The self congratulatory way they (even perhaps jokingly) suggest the release was made because they nudged it on by their vaporware list is a joke. That isn't the kind of follow-up I was talking about.
Maybe this appeared on Slashdot when I wasn't looking, but if not then I guess you are the one looking like an imbecile for actually browsing Wired on your own. Blech. ---
seumas.com
I'd rather see Wired interview him, after having called 2.4 'vaporware' only a week ago. But of course, you'll never see a follow-up from them. It's easier to just trash something and never revisit your statement to admit you were talking out of your ass (like so many technical columnists do). ---
seumas.com
True. But the concern wasn't if they were going to reach profitability -- but how fast. In this day and age of internet hype, a company that doesn't go huge and bring down hundreds of millions in profits in the first six months is a slag. In the real world, most companies fail to make a profit for the first two years or more.
The completely lack of realistic scope makes otherwise successful projects 'fail'. ---
seumas.com
Slightly off-topic here, but I was just thinking the other day that it's ironic -- when someone shoots-up a school, they take the music, movie and video-game industries to the mat as the causes for the violence. Yet, when a guy blasts his way through an office because of taxes, nobody takes the IRS to task.
Well, since 68 people were laid-off in the first round and 85 in the second, and then more in the third, I would say the math certainly suggests the company had more than 100 employees. ---
seumas.com
"...they told everybody they were being laid off because the company needed to reach profitability faster. You know, like that was supposed to make people feel better or something. [Despite 2000 revenues of $114.4 million, Network has yet to make a profit.]"
The fact that they were making a profit means little. Thanks to the day-traders' chaotic and typically senseless affect on the market and the last five years of "impress me now, back it up later" acceptance of Internet companies, people are not satisified unless a company is making ten times what they are really worth. This is the problem in an economy where companies are valued on unfounded expectations and promises rather than facts and a history of profits. ---
seumas.com
Any company that behaves this way better be damned certain they have completely cut the employee off from ANY access to the company or their network. All it takes is one pissed-off ex-employee with a back-door login somewhere or a friend within the company who has some sympathy for their fired friend and a little fear for their own future (so what is there to risk?). Next thing they know, they'll have little gremlin's keeping their IT department up all night.
Not saying it's right, but you can't go around pissing people off and not expecting occasional retribution. ---
seumas.com
Uh, no -- overclocking would be a bad thing in space. You're going to have enough of a problem displacing the heat that the chip produces at normal speed, let alone if it were cranked-up. ---
seumas.com
Re:Windows too Crash Prone? What about the Mac?
on
Macs In Space II
·
· Score: 1
The operating system isn't the important thing. It's the fact that it's The Cube. The cubed shape of the case looks spacey, I guess -- and although nobody is going to be looking at these things while they're in space, the artist's renderings of little Mac cubes bring more awe to investors and the press. After all, publicity is the important thing -- substance is secondary. ---
seumas.com
Re:Technical and business issues
on
Macs In Space II
·
· Score: 2
Too much latency for games?
Who's actually going to pay the high wireless fees just to play online games? I don't see any other use for this beyond fast connect-disconnect services like email, small FTP transfers and quick searches.
And since we have more than enough alternatives to orbiting servers that are more efficient, easier to upgrade and maintain, cheaper and faster -- I don't see any serious application for this. ---
seumas.com
NASA lost their credibility when they wasted millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours because they forgot about the metric system. ---
seumas.com
Sure, a 500mhz box is capable right now, but what happens when these systems need to be upgraded? Are they going to launch 544 missions to each little box and upgrade it? And how are they going to keep all the little screws from flying around in space? ---
seumas.com
Hey, let's just shove 544 more pieces of crap into our orbit. I'm sure that'll be great for space-travel in the future -- especially for non-shuttle (space plane) travel.
I really don't see what the hype is about. This seems like a poor idea and a gross waste of funds. ---
seumas.com
Go back to troll-school. You slipped when you suggested that Starbucks makes a decent latte or cappucino.
Starbucks is one of those places where you go not to buy a good cup of coffee, but to pay four dollars for poorly flavored water in order to appear cool, because you can afford four dollars for poorly flavored water.
Either that or you aren't a troll and just have a seriously whacked set of taste buds. ---
seumas.com
It doesn't matter. This type of thing is geared toward the pretentious idiots who still flash their cell-phones and beepers in public to look cool. Let the dweebs have their fuzzy little drinks and net access in Starbucks with that crappy coffee-house rock droning in the background. It'll keep them from congregating in places where more reasonable technophiles congregate. ---
seumas.com
For a moment, I thought it said you weren't allowed to give rise to civil liberty, but then I reread it and realized it said give rise to civil liability.
