I work for an online retailer here in the state of Washington. Recently, our state passed a law forcing all state business to collect sales tax based off local jurisdiction, instead of our home jurisdiction. They then allowed only two companies to actually handle all that info, with whom you are required to deal with in order to collect the proper amounts. Needless to say, the complexity involved was not fun. Not to mention the thousands of dollars it costs to deal with the "government approved" sales tax info vendors.
Having this kind of thing go nationwide makes me quake with fear.
I don't have a problem paying sales tax either. It's just the principle that my money should be taxed by my home state no matter where I spend it. We pay a gas tax for road repair. That makes perfect sense. We pay a sales tax for services that our government provides. Fair enough, except why should we pay taxes on items not purchased in our home state?
From the FA:
"California residents, for instance, are now burdened with a sales and use tax of at least 8.25 percent. State law is strict: if Californians travel to a state with a 5 percent tax and shop there, the law requires them to cough up the 3.25 percent difference when they return. Online purchases are taxed as well."
This kind of thing really bothers me. It's as if all our money, wherever we spend it, belongs to our home state. I'm sure not many people actually "cough up" the difference, but just the principle of it really burns me up.
Re:Steam pricing is the weak point
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The Age of Steam
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· Score: 1
Apart from pricing it's a nice platform
I agree 100% with you here, which is why I wait for the weekend sale! (Left 4 Dead was 50% off a couple weeks ago)
I'm actually teaching a high school class on the basics of programming using Javascript for that same reason. I chose that language because their network is so tied down with restrictions, we never would've gotten the network admin to allow us to install a compiler, let alone an IDE.
This has been going on for a long long time. It's called focus testing. If you play through Half Life 2 or any other Valve game that features commentary, you'll often hear how they changed things based on user suggestions/feedback (amongst other things).
For my first programming class, the instructor based his curriculm off 5 concepts common in all (ok, most) programming languages.
1. Input/Output
2. Saving Information (variables)
3. Arithmetic and Boolean logic
4. Selection Structures
5. Looping Structures
He hammered these concepts into us, even making us memorize the list (I wrote it up from memory).
While it isn't perfect (and not entire accurate), it is very effective in teaching a laymen the basic beginnings of programming. Allowing them to decipher bits and pieces of code, in just about any language, that was once foreign to them. I have found it to be quite effective for beginners.
We use the Openfire server (www.igniterealtime.org) with the Spark client over several offices in different states and over 3 different platforms. SSL is available as well (which we use).
So far no problems beyond user error. I'd recommend it.
I agree completely actually. My own experience was fighting with all my "old friends" I had encountered in Oblivion, charging forward into the last battle.
We won, and I received the special Imperial armor. Fame, fortune etc etc... only to not be treated any different by the shop keepers or highway men on the road. It was very disappointing, and it really takes you out of the world you're supposed to be immersed in.
And invisibility will help you against a giant wave? I wasn't aware that Tsunamis basically hunted those vulnerable islands and coastlines down for large scale destruction.
Reminds me of Al from the second season of the Mole. He has to stay in a room all night, on a bed with no mattress, while Tiny Bubbles played over and over again.
But then, for 5 grand a month? I would do it in a heartbeat
I want to start doing, but I work in an office where they'd care if I came to work sweaty and stinky. What's the solution to this?
Unfortunately a change of clothes and lots of Old Spice are the only answer if you live a good distance from your work place.
My plan involves driving to work, then biking home. The next day I bike to work, and drive home. My commute is about 35 miles one way, so riding my bike both ways is rather out of the question.
I think the main problem would be bugs with this thing. Imagine your helmet, as well as other parts of your body looking like the front of your car. It isn't pretty and its hell to wash off.
So what was the Inquisition then? If thats not coercian of the worst kind I don't know what is. And it was a part of the roman catholic church - a supposed religion. The Inquisition happened several hundred years ago, while Scientology and their practices are alive and well today. That is quite a large difference in relevance.
This is the nice thing about living in a town no one cares about/knows about. Don't feel too safe there. I live in a really small town myself, and we had the Google car drive on through it. Beware!!
...and of course GeoTrust is now owned by Verisign. Actually that is why we tried Comodo in the first place, in not wanting to fill the pockets of Verisign. Unfortunately it didn't work out.
How do you support a cert? They're pretty much set once delivered. Typically that is true. However when we tried an EV-SSL chained certificate, it wouldn't recognize the trust chain and caused all sorts of problems. We tried dealing with the support people, but they were very unhelpful and would only deal with us over email. Since they appeared to be in the UK (and we in the US), it was very frustrating in dealing with them. In the end we gave up and went back to a root certificate.
