminal childish prat-calls.
You mean, when they aren't driving into farmer's markets? I'm not entirely sure what you'd expect them to do.
And I'm not being completely specious here. When they first introduced the daily lottery in Pennsylvania, they didn't just have an elderly observer. Whoever it was would actually operate the machine. That is, until one of them screwed up and a number popped back down the tube to be replaced with a different number. They paid out both results and now the elderly person just stands around.
Personally, I like the manual count idea. I just don't think it would be easy to get trustworthy watchers, or even more to get people to believe they are trustworthy.
George & company must have seen this in the theatre and believe it would come true. So give them some credit - even if they are rich, white men they don't seem to want a clone farm for parts after all.
Unless that's what the want us to think. Maybe they've remodeled Area 51 and it's now a secret clone farm! The horror!
However many times this is said, it still doesn't mean anything. Consider it this way: say there were two types of locks in the world. If type A is used by 50,000,000 people, and type B is used by 5,000 people, then obviously more thieves will be familiar with type A. But that means NOTHING for their relative strengths/weaknesses - what are they made of, how many tumblers they have, do they internal defenses, etc.
The 'fraction of a world' argument is sour grapes. The relative number of systems in use has nothing to do with their relative strengths. While I will admit exploits are more likely to be found on systems that are more popular, that has zero correlation to how many possible exploits actually exist to be found.
I guess this is what I always got stuck on - how does whether some outside observer knows or not what happened really matter? The atom "knows", any atoms it interacts with "know", etc. Whatever happens, happens.
So I guess I agree with your last statement - the cat would either be dead or alive, period. It always seemed like all it was saying was that something happened in the box and we won't know until we open it, but like I said I just assumed there was more to it then I was aware of.
Reminds me of the 'oldest profession' joke. A doctor, an engineer, and a programmer were discussing which was the oldest profession. The doctor said "God removed Adams rib to make Eve, so obviously 'doctor' is the oldest profession." The engineer replied, "but before that God made the Earth out of choas, which is obviously a feat of engineering." To which the programmer just grinned and said, "yeah, but where do you think the chaos came from?"
I hate to suddenly go serious, but I've never understood why the cat didn't qualify as an observer. I mean, they might not know quantum mechanics from confetti, but I'm pretty sure they'd be able to observe whether or not they were still alive. Just because person/group A didn't observe effect B, doesn't imply it went completely unobserved after all.
I suppose if that cat were unconscious that would explain it, but that's never been a supposition in any version I've heard. (I'll also admit most of my understanding came from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, but that's probably obvious to non-casual observers.)
Doc Brown (investigating Time Machine): Well here's the problem! This thing says 'Made in Japan'!
Marty: That's where all the best stuff comes from now.
(which leads to the obligatory:)
Hey McBride! I thought I told you not to distribute Linux anymore! Now make like a tree and get out of here.
It's really an unfair comparison - you can't use the iPod on more than one computer, period, without resetting it to sync with the new computer. I've never understood why anyone would want to unless it is to take music off the iPod, which it isn't normally designed for. Though as I understand it you can force it to mount as a hard disk on any computer, it's only iTunes which is limited to match to it on only one computer.
We could argue about whether or not this makes sense, but the most likely reasons include avoiding having to resolve file naming conflicts, play list conflicts, or the fact that if it were allowed it would be possible to download paid music from various different computers.
How is this different then the various GURPs out there, not just D&D but real cops and robber stuff with all kinds of weapon detail? Just because it's video the kids can't tell?
Again, it's the same old thing. First it was comic books, then sci-fi mags, then D&D, then Metal music, then NWA... video games are just the current hot ticket the freaks the norms.
To get carried away while waiting for the 4 day weekend...
If we take Linux to mean the entire Linux environment (yeah, I gnu-ow, I'm going somewhere), then Linus (with all apologies) is Queen Amidama, and SCO as Anakin would represent the Unix history of BSD being written from scratch, absorbed into AT&T Unix, and now instead of being a free OS itself that everyone can build on (e.g. the prophesied child to unite the force), it is setting out to destroy what it was meant to build and may yet fulfill prophesy if it ends up getting all it's UNIX code GPLed for everyone to use, freeing UNIX users from their fear of BSA stormtroopers.
(I think I've gone far enough... I don't think I'll bring up the whole AT&T symbol being the Death Star. That'd be too much.)
(And I'm not sure how RMS fits in. Maybe one of the Amidama clones. Lucas left it wide open what happened to them all - who knows what kind of open but secret marriage they had going on.)
You're not seriously suggesting that in the face of fighting Linux, SCO will eventually turn on MS and throw them into a reactor shaft, are you? If so, then wouldn't that make slashdot readers the Ewoks when we start celebrating?
