Life: We get the hell off of Mars and 'watch.' The New Reality Television. Maybe we still go to the moon.
Water: We go to Mars; we look harder for #1, but we hope we don't discover #1.
Boom! We watch a lone fighter swoop out of the (now blue) sky and destroy the rover. Bush Declares War. Bush demands to become dictator for life and starts longevity and cloning research because unkile his father he's going to see this through no matter what.
Fizzle: Not much news, NASA just needs to grandstand & get stroked during an election year. We are greatful that #1 and #2 didn't lead to #3.
Drizzle: John Carter is located on Mars!
Sizzle: Mars is discovered to be the home of a race of cannibal supermodels that have been secretly invading our planet! Men line up to be 'Eaten Alive!'
I guess I'd better start a company with shielded wallets, and a backroom operation to fake the tags for cheapskates! The guys with real money in their pockets can hide it with a wallet that shields the tags (and fakes out muggers with RFID scanners), and the guys with none can fake out their dates scanners with a wallet that has fake tags embedded in the wallet itself.
Investment prospectus available on request. Any investment carries risk.
The only thing that gives the RIAA any power at all is their 'successes.' That 'success' however is limited to less than half the artists that they choose to promote. So their 'expertise' is no guarentee! What the RIAA and the corporations whom it represents have done over the years has been to exert a monopolistic control over the entire 'release' side of the equation. You want radio play? You want a named tab in a CD rack in the store? You want advertising? You play the game their way. The industry profits and the musicians work like dogs to meet album contract and concert commitments. Sometimes the musicians do well, but most of them don't. My point is that their basically is 'no ther deal available.' That's what I disagree with.
<rant>I personally like a type of music which comes from europe, started in the early '70's and has had maybe a dozen songs ever played on american radio. That's out of somewhere between 800 to 1000 bands that are known for this kind of music. But american record companies want the music sung in english, and to basically be a different kind of music alltogrther, so I have to rely on import companies from Italy and Japan in order to even hear the music at all. And personally I'm sick and tired of having this music have to be either 'dumbed down' or 'unavailable.' I like it, it has a worldwide following, but it's "just not profitable for any major US music publisher." So these guys sit in their offices, rape the artists that do sign and ignore my freedom of choice!IMHOIt's a crime against both the art and the artists who are forced into it!</rant>
1) I'm not responsible for shortsightedness on the part of the artists.
2) The RIAA could offer same, and legally profit without doing anything but holding the copyright.
Is what the music needs. The RIAA is about as useful to recording artists as Stalin was to the prisoners in the gulags. The RIAA has taken the freedoms of manufacturing cost management, shipping and storage managment, promotion management, distrobution pricing management, etc. away from the artist. The artist may be much more gifted in any or all of these areas, but the RIAA sees a single vision; which clearly places their own survival well ahead of that of the artist.
For over a year I've been suggesting that artists stick a PayPal button on their sites and offer amnesty for downloaders. Paying the artists 2 or 3 times what they actually profit for these crappy CD deals that the RIAA companies force artists to sign, is peanuts compared to CD prices.
I think that there is a role for both free and propritary software. Each model has certain advantages and disadvantages.
Consider operatiung systemns; clearly there is a role for Linux, and Linux has the largest free support base in the history of opensource. However there are probably over 100 different customized distros, each modified specifically for some reason, many of which are no longer free (i.e.: RedHat). Additionally there are many other operating systems, in various stages of development, by smaller groups around the globe. Of these, some are free and some are not. And the same holds true for application software.
Then there is the other concern, free or not, there have to be people who can actually implement these solutions in the real world, and make them work for a business. Regardless of the sorce of the software, and whether or not it is free, companies need (and will pay for) individuals with the skills to turn their software and hardware investments into a functional solution that meets the needs of the business. And no matter how flexible the solution is, there will also continue to be requirements for customizing the software; from installation, management and performance tuning to adding features, interfaces, et al. Businesses pay in cold hard cash for these skills.
So, if the boy wants to earn his stripes in the opensource movement, that is at least as viable as any other skill to list on a resume. It doesn't necessairly brand him as an idealist! What it does demonstrate is that he is concerned enough about the quality of a specific piece of software to invest his time and energy even if there is no direct profit.
Glad to hear it. Most of those I deal with are specialists in medical education; where we're still trying to figure out the difference between the printed page and a web page.;^)
Hate to beg, but can I get a few references of the work you are reffering to so that I can bootstrap my way back to something more current? As for the pilot data, pilots don't seem to like be insturmented in actual combat; so the research available is simulator based.
Part of the problem is that the Gamers have an intutive knowledge gained by experience which the academics have yet to even begin to quantify. A gamer can tell by a 6th sense when they are in the groove and a good designer can actually tell if the groove is being created properly by the game. Science currently has absolutly no mechanism by which to explain this phenomon. Gamers should be studied so that scientists can actually see not only that gamers can use their brain differently than ordinary people; but they can work to distinguish exactly what those differences are. Fighter pilots experience a situational awareness in an environment that only a very few individuals ever see; which is also relatively unexplored. However I feel certain that experiments will one day show that what an immersed gamer experiences is not that different from the experience of the fighter pilot. Some day when the dust settles and the sicence is there, the academics will, no doubt, have a newfound respect for the gamer and the game developer alike.
