Hate to break it to you but "Do no evil" is more than just a nice motto. It is part of their corporate charter and as such the company is legally bound to their shareholders to uphold that virtue. If they can justify how a move increases profit by doing no evil great, but I'm kind of shocked there hasn't been shareholder lawsuits over some of this stuff that has been going on as of late. Sounds like they would have a case, of course IANAL.
Ok, how about we do it the British way? We send all our prisoners there, train them, and tell them we'll only continue sending food and supplies if they behave and perform the work/experiments we tell them to.
When I first saw this story I got excited because it was about Flow. Then I saw it was about the music and I thought "so what, its the same damn new agey crap for the whole thing, who cares". However I have to admit, the music is INCREDIBLY well suited to the game. It is very soothing and has for lack of a better term....an "ethereal" feel about it.
I'm psyched for Spore but I really wish there was a merging of the feel of Flow with the mechanics of Spore. There's almost something divine about playing Flow that would translate perfectly with its look and feel to the absolute godhood granted by Spore.
Look at it this way. Your company does not have to give you two weeks notice to fire you, nor would they.
Here's an interesting flip of the situation though...lets say "theoretically" that my employer has mentioned to me that due to lack of business they may need to lay me off in the future, but that they would give me 8 weeks notice and allow me to use company resources to look for my next job. I'm on very good terms with my employer and they have always been exceedingly nice about these things. If they say they are laying me off in 8 weeks, am I obligated in any way shape or form to continue to work for them for that period? Or am I considered fired from the moment they tell me that?
I understand it is a courtesy they are extending to me and would most likely not just walk out if they gave me 8 weeks notice, however I am curious what my options would be if I found another employer before the 8 weeks was up.
Since there is a lack of an appropriate place to discuss this disturbing and unwelcome new addition to Slashdot, I've decided that I'll just start spamming the Opinion Center until they do something about it. I recommend you all do the same. Maybe if Intel sees enough hate spewed their way they won't want to have that thing there since it will be filled with negativity. I won't be surprised in the least if Taco comes out and says our only option for removal is subscribing to/.
My first thought was this was a amazing feat of PR stupidity
Really? My first thought was that this was genius because for the cheap cheap price of assembling these and hiring someone to set them up they've gained untold millions of dollars worth of free press. And the best part is that with their target audience (18-34 males), they've come off in an incredibly good light. You see, the vast majority of their audience have read all these stories and said "haha, police are dumb, this is just an ad for a cartoon on Adult Swim, hey I might check that out."
Well played Cartoon Network.
Re:Interested....
on
Water From Wind
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· Score: 4, Insightful
I'm guessing that it is more of a constant trickle. Doubt it would generate much electricity.
IANAEE (I am not an electrical engineer) but if this thing can generate water, AND wind power...wouldn't it be a self-powered fuel cell? The process of separating the hydrogen could be powered by the wind-generated electricity it would seem. I'd love for someone with much more understanding of the physics behind this to tear apart my idea but this thing sounds damned useful. Not sure how small it could be made and still maintain its effectiveness but imagine giving a portable version of this to sailors. If you could create drinking water and electricity from this while floating on the ocean that would be a real life saver.
A nerd can do anyone's job, all they need to do is bother to learn it.
Show me a nerd who's the head of sales for a major organization and then I'll believe you. I'm not saying nerds cannot adapt to many situations, but they tend not to perform as well at social jobs as people who make their living by shmoozing.
retail sales just don't capture the revenues from the increasingly successful PC MMOs as well as digital distribution and episodic gaming (which are both gaining strength year after year).
"Our shareholders are drooling over the money that Blizzard is raking in hand over fist and episodic gaming is our way of getting you to pay the equivelant of a monthly fee. We're going to scrape content from the initial release and string it out over successive "episodes" and charge you more than we would have initially. Enjoy paying a never ending fee for a game that used to just cost you $50."
especially as the type of customer who blocks ads is not likely to click on them
People bring this point up a lot when discussing ad blockers however there is one problem. A lot of the ad sales negotiations that go on (not specifically Yahoo's, just in general) are not necessarily PPC, but rather CPM based, meaning there is a value assigned for every 1000 eyeballs viewing it. While people may not click these ads if they are against them in general, they would still contribute to the total number of eyeballs and thus be beneficial to the ad sales negotiations.