Whoa. Now I feel unclean. To make up, here's a nitpick - why didn't the Empire have guard rails anywhere? It's obviously a design choice - I don't think more then one contractor would try to tack in on latter to run up costs. Other than the one on the bridge where Luke lost his hand, I don't recall any.
Slashdot Mirror
Hmm... the Super Bowl is Feb. 1st... the Pepsi promotion starts Feb 1st.... Pepsi always has interesting Super Bowl commercials...
Might have to watch it after all...
(As long as I'm posting, here it is clickable. I wonder if the filmed her new or edited it in; either way it's pretty seamless.)
I wonder how this is going to work - if there will be a limit per computer or something. You know people are just going to try random combinations to see if they work - I'm guessing you will have to register a valid account with credit card number, etc., so that they have something to track if someone reports 100 winning numbers in a day.
Not necessarily impossible to get 100, just suspicious.
However, there are a few things I'm really afraid of, the most notable one is the various e-governement initiatives. I'm dead scared that these will be based on proprietary, Windows-only solutions, making it harder and harder to be a part of the society as a non-Windows-user.
I remember reading that the airline business in America was slower than Europe to 'take off', because of patent disputes. However with the World War the US government stepped in and said 'these are now ours' so they could make planes, and once they were they were effectively in the public domain.
Could this happen with proprietary e-standards? If the U.S. government decides to standardize on a certain company's format for whatever reason, could they force that format open? If not, couldn't we then write off a Microsoft PC and software on our taxes more easily?
Obviously I'm stretching a little, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if anyone can run with it better.
hat the documents are in .PDF instead of .doc. Of all the document formats to put it in, they put it in one that they don't support in their OS or office suite.
Didn't you know? Their marketing department uses Powerbooks.
Zing!
That's an informed, well written post; there's just one problem with it. You can replace every instance of GTA3/video game/etc. in it with any of sex, comic books, drugs, D&D, religion, sugar, Harry Potter books, etc. and still have an informed, well written post.
A ban is censorship, and censorship always sets human progress backwards. That poorly raised kid down the street is not so borderline that GTA3 and only GTA3 will push him over the edge. Anything could, if the kid has no respect for others. And if nothing else existed he could just fall back on the voices in his head. Before defense lawyers become prolific that was all the defense these nuts would have - now that's a rarity: it's always someone rich's fault.
As I've said every time this issue comes up: in the 50's it was comic books. Then Rock music. Then science fiction. Then Disco. Then Dungeons and Dragons. Then Heavy Metal. Then Rap. Now video games. The only real difference between video games and these past 'corruptions of minors' is the higher level of communication now. Not just the internet, but news channels and misinformed talkshows all looking for ratings. So video games seems much worse when statistically they almost certainly aren't.*
*(Of course, if anyone did a statistical comparison of various alleged 'corruptions' and their real effects it would be a waste of time. Anyone swayed be sensationalism will never be swayed by numbers.)
You forgot lynx. Now with SSL!
[...] unless you have some sort of Internet connection it can take days as opposed to a couple minutes to download a mpeg4 encoded CD of about 730MB.
How do you download something at all without some sort of Internet connection:)?
{Ring, Ring}
"Okay, go."
"0...0...1...0...1...1...1...0...0...zzxtztzt"
Click, click, click, "what?"
"Can you hear me now?"
You can tell us which wall or ceiling in your house was the best to stare at.
Or do you just watch the potato, like Dana Carvey's "old man" sketch?
IT'S ONLY CENSORSHIP WHEN THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS SPEECH, Mr. Wolf-cryer.
So if your ISP starts blocking web sites they disagree with, it isn't censorship? If your local tv station blanks out part of a show they deem inappropriate, it isn't censorship? After all, they aren't the government.
I will agree that Walmart is in their rights to sell only certain versions, as long as they post this fact. But that doesn't change the fact that it can be the start of a long slippery slope.
My head hurts just thinking about that.
Maybe your tuke is too tight, eh?
Remember 3 years ago when it was said that we'd all have harddrives with built in DRM by now? Where are they?
They're putting them in the flying cars.
Wait... wrong thread. I meant they're being used for the new, improved rings of power.
From the original article:
How cocky are you feeling now, Mac elite?
While the original article's criticism may not have come from "zealous hate", it certainly didn't come from impartial journalism. This and other statements like it definitely tinted it from simple reporting to an apparent attack, complete with the subliminal childish prat-calls.
and give old people something to do
You mean, when they aren't driving into farmer's markets? I'm not entirely sure what you'd expect them to do.
And I'm not being completely specious here. When they first introduced the daily lottery in Pennsylvania, they didn't just have an elderly observer. Whoever it was would actually operate the machine. That is, until one of them screwed up and a number popped back down the tube to be replaced with a different number. They paid out both results and now the elderly person just stands around.
Personally, I like the manual count idea. I just don't think it would be easy to get trustworthy watchers, or even more to get people to believe they are trustworthy.
I tried to form the Antidisestablishmentarianism Party, but all of the initial funds were used up printing bumper stickers.
parts: the clonus horror
George & company must have seen this in the theatre and believe it would come true. So give them some credit - even if they are rich, white men they don't seem to want a clone farm for parts after all.
Unless that's what the want us to think. Maybe they've remodeled Area 51 and it's now a secret clone farm! The horror!
However many times this is said, it still doesn't mean anything. Consider it this way: say there were two types of locks in the world. If type A is used by 50,000,000 people, and type B is used by 5,000 people, then obviously more thieves will be familiar with type A. But that means NOTHING for their relative strengths/weaknesses - what are they made of, how many tumblers they have, do they internal defenses, etc.
The 'fraction of a world' argument is sour grapes. The relative number of systems in use has nothing to do with their relative strengths. While I will admit exploits are more likely to be found on systems that are more popular, that has zero correlation to how many possible exploits actually exist to be found.
but won't tell you what happened
I guess this is what I always got stuck on - how does whether some outside observer knows or not what happened really matter? The atom "knows", any atoms it interacts with "know", etc. Whatever happens, happens.
So I guess I agree with your last statement - the cat would either be dead or alive, period. It always seemed like all it was saying was that something happened in the box and we won't know until we open it, but like I said I just assumed there was more to it then I was aware of.
Reminds me of the 'oldest profession' joke. A doctor, an engineer, and a programmer were discussing which was the oldest profession. The doctor said "God removed Adams rib to make Eve, so obviously 'doctor' is the oldest profession." The engineer replied, "but before that God made the Earth out of choas, which is obviously a feat of engineering." To which the programmer just grinned and said, "yeah, but where do you think the chaos came from?"
I hate to suddenly go serious, but I've never understood why the cat didn't qualify as an observer. I mean, they might not know quantum mechanics from confetti, but I'm pretty sure they'd be able to observe whether or not they were still alive. Just because person/group A didn't observe effect B, doesn't imply it went completely unobserved after all.
I suppose if that cat were unconscious that would explain it, but that's never been a supposition in any version I've heard. (I'll also admit most of my understanding came from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, but that's probably obvious to non-casual observers.)
Reminds me of Back to the Future (from 1985):
Doc Brown (investigating Time Machine): Well here's the problem! This thing says 'Made in Japan'!
Marty: That's where all the best stuff comes from now.
(which leads to the obligatory:) Hey McBride! I thought I told you not to distribute Linux anymore! Now make like a tree and get out of here.
It's really an unfair comparison - you can't use the iPod on more than one computer, period, without resetting it to sync with the new computer. I've never understood why anyone would want to unless it is to take music off the iPod, which it isn't normally designed for. Though as I understand it you can force it to mount as a hard disk on any computer, it's only iTunes which is limited to match to it on only one computer.
We could argue about whether or not this makes sense, but the most likely reasons include avoiding having to resolve file naming conflicts, play list conflicts, or the fact that if it were allowed it would be possible to download paid music from various different computers.
How is this different then the various GURPs out there, not just D&D but real cops and robber stuff with all kinds of weapon detail? Just because it's video the kids can't tell?
Again, it's the same old thing. First it was comic books, then sci-fi mags, then D&D, then Metal music, then NWA... video games are just the current hot ticket the freaks the norms.
To get carried away while waiting for the 4 day weekend...
If we take Linux to mean the entire Linux environment (yeah, I gnu-ow, I'm going somewhere), then Linus (with all apologies) is Queen Amidama, and SCO as Anakin would represent the Unix history of BSD being written from scratch, absorbed into AT&T Unix, and now instead of being a free OS itself that everyone can build on (e.g. the prophesied child to unite the force), it is setting out to destroy what it was meant to build and may yet fulfill prophesy if it ends up getting all it's UNIX code GPLed for everyone to use, freeing UNIX users from their fear of BSA stormtroopers.
(I think I've gone far enough... I don't think I'll bring up the whole AT&T symbol being the Death Star. That'd be too much.)
(And I'm not sure how RMS fits in. Maybe one of the Amidama clones. Lucas left it wide open what happened to them all - who knows what kind of open but secret marriage they had going on.)
I went too far, didn't I?
Probably in the hopes that the slashdot effect(TM) would remove the information from the general public.
You're not seriously suggesting that in the face of fighting Linux, SCO will eventually turn on MS and throw them into a reactor shaft, are you? If so, then wouldn't that make slashdot readers the Ewoks when we start celebrating?
Whoa. Now I feel unclean. To make up, here's a nitpick - why didn't the Empire have guard rails anywhere? It's obviously a design choice - I don't think more then one contractor would try to tack in on latter to run up costs. Other than the one on the bridge where Luke lost his hand, I don't recall any.