So, you would consider it ethical to accept a Ming vase from your neighbor who does not know its real value - without informing him of the real value of the item? What happen to morality - the golden rule?
Sounds like profiteering and a ripoff to me, all things synonymous with pirates.
Since 85% of the businesses out there (and probably more) engage in such unsavory activity, that most people in their private lives would not find acceptable, I think it is a fair statement, not a troll as you claim.
Back in the day they used to fly a Jolly Roger (skull and crossbones) flag over corporate headquarters.
They basically ripped off Xerox Parc's windowing system and mouse interface ideas.
Don't turn your back on these guys for a second. This goes for 85% of the large businesses, for that matter. I have seen alot of business people's mouths moving and making sounds like "we want what is best for the community", while their actions say "profits at all cost - community be damned". The other 15% are somewhere in the middle; catch them on a good day...
While I may end up in a MAC (due to certain sadistic game makers failing to support open standards like OpenGL on Linux) - I will always have a Lintel box around for that warm fuzzy I get from compiling source code that I have lovingly massaged.
That is Picadilly Circus in London. I have actually been right there where the character is standing for real (spent two years in England during the cold war - 'nuff said). Its not quite as clean as it is in that picture, and the buildings are actually a bit more brooding (darker colors).
Kind of surreal, seeing a place in your memory so well executed in a game.
I know this is off topic, but the picture triggered an intense sense of deja-vue when I saw it...:)
Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate Happy Fun Ball..
on
Advergames
·
· Score: 1
A potential in-game AD, from the 'Happy Fun Ball' department:
"Notice how that can of green beans is impervious to your death-ray! Canned to last, and tastes fresh as the day they were picked, snapped, rolled, cleaned, irradiated, bleached, and de-acidified at our nature-friendly packing plant..."
When a man writes a paper, I expect to see he, him, his. When a woman writes a paper, I expect to see her, her, hers. If the gender is unknown, I expect to see it or its.
When either of those conditions are not met, it sounds conflicted - and takes away from the smooth reading of the passages. The mind skips on these items, and stops to consider why the choice of gender - looking for some hidden context that is not there.
Re:It's nice
on
Immortal Code
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
That must make you feel conflicted - giving your best for something that will not see the light of day.
I feel that alot of coders *don't* give their all - for fear that their nuggets will be tied up and misused for profiteering via patent/copyright enfringment cases. They hold back their best work for open source or private projects - hence the blecherous state of most code bases. I earnestly pray that is the case, because it is more distressing to think of the alternative...
Fear and Loathing
on
Immortal Code
·
· Score: 2, Funny
I think the breadth and depth of Eastereggs in a project is directly proportional to the inelegance of said project. Microsoft excels in this area exceedingly.
The reality is Beethoven and Mozart were making it up as they went as well. So what? They are no different than us (save for the powdered wigs).
Every performance is unique, then and now. There is no way to perform an identical rendition of an ancient performance, and who would want to - with all the consumptives caughing in the orchestra. Not to mention all the rats running around.
Mono turns.NET into a commodity - so you won't have to bow to the altar of Microsoft in order to use it. That doesn't sound like a bad thing.
It looks like just another tool for the developer; don't think its going to make java go away anytime soon...
Now, Microsoft may look at this from two different perspectives: historically, it has been Microsoft that commoditized other people's standards and reaped the benefit - they might not take to having the roles reversed very well. On the other hand, this could help.NET get more early adopters - in which case it does seem to benefit Microsoft.
'Course you better be willing to burn some cash if you mess up.
As for the sturdiness argument: You can use a journaling filesystem that will correct errors as they are introduced - as well as use RAID with multiple partitions - parity checking to elimenate surface errors. I wouldn't think that I would handle a camera any less gently than a laptop (probably more gently) - so the sturdiness argument is questionable in my mind.
The best thing bands can do today is to put up a website with free downloads of all their songs. Beside each song have a recommended donation price ($1 to $3 per track) - with a paypal link so folks who appreciate your work can pay.
Then, get out there and tour - pay your dues every weekend to promote your music and your website. You're not here to get rich quick - you are here because you love the music.