Duh, I should have known that right away -- I mean, no multi-billion dollar corporation would want to prevent you from liberty, right? ---
seumas.com
Off topic? What jackass marked that guy off topic? Obviously, someone who doesn't read slashdot stories since this person's comment was very on topic. And, considering the previous story a few days ago concerning Wired ranking 2.4.0 as one of the most blatant Vaporware incidents of the year, it is extremely on topic.
Perhaps we should limit distribution of mod points to those who posess an IQ greater than the sum of their granted mod points. ---
seumas.com
In a time and age where we're finding promising leads to cancer cures, alzheimer cures, cloning, tissue regeneration, genome mapping, full-time space stations, rovers to mars, active probes still reporting data millions and millions of miles away from our planet, computers with enough processing power to blow away every cpu before current times combined, bringing some site back to the blind, some hearing ability back to the deaf, highly complex limbs back to those who have lost them, giving those with severely limited motor skills means to communicate with the world through computers, transplanting hands of cadavres to living patients, genetically engineering perfect foods -- how can anyone possibly suggest with any seriousness that the benefits of technology are waning?
Granted, the mapping of the human genome or landing a probe on Mars probably doesn't bring us the same awe that radio, moving pictures and the telephone brought to generations before our time, but they are none-the-less fantastic and amazing and certainly beneficial. We're a species with the ability to ultimately craft our entire future in almost every aspect. Barring our propensity to blow ourselves up and poison our world into oblivion, the benefits of our discoveries and creations are limitless and the benefits are, to this point, at their zenith. ---
seumas.com
Sorry, but I think the practice of displaying smaller versions of an item in a catalog/album/gallery format not only predates e-fucking-bay (hey, remember -- there was an internet before Amazon, eBay and Egghead.com existed) -- but predates pretty much the whole discovery of computers. ---
seumas.com
I always find myself disapointed by films like this. It seems someone always finds a way to corrupt the integrity of the original story. I don't understand the compelling need to throw in cheesey plot modifications or sub-plots to please the two to six year old crowds or sell some extra Happy Meals based on character toys.
I know this won't be as horrible as Dungeons and Dragons reportedly is (I'm not even going to bother ever watching that one) -- but I'm usually wary of having my appreciation of a good thing damaged because the last interpretation of it was unsatisfactory or even rediculous.
On the flip side, I have seen a few trailers over the last few months and it does look very exciting. But that's what I thought after watching the BattleField Earth trailers, too -- and look what that turned out to be (again, another film I have not watched but have heard enough reviews of to know it isn't worth my time). ---
seumas.com
Except that when you are the/only/ provider of a service in an area, it would seem ethical to/not/ censor material, right? Becuase there is no other option -- and the church is misusing their advantage.
They claim that "nobody else will offer services in these remote areas" -- but I wonder if that's because it isn't in their own interests or if it's because the church -- which their admitted extraordinary clout in the area, have done all they could to have the only point of entry in as many areas as possible.
I also contest their suggestion that any money they raise goes to charities. I strongly believe that most if not all monies raised by such evangelistic endeavors are earmarked specifically for the funding of further evangelistic endeavors. ---
seumas.com
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe this appeared on Slashdot when I wasn't looking, but if not then I guess you are the one looking like an imbecile for actually browsing Wired on your own. Blech.
---
seumas.com
I'd rather see Wired interview him, after having called 2.4 'vaporware' only a week ago. But of course, you'll never see a follow-up from them. It's easier to just trash something and never revisit your statement to admit you were talking out of your ass (like so many technical columnists do).
---
seumas.com
The completely lack of realistic scope makes otherwise successful projects 'fail'.
---
seumas.com
Hmmmm.... ;)
---
seumas.com
Well, since 68 people were laid-off in the first round and 85 in the second, and then more in the third, I would say the math certainly suggests the company had more than 100 employees.
---
seumas.com
The fact that they were making a profit means little. Thanks to the day-traders' chaotic and typically senseless affect on the market and the last five years of "impress me now, back it up later" acceptance of Internet companies, people are not satisified unless a company is making ten times what they are really worth. This is the problem in an economy where companies are valued on unfounded expectations and promises rather than facts and a history of profits.
