It's as if you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
If you DO: As one poster pointed out, in some circles a cert is almost mandatory to land/ keep/ advance a job... mostly to survive as a slave to those who have the money that pays your check. BUT even if you are rightly skilled, you still get classed in that "Bastardass no-nothing paper cert morons" group by all of your self-respecting peers and/.-ers....
So, DON'T get a cert. Then TRY to apply for a job. Wince and cringe when the customer who won't pay you a fair price for service says he'll take his 486 POS to "my boy Jimmy who builds the Pentium Force in his basement" because you don't have any "cred" that looks intimidating enough. "See that A+ cert? That means your boj JImmy is a liar. LIAR!!!" (And in the end you're still a slave to the money that Jimmy somehow makes).
I say, if yer qualified and you KNOW what you're doing, a cert definitely can't be bad thing. Eventually, anywhere, the knowlegable certs rise above the paper ones.
It's called "Shareholder Value"
on
Real DRM
·
· Score: 1
Back then capaital was king and we all know the sad tales of many dot-bombs who couldn't raise enough or bought one too many ping-pong tables. So one level, I'm glad that the realmedia format hung around, is for no other reason than to keep MS mildly "honest" (ha). But it took gobs and gobs of money to do that.
So now, what RealNetworks must answer to and the price we all must pay, is creating enough "value" for all those speculators who sunk their money into what was then a risky venture. I truly wish it wasn't the case, but "Shareholder value" does not consist of hawking the free player as obviously as before. It does however involve signing as many "exclusive content distribution rights" as possible. That's just the way capitalism works sometimes, heinously ugly tho it may be.
(For the record, I'm not a shareholder in RN or any other company)
This is actually already in the early stages. Some cars (Ford Focus and Pontiac Grand AM come to mind) offer an optional removable faceplate for the stereo. This is a great anti-theft feature, of course... but I have read where this can easily be applied to interface with the alarm system (I think it does just that on the Focus). So theoretically if you replace the stereo (assuming you find one that fits), you lose the alarm.
Now THAT in itself isn't quite the same, because you can still get any 3rd-party stereo and/or alarm system you choose, and the manufacturer can't do a thing to stop you.
NOW; What about ignition keys? Gone are the days of going to the local hardware store and getting a couple spares made for.99 cents each. If you drive a Mercedes or even some newer GMs, with the so-called "security chip" in the key, you gotta get a spare from the dealer, and they DEFINITELY aren't cheap.
THAT is an entirely different situation, clser to Lexmark's intentions, but with more benefit. IUn theory the chip key is a deterrent from car theft... but how is a chip in my toner cartrdige gonna help? (tho they are expensive enough... I'm surprised the depts in the office don't steal them from each other)!
Slashdot Mirror
...to pinpoint slashdotted servers. It would give the term "Scorched Earth" a whole new meaning...
It's as if you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
/.-ers....
If you DO: As one poster pointed out, in some circles a cert is almost mandatory to land/ keep/ advance a job... mostly to survive as a slave to those who have the money that pays your check. BUT even if you are rightly skilled, you still get classed in that "Bastardass no-nothing paper cert morons" group by all of your self-respecting peers and
So, DON'T get a cert. Then TRY to apply for a job. Wince and cringe when the customer who won't pay you a fair price for service says he'll take his 486 POS to "my boy Jimmy who builds the Pentium Force in his basement" because you don't have any "cred" that looks intimidating enough. "See that A+ cert? That means your boj JImmy is a liar. LIAR!!!" (And in the end you're still a slave to the money that Jimmy somehow makes).
I say, if yer qualified and you KNOW what you're doing, a cert definitely can't be bad thing. Eventually, anywhere, the knowlegable certs rise above the paper ones.
Back then capaital was king and we all know the sad tales of many dot-bombs who couldn't raise enough or bought one too many ping-pong tables. So one level, I'm glad that the realmedia format hung around, is for no other reason than to keep MS mildly "honest" (ha). But it took gobs and gobs of money to do that.
So now, what RealNetworks must answer to and the price we all must pay, is creating enough "value" for all those speculators who sunk their money into what was then a risky venture. I truly wish it wasn't the case, but "Shareholder value" does not consist of hawking the free player as obviously as before. It does however involve signing as many "exclusive content distribution rights" as possible. That's just the way capitalism works sometimes, heinously ugly tho it may be.
(For the record, I'm not a shareholder in RN or any other company)
This is actually already in the early stages. Some cars (Ford Focus and Pontiac Grand AM come to mind) offer an optional removable faceplate for the stereo. This is a great anti-theft feature, of course... but I have read where this can easily be applied to interface with the alarm system (I think it does just that on the Focus). So theoretically if you replace the stereo (assuming you find one that fits), you lose the alarm. .99 cents each. If you drive a Mercedes or even some newer GMs, with the so-called "security chip" in the key, you gotta get a spare from the dealer, and they DEFINITELY aren't cheap.
Now THAT in itself isn't quite the same, because you can still get any 3rd-party stereo and/or alarm system you choose, and the manufacturer can't do a thing to stop you.
NOW; What about ignition keys? Gone are the days of going to the local hardware store and getting a couple spares made for
THAT is an entirely different situation, clser to Lexmark's intentions, but with more benefit. IUn theory the chip key is a deterrent from car theft... but how is a chip in my toner cartrdige gonna help? (tho they are expensive enough... I'm surprised the depts in the office don't steal them from each other)!
Collabo-MO-D'OH!