~~~
The best thing music lovers can do is start donating to these pioneering indy bands - and stop buying CDs - unless it is absolutely worth it (and I don't consider much new music produced in the past 5 years worth it - with a few exceptions).
Reminds me of my grandparents bemoaning the loss of the horse and buggy. In this case, its a petulent graphics guru upset because the open source community hasn't made something (yet) to his liking - all is lost and irretrievable. Have a little patience - or do it yourself.
Change is constant, before, during and after all is said and done. That is why I hate critics (which is kind of ironic when you think about my post being a criticism) - they catch opening day and pronounce the project a loss, *missing* the very next day when things clicked and an awsome performance occurred.
The Movie and Music industries make ungodly profits compared to other businesses (in fact you can lump that all under the umbrella of Entertainment - including professional sports).
Why in the world do we continue to pay inflated prices to these people? What do we get in return - a few hours of escape? Why do we value entertainment more than safe streets, a well educated society, or any number of other more meaningful things that struggle on the edge of bankruptcy?
The simple fact of the matter is an overpowering greed drives all of this - and hypes it up in the media (I don't see any glitzy commercials about real Teachers in the media). I have news for you, its not how large your bank account is, or how many toys you have that is important when you die. Bankruptcy of the soul is worse than living a humble life.
"Industry Cooperation Is Good For Consumers" [Once I read that I knew it was time to put on the hip waders...]
"When the entertainment industry has cooperated with the technology and consumer electronic industries in the past, the results have been good for everyone -- especially consumers. For example, the entertainment industry has used anti-copying technologies to provide consumers:
DVDs,... Movielink, an Internet service that lets consumers legally download and pay for movies to watch at home... Pressplay, an online service that enables consumers to preview individual songs as well as entire CDs, and then pay to download legal copies to their computers..." [ How is this 'good for everyone - especially consumers'???!? The proper thing to say is 'good for everyone - especially corporations'...LOL]
"Over the last seven years, the technology, consumer electronics, and entertainment industries have held more than 60 high-level meetings to develop effective technological protection measures..." [ hmmm - why not avoid the problem altogether by going Open Source? You could save the time spent in those 60 meetings to do something really constructive...]
"One of the major causes of piracy is that the distribution models for entertainment have not yet adjusted to changing consumer demands ? so consumers go outside the market to get what they want. ADP believes there is a two-stage approach to solve this problem. First, government must enforce laws against piracy. Second, the entertainment and technology industries must offer consumers attractive legal alternatives." [Here is the logic to this: 'hmmm consumers don't like paying overinflated prices for our products...I *got* it! - LETS GET GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE RESTRICTIVE PIRACY LAWS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE OUR BUSINESS MODEL AND CAN CONTINUE TO RAKE IN THE BUCKS!' - I would laugh, but its just not funny]
I don't know about you, but my 'expectations' don't include the nirvana of a copy protection scheme behind every bush. Universal exceptance of this sewage will only serve to block access for those who can not afford to pay to play, and will criminalize those clever enough to decode the protection methods.
I urge everyone to boycott established music and software companies. Artists and Developers: Look for new business models that are not coersive and levy outrageous prices by enforcing piracy laws; instead - let market forces dictate prices. Consumers unite! Vote with your dollars and your feet.
The artists who see the dollar signs in their eyes need to wake up and smell the roses: get rid of the fat cat middlemen (record labels) and go independent on the web.
As a result of all this knee-jerk reaction on the part of the music industry, I am boycotting. I will not pay for high priced cruft, when I can get cruft for free from indy artists on the web.
Having converted to one of those split 'natural' keyboards (now I don't get carple-tunnel anymore) on both my home and work systems, and the fact that I touch type - and have difficulty keeping on my home keys *with* feedback, I find these virtual keyboards of limited usefulness.
Yeah, they might be good in limited applications - and probably more for the hunt and peck crowd, as someone else has mentioned. They are not for me.
What has Kevin learned from this experience? -
on
Ask Kevin Mitnick
·
· Score: 1
What have you learned about yourself over the past years since your conviction.
