"I often [hear] friends and colle[a]gues disgusted by the Internet, or simply bored by it."
If I had friends and colleagues as unimaginative as that, I think I'd be looking for new ones.
I'm 63 years old, have been using computers ever since I could afford a Radio Shack TRS-100 or whatever it was called; have been using the Internet daily since 1997 (OK, I was a little late-adapting there...), and am consistently peeved at friends younger than me who adopt an anti-technology stance or refuse to open their minds enough to make use of what is still, despite galloping commercialization, one of the miracles of civilization.
I'm not sure 60 is really "elderly" anymore, but will not quibble. I know it seems elderly to a lot of Slashdot users!:-)
"Granted companies would have to agree to some remote standard language,..."
As long as Microsoft assumes exclusive rights, there should be no problem.
I agree with this writer.
What really bothers me is that people who aren't ready for Linux have not got the choice of a halfway ethical solution to their problem. It's basically either use-Microsoft-or-use-nothing. And for me it's not ethically permissible to use Microsoft any longer.
I have a terrible time with Linux but I will stick with it (till it's suppressed??) regardless, because it's the only ethical choice for me.
By the way, if there's a single decent word processor in existence, it's escaped my radar. The last pretty-good one I used was Microsoft Word 6.
"I think the answer is simple for dealing with crap like this as a consumer, stop supporting major record labels period. There is a plethora of music out there on small labels, or even DIY labels. Even better, use that $18 you were going to spend on the latest bit of top 40 crap and go see some live music."
I agree. I attend dozens of live concerts every year and buy maybe two or three CD's during that same year. I also don't make "illegal" copies, though with the asinine greed-driven punative ethos of the RIAA egging me on, I am tempted to start doing it. I don't believe for one minute that "piracy" is causing the RIAA's alleged woes. It's the $18 price tag for a dollar CD that's doing it. Furthermore, I also believe Richard Stallman's "information sharing" is a much nicer term than "piracy."
Good for you, Catbeller! I couldn't have said it nearly as well myself, so thanks.
I suspect the person who obviously thinks rights are granted to us underlings by the rich, is a member of the RIAA.
"Do these people exist?" I think not: they're virtual people.
My mouse wheel is so incredibly well-behaved these days I'm afraid to change any settings anywhere for fear it will go crazy again. It just moves one line at a time and it will move one line at a time really fast if I want it to, and it's really easy to move... So I'm afraid to get anything like Mozilla 1.3 for fear things will go haywire again.
In the history of trade unions we see a noble socialist goal despoiled perhaps irredeemably by the basest of capitalist motives. It's a crying shame. This will also, apparently, be the history of the Internet.
Hear, hear. there are intelligent people who can benefit from use of a computer but have only x number of years of life to pursue interests which may not include learning to be a programming whiz. there are other interests out there and many good reasons to push for easy-to-use distributions.
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"I often [hear] friends and colle[a]gues disgusted by the Internet, or simply bored by it." If I had friends and colleagues as unimaginative as that, I think I'd be looking for new ones.
I'm 63 years old, have been using computers ever since I could afford a Radio Shack TRS-100 or whatever it was called; have been using the Internet daily since 1997 (OK, I was a little late-adapting there...), and am consistently peeved at friends younger than me who adopt an anti-technology stance or refuse to open their minds enough to make use of what is still, despite galloping commercialization, one of the miracles of civilization. I'm not sure 60 is really "elderly" anymore, but will not quibble. I know it seems elderly to a lot of Slashdot users! :-)
Sadly, it appears the majority of U. S. Americans would think this a reasonable suggestion.
"Granted companies would have to agree to some remote standard language,..." As long as Microsoft assumes exclusive rights, there should be no problem.
I agree with this writer. What really bothers me is that people who aren't ready for Linux have not got the choice of a halfway ethical solution to their problem. It's basically either use-Microsoft-or-use-nothing. And for me it's not ethically permissible to use Microsoft any longer. I have a terrible time with Linux but I will stick with it (till it's suppressed??) regardless, because it's the only ethical choice for me. By the way, if there's a single decent word processor in existence, it's escaped my radar. The last pretty-good one I used was Microsoft Word 6.
"I think the answer is simple for dealing with crap like this as a consumer, stop supporting major record labels period. There is a plethora of music out there on small labels, or even DIY labels. Even better, use that $18 you were going to spend on the latest bit of top 40 crap and go see some live music." I agree. I attend dozens of live concerts every year and buy maybe two or three CD's during that same year. I also don't make "illegal" copies, though with the asinine greed-driven punative ethos of the RIAA egging me on, I am tempted to start doing it. I don't believe for one minute that "piracy" is causing the RIAA's alleged woes. It's the $18 price tag for a dollar CD that's doing it. Furthermore, I also believe Richard Stallman's "information sharing" is a much nicer term than "piracy."
How about "Horny Toad"?
Good for you, Catbeller! I couldn't have said it nearly as well myself, so thanks. I suspect the person who obviously thinks rights are granted to us underlings by the rich, is a member of the RIAA.
"Do these people exist?" I think not: they're virtual people. My mouse wheel is so incredibly well-behaved these days I'm afraid to change any settings anywhere for fear it will go crazy again. It just moves one line at a time and it will move one line at a time really fast if I want it to, and it's really easy to move... So I'm afraid to get anything like Mozilla 1.3 for fear things will go haywire again.
In the history of trade unions we see a noble socialist goal despoiled perhaps irredeemably by the basest of capitalist motives. It's a crying shame. This will also, apparently, be the history of the Internet.
I applied for the million dollars, but received "Permission denied." Damned permissions again. It almost always comes down to that...
Hear, hear. there are intelligent people who can benefit from use of a computer but have only x number of years of life to pursue interests which may not include learning to be a programming whiz. there are other interests out there and many good reasons to push for easy-to-use distributions.