I understand perfectly well that advertisers likely do not want to reach these people and consider them a waste of money, but the reality of the situation is that the content companies selling ad space are going to continue to fight to inflate their viewer numbers as much as possible because that equals more ad sales to them.
When everyone is poor, no one steals from each other.
Are you joking? Go to the ghetto where everybody is poor. Then look at how much theft there is within the community. When everybody is poor there is a greater likelihood that there will be a lot of basic things (like a small tv, or a bike, etc) that only a few of the community will have. Thus, they will be ripe targets for the rest of the community since for most of them the only chance of obtaining it would be theft.
Don't want to have a video of you stealing your neighbor's paper show up on YouTube? Don't steal your neighbor's paper.
Ok fair enough. But what about things that many people consider acceptable behavior...lets say BDSM. Lets say your neighbor caught you through a window that you hadn't closed entirely, films you, and puts you on the net. You're fucked. The problem is not with the filming of the illegal things. THe problem is with the filming of things that are legal and morally acceptable by some, but not all. And that intolerance can have adverse effects on someone's life. I know someone who had their sexual fetish "outted" and it ruined their life.
TV is paid, computer is paid (although I need a new one soon) and I rent my apartment until I save up a sufficient nest egg to make a downpayment on a place of my own. However I currently have zero college debt. Of course I'm 23 though and don't really expect to have a house just 2 years out of college. At least not a house I would be happy in, in a neighborhood I would be safe in. And I'm not so sure I'd want to own a house vs an apartment.
In any event, I don't feel like paying more money just to enjoy my goddamn game. What's a gamer to do, between "booster packs," episodic content, microdownloads, and online play fees.
What we have here is a clear case of culture envy occuring within the ranks of management. You see, in Asia they are quite content with being nickel and dimed for everything they do in games. It is an accepted part of their gaming culture. I don't pretend to know why, but for whatever reason that's how it is. It is also quite profitable.
U.S. gaming execs see this success and want to emulate it of course. I know i've seen studies posted on Slashdot before regarding the differences in East vs West feelings in regards to micropayments etc. Long story short, we don't much care for them in the U.S. despite some mildly successful efforts to integrate them into society (see ringtones and the ITMS as examples). Yes, the ability for microdownloads is useful, however in the hands of a company like EA there is not a snowballs chance in hell this will be used for anything but making them more money and screwing the consumer.
Coupled with a system like Steam and they have you by your balls tighter than the whores in GTA. The only ways to stop this is to raise a holy shitstorm about it to their executive customer service and vote with your dollars.
Ramen noodles, a backpack, and a good attitude is all you need. I don't understand why people think they need to "pay their dues" before doing what they really want to do in life.
People think they need to pay their dues because they need a way to pay their bills. You can go ahead being malnourished only owning what can fit in a backpack with your good attitude. I will continue to enjoy "paying my dues" while I live in a nice apartment overlooking Lake Michigan posting on Slashdot from my fast computer and watching TV on my 40" LCD.
My point was not to brag about my things since there are plenty of people with a lot more than I have, my point was that I enjoy the lifestyle I have and don't mind paying my dues to enjoy it. I'm 23, and believe it or not people have different ideas about what they want to do in life. I prefer to live mine in a comfortable place with gadgets that I enjoy playing with and eating good food.
Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me, since women seem to put on more makeup, as well as visit the plastic surgeon more often as they get older. The vanity of women seems to increase with age if you ask me.
Me thinks that might have a little less to do with being horny and quite a bit more to do with feeling ugly due to age and trying to cover it up and look younger.
And the question I have is, Why? Why would I *want* to be a part of this? Are they going to pay me to endure the targeted advertising? This makes as much sense to me as signing up for a free poke in the eye.
