Or even better, be active: Hop over to iPod Linux and join the hackers there - for OGG support (& more!) on the iPod. 'Tis beautiful, this open-source thing of ours *sniff*.
But isn't the problem that if/when targeted advertising - if 'Real Ultimate Precision Advertising' (RUPA) is possible - it would simply become the new "entry-level"? (I.e. nolonger a competitive advantage; not an edge but a requirement.)
It immediately becomes the new status quo (as the "shotgun approach" is today), and every company looking to stand out - and they all want/have to - must now do RUPA plus X, and Y, and Z, and...
And marketing people know, as well as we do in all honesty, that everybody responds to advertising - in one form or another. Perhaps today not so much to regular 'ads' (as in TV commercials, or ads in a magazine), but if not that, then to product placements, or celebrity spokespersons, or sponsorships, or viral marketing, or astroturfing-word-of-mouth campaigns, or...
So my fear is, that we won't se less ads/marketing ploys, but more - only they will be targeted to our specific 'profiles'... Advertisers certainly have the will/need and budgets for it to happen.
(We don't have any IE-only stuff warranting the masquerade, but you're right.)
True, the stat. system we use - Nielsen/Netratings (more or less the standard for media sites at the moment) - doesn't seem to try very hard to probe the clients' true identity. It's basically a javascript asking the standard questions - navigator.userAgent, etc.
And as e.g. online banking has been a 'top activity' for several years in Sweden plus the possibility that they only accept IE 5+ (although my bank - one of the larger ones - ok's my RH9/Firefox), the numbers might be somewhat off. But I suspect it's not more than one or a few percent, though I don't know for sure. Hm, gonna have to look into that.
Agreed. I work at a local news corporation in Sweden (our 'target audience' is everyone living here, though mainly 18-N yrs old), and just now checked our stats. For may 2004, it's:
1 MSIE 6.0........75.41 2 MSIE 5.0........14.01 3 Netscape 4.0.....3.08 4 Firefox 0.8......1.15 5 [Java Enabled]...0.75 6 Mozilla 1.6......0.68 7 Netscape 5.0.....0.54 8 Mozilla 1.4......0.43 9 Opera 7.23.......0.39 10 Mozilla 1.5.....0.30 ...etc.
While the numbers for IE has been in steady - but sloooow - decline, you can clearly see the dominance:(. Firefox, at 1.15 %, is a rocket climber...
"One Ring to rule them all (1), One Ring to find them (2),
One Ring to bring them all (3) and in the darkness bind them (4)"
...calculation?
Yea - but the researchers referenced GITS(!)
on
NextFest
·
· Score: 1
I also thought this sounded waaay cool, so I quick-searched for Tachi Labs that is doing the research. Good links on that page to further info, images, videos. And such a cool reference 'section' (bottom of that page):
With earlier/. reports on the Nausicaa jet, the Akira bike, and now this Cloaking thing (ok, so it's not really matching Kusanagi & crew's wicked cloaking tech in GITS, but still...)...I don't know what to make of it, but I think it's pretty cool that they get inspiration for their R&D from somewhat 'unlikely' places - and really follow through on those quirky ideas.
Gotta respect that kind of curiosity and dedication.
Ah, +1 informative, thanks:) And cool, interesting reference in your current sig, certainly more coherent than my lame Magritte nod (the french equivalent was taken - obviously, and I was learning about 'being'/'not being' in Japanese at the time so..).
Without reading very much into it, I like the/.er's sig which was something like "Slashdot sigs, online Rorschach tests since 1997."
Oh, damn. I have to admit that I've just started studying Japanese (why the "I like ham"-esque sig attempt:) ) - still struggling with kana and rudimentary kanji, and with the most basic grammar and vocabulary... Beautiful language though.
Sorry to say I have no idea what you asked me.. (something like "That's not a very good/intelligible sig, is it?:)"? - well, truthfully that's just trying to piece together what altavista returned, so it's probably something completely different..)
What your current sig means, I'm at a complete loss. Sounds good though, even with my abysmal pronounciation:)
Hehe, sorry - yea, that was unclearly stated (not that I even checked which company developed this plastic boat;) ).
