And remember, switching from credit to terms with 5% discount really doesn't require a lot of "clout"... the merchant isn't really doing anything except giving the money they would have paid visa back to you instead. It doesn't affect their bottom line at all,
no, it reduces the selling merchant's profits by 5% of the total sales price when compared to pocketing it. Unless of course the 5% is a dealbreaker to the purchaser.
A small company moving 2000 100$ items per month. Reducing cost on those items by 4% is $4 per item...is $2000/mo enough enough to cover an employee... or lease the owner a Porsche 911...whatever. :
$4 x 2000 items per month is $8000/mo, not $2000. Which will either buy you a darned good employee, or a darned useless one. Or a couple more average ones. But what business owner these days would hire more staff when they can get a "productivity" increase by getting the same amount of work for less cost?
So if I don't use my cash-back card and pay cash, the merchant pockets the 5% price increase as profit. If I use the card, he gives the 5% to the credit card company who gives me 1%, a net discount over the prices cash-users pay. If the improbable happened, and all credit-card users everywhere boycotted, the credit-card companies would lose the income, but the merchants would have no incentive to cut the prices. Up until very recently, we were all still paying a fee on our phone bill to support the *Spanish-American War*. And it took an Act of Congress to get that stopped.
Yes, negotiating terms is smarter but few small businessmen have the economic clout (volume) to force suppliers to negotiate substantial price differences. And many small businesspeople do shop at walmart, specifically because walmart's sales volume essentially enables them to negotiate lower prices on walmart-shoppers behalf.
Don't be ridiculous, the Ancients had much more powerful weapons than mere nukes thanks to their mastery of Zero Point Module technology. We know this because we've seen Goa'uld mothership shields take Naquita-boosted nukes with no damage, while Ancient drones cut right through them like butter.
Any society that can create artificial stable wormholes can do much better than nuclear weapons.
I played XCom:UFO to death on a Mac Clone with a PowerPC 601 110Mhz chip using Virtual PC. Was a little slow, but for turn-based strategy that doesn't really matter. And yes, I agree XCOM is deservedly one of the top 10 games of all time.
People need to understand that the computer is telling them something about its state every second. They need to understand that icons are not actually files and can just as easily be inaccurate as accurate about the content of the file. They need to understand the concept of a tree directory structure and that the location of items within that structure is important, persistent, and doesn't change at a whim unless they changed it. They need to understand the difference between single and double-clicking and that doing one when they should the other will have unintended results. Also, that stray clicks can matter. They need to understand that using computers properly demands precision of action, knowledge and observation that is not usually demanded in normal human interactions. Everything they do matters, and if it's not precisely right then the computer will not behave as intended.
It would also be useful for them to understand the concept of networking. Not the details, just the fact that wired networks must be connected at all junctions, wireless networks require working transceivers and antennas on both ends, and that files on a fileserver actually exist on that server despite the fact that one can view them and use them from the computer on their desk while the network is working.
They need to understand that computers are a technology that is new, constantly changing, experimental and incomplete. That computer technology does not have the same polish and reliability as telephones, refrigerators and automobiles that have spent a hundred years getting to their current level of reliability. They need to understand that their computer and hard drive will absolutely fail, probably at the worst possible time, and that computer data is basically fragile and evanescent. This leads into the necessity of knowing the importance, strategies and mechanics of backing up. And actually doing it.
One more useful thing for end users to know would be that power outages, surges and brownouts can damage their computer and that a UPS is helpful in preventing data loss.
And finally, as a technician myself, they need to understand how frustrating it is to watch users who do not or will not learn repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot with their computers when they would be better off and much happier using a legal pad.
Your DM is inept. Sack him.. We've been gaming for a couple of months with 3.5 rev rules. Started at 3rd and got to 6th level by now. In between, we've rescued hostages, fought goblins, ogres, hill giants, pteranadons and a bunch of giant bugs, acquired a pet Dire Weasel, met an angel, discovered ancient temples with powerful secrets, accidentally found ourselves on the wrong side of the planet, and are currently preparing to defend an abandoned but strategic dwarven city from a half-demon and his band of duergar. Fun times!