Slashdot Mirror
I work for an online retailer here in the state of Washington. Recently, our state passed a law forcing all state business to collect sales tax based off local jurisdiction, instead of our home jurisdiction. They then allowed only two companies to actually handle all that info, with whom you are required to deal with in order to collect the proper amounts. Needless to say, the complexity involved was not fun. Not to mention the thousands of dollars it costs to deal with the "government approved" sales tax info vendors.
Having this kind of thing go nationwide makes me quake with fear.
I don't have a problem paying sales tax either. It's just the principle that my money should be taxed by my home state no matter where I spend it. We pay a gas tax for road repair. That makes perfect sense. We pay a sales tax for services that our government provides. Fair enough, except why should we pay taxes on items not purchased in our home state?
From the FA:
"California residents, for instance, are now burdened with a sales and use tax of at least 8.25 percent. State law is strict: if Californians travel to a state with a 5 percent tax and shop there, the law requires them to cough up the 3.25 percent difference when they return. Online purchases are taxed as well."
This kind of thing really bothers me. It's as if all our money, wherever we spend it, belongs to our home state. I'm sure not many people actually "cough up" the difference, but just the principle of it really burns me up.
Apart from pricing it's a nice platform
I agree 100% with you here, which is why I wait for the weekend sale! (Left 4 Dead was 50% off a couple weeks ago)
I'm actually teaching a high school class on the basics of programming using Javascript for that same reason. I chose that language because their network is so tied down with restrictions, we never would've gotten the network admin to allow us to install a compiler, let alone an IDE.
Though ironically, Thomas Jefferson was deeply in debt when he passed away. Still, great quote.
Exactly what I was going to say!
And I was about to suggest putting "Also sprach Zarathustra" to the video, but perhaps that would make matters worse.
This has been going on for a long long time. It's called focus testing. If you play through Half Life 2 or any other Valve game that features commentary, you'll often hear how they changed things based on user suggestions/feedback (amongst other things).
Why not! Babies are already used as cheap alternatives to turkey at Christmas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_and_Senility)
For my first programming class, the instructor based his curriculm off 5 concepts common in all (ok, most) programming languages.
1. Input/Output
2. Saving Information (variables)
3. Arithmetic and Boolean logic
4. Selection Structures
5. Looping Structures
He hammered these concepts into us, even making us memorize the list (I wrote it up from memory).
While it isn't perfect (and not entire accurate), it is very effective in teaching a laymen the basic beginnings of programming. Allowing them to decipher bits and pieces of code, in just about any language, that was once foreign to them. I have found it to be quite effective for beginners.
We use the Openfire server (www.igniterealtime.org) with the Spark client over several offices in different states and over 3 different platforms. SSL is available as well (which we use).
So far no problems beyond user error. I'd recommend it.
I agree completely actually. My own experience was fighting with all my "old friends" I had encountered in Oblivion, charging forward into the last battle.
We won, and I received the special Imperial armor. Fame, fortune etc etc... only to not be treated any different by the shop keepers or highway men on the road. It was very disappointing, and it really takes you out of the world you're supposed to be immersed in.
Cake, perfect sign of progression
And invisibility will help you against a giant wave? I wasn't aware that Tsunamis basically hunted those vulnerable islands and coastlines down for large scale destruction.
Didn't I see this movie? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/
Reminds me of Al from the second season of the Mole. He has to stay in a room all night, on a bed with no mattress, while Tiny Bubbles played over and over again.
But then, for 5 grand a month? I would do it in a heartbeat
I want to start doing, but I work in an office where they'd care if I came to work sweaty and stinky. What's the solution to this?
Unfortunately a change of clothes and lots of Old Spice are the only answer if you live a good distance from your work place.
My plan involves driving to work, then biking home. The next day I bike to work, and drive home. My commute is about 35 miles one way, so riding my bike both ways is rather out of the question.
Btw, is Smashing Pumpkins doing the soundtrack or is that just for the trailer?
Probably just the trailer... unfortunately
Douglas Adams would agree
I think the main problem would be bugs with this thing. Imagine your helmet, as well as other parts of your body looking like the front of your car. It isn't pretty and its hell to wash off.
...and of course GeoTrust is now owned by Verisign. Actually that is why we tried Comodo in the first place, in not wanting to fill the pockets of Verisign. Unfortunately it didn't work out.