Never wrote so, but just assumed it was done similarly to SAAB developing fighter jet tech for the airforce. I was under the impression that most - all? - Swedish weapon systems of this magnitude were developed by companies on military contracts, i.e. financed with the defense budget. But perhaps FOA &c. undertake huge projects like this too(?)
Pardon for any errors/misconceptions. I should've explained straight away that I don't work (or have expertise) in the military tech sector, and that my post was "opinion and guesswork on account of being Swedish, and interested in technology":)
Good points, thanks. (I don't expect an invasion any time soon either, but the thought of fully depending on someone else is really disagreable to me.)
And yes, I agree to having the Finns as cannon fodd... No but seriously, as I was replying in another post in this thread, our conduct in some real black&white situations - especially during WWII - has been shameful... I vividly recall becoming extremely embarrased (and enraged) in highschool, when learning about our servile attitude towards the Nazis.
We really played the "Neutral nation over here, no shooting please!" card to stay out of the conflict - and in the aftermath, with fully functioning industries etc., Sweden could capitalize and thrive to 'help' rebuild Europe. Same factories we - for a period - used to produce shells for Nazi weapons..
NATO? The obsolete cold-war relic NATO? Heck yea;). Actually I don't feel I know enough about the issue/NATO (wasn't it originally a united front against the Soviet Union and, as such, is now a solution looking for a problem?). Wouldn't developments toward a military alliance within the EU framework sort of make NATO obsolete for EU countries? That said, NATO exists and seems to be functioning, and I don't know enough about the issue to have an informed opinion (obviously doesn't stop me from ranting about it;) ).
What I do know, is that big power structures and enormous governing frameworks equals gargantuan bureaucracies (i.e. less democracy, accountability, &c.). And as such, I'm not too keen on neither NATO nor EU..
Yes, I understand that the "nation state" is a manufactured idea (good job dissing Sweden btw, couldn't've done it better myself - I agree that Sweden has historically behaved dishonorably, and WWII is a very disheartening chapter in Sweden's book). I'm certainly not a flag-waving "loving-my-country-come-hell-or-high-water" lunatic.
But, countries exist (as do e.g. NATO). Some - like me - even think they work ok enough (given the alternatives). Being small/agile enough frameworks (at least in the Scandinavian cases) to have mostly working accountability and a somewhat engaged democratic process, but large enough to be able (well, should be) to handle healthcare, education, and, to become slightly on-topic, defense.
With global/trans-national problems, the nation state framework won't cut it. But those are rare exeptions. Most things - I think - can be better handled on the micro-level (i.e. the scale of individual, group, family, neighborhood, and so forth) and the most resources should be put there.
I might've come across that all this was "simple", I didn't intend to. If it was simple, well, there wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
I agree in principle that (absolute) self-reliance is probably impossible. To me, self-reliance is an attitude. E.g. I don't agree with just stopping to do something and expect someone else to handle it for me (and I feel the same way on a national scale).
Giving up and handing over chunks of autonomy to a larger framework, I believe, should only be done with utmost scrutiny. It can swiftly lead to servitude, I don't want to be a servant. (Please note, I'm not saying that the opposite is your opinion, I'm just trying to expand on my simplified argument in my earlier post.)
[sorry for the late post, been ironing shirts for friggin hours:/]
Agreed, my country's pretty miniscule and self-reliance (in terms of military force) isn't feasible, i.e. if the s*** hits the fan we could never handle it alone.
And with ever-shrinking resources for the school system, public healthcare, &c., there are more pressing needs for the people. The military though...tough call.. when there're no threat one might not see any need for it whatsoever, but in these turbulent times...
I am actually more-or-less a 'pacifist'. But a 'pacifist' that has, especially during the last decade with all that's happened globally, and possibly with age (turned 30 this year) become less against..might call it "readiness for whatever." There are really no guarantees for anything are there(?) "Better safe than sorry," and similar clichées have started to sound more and more..realistic.
But like you say, Russia's nolonger a threat (although that might change). And being part of an "EU army" might not be so bad either - at least we (probably) won't start any new major wars here in Europe. But if the big nations in the EU decide on some course of action that we as a small, fringe member don't agree on...well, there might be huge problems.