Apparently its not obvious that YOU are not the target market. Mini owners who want to do something cool because they like "making a statement about themselves" and being attention whores will be all over it. Coupled with the fact that for right now its limited to a few people and you have a brilliant marketing campaign that will likely receive an extremely large amount of free press.
However what do you want to bet some enterprising businessman with a Mini buys one of these to advertise their website or business? Or some business owner pays a mini owner with one to advertise his business.
I just don't get why its so offensive, and what I perceive to be the whole american "I'd rather die than lose my 'freedom'" type attitude.
Let me put this in other, equally as American, terms. These companies are spying on me and profiting from the data they gather on me. I am not receiving any compensation for my private information. THAT is a big problem for me. If they want to negotiate a price to pay me and I get to choose what they can and cannot have access to that would be one thing, but this is just scummy.
A mass produced toy will be always superior to what you can do with a rapid prototype printer, let alone an amateur single nozzle one, unless some totally new form of 3D printing is invented, with such diversity in materials and complexity, that I can print myself a laptop.
That's the way things are NOW...give it 30-40 years and I wouldn't be surprised if you could print a whole new car like this or at least complex electronics.
You think the RIAA/MPAA are bad? Just wait until people start trading car schematics and laptop model files over bittorrent. These types of printers will revolutionize how we view materials. Suddenly the value isn't in the finished product, its in the data that lets you fabricate it and the raw materials.
This brings up a good question. Can any Slashdotters recommend any good free online educational tv stations or downloadable shows? I know NOVA has a few things, but not much. Anything would be helpful. I've downloaded most of the BBC documentaries I can find online...I'm desperate here!
Slashdot Mirror
Until you die of course. By then I don't think you'll mind too much though.
I'm psyched for Spore but I really wish there was a merging of the feel of Flow with the mechanics of Spore. There's almost something divine about playing Flow that would translate perfectly with its look and feel to the absolute godhood granted by Spore.
P
Here's an interesting flip of the situation though...lets say "theoretically" that my employer has mentioned to me that due to lack of business they may need to lay me off in the future, but that they would give me 8 weeks notice and allow me to use company resources to look for my next job. I'm on very good terms with my employer and they have always been exceedingly nice about these things. If they say they are laying me off in 8 weeks, am I obligated in any way shape or form to continue to work for them for that period? Or am I considered fired from the moment they tell me that?
I understand it is a courtesy they are extending to me and would most likely not just walk out if they gave me 8 weeks notice, however I am curious what my options would be if I found another employer before the 8 weeks was up.
Really? My first thought was that this was genius because for the cheap cheap price of assembling these and hiring someone to set them up they've gained untold millions of dollars worth of free press. And the best part is that with their target audience (18-34 males), they've come off in an incredibly good light. You see, the vast majority of their audience have read all these stories and said "haha, police are dumb, this is just an ad for a cartoon on Adult Swim, hey I might check that out."
Well played Cartoon Network.
IANAEE (I am not an electrical engineer) but if this thing can generate water, AND wind power...wouldn't it be a self-powered fuel cell? The process of separating the hydrogen could be powered by the wind-generated electricity it would seem. I'd love for someone with much more understanding of the physics behind this to tear apart my idea but this thing sounds damned useful. Not sure how small it could be made and still maintain its effectiveness but imagine giving a portable version of this to sailors. If you could create drinking water and electricity from this while floating on the ocean that would be a real life saver.
Sometimes there is a need to have a delayed administration of drugs.
Show me a nerd who's the head of sales for a major organization and then I'll believe you. I'm not saying nerds cannot adapt to many situations, but they tend not to perform as well at social jobs as people who make their living by shmoozing.
P
"Our shareholders are drooling over the money that Blizzard is raking in hand over fist and episodic gaming is our way of getting you to pay the equivelant of a monthly fee. We're going to scrape content from the initial release and string it out over successive "episodes" and charge you more than we would have initially. Enjoy paying a never ending fee for a game that used to just cost you $50."