Aha, I suspected as much. We disagree on the concept of value. You seem to believe in relative value, aka, if someone is willing to part with their money for something, then it has value, if only to that person. By this definition Pet Rocks have value because some people are stupid enough to purchase a generic rock in a box. Swords +5 in the online roleplaying game of your choice have value, because fools are willing to pay large sums for them on ebay. I believe in absolute value, which is a function of a) the reality of the object (is it real, does it exist only in the fevered imagination of true believers, or is it composed of bits?), b) The amount of work put into that object, c) the quality of an object, either via the physical materials it is composed of, or the fitness for a particular use and possibly d) Supply and demand factors surrounding that object. A combination of these factors determines actual value in my worldview. Our difference of opinion is apparently a common argument between classical and neoclassical economists, at least according to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value article in wikipedia. Since neoclassical economists assert that value is only the price an item would fetch, then people could not be ripped off from that viewpoint if entering into a legitimate purchase in a non-coerced fashion. However, believers in absolute value, innate worth, or "natural prices", to use Adam Smith's phrase, know that people can and do get ripped off frequently because they are paying far more than something is actually worth. This is often due to information asymmetries between the buyer and the seller. Our stock market is based on this concept.
In response to your specific questions: The movie industry does create something of value, unique arrangements of bits. These creations are labor intensive, and prior to reproduction, singular in all the world. Some of them are even composed of quality writing, acting, visual effects or music. However, not all movies are created equal and it's quite possible for a moviegoer to be cheated out of his 8 bucks because he is unaware that the movie he is going to will suck. The studio may be quite aware, and merely foists the steaming pile on the public to recoup their expenditures.
By the same token, artists and writers can and do sometimes create absolute value. Often, they don't and the product is sold anyway. That's what I was getting at with the perception of value versus actual value. Perceived value will get someone to buy. Actual value gives the purchaser something worthwhile in return.
I disagree that lawyers add value by making people follow agreements. At most, making people follow agreements can prevent or ameliorate losses due to noncooperative individual action. No new value is created through enforcement that voluntary cooperation wouldn't create. That assumes that the agreements being enforced are not deleterious to one or more parties in the first place. It's entirely possible to have agreements that screw both parties. Look at the AOL/TW merger as an example, and their resultant 100 billion dollar restatement of earnings.
If he generated business for other people, then he *received* something of actual value, money, but did not create it. At most, an ad on his page is a pointer to an actual business which may or may not create something of value. Gambling for instance is a business which creates nothing. It merely redistributes wealth in interesting ways. As do trial lawyers. Slicing up the pie in different ways is not the same thing at all as baking more pies, and what this gentleman did was invented a new way to slice up the pie.
>A year from now, this site wont exist, but the kid is set for life. Why? He didn't demonstrate a knack for business or marketing or anything like that, much less a unique talent.
Oh, I seriously disagree. This guy figured out a way to sell something that there's an infinite supply of, pixels, for lots of money, *and* to get people talking about him doing it. If that's not a knack for marketing, I don't know what is. Marketing is demand creation, pure and simple.
Did he create something of actual value? No, of course not. Did he create the perception of value? Definitely, for people who purchased his "wares". And creating the perception of value is the most valuable thing of all in today's "service economy".
Not sure, but I think I once heard that the government had something to do with the development of the internet. Or the maintenance of root dns servers. Or something like that. Who knows, they may even be able to regulate telecommunications....
Sorry, no. Previous Presidents ordered the NSA not to spy on Americans because they took an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constititution" Presumably that includes obeying it, since the Office of the Presidency only has power by virtue of it. The 4th Amendment states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated"
A person's communications are his effects, even if they are not papers. Paper was the only external data recording and transmission medium available to the Founders. They would surely have included electronic communications today.
Humans are special because they are the only animal that both has the capacity for rigorous, logical, evidentiary, empirical thought and rejects using that capacity by babbling about nonprovable concepts in preference to it. No other organism is known to do this.
Presumably the danger is that we might contaminate mice with our religiosity if we make them too human. And then people might look silly for believing the same things that mice do.
You're missing something. In OS 10.4 Tiger, Select your hard drive in the Finder window. Go to the Finder menu. Select Preferences. Select Advanced. Check mark the box that says 'Show All file Extensions'.
I suspect most Mac users don't complain about the hiding of file extensions because they are unaware that Mac files have extensions. And those who are aware, have already applied the appropriate preferences change to their OS.