It's not the technology per se, but rather the lack of accurate useable documentation that leads to stress. Advertising has one view of a product, which is involved in getting the end user to purchase a product; while support has an entirely different perspective on what a product will do. If stress truly could be a psychic-boomerang I think we would see a lot of sales departments simply implode via spontanious combustion!
Wait just a minute! If the app is running on a single user system which can only run one app at a time I'd say it comes dangerously close to being a GUI. But technically, hell; I guess I you're right!
What if I go back and make a boot disk which only loads the app? All you can do is paint and reboot, then as an application specific system wouldn't a GUA also be a GUI?
Back in the early 80's before the release of the Mac, Apple came out with a card & mouse for the Apple ][ and the software included a 16 color Paint application; which was definately GUI.
Microsoft, on the other hand, started shipping it's versions of Windows overseas (Japan) well before it's domestic US appearance.
The Alto PC was such a huge leap forward that almost no one could really grasp the concept. These were the guys who saw the computer for the first time as something beyond punch cards, tape reels and stacks of line printed greenbar. They shaped the visions of people like Jobs & Woz, and helped to spark the personal computer revolution.
There is usually a 2 year weeding out period in CS degree programs. It's not so much an education as a filter. Additionally [IMHO] Java is a really poor choice for an introduction to programming. Among those ubiquitous programmers who value style and 'correctness' above getting the job done, Java offers a certain 'elegance.' With experience in many other languages I still find Java tedious to use.
On the flip side, if you are not nourished by long hours in the dull glow of a crt; if you don't find algorhythms sexy, if you'ld rather clock out and have a life instead of debugging through the night until it works: then this might not be the career for you!
I looked at the OBD-II, but decided that I didn't want to lug my laptop everywhere so I went with the Equus OBD-II Reader instead. I mean I could take it to the dealer and pay 75 bucks, or pop my battery cable; but where's the fun in that?
Does anyone know of any low voltage led sequencer designs for driving fiber optic strands in sequence? I'd like to spice up a Star Destroyer and maybe a few other spaceships!
In 1984 I took my son to see The Last Starfighter. A story about a boy who has a strange relationship with a computer game. In the movie, the game was a standard upright video game, like every other arcade game; except for it's graphics which were drawn by a Cray XMP-1 which was not actually released until the next year; and software by Gary Demos Digital Productions (check out that first image!) The graphics were beautiful, to say the least. And I longed to play that game.
In 1990 I was finally able to fulfill that longing in the rec room of the Tiger's Claw, where there was, you guessed it, a standup video arcade simulation. Before I ever flew a mission I got scores in the millions fighting wave after wave of Dralthi. From then until the fireworks at the end, I was totally absorbed in the world that was Wing Commander. For the next several years, every time an expansion came out I was there. Malcom McDowell, Mark Hammell, John Rheys-Daves and even Ginger Lynn Allen!
In 1996 Chris Roberts, the man behind the Eing Commander Universe left for two projects. One is Digital Anvil the other was an extension of the movie sequences.
When Wing Commander hit the big screen in 1999 Chris finally made it to the big screen himself as the pilot of the salvage ship that rescues 1st Lt Blair.
Chris went on to Freelancer and other games, and we've moved on as well. But Chris and the whole team at Origin will always be remembered as the ones who first brought true 3D space combat to a computer near us!
Old, maybe; but definately bad news for those who use languages that were designed to interpret and execute code from variables. I'd rather see a bios mod that we could just get an upgrade for.
I remember running into issues with early versions of QuickBasic, and C++ in which I had to prove that there was a problem in the language before I could even get to bust out of the screeners and talk to a techie. But there were some great techies out there, and some of them would actually address the problem in the code while I was on the phone. I'd get a dll in e-mail and test the fix before I even got off the phone.
Now you have to purchase a support plan before you can even pick up the phone. Fortunately, there's Google Groups.
Slashdot Mirror
Beware of zebra crossings.
Investment prospectus available on request. Any investment carries risk.
<rant>I personally like a type of music which comes from europe, started in the early '70's and has had maybe a dozen songs ever played on american radio. That's out of somewhere between 800 to 1000 bands that are known for this kind of music. But american record companies want the music sung in english, and to basically be a different kind of music alltogrther, so I have to rely on import companies from Italy and Japan in order to even hear the music at all. And personally I'm sick and tired of having this music have to be either 'dumbed down' or 'unavailable.' I like it, it has a worldwide following, but it's "just not profitable for any major US music publisher." So these guys sit in their offices, rape the artists that do sign and ignore my freedom of choice!IMHO It's a crime against both the art and the artists who are forced into it! </rant>
...by hiring a Lawyer!
1) I'm not responsible for shortsightedness on the part of the artists. 2) The RIAA could offer same, and legally profit without doing anything but holding the copyright.