You know, there's a reason we have the ability to post anonymously here...
People bring this point up a lot when discussing ad blockers however there is one problem. A lot of the ad sales negotiations that go on (not specifically Yahoo's, just in general) are not necessarily PPC, but rather CPM based, meaning there is a value assigned for every 1000 eyeballs viewing it. While people may not click these ads if they are against them in general, they would still contribute to the total number of eyeballs and thus be beneficial to the ad sales negotiations.
I understand perfectly well that advertisers likely do not want to reach these people and consider them a waste of money, but the reality of the situation is that the content companies selling ad space are going to continue to fight to inflate their viewer numbers as much as possible because that equals more ad sales to them.
Are you joking? Go to the ghetto where everybody is poor. Then look at how much theft there is within the community. When everybody is poor there is a greater likelihood that there will be a lot of basic things (like a small tv, or a bike, etc) that only a few of the community will have. Thus, they will be ripe targets for the rest of the community since for most of them the only chance of obtaining it would be theft.
Ok fair enough. But what about things that many people consider acceptable behavior...lets say BDSM. Lets say your neighbor caught you through a window that you hadn't closed entirely, films you, and puts you on the net. You're fucked. The problem is not with the filming of the illegal things. THe problem is with the filming of things that are legal and morally acceptable by some, but not all. And that intolerance can have adverse effects on someone's life. I know someone who had their sexual fetish "outted" and it ruined their life.
What we have here is a clear case of culture envy occuring within the ranks of management. You see, in Asia they are quite content with being nickel and dimed for everything they do in games. It is an accepted part of their gaming culture. I don't pretend to know why, but for whatever reason that's how it is. It is also quite profitable.
U.S. gaming execs see this success and want to emulate it of course. I know i've seen studies posted on Slashdot before regarding the differences in East vs West feelings in regards to micropayments etc. Long story short, we don't much care for them in the U.S. despite some mildly successful efforts to integrate them into society (see ringtones and the ITMS as examples). Yes, the ability for microdownloads is useful, however in the hands of a company like EA there is not a snowballs chance in hell this will be used for anything but making them more money and screwing the consumer.
Coupled with a system like Steam and they have you by your balls tighter than the whores in GTA. The only ways to stop this is to raise a holy shitstorm about it to their executive customer service and vote with your dollars.
So I'm curious...anybody have any good tips about figuring ouw what job you would love? I ponder it day and night and I can't figure it out.
People think they need to pay their dues because they need a way to pay their bills. You can go ahead being malnourished only owning what can fit in a backpack with your good attitude. I will continue to enjoy "paying my dues" while I live in a nice apartment overlooking Lake Michigan posting on Slashdot from my fast computer and watching TV on my 40" LCD.
My point was not to brag about my things since there are plenty of people with a lot more than I have, my point was that I enjoy the lifestyle I have and don't mind paying my dues to enjoy it. I'm 23, and believe it or not people have different ideas about what they want to do in life. I prefer to live mine in a comfortable place with gadgets that I enjoy playing with and eating good food.
Me thinks that might have a little less to do with being horny and quite a bit more to do with feeling ugly due to age and trying to cover it up and look younger.
Apparently its not obvious that YOU are not the target market. Mini owners who want to do something cool because they like "making a statement about themselves" and being attention whores will be all over it. Coupled with the fact that for right now its limited to a few people and you have a brilliant marketing campaign that will likely receive an extremely large amount of free press.
However what do you want to bet some enterprising businessman with a Mini buys one of these to advertise their website or business? Or some business owner pays a mini owner with one to advertise his business.
That's the way things are NOW...give it 30-40 years and I wouldn't be surprised if you could print a whole new car like this or at least complex electronics.
You think the RIAA/MPAA are bad? Just wait until people start trading car schematics and laptop model files over bittorrent. These types of printers will revolutionize how we view materials. Suddenly the value isn't in the finished product, its in the data that lets you fabricate it and the raw materials.