Excuse me, spin? I was there when they redistricted Texas. I testified against it at the public hearings. They took existing districts that were massively opposed to being redistricted and essentially assigned them new representatives. The public comment at the hearings was 97% opposed. They had to schedule extra public hearings because there was so much outcry against it. The sponsor of the act, Phil King openly, admitted at the hearings that the only purpose of the redistricting was to generate more Republican representatives than they had been able to generate via the election. I was rather shocked by his forthrightness and had to give him credit for that at least, but clearly he had no compunctions or fears about overriding the will of the people as demonstrated by the election and the public hearings. Not one of the members of the redistricting committee were from anywhere near Travis County, yet they got to slice up Austin and the surrounding county into 5 separate "Perrymanders".
That sickness that you feel is not motion sickness but a sick feeling at the disregard for the democratic process. At least I would hope so. Real conservatives believe in the power of local control and the right of the voter to select their representatives, not the representatives to select their voters.
Absolutely. Sailors do this too. You practice all the time, raising, furling and dowsing sail, tacking, jibing, avoiding lobster pots, docking, navigating, Man-overboard drills, and what-not so that in an emergency when time is of the essence, you don't need to think "Now what do I do?" you just act. When the captain yells 'Get that sail down now!!!" you want to be on deck and reaching for the right halyard without a second thought, because there's generally a very good reason, like a rapidly advancing storm front or sudden gust of wind. Practicing until all actions are routine makes boating safer. And a well-drilled crew is much more fun to sail with.
His sentence isn't exactly meaningless, though I think it doesn't mean what he intended. I dissect it as follows
When (x)
x= the US stops behaving like some pants-shitting infant who drools a lot
and (y)
y= actually thinks very visibly mentally challenged rich-men's sons like Dubya, Prince of Fucktards
[here he is saying that the US should actually believe that "very visibly mentally challenged rich-men's sons" hold Dubya, Prince of Fucktards, in high regard. "Like" being a transitive verb and not a simile in this case.]
Then (z) z= the bashing will stop.
Isn't grammar fun?
Even so, you're probably right that inserting 'badly of' after 'thinks' would make it closer to the intended meaning.
What do you mean? I was listening to WWV at 10 Mhz last Sunday. "At the tone, the time wil be 23 hours, three minutes, Coordinated Universal Time Beeee-booooop, tick, tick, tick, tick" I was using it to test an el-cheapo JWIN Shortwave radio, and the reception was poor, but audible.
Re:Maybe an OSS future isn't that bright afterall
on
Nessus Closes Source
·
· Score: 1
This is an interesting point. If OSS, created by volunteers, is as high or higher quality than corresponding proprietary software created by paid full-time employees, then isn't the company that is paying for the creation of source-code for its own exclusive use getting ripped off by its own employees? The day that professionals can't compete effectively with volunteers is the day that those professionals should pack it in and go home, because they aren't providing value to the company. Either being a "professional" has no meaning any more when compared to "amateur", or the massive inefficiencies created by hierarchical organizations and corporate BS destroy any advantages they may have had over amateurs in a flatter meritocracy.
We borrow boatloads of money from it and then buy lots of stuff using that money. If the US disappeared tomorrow, the world economy would crater because we owe everybody money. According to the Bureau of the Public Debt, we've paid $335,528,344,667.72 in interest payments alone on the national debt this last fiscal year. Yes, that's 335 Billion Dollars! I think the interest on the debt has cost more than the Iraq war so far.
Add to those interest payments our 500 billion a year trade deficit and that's a major hit to the world's economy.
Daily crashes and hangups? Jeez dude, I'd test your ram, your hard drive, or reinstall your OS. I use a web browser about 12 hours a day, leave the computer and app up for months at a time without a reboot, and keep 15 or more browser windows open at once. I get a crash of the browser maybe once a week. Of course, my primary OS is OS X, but even on my Windows box Firefox doesn't suck as much as you describe. I think this may bea case of Your Mileage May Vary.
Interesting idea. Rather than trying to predict the future, why not have a longterm reward horizon instead? Iff the employee proves to have used their budget cleverly and efficently over the last 5 years, they get a reward. Or even 2 years? As you said the problem is that the timeframe is too short, ie quarterly. Rewarding people on the basis of performance, radical, I know.