[The aircrafts were/are "Draken" (The Dragon), "Viggen" ('aring'skvigg = thunderbolt so The Thunderbolt), and "Gripen" (The Griffin). And yea, for such a small country, those are pretty cool (if somewhat in the 'delusions of grandeur' zone) machines/systems/accomplishments. We also had the jetcraft "Lansen" (The Lance) and "Tunnan" (The Barrel - my absolute favorite, a butt-ugly small 'hunter' jet - just look at that craft!:) )]
I know it's a joke, so yes, except Sweden doesn't have "nukes".
Actually (I'm Swedish) we don't have much of an army, airforce, or navy, at all anymore..
Not that I personally agree to spending the kind of money you do in the US, but the military situation is pretty pathetic in Sweden (although it's been a few hundred years since we were a military power by any standard).
We can't defend our borders at all, and we probably can't wage an effective (defensive/guerilla) war on Swedish soil either (no militia to speak of, laws against owning weapons other than for hunting, etc.).
The cuts in the military budget has been brutal, to the point I was kind of amazed that they've been able to develop this stealth vessel at all (with what money - the entire navy budget?!?).
Without much debate, politicians have been working overtime to convert (reduce) our own military to a few special units (like this stealth corvette thing) - perhaps to be used in some large EU military force.. (Not that I know enough about it to say whether 'tis a 'Good Thing', but I've always considered self-reliance to be important, so.. I guess I think it sucks bigtime.)
Interesting. Any links to the interwiew (now that we've put my 'tragedy-of-the-common-plugs' rant/spectacle behind us;) )?
Along those lines, whatcha think of No Maps For These Territories - pretty good docu/interview with Mr. Gibson, huh? Fascinating author, great zeitgeist, even greater/unique style of writing.
And way OT: as you obviously know more about Gibson than me, any ideas on what he's writing now?
...ouch. I could try and spin this but...You got me, dude. Not that I was aware of it (I honestly wasn't plugging his book, as much as pointing to a URL resource for reference); but how sad - I was totally blind to what I was doing.
Gibson is one of my fav. sci-fi authors, but yes.. the link was unnecessary, when trying to discuss/illustrate the idea of how advertising and marketing replace/transform human interaction with their own agendas. Oh man, does that sentence get an even more sinister meaning for me personally..
Good call Sir, thanks for pointing it out. Goes to show how ingrained this stuff is, in this case, in my mind. If I had a deeper understanding of the issues and their effects (on me, for one), I wouldn't've been that blind to how I conveyed my thoughts.
Alas (as I loathe this type of marketing-created 'reality' shit), perhaps with close to no budget.
With the ever-growing number of media wannabe's itching for attention out there and in search of a "platform".. they might pay/hustle to get on a 'show' like this.
As if inane, trite blogs/boards/et al., weren't enough - now we're going to get hordes of semi-produced/casted business versions...
I spent all of 5 minutes browsing the spot, and it was blatantly obvoius that most "post" we're little more than product placements. "Amanda" "hears" about how [swedish retailer of semi-disposable furniture]'s got some great(!) stuff - going there now!! The "Kai" character takes up surfing - i.e. goes to a named and praised surf shop (link+logo included of course), the guys at shop X we're awesome!!
So, this is apparantly business' take du jour, on the latest mainstream trends online - we get the likes of the spot and the subservient-chicken. Viral marketing ey? Well, let's start spraying some virus-killing poison then.
I'm so reminded of the ad agency in Gibson's Pattern Recognition it's not even funny.
Wherever and whenever real people try (and do) find each other in - to them - meaningful ways, you can be goddammed sure that advertising leeches will find a way to nestle their way in between them. Gotta get yer earnin' on.
(Good idea that, hadn't thought of the aftermarket at all. With all the ever-extremer gfx cards released, the bleeding-edge gamers obviously must off-load their now 'useless' cards to get the latest and greatest kits.) Cheers/jb
Actual reason for my post:
I'm shopping for a new system and got interested in your current setup. What's the make/model/rev. of your 9800Pro (me wanting some of that OC'ing goodness too:)? Any special cooling demands? And, given Nvidia's apparent upper hand WRT drivers on Linux, any experiences there - how does your card work on Linux? TIA.