What is your outlook on life now?
What is the best and worse representations of your story in print/media - and why?
This is funny. I know the Sun repair guy better than I know my wife. We deployed 50 or so sun boxes - and have had nothing but problems (all hardware related).
On the other hand, I haven't had to reboot our Linux boxes at all in 6 months of testing...(running on Dells of all things).
Seems like someone is trying to blow smoke where the sun don't shine...
P.S. My original post was not a troll or start a holy war between Sun and Linux users - I was just trying to point out my own real world experience with this issue. Someone needs to Mod the Moderator.
P.P.S. 'Linux FUD' - now that is by definition an oxymoron. The simple fact that Linux is open obviates the concept of FUD being applied to Linux - you can go look for yourself if the allegations are true or not in the code, unlike some other OS manufacturers who shall remain nameless.
An example might be helpful: Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is not a backdoor into your Microsoft OS at this moment? If you answered 'NO' then you are correct. On the other hand, can you verify if there is a backdoor in the Linux OS that is running on your system? The answer is 'YES'. Since you can not veryify the validity of the claim that Microsoft has or does not have a backdoor - it is valid to say as much - and saying same is not FUD. On the other hand, it *is* FUD to say the Linux OS has a backdoor - because you can read the kernel code yourself and compile it exactly as you like (modifying it as needed if there were a backdoor present).
A statement by anyone saying Linux is not suitable for carrier grade service is FUD, plain and simple - take it from someone who is working with it and other OSs in just such an environment.
I can't see why anyone would be upset about this (like some of the previous posers^H^H^H^H^Hposters), unless, of course, they are part of the Microsloth FUD patrol...
I would rather have a Linux cluster running my VOIP network than the alternatives. At least I would be able to fix the damn thing in under 4 hours.
Slashdot Mirror
So, you would consider it ethical to accept a Ming vase from your neighbor who does not know its real value - without informing him of the real value of the item? What happen to morality - the golden rule?
Sounds like profiteering and a ripoff to me, all things synonymous with pirates.
Since 85% of the businesses out there (and probably more) engage in such unsavory activity, that most people in their private lives would not find acceptable, I think it is a fair statement, not a troll as you claim.
Back in the day they used to fly a Jolly Roger (skull and crossbones) flag over corporate headquarters.
They basically ripped off Xerox Parc's windowing system and mouse interface ideas.
Don't turn your back on these guys for a second. This goes for 85% of the large businesses, for that matter. I have seen alot of business people's mouths moving and making sounds like "we want what is best for the community", while their actions say "profits at all cost - community be damned". The other 15% are somewhere in the middle; catch them on a good day...
While I may end up in a MAC (due to certain sadistic game makers failing to support open standards like OpenGL on Linux) - I will always have a Lintel box around for that warm fuzzy I get from compiling source code that I have lovingly massaged.
That is Picadilly Circus in London. I have actually been right there where the character is standing for real (spent two years in England during the cold war - 'nuff said). Its not quite as clean as it is in that picture, and the buildings are actually a bit more brooding (darker colors).
:)
Kind of surreal, seeing a place in your memory so well executed in a game.
I know this is off topic, but the picture triggered an intense sense of deja-vue when I saw it...
A potential in-game AD, from the 'Happy Fun Ball' department:
"Notice how that can of green beans is impervious to your death-ray! Canned to last, and tastes fresh as the day they were picked, snapped, rolled, cleaned, irradiated, bleached, and de-acidified at our nature-friendly packing plant..."
When a man writes a paper, I expect to see he, him, his.
When a woman writes a paper, I expect to see her, her, hers.
If the gender is unknown, I expect to see it or its.
When either of those conditions are not met, it sounds conflicted - and takes away from the smooth reading of the passages. The mind skips on these items, and stops to consider why the choice of gender - looking for some hidden context that is not there.
That must make you feel conflicted - giving your best for something that will not see the light of day.
I feel that alot of coders *don't* give their all - for fear that their nuggets will be tied up and misused for profiteering via patent/copyright enfringment cases. They hold back their best work for open source or private projects - hence the blecherous state of most code bases. I earnestly pray that is the case, because it is more distressing to think of the alternative...