Slashdot Mirror
no, it reduces the selling merchant's profits by 5% of the total sales price when compared to pocketing it. Unless of course the 5% is a dealbreaker to the purchaser.
$4 x 2000 items per month is $8000/mo, not $2000. Which will either buy you a darned good employee, or a darned useless one. Or a couple more average ones. But what business owner these days would hire more staff when they can get a "productivity" increase by getting the same amount of work for less cost?
So if I don't use my cash-back card and pay cash, the merchant pockets the 5% price increase as profit. If I use the card, he gives the 5% to the credit card company who gives me 1%, a net discount over the prices cash-users pay. If the improbable happened, and all credit-card users everywhere boycotted, the credit-card companies would lose the income, but the merchants would have no incentive to cut the prices. Up until very recently, we were all still paying a fee on our phone bill to support the *Spanish-American War*. And it took an Act of Congress to get that stopped.
Yes, negotiating terms is smarter but few small businessmen have the economic clout (volume) to force suppliers to negotiate substantial price differences. And many small businesspeople do shop at walmart, specifically because walmart's sales volume essentially enables them to negotiate lower prices on walmart-shoppers behalf.
Don't be ridiculous, the Ancients had much more powerful weapons than mere nukes thanks to their mastery of Zero Point Module technology. We know this because we've seen Goa'uld mothership shields take Naquita-boosted nukes with no damage, while Ancient drones cut right through them like butter.
Any society that can create artificial stable wormholes can do much better than nuclear weapons.
=p
http://www.spss.com/spss_mac/
I played XCom:UFO to death on a Mac Clone with a PowerPC 601 110Mhz chip using Virtual PC. Was a little slow, but for turn-based strategy that doesn't really matter. And yes, I agree XCOM is deservedly one of the top 10 games of all time.
I did. Unfortunately social scientists have now appropriated the name psychohistory to mean something completely different. Try googling it. blah
People need to understand that the computer is telling them something about its state every second. They need to understand that icons are not actually files and can just as easily be inaccurate as accurate about the content of the file. They need to understand the concept of a tree directory structure and that the location of items within that structure is important, persistent, and doesn't change at a whim unless they changed it. They need to understand the difference between single and double-clicking and that doing one when they should the other will have unintended results. Also, that stray clicks can matter.
They need to understand that using computers properly demands precision of action, knowledge and observation that is not usually demanded in normal human interactions. Everything they do matters, and if it's not precisely right then the computer will not behave as intended.
It would also be useful for them to understand the concept of networking. Not the details, just the fact that wired networks must be connected at all junctions, wireless networks require working transceivers and antennas on both ends, and that files on a fileserver actually exist on that server despite the fact that one can view them and use them from the computer on their desk while the network is working.
They need to understand that computers are a technology that is new, constantly changing, experimental and incomplete. That computer technology does not have the same polish and reliability as telephones, refrigerators and automobiles that have spent a hundred years getting to their current level of reliability. They need to understand that their computer and hard drive will absolutely fail, probably at the worst possible time, and that computer data is basically fragile and evanescent. This leads into the necessity of knowing the importance, strategies and mechanics of backing up. And actually doing it.
One more useful thing for end users to know would be that power outages, surges and brownouts can damage their computer and that a UPS is helpful in preventing data loss.
And finally, as a technician myself, they need to understand how frustrating it is to watch users who do not or will not learn repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot with their computers when they would be better off and much happier using a legal pad.
Your DM is inept. Sack him.. We've been gaming for a couple of months with 3.5 rev rules. Started at 3rd and got to 6th level by now. In between, we've rescued hostages, fought goblins, ogres, hill giants, pteranadons and a bunch of giant bugs, acquired a pet Dire Weasel, met an angel, discovered ancient temples with powerful secrets, accidentally found ourselves on the wrong side of the planet, and are currently preparing to defend an abandoned but strategic dwarven city from a half-demon and his band of duergar. Fun times!