I agree, if X is the goal - the fastest way to X should be taken. To quoth Hagakure:
When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. One's heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.
But simultaneously, one shouldn't neglect the actual process of developing Mono.
I.e., although three years creating a system on which to do X - when X is the (original, mind) goal - probably can be argued to be somewhat 'wasteful of dev. time', the act of creating Mono must have given the community a lot of new, deeper insights. They surely became better developers during (because of) the effort.
It did nothing for X during that time, but the goals might have shifted away from X even - because of insights gained during the creation of Mono. With new understanding, X might not look so good any longer, Y is what should be done instead. Now, Y requires the Duo stack so...;)
Very interesting (and complex) question. I've read some thought-provoking books on the subject, and seeing this interview and your post/question, it prompted me to re-read parts of some of them (thanks for 'ruining' my evening by the way - 2 hours ago I was going to sleep, now I'll be up for a few more hours studying...;).
I'm quoting (adding links if I find appropriate ones) the very good The Web of Life by Fritjof Capra. A great work, explaining and synthesising many theories found in other books (WoL's bibliography is probably responsible for a shelf's worth of my books), and converging on the central theme: what is life? Capra writes (author's emphasis unless stated otherwise):
[...] I shall use the term 'consciousness' to describe a level of mind, or cognition, that is characterized by self-awareness. Awareness of the environment, according to the
Santiago theory, is a property of cognition at all levels of life. Self-awareness, as far as we know, is manifest only in higher animals, and fully unfolds in the human mind. As humans, we are not only aware of our environment, we are also aware of ourselves and our inner world. In other words, we are aware that we are aware. [...]
Capra explains the concepts with great clarity (often more understandable than the orignal works). I've excerpted some interesting bits from the pages following the above passage:
In the Santiago Theory, self-awareness is viewed as being closely tied to language, and the understanding of language is approached through a careful analysis of communication. This approach to understanding consciousness has been pioneered by Humberto Maturana [Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living].
Communication, according to Humberto Maturana [The Tree of Knowledge]], is not a transmission of information, but rather a coordination of behaviour between living organisms through mutual structual coupling. [...]
Linguistic communication requires a nervous system of considerable complexity, because it involves quite a lot of complex learning. [...]
[But] [e]ven very intricate forms of linguistic communication, such as the so-called 'language' of bees, are not yet language. According to Maturana, language arises when there is communication about communication [...] a coordination of coordination of behaviour. [...]
In human language, a vast space is opened up in which words serve as tokens for the linguistic coordination of action and are also used to create the notion of objects. [...]
Objects, then, in Maturana's view, are linguistic distinctions of linguistic distinctions, and once we have objects we can create abstract concept [...] by making distinctions of distinctions of distinctions [e.g. the height of an treestump we use and refer to as a 'table', hidden from view, beneath a table cloth]. [...]
Our linguistic distinctions, moreover, are not isolated but exist 'in the network of couplings that we continually weave through [languaging].' [The Tree of Knowledge]] Meaning arises as pattern of relationships among these distinctions, and thus we exist in a 'semantic domain' created by our languaging. And finally, self-awareness arises when we use the notion of an object and the associated abstract concepts to describe ourselves. [my emphasis] Thus the linguistic domain of human beings expands further to include reflectoin and consciousness. [...]
Slashdot Mirror
Me too! (will get my 40GB iPod in a few days - got a great deal, but would prefer Ogg/etc. support...)
/jb
That's why we need more coders/testers hacking away at the iPodLinux, Podzilla, Ogg-support, etc.
Or even better, be active: Hop over to iPod Linux and join the hackers there - for OGG support (& more!) on the iPod. 'Tis beautiful, this open-source thing of ours *sniff*.
In a best-case scenario, that might happen.
...
...
But isn't the problem that if/when targeted advertising - if 'Real Ultimate Precision Advertising' (RUPA) is possible - it would simply become the new "entry-level"? (I.e. nolonger a competitive advantage; not an edge but a requirement.)