---
seumas.com
Not saying it's right, but you can't go around pissing people off and not expecting occasional retribution.
---
seumas.com
NASA contracted with the people who made the mistake and they should have verified the work.
---
seumas.com
Uh, no -- overclocking would be a bad thing in space. You're going to have enough of a problem displacing the heat that the chip produces at normal speed, let alone if it were cranked-up.
---
seumas.com
The operating system isn't the important thing. It's the fact that it's The Cube. The cubed shape of the case looks spacey, I guess -- and although nobody is going to be looking at these things while they're in space, the artist's renderings of little Mac cubes bring more awe to investors and the press. After all, publicity is the important thing -- substance is secondary.
---
seumas.com
Who's actually going to pay the high wireless fees just to play online games? I don't see any other use for this beyond fast connect-disconnect services like email, small FTP transfers and quick searches.
And since we have more than enough alternatives to orbiting servers that are more efficient, easier to upgrade and maintain, cheaper and faster -- I don't see any serious application for this.
---
seumas.com
NASA lost their credibility when they wasted millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours because they forgot about the metric system.
---
seumas.com
Sure, a 500mhz box is capable right now, but what happens when these systems need to be upgraded? Are they going to launch 544 missions to each little box and upgrade it? And how are they going to keep all the little screws from flying around in space?
---
seumas.com
I really don't see what the hype is about. This seems like a poor idea and a gross waste of funds.
---
seumas.com
Starbucks is one of those places where you go not to buy a good cup of coffee, but to pay four dollars for poorly flavored water in order to appear cool, because you can afford four dollars for poorly flavored water.
Either that or you aren't a troll and just have a seriously whacked set of taste buds.
---
seumas.com
It doesn't matter. This type of thing is geared toward the pretentious idiots who still flash their cell-phones and beepers in public to look cool. Let the dweebs have their fuzzy little drinks and net access in Starbucks with that crappy coffee-house rock droning in the background. It'll keep them from congregating in places where more reasonable technophiles congregate.
---
seumas.com
First, they get public backing by giving everyone easy access to unlimited free music.
Then they gain the attention of the music industry.
They basically tell the music industry (in actions, not words) "We could potentially put you out of business by killing your profits".
Major recording companies decide that if they can't beat them, they'll join them.
Honestly, what is more brilliant than a teenage kid developing a product that puts the industry in the palm of his hand?
---
seumas.com
Duh, I should have known that right away -- I mean, no multi-billion dollar corporation would want to prevent you from liberty, right?
---
seumas.com
Perhaps we should limit distribution of mod points to those who posess an IQ greater than the sum of their granted mod points.
---
seumas.com
Granted, the mapping of the human genome or landing a probe on Mars probably doesn't bring us the same awe that radio, moving pictures and the telephone brought to generations before our time, but they are none-the-less fantastic and amazing and certainly beneficial. We're a species with the ability to ultimately craft our entire future in almost every aspect. Barring our propensity to blow ourselves up and poison our world into oblivion, the benefits of our discoveries and creations are limitless and the benefits are, to this point, at their zenith.
---
seumas.com
Yes, but for people like myself who run auction sites with 10,000 members instead of 10,000,000 -- this is still not a good thing.
---
seumas.com
It's a trademark already.
---
seumas.com
Sorry, but I think the practice of displaying smaller versions of an item in a catalog/album/gallery format not only predates e-fucking-bay (hey, remember -- there was an internet before Amazon, eBay and Egghead.com existed) -- but predates pretty much the whole discovery of computers.
---
seumas.com
I know this won't be as horrible as Dungeons and Dragons reportedly is (I'm not even going to bother ever watching that one) -- but I'm usually wary of having my appreciation of a good thing damaged because the last interpretation of it was unsatisfactory or even rediculous.
On the flip side, I have seen a few trailers over the last few months and it does look very exciting. But that's what I thought after watching the BattleField Earth trailers, too -- and look what that turned out to be (again, another film I have not watched but have heard enough reviews of to know it isn't worth my time).
---
seumas.com
They claim that "nobody else will offer services in these remote areas" -- but I wonder if that's because it isn't in their own interests or if it's because the church -- which their admitted extraordinary clout in the area, have done all they could to have the only point of entry in as many areas as possible.
I also contest their suggestion that any money they raise goes to charities. I strongly believe that most if not all monies raised by such evangelistic endeavors are earmarked specifically for the funding of further evangelistic endeavors.
---
seumas.com