For over a year I've been suggesting that artists stick a PayPal button on their sites and offer amnesty for downloaders. Paying the artists 2 or 3 times what they actually profit for these crappy CD deals that the RIAA companies force artists to sign, is peanuts compared to CD prices.
Amnesty is the answer!
Consider operatiung systemns; clearly there is a role for Linux, and Linux has the largest free support base in the history of opensource. However there are probably over 100 different customized distros, each modified specifically for some reason, many of which are no longer free (i.e.: RedHat). Additionally there are many other operating systems, in various stages of development, by smaller groups around the globe. Of these, some are free and some are not. And the same holds true for application software.
Then there is the other concern, free or not, there have to be people who can actually implement these solutions in the real world, and make them work for a business. Regardless of the sorce of the software, and whether or not it is free, companies need (and will pay for) individuals with the skills to turn their software and hardware investments into a functional solution that meets the needs of the business. And no matter how flexible the solution is, there will also continue to be requirements for customizing the software; from installation, management and performance tuning to adding features, interfaces, et al. Businesses pay in cold hard cash for these skills.
So, if the boy wants to earn his stripes in the opensource movement, that is at least as viable as any other skill to list on a resume. It doesn't necessairly brand him as an idealist! What it does demonstrate is that he is concerned enough about the quality of a specific piece of software to invest his time and energy even if there is no direct profit.
Hate to beg, but can I get a few references of the work you are reffering to so that I can bootstrap my way back to something more current? As for the pilot data, pilots don't seem to like be insturmented in actual combat; so the research available is simulator based.
Part of the problem is that the Gamers have an intutive knowledge gained by experience which the academics have yet to even begin to quantify. A gamer can tell by a 6th sense when they are in the groove and a good designer can actually tell if the groove is being created properly by the game. Science currently has absolutly no mechanism by which to explain this phenomon. Gamers should be studied so that scientists can actually see not only that gamers can use their brain differently than ordinary people; but they can work to distinguish exactly what those differences are. Fighter pilots experience a situational awareness in an environment that only a very few individuals ever see; which is also relatively unexplored. However I feel certain that experiments will one day show that what an immersed gamer experiences is not that different from the experience of the fighter pilot. Some day when the dust settles and the sicence is there, the academics will, no doubt, have a newfound respect for the gamer and the game developer alike.
... and entering The Microsoft Zone.
It's not the technology per se, but rather the lack of accurate useable documentation that leads to stress. Advertising has one view of a product, which is involved in getting the end user to purchase a product; while support has an entirely different perspective on what a product will do. If stress truly could be a psychic-boomerang I think we would see a lot of sales departments simply implode via spontanious combustion!
I wonder what their poem would say
Would Truths finally come tumbling out
Like so much blood from just two cuts.
Their lives lost to a business illusion
Heartbeat by heartbeat
Never having seen the sunrise.
Their kishaku's blade hangs on the moment
Was that a tear he saw?
Has the light of Open Source manifested it's beauty?
The blade in motion, a slight turn of the head
The cut through and through
Shamed, the head bounces and rolls.
What if I go back and make a boot disk which only loads the app? All you can do is paint and reboot, then as an application specific system wouldn't a GUA also be a GUI?
Microsoft, on the other hand, started shipping it's versions of Windows overseas (Japan) well before it's domestic US appearance.
Good Job! Well deserved!
I got my wife her own machine; my uptime went to five nines! ;^)
On the flip side, if you are not nourished by long hours in the dull glow of a crt; if you don't find algorhythms sexy, if you'ld rather clock out and have a life instead of debugging through the night until it works: then this might not be the career for you!
That "modem sounding band" is probably teletype.
Does anyone know of any low voltage led sequencer designs for driving fiber optic strands in sequence?
I'd like to spice up a Star Destroyer and maybe a few other spaceships!
Interesting and fairly well written.
Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder (book teaser) My favorite chapter was The Case Of The Missing NAND Gate.
In 1990 I was finally able to fulfill that longing in the rec room of the Tiger's Claw, where there was, you guessed it, a standup video arcade simulation. Before I ever flew a mission I got scores in the millions fighting wave after wave of Dralthi. From then until the fireworks at the end, I was totally absorbed in the world that was Wing Commander. For the next several years, every time an expansion came out I was there. Malcom McDowell, Mark Hammell, John Rheys-Daves and even Ginger Lynn Allen!
In 1996 Chris Roberts, the man behind the Eing Commander Universe left for two projects. One is Digital Anvil the other was an extension of the movie sequences.
When Wing Commander hit the big screen in 1999 Chris finally made it to the big screen himself as the pilot of the salvage ship that rescues 1st Lt Blair.
Chris went on to Freelancer and other games, and we've moved on as well. But Chris and the whole team at Origin will always be remembered as the ones who first brought true 3D space combat to a computer near us!
Old, maybe; but definately bad news for those who use languages that were designed to interpret and execute code from variables. I'd rather see a bios mod that we could just get an upgrade for.
Now you have to purchase a support plan before you can even pick up the phone. Fortunately, there's Google Groups.