It immediately becomes the new status quo (as the "shotgun approach" is today), and every company looking to stand out - and they all want/have to - must now do RUPA plus X, and Y, and Z, and
And marketing people know, as well as we do in all honesty, that everybody responds to advertising - in one form or another. Perhaps today not so much to regular 'ads' (as in TV commercials, or ads in a magazine), but if not that, then to product placements, or celebrity spokespersons, or sponsorships, or viral marketing, or astroturfing-word-of-mouth campaigns, or
So my fear is, that we won't se less ads/marketing ploys, but more - only they will be targeted to our specific 'profiles'... Advertisers certainly have the will/need and budgets for it to happen.
(We don't have any IE-only stuff warranting the masquerade, but you're right.)
True, the stat. system we use - Nielsen/Netratings (more or less the standard for media sites at the moment) - doesn't seem to try very hard to probe the clients' true identity. It's basically a javascript asking the standard questions - navigator.userAgent, etc.
And as e.g. online banking has been a 'top activity' for several years in Sweden plus the possibility that they only accept IE 5+ (although my bank - one of the larger ones - ok's my RH9/Firefox), the numbers might be somewhat off. But I suspect it's not more than one or a few percent, though I don't know for sure. Hm, gonna have to look into that.
Perhaps they used the...
...calculation?
I also thought this sounded waaay cool, so I quick-searched for Tachi Labs that is doing the research. Good links on that page to further info, images, videos. And such a cool reference 'section' (bottom of that page):
/. reports on the Nausicaa jet, the Akira bike, and now this Cloaking thing (ok, so it's not really matching Kusanagi & crew's wicked cloaking tech in GITS, but still...) ...I don't know what to make of it, but I think it's pretty cool that they get inspiration for their R&D from somewhat 'unlikely' places - and really follow through on those quirky ideas.
"M. Shiro, Ghost in the Shell, Kodansya, 1991" (link added by me)
With earlier
Gotta respect that kind of curiosity and dedication.
Ah, +1 informative, thanks :) And cool, interesting reference in your current sig, certainly more coherent than my lame Magritte nod (the french equivalent was taken - obviously, and I was learning about 'being'/'not being' in Japanese at the time so..).
/.er's sig which was something like "Slashdot sigs, online Rorschach tests since 1997."
Without reading very much into it, I like the
Oh, damn. I have to admit that I've just started studying Japanese (why the "I like ham"-esque sig attempt :) ) - still struggling with kana and rudimentary kanji, and with the most basic grammar and vocabulary... Beautiful language though.
:)"? - well, truthfully that's just trying to piece together what altavista returned, so it's probably something completely different..)
:)
Sorry to say I have no idea what you asked me.. (something like "That's not a very good/intelligible sig, is it?
What your current sig means, I'm at a complete loss. Sounds good though, even with my abysmal pronounciation
Cheers,
JB
Hehe, sorry - yea, that was unclearly stated (not that I even checked which company developed this plastic boat ;) ).
:)
Never wrote so, but just assumed it was done similarly to SAAB developing fighter jet tech for the airforce. I was under the impression that most - all? - Swedish weapon systems of this magnitude were developed by companies on military contracts, i.e. financed with the defense budget. But perhaps FOA &c. undertake huge projects like this too(?)
Pardon for any errors/misconceptions. I should've explained straight away that I don't work (or have expertise) in the military tech sector, and that my post was "opinion and guesswork on account of being Swedish, and interested in technology"
Good points, thanks. (I don't expect an invasion any time soon either, but the thought of fully depending on someone else is really disagreable to me.)
And yes, I agree to having the Finns as cannon fodd... No but seriously, as I was replying in another post in this thread, our conduct in some real black&white situations - especially during WWII - has been shameful... I vividly recall becoming extremely embarrased (and enraged) in highschool, when learning about our servile attitude towards the Nazis.
We really played the "Neutral nation over here, no shooting please!" card to stay out of the conflict - and in the aftermath, with fully functioning industries etc., Sweden could capitalize and thrive to 'help' rebuild Europe. Same factories we - for a period - used to produce shells for Nazi weapons..
[sorry for the late post, been offline]
;). Actually I don't feel I know enough about the issue/NATO (wasn't it originally a united front against the Soviet Union and, as such, is now a solution looking for a problem?). Wouldn't developments toward a military alliance within the EU framework sort of make NATO obsolete for EU countries? That said, NATO exists and seems to be functioning, and I don't know enough about the issue to have an informed opinion (obviously doesn't stop me from ranting about it ;) ).