Aha, I suspected as much. We disagree on the concept of value. You seem to believe in relative value, aka, if someone is willing to part with their money for something, then it has value, if only to that person. By this definition Pet Rocks have value because some people are stupid enough to purchase a generic rock in a box. Swords +5 in the online roleplaying game of your choice have value, because fools are willing to pay large sums for them on ebay. I believe in absolute value, which is a function of a) the reality of the object (is it real, does it exist only in the fevered imagination of true believers, or is it composed of bits?), b) The amount of work put into that object, c) the quality of an object, either via the physical materials it is composed of, or the fitness for a particular use and possibly d) Supply and demand factors surrounding that object. A combination of these factors determines actual value in my worldview. Our difference of opinion is apparently a common argument between classical and neoclassical economists, at least according to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value article in wikipedia. Since neoclassical economists assert that value is only the price an item would fetch, then people could not be ripped off from that viewpoint if entering into a legitimate purchase in a non-coerced fashion. However, believers in absolute value, innate worth, or "natural prices", to use Adam Smith's phrase, know that people can and do get ripped off frequently because they are paying far more than something is actually worth. This is often due to information asymmetries between the buyer and the seller. Our stock market is based on this concept.
In response to your specific questions: The movie industry does create something of value, unique arrangements of bits. These creations are labor intensive, and prior to reproduction, singular in all the world. Some of them are even composed of quality writing, acting, visual effects or music. However, not all movies are created equal and it's quite possible for a moviegoer to be cheated out of his 8 bucks because he is unaware that the movie he is going to will suck. The studio may be quite aware, and merely foists the steaming pile on the public to recoup their expenditures.
By the same token, artists and writers can and do sometimes create absolute value. Often, they don't and the product is sold anyway. That's what I was getting at with the perception of value versus actual value. Perceived value will get someone to buy. Actual value gives the purchaser something worthwhile in return.
I disagree that lawyers add value by making people follow agreements. At most, making people follow agreements can prevent or ameliorate losses due to noncooperative individual action. No new value is created through enforcement that voluntary cooperation wouldn't create. That assumes that the agreements being enforced are not deleterious to one or more parties in the first place. It's entirely possible to have agreements that screw both parties. Look at the AOL/TW merger as an example, and their resultant 100 billion dollar restatement of earnings.
If he generated business for other people, then he *received* something of actual value, money, but did not create it. At most, an ad on his page is a pointer to an actual business which may or may not create something of value. Gambling for instance is a business which creates nothing. It merely redistributes wealth in interesting ways. As do trial lawyers. Slicing up the pie in different ways is not the same thing at all as baking more pies, and what this gentleman did was invented a new way to slice up the pie.
>A year from now, this site wont exist, but the kid is set for life. Why? He didn't demonstrate a knack for business or marketing or anything like that, much less a unique talent.
Oh, I seriously disagree. This guy figured out a way to sell something that there's an infinite supply of, pixels, for lots of money, *and* to get people talking about him doing it. If that's not a knack for marketing, I don't know what is. Marketing is demand creation, pure and simple.
Did he create something of actual value? No, of course not. Did he create the perception of value? Definitely, for people who purchased his "wares". And creating the perception of value is the most valuable thing of all in today's "service economy".
Not sure, but I think I once heard that the government had something to do with the development of the internet. Or the maintenance of root dns servers. Or something like that. Who knows, they may even be able to regulate telecommunications....
Sorry, no. Previous Presidents ordered the NSA not to spy on Americans because they took an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constititution" Presumably that includes obeying it, since the Office of the Presidency only has power by virtue of it. The 4th Amendment states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated"
A person's communications are his effects, even if they are not papers. Paper was the only external data recording and transmission medium available to the Founders. They would surely have included electronic communications today.
Humans are special because they are the only animal that both has the capacity for rigorous, logical, evidentiary, empirical thought and rejects using that capacity by babbling about nonprovable concepts in preference to it. No other organism is known to do this.
Presumably the danger is that we might contaminate mice with our religiosity if we make them too human. And then people might look silly for believing the same things that mice do.
Clearly so they could have capr.icio.us under the same domain!
You're missing something. In OS 10.4 Tiger, Select your hard drive in the Finder window. Go to the Finder menu. Select Preferences. Select Advanced. Check mark the box that says 'Show All file Extensions'.
I suspect most Mac users don't complain about the hiding of file extensions because they are unaware that Mac files have extensions. And those who are aware, have already applied the appropriate preferences change to their OS.