I think the breadth and depth of Eastereggs in a project is directly proportional to the inelegance of said project. Microsoft excels in this area exceedingly.
The reality is Beethoven and Mozart were making it up as they went as well. So what? They are no different than us (save for the powdered wigs).
Every performance is unique, then and now. There is no way to perform an identical rendition of an ancient performance, and who would want to - with all the consumptives caughing in the orchestra. Not to mention all the rats running around.
Mono turns .NET into a commodity - so you won't have to bow to the altar of Microsoft in order to use it. That doesn't sound like a bad thing.
.NET get more early adopters - in which case it does seem to benefit Microsoft.
It looks like just another tool for the developer; don't think its going to make java go away anytime soon...
Now, Microsoft may look at this from two different perspectives: historically, it has been Microsoft that commoditized other people's standards and reaped the benefit - they might not take to having the roles reversed very well. On the other hand, this could help
Sounds like a nice hacking project...
'Course you better be willing to burn some cash if you mess up.
As for the sturdiness argument: You can use a journaling filesystem that will correct errors as they are introduced - as well as use RAID with multiple partitions - parity checking to elimenate surface errors. I wouldn't think that I would handle a camera any less gently than a laptop (probably more gently) - so the sturdiness argument is questionable in my mind.
The best thing bands can do today is to put up a website with free downloads of all their songs. Beside each song have a recommended donation price ($1 to $3 per track) - with a paypal link so folks who appreciate your work can pay.
Then, get out there and tour - pay your dues every weekend to promote your music and your website. You're not here to get rich quick - you are here because you love the music.
~~~
The best thing music lovers can do is start donating to these pioneering indy bands - and stop buying CDs - unless it is absolutely worth it (and I don't consider much new music produced in the past 5 years worth it - with a few exceptions).
If you read between the lines, they mention protecting privacy while enhancing the ability to do legal interception...
Between all the happy-speak this sounds a bit sinister. Could this modification to the XML standard be the software equivalent of the clipper chip?
Reminds me of my grandparents bemoaning the loss of the horse and buggy. In this case, its a petulent graphics guru upset because the open source community hasn't made something (yet) to his liking - all is lost and irretrievable. Have a little patience - or do it yourself.
Change is constant, before, during and after all is said and done. That is why I hate critics (which is kind of ironic when you think about my post being a criticism) - they catch opening day and pronounce the project a loss, *missing* the very next day when things clicked and an awsome performance occurred.
The Movie and Music industries make ungodly profits compared to other businesses (in fact you can lump that all under the umbrella of Entertainment - including professional sports).
Why in the world do we continue to pay inflated prices to these people? What do we get in return - a few hours of escape? Why do we value entertainment more than safe streets, a well educated society, or any number of other more meaningful things that struggle on the edge of bankruptcy?
The simple fact of the matter is an overpowering greed drives all of this - and hypes it up in the media (I don't see any glitzy commercials about real Teachers in the media). I have news for you, its not how large your bank account is, or how many toys you have that is important when you die. Bankruptcy of the soul is worse than living a humble life.
"Remember when they said we would never break 128 bit encryption?
Where would we be if it was illegal to try?"
- Some guy with a beowulf cluster would have access to it in some back room at nasa, while the rest of us suffer...not a pretty picture.
This all comes down to the 'haves' and 'have-nots'
"Industry Cooperation Is Good For Consumers" [Once I read that I knew it was time to put on the hip waders...]
... Movielink, an Internet service that lets consumers legally download and pay for movies to watch at home... Pressplay, an online service that enables consumers to preview individual songs as well as entire CDs, and then pay to download legal copies to their computers..." [ How is this 'good for everyone - especially consumers'???!? The proper thing to say is 'good for everyone - especially corporations'...LOL]
"When the entertainment industry has cooperated with the technology and consumer electronic industries in the past, the results have been good for everyone -- especially consumers. For example, the entertainment industry has used anti-copying technologies to provide consumers:
DVDs,
"Over the last seven years, the technology, consumer electronics, and entertainment industries have held more than 60 high-level meetings to develop effective technological protection measures..." [ hmmm - why not avoid the problem altogether by going Open Source? You could save the time spent in those 60 meetings to do something really constructive...]
"One of the major causes of piracy is that the distribution models for entertainment have not yet adjusted to changing consumer demands ? so consumers go outside the market to get what they want. ADP believes there is a two-stage approach to solve this problem. First, government must enforce laws against piracy. Second, the entertainment and technology industries must offer consumers attractive legal alternatives." [Here is the logic to this: 'hmmm consumers don't like paying overinflated prices for our products...I *got* it! - LETS GET GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE RESTRICTIVE PIRACY LAWS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE OUR BUSINESS MODEL AND CAN CONTINUE TO RAKE IN THE BUCKS!' - I would laugh, but its just not funny]
I don't know about you, but my 'expectations' don't include the nirvana of a copy protection scheme behind every bush. Universal exceptance of this sewage will only serve to block access for those who can not afford to pay to play, and will criminalize those clever enough to decode the protection methods.
I urge everyone to boycott established music and software companies. Artists and Developers: Look for new business models that are not coersive and levy outrageous prices by enforcing piracy laws; instead - let market forces dictate prices. Consumers unite! Vote with your dollars and your feet.
I haven't seen anyone mention JPython (basically python that generates java bytecode).
The artists who see the dollar signs in their eyes need to wake up and smell the roses: get rid of the fat cat middlemen (record labels) and go independent on the web.
As a result of all this knee-jerk reaction on the part of the music industry, I am boycotting. I will not pay for high priced cruft, when I can get cruft for free from indy artists on the web.
Having converted to one of those split 'natural' keyboards (now I don't get carple-tunnel anymore) on both my home and work systems, and the fact that I touch type - and have difficulty keeping on my home keys *with* feedback, I find these virtual keyboards of limited usefulness.
Yeah, they might be good in limited applications - and probably more for the hunt and peck crowd, as someone else has mentioned. They are not for me.
What have you learned about yourself over the past years since your conviction.
What is your outlook on life now?
What is the best and worse representations of your story in print/media - and why?
TRY THIS LINK INSTEAD...(left default text mode on)
P.P.P.S -
Look '^H' up HERE - then you will be enlightened.
Sun huh?
This is funny. I know the Sun repair guy better than I know my wife. We deployed 50 or so sun boxes - and have had nothing but problems (all hardware related).
On the other hand, I haven't had to reboot our Linux boxes at all in 6 months of testing...(running on Dells of all things).
Seems like someone is trying to blow smoke where the sun don't shine...
P.S. My original post was not a troll or start a holy war between Sun and Linux users - I was just trying to point out my own real world experience with this issue. Someone needs to Mod the Moderator.
P.P.S. 'Linux FUD' - now that is by definition an oxymoron. The simple fact that Linux is open obviates the concept of FUD being applied to Linux - you can go look for yourself if the allegations are true or not in the code, unlike some other OS manufacturers who shall remain nameless.
An example might be helpful: Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is not a backdoor into your Microsoft OS at this moment? If you answered 'NO' then you are correct. On the other hand, can you verify if there is a backdoor in the Linux OS that is running on your system? The answer is 'YES'. Since you can not veryify the validity of the claim that Microsoft has or does not have a backdoor - it is valid to say as much - and saying same is not FUD. On the other hand, it *is* FUD to say the Linux OS has a backdoor - because you can read the kernel code yourself and compile it exactly as you like (modifying it as needed if there were a backdoor present).
A statement by anyone saying Linux is not suitable for carrier grade service is FUD, plain and simple - take it from someone who is working with it and other OSs in just such an environment.
I can't see why anyone would be upset about this (like some of the previous posers^H^H^H^H^Hposters), unless, of course, they are part of the Microsloth FUD patrol...
I would rather have a Linux cluster running my VOIP network than the alternatives. At least I would be able to fix the damn thing in under 4 hours.
If you are who you say you are - post under your real nic -