NATO? The obsolete cold-war relic NATO? Heck yea
What I do know, is that big power structures and enormous governing frameworks equals gargantuan bureaucracies (i.e. less democracy, accountability, &c.). And as such, I'm not too keen on neither NATO nor EU..
Yes, I understand that the "nation state" is a manufactured idea (good job dissing Sweden btw, couldn't've done it better myself - I agree that Sweden has historically behaved dishonorably, and WWII is a very disheartening chapter in Sweden's book). I'm certainly not a flag-waving "loving-my-country-come-hell-or-high-water" lunatic.
But, countries exist (as do e.g. NATO). Some - like me - even think they work ok enough (given the alternatives). Being small/agile enough frameworks (at least in the Scandinavian cases) to have mostly working accountability and a somewhat engaged democratic process, but large enough to be able (well, should be) to handle healthcare, education, and, to become slightly on-topic, defense.
With global/trans-national problems, the nation state framework won't cut it. But those are rare exeptions. Most things - I think - can be better handled on the micro-level (i.e. the scale of individual, group, family, neighborhood, and so forth) and the most resources should be put there.
I might've come across that all this was "simple", I didn't intend to. If it was simple, well, there wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
I agree in principle that (absolute) self-reliance is probably impossible. To me, self-reliance is an attitude. E.g. I don't agree with just stopping to do something and expect someone else to handle it for me (and I feel the same way on a national scale).
Giving up and handing over chunks of autonomy to a larger framework, I believe, should only be done with utmost scrutiny. It can swiftly lead to servitude, I don't want to be a servant. (Please note, I'm not saying that the opposite is your opinion, I'm just trying to expand on my simplified argument in my earlier post.)
Cheers,
JB
[sorry for the late post, been ironing shirts for friggin hours :/]
...tough call.. when there're no threat one might not see any need for it whatsoever, but in these turbulent times...
..might call it "readiness for whatever." There are really no guarantees for anything are there(?) "Better safe than sorry," and similar clichées have started to sound more and more ..realistic.
...well, there might be huge problems.
:) )]
Agreed, my country's pretty miniscule and self-reliance (in terms of military force) isn't feasible, i.e. if the s*** hits the fan we could never handle it alone.
And with ever-shrinking resources for the school system, public healthcare, &c., there are more pressing needs for the people. The military though
I am actually more-or-less a 'pacifist'. But a 'pacifist' that has, especially during the last decade with all that's happened globally, and possibly with age (turned 30 this year) become less against
But like you say, Russia's nolonger a threat (although that might change). And being part of an "EU army" might not be so bad either - at least we (probably) won't start any new major wars here in Europe. But if the big nations in the EU decide on some course of action that we as a small, fringe member don't agree on
[The aircrafts were/are "Draken" (The Dragon), "Viggen" ('aring'skvigg = thunderbolt so The Thunderbolt), and "Gripen" (The Griffin). And yea, for such a small country, those are pretty cool (if somewhat in the 'delusions of grandeur' zone) machines/systems/accomplishments. We also had the jetcraft "Lansen" (The Lance) and "Tunnan" (The Barrel - my absolute favorite, a butt-ugly small 'hunter' jet - just look at that craft!
I know it's a joke, so yes, except Sweden doesn't have "nukes".
Actually (I'm Swedish) we don't have much of an army, airforce, or navy, at all anymore..
Not that I personally agree to spending the kind of money you do in the US, but the military situation is pretty pathetic in Sweden (although it's been a few hundred years since we were a military power by any standard).
We can't defend our borders at all, and we probably can't wage an effective (defensive/guerilla) war on Swedish soil either (no militia to speak of, laws against owning weapons other than for hunting, etc.).
The cuts in the military budget has been brutal, to the point I was kind of amazed that they've been able to develop this stealth vessel at all (with what money - the entire navy budget?!?).
Without much debate, politicians have been working overtime to convert (reduce) our own military to a few special units (like this stealth corvette thing) - perhaps to be used in some large EU military force.. (Not that I know enough about it to say whether 'tis a 'Good Thing', but I've always considered self-reliance to be important, so.. I guess I think it sucks bigtime.)