Excuse me, spin? I was there when they redistricted Texas. I testified against it at the public hearings. They took existing districts that were massively opposed to being redistricted and essentially assigned them new representatives. The public comment at the hearings was 97% opposed. They had to schedule extra public hearings because there was so much outcry against it. The sponsor of the act, Phil King openly, admitted at the hearings that the only purpose of the redistricting was to generate more Republican representatives than they had been able to generate via the election. I was rather shocked by his forthrightness and had to give him credit for that at least, but clearly he had no compunctions or fears about overriding the will of the people as demonstrated by the election and the public hearings. Not one of the members of the redistricting committee were from anywhere near Travis County, yet they got to slice up Austin and the surrounding county into 5 separate "Perrymanders".
That sickness that you feel is not motion sickness but a sick feeling at the disregard for the democratic process. At least I would hope so. Real conservatives believe in the power of local control and the right of the voter to select their representatives, not the representatives to select their voters.
Absolutely. Sailors do this too. You practice all the time, raising, furling and dowsing sail, tacking, jibing, avoiding lobster pots, docking, navigating, Man-overboard drills, and what-not so that in an emergency when time is of the essence, you don't need to think "Now what do I do?" you just act. When the captain yells 'Get that sail down now!!!" you want to be on deck and reaching for the right halyard without a second thought, because there's generally a very good reason, like a rapidly advancing storm front or sudden gust of wind. Practicing until all actions are routine makes boating safer. And a well-drilled crew is much more fun to sail with.
His sentence isn't exactly meaningless, though I think it doesn't mean what he intended. I dissect it as follows
When (x)
x= the US stops behaving like some pants-shitting infant who drools a lot
and (y)
y= actually thinks very visibly mentally challenged rich-men's sons like Dubya, Prince of Fucktards
[here he is saying that the US should actually believe that "very visibly mentally challenged rich-men's sons" hold Dubya, Prince of Fucktards, in high regard. "Like" being a transitive verb and not a simile in this case.]
Then (z)
z= the bashing will stop.
Isn't grammar fun?
Even so, you're probably right that inserting 'badly of' after 'thinks' would make it closer to the intended meaning.
Ever heard of the absentee ballot?
What do you mean? I was listening to WWV at 10 Mhz last Sunday. "At the tone, the time wil be 23 hours, three minutes, Coordinated Universal Time Beeee-booooop, tick, tick, tick, tick" I was using it to test an el-cheapo JWIN Shortwave radio, and the reception was poor, but audible.
This is an interesting point. If OSS, created by volunteers, is as high or higher quality than corresponding proprietary software created by paid full-time employees, then isn't the company that is paying for the creation of source-code for its own exclusive use getting ripped off by its own employees? The day that professionals can't compete effectively with volunteers is the day that those professionals should pack it in and go home, because they aren't providing value to the company. Either being a "professional" has no meaning any more when compared to "amateur", or the massive inefficiencies created by hierarchical organizations and corporate BS destroy any advantages they may have had over amateurs in a flatter meritocracy.
Hiccup, my shiny metal ass!
We borrow boatloads of money from it and then buy lots of stuff using that money. If the US disappeared tomorrow, the world economy would crater because we owe everybody money. According to the Bureau of the Public Debt, we've paid $335,528,344,667.72 in interest payments alone on the national debt this last fiscal year. Yes, that's 335 Billion Dollars! I think the interest on the debt has cost more than the Iraq war so far.
Add to those interest payments our 500 billion a year trade deficit and that's a major hit to the world's economy.
Daily crashes and hangups? Jeez dude, I'd test your ram, your hard drive, or reinstall your OS. I use a web browser about 12 hours a day, leave the computer and app up for months at a time without a reboot, and keep 15 or more browser windows open at once. I get a crash of the browser maybe once a week. Of course, my primary OS is OS X, but even on my Windows box Firefox doesn't suck as much as you describe. I think this may bea case of Your Mileage May Vary.
Interesting idea. Rather than trying to predict the future, why not have a longterm reward horizon instead? Iff the employee proves to have used their budget cleverly and efficently over the last 5 years, they get a reward. Or even 2 years? As you said the problem is that the timeframe is too short, ie quarterly. Rewarding people on the basis of performance, radical, I know.