Yes, dakan, you are also - in addition to learning how to levitate - going to live forever.
Interesting. Any links to the interwiew (now that we've put my 'tragedy-of-the-common-plugs' rant/spectacle behind us ;) )?
Along those lines, whatcha think of No Maps For These Territories - pretty good docu/interview with Mr. Gibson, huh? Fascinating author, great zeitgeist, even greater/unique style of writing.
And way OT: as you obviously know more about Gibson than me, any ideas on what he's writing now?
...ouch. I could try and spin this but ...You got me, dude. Not that I was aware of it (I honestly wasn't plugging his book, as much as pointing to a URL resource for reference); but how sad - I was totally blind to what I was doing.
Gibson is one of my fav. sci-fi authors, but yes.. the link was unnecessary, when trying to discuss/illustrate the idea of how advertising and marketing replace/transform human interaction with their own agendas. Oh man, does that sentence get an even more sinister meaning for me personally..
Good call Sir, thanks for pointing it out. Goes to show how ingrained this stuff is, in this case, in my mind. If I had a deeper understanding of the issues and their effects (on me, for one), I wouldn't've been that blind to how I conveyed my thoughts.
Alas (as I loathe this type of marketing-created 'reality' shit), perhaps with close to no budget.
With the ever-growing number of media wannabe's itching for attention out there and in search of a "platform".. they might pay/hustle to get on a 'show' like this.
As if inane, trite blogs/boards/et al., weren't enough - now we're going to get hordes of semi-produced/casted business versions...
I spent all of 5 minutes browsing the spot, and it was blatantly obvoius that most "post" we're little more than product placements. "Amanda" "hears" about how [swedish retailer of semi-disposable furniture]'s got some great(!) stuff - going there now!! The "Kai" character takes up surfing - i.e. goes to a named and praised surf shop (link+logo included of course), the guys at shop X we're awesome!!
So, this is apparantly business' take du jour, on the latest mainstream trends online - we get the likes of the spot and the subservient-chicken. Viral marketing ey? Well, let's start spraying some virus-killing poison then.
I'm so reminded of the ad agency in Gibson's Pattern Recognition it's not even funny.
Wherever and whenever real people try (and do) find each other in - to them - meaningful ways, you can be goddammed sure that advertising leeches will find a way to nestle their way in between them. Gotta get yer earnin' on.
Great, thanks for the info & pointers.
/jb
(Good idea that, hadn't thought of the aftermarket at all. With all the ever-extremer gfx cards released, the bleeding-edge gamers obviously must off-load their now 'useless' cards to get the latest and greatest kits.) Cheers
Good explanation, thanks.
:)? Any special cooling demands? And, given Nvidia's apparent upper hand WRT drivers on Linux, any experiences there - how does your card work on Linux? TIA.
Actual reason for my post:
I'm shopping for a new system and got interested in your current setup. What's the make/model/rev. of your 9800Pro (me wanting some of that OC'ing goodness too
I don't think this is an issue of technology as much as it is an issue of students needing to pay attention to their damn teachers.
I.e., although three years creating a system on which to do X - when X is the (original, mind) goal - probably can be argued to be somewhat 'wasteful of dev. time', the act of creating Mono must have given the community a lot of new, deeper insights. They surely became better developers during (because of) the effort.
It did nothing for X during that time, but the goals might have shifted away from X even - because of insights gained during the creation of Mono. With new understanding, X might not look so good any longer, Y is what should be done instead. Now, Y requires the Duo stack so ... ;)
Very interesting (and complex) question. I've read some thought-provoking books on the subject, and seeing this interview and your post/question, it prompted me to re-read parts of some of them (thanks for 'ruining' my evening by the way - 2 hours ago I was going to sleep, now I'll be up for a few more hours studying...;).
I'm quoting (adding links if I find appropriate ones) the very good The Web of Life by Fritjof Capra. A great work, explaining and synthesising many theories found in other books (WoL's bibliography is probably responsible for a shelf's worth of my books), and converging on the central theme: what is life? Capra writes (author's emphasis unless stated otherwise):
Capra explains the concepts with great clarity (often more understandable than the orignal works). I've excerpted some interesting bits from the pages following the above passage:
Obviously, Not the best example you could've given: