Why is not everything "worth" publishing, these days? It was "worth" it for the individual to write. With cheap digital publishing/self published material, it seeems it can be. It still may not be "worh" reading, but who cares? Just like the majority of web pages out there, all of which are 'published'.
I see this on POD (Print on Demand) commercials for companies who produce the POD machines, but while I agree that anyone can produce any type of dribble they desire, once you remove the separation of published and vanity press, you now force people to like me to wade through the various new "reviewers" to figure out which ones I might believe. A publisher has a financial stake in the books they publish, while a reviewer does not. Why do trust a publisher over simple reviews? I've seen self published books on amazon, I've actually read the initial (and probably final) version of a book that looks legit, and even has glowing reviews (from personal friends and family) that would make it seem a good book. Other than it was self published by the author's own publishing company, that publishes nothing but their own crud...but it has a five star review on amazon. That isn't a publisher, but self created vanity press in disguise.
I have a couple hundred (maybe more) books on my bookshelves from ace and tor and some of the other large scifi/fantasy publishers, which speak a great deal about the quality of books they publish.
Does everyone who chooses to throw a hundred thousand words or so in a document deserve to call themselves an author? Maybe, but it would be like everyone who can copy a hello world app and compile it be called a programmer.
I don't subscribe to the concept that everything someone does deserves to be praised. Things that are done well and have value should get praise. Otherwise, what is the point of doing anything at all? Having participated and finished two novels for National writers novel month...I could say I'm an author. Being that I'd be ashamed to have anyone read that raw garbage, I believe they can wait until they get rewritten in a form that is worth reading first. Then, maybe I might be worthy of such a title. Actually, I'll feel the title is justified the day one of the publishers, that I trust to publish good books, accepts and publishes one of my own. Then it won't be me applying that title, but someone else who found my work good enough to invest in.
Publishers do more than just market a book, they filter. The cost of the book isn't the real concern for most people buying a book. (assuming there are reasonable prices for those books) My time is worth way more than the $6 paperback, or even $15 hardcover (Yes, I get most hardcovers for $15 to $20 the day it comes out because no one is selling it at the cover price). A book is an investment of my time to read it, and for that I want something well written and not a steamy pile of crud. The publisher wades through the 85% crap sent in to find the 1% of the remaining 15% that is worth publishing. Do a search on slushpiles and you can see some interesting pictures of what a publisher has to wade through. When I buy a book I'm paying the author for the story, but more the publisher for their time to filter out the crap that isn't worth reading so I don't have to. Yes, there are some books that are great that publishers turn down, but in comparison to the tons of worthless garbage that isn't deserving of the few k of space they take up, that is a good trade off for most people.
I do think if you cut out the cost of publishing a paper book, then that cost cutting should filter down to the ebook as well. Not many people pay full price for even a hard cover, why is the e version (bound with drm and the inability to loan or resell it) at $15 realistic? So they pay the author a buck or two and pocket the rest? (I am estimating high on the author payout). I'm more inclined to feel the publisher is against ebooks and would prefer them to fail when they price them high above a non drm'd paper version...which is cheaper in most cases.
And you actually believe this? Or haven't you heard the updated figure this past week? $200k, and Biden said $150 (ok, he does speak before he thinks, so maybe that isn't real), and then some other guy (forget the name) started talking about $120k.
Does it really matter what the number is? It comes down to this, nothing in life is really free. Even if you are given something (aka Linux) someone still provided time, energy, and effort (and usually money) to provide it. So, anyone who promises you to take care of all your needs and only those who are rich will pay...think about what the term rich means, then ask how often that term changes from one election to the next.
I, speaking for me, would rather not get up each morning and go to work for the "good of all". I'm not going to work to provide health care for all those who choose not to do the same. I would rather not go to work to support other people's children because they can't support them. Why did they have them if they couldn't afford them? I don't hear anyone talking about denying people the right to have kids...so why can't I have a choice to decide not to support kids that are not my own? When did it become the right of the govt to decide which charities I should support, since they give me no choice? It happened long before I had a vote.
If you want to believe the political bs that is thrown out as the "I'll make the rich support all of you." That is your right, but if you work anywhere that takes your taxes out before you get paid...you could very well find yourself in the category of "rich", regardless of the fact you really aren't. In the not so "free" state of Maryland, the latest liberal governor promised to "only tax the rich". I'm wondering how the poor get out of the extra penny of sales tax on every dollar? I guess that isn't considered taxing?
I personally don't like either candidate. So I am going to vote for the one who hasn't openly promised to bend me over and...well, do unpleasant things to me.
As for the main topic of this thread. Isn't it bad enough I have to pay for a educational system that is failing? Has failed. I always here the same line, "the schools need more money." Why? How come the public school system, for double to triple the cost, can't provide as good of an education as the bulk of the private schools? (I'm talking the smaller ones, not the elite ones like Obama uses.)
Govt is rarely the answer, and is almost always the problem.
I'm going to vote for my right to be a stingy and keep my money for myself and my own personal enjoyment, and for the right for everyone else to do the same.
Well, when I needed a new phone, I also needed a new pda (my sony clie is a bit old), so I got both in one. I actually use more of the pda functionality (like the calendar) since I carry the phone most places, while my pda stayed in my bag, or at home.
What files are private? Hmmm, the writing I do, in a word processor. Even if it is technically protected under copywrite I being the one to have written it, still, it is my creation. Will the world end if someone else were to get it without my permission? No, but since on my computer, behind my firewall, in my home, I have a certain level of confidence it is far safer there than on some server of someone else who may or may not have a security hole. If I have one, shame on me, if they have one...I have no control over it.
I may not have top secret files on my computer, but they are mine. Things I create shouldn't be available to some sys admin of some company I may not trust. In today's world of sell everything you can for a buck, my personal info, my web browsing and buying habbits, are all being sold without my permission, or me getting a cut. I'd rather not ad my own work to it as well.
I won't even get into the source code that I write for my own toys. Even if I would give most of it away to whomever wanted it. That is, and should always be a choice I control...not someone else.
I have had fun playing with VMWare, and I even played with Microsoft's VM software as well. Sadly, while they are nice, I wouldn't want to use one as my main os. While I wouldn't classify myself as a gamer, I do play them sometimes. So far the vm's aren't up to playing 3d games.
To port a vm from one machine to another requires a bit of abstraction, and the video suffers for it. This might be something fixable, but so far I'm not impressed with the capabilities of vm's and games.
I don't get it, why would I want to trust Microsoft, or anyone, with all my files?
I think I like the current model, I buy a computer and it is mine, I can put whatever I want on it, and I can use it with or without the internet.
I guess when my unreliable comcast cable modem drops offline I guess that means a worthless terminal till it comes back up. This is an improvement....how?
I live in Maryland, I'm going to be the recipient of all the "NEW" taxes they have decided we should pay. I keep seeing words like "Fair Share", so just what is my fair share? How many times should I pay taxes on the dollar I earn so the state of maryland can waste it as well? I think those who feel income redistribution and fair share should move to places like Cuba or China, even North Korea...those people have been paying their Fair Share for their whole lives.
Let me point out a few facts. This tax increase (which no one yet seems to have figured out what all the new taxes are yet since they did it at 2:30 in the morning) is to help cover the extra 1 billion in new spending they have come up with, and an 18% increase to the failing school system. All this money which I and other Marylander's earn will be thrown into the states accounts who will missmanage and put in the demand for the people working to pay more of the un"Fair Share".
How many of the people here have ever worked on a Government contract? How many of those contracts went over budget, failed to meet the deadline, or both? What happened? Did you get sued? I doubt it. Did the Govt give you more money? Most likely. The normal sop of government is when something fails...throw more money at it, and what happens then? Well, if failing the first time gets you a bonus, why not try it again? Too often that works over and over again. How long can you keep tossing money at a failure before it is enough?
I am of the opinion that I can do a better job with my money than the state can. I pay government enforced charities, also known as social programs. I get to help fund all the poor children out there that aren't mine, I didn't ask people to have, but now for some reason it is my responsibility to pay for their health care, food, and housing. If I don't jump for joy at being forced to pay for all these social programs I'm just mean...or other nasty thought get thrown my way. I no longer care. The largest tax increase in the history of the state was passed in the middle of the night with closed door negotiations and a flat refusal to listen to the people of Maryland. Representatives email servers suddenly started to reject all mail, phones remained busy for days..this is crooked government racking businesses and the working people so some politician can feel they are "helping the needy" with my money.
It's a shame I can't tell the state I'm going to have a structural deficit next year....so I don't have to pay you any taxes. I need a big screen tv and a new home theater system and if I pay you then I can't afford it. It's what they are doing to all the people of Maryland...the tax on services is only one of a very large set of taxes they are bending us over with. Scream "Fair Share" all you want, but until you are volunteering 50% of your income to assist all the people who are irresponsible or just lazy...don't tell me they are my responsibility.
I've heard that from a couple cops about domestic violence. That something I can imagine, but have a hard time grasping.
I do know that for Baltimore City at least, almost every group of applicants to become a cop include a couple, to several people who have standing warrants for their arrest. I just wish the stereotyping of professions like the cops, military, border agents, would be treated with the same reaction of criminal stereotyping. It has become alright to say "All cops are out to beat up the neighborhood," but not ok to say, "all men that wear baggy clothes and hang out on street corners are drug dealers" or "all Muslims are terrorists".
The cameras will only be given out in areas that are the most violent, and with a touch of editing, you don't see the criminal attacking the cop, or beating the cop, only the cop defending themselves from the criminal. So the criminal is in the right, because someone wants the cop to be in the wrong. It's happened before, and it will happen again. If we keep abusing those trying to protect us, one day we might find a lack of people willing to do so.
I'm sure my view won't be popular, but if it is so easy to be a police officer in a high crime area where the criminals have guns and have no problem shooting a cop, why isn't there a line of people waiting for that job. I've had a chance to work on police software in the past and had several months spent going down to the main district to verify reports. Needless to say, I did talk to other people while I was there, including some of the cops that work the lovely streets of Baltimore, Maryland. I wouldn't do that job for twice what I'm making now. The victims hate the cops as much as the criminals.
Want a solution, instead of video cameras, let the police just stop bothering in the high crime areas where no one really wants them. After the criminals have killed each other off, then the survivors might decide they want police.
Yes, blame the cops for doing the dirty job of trying to bring in people who are always willing to go down fighting, but we have to make sure we give every advantage to the crook over the cop. It's ok for the crook to hit the cop, but the cop can't hit back. How many of you would take the abuse and not return it? Next, how many of you have tried?
I fiddled with Kylix, and I've played with most of their development tools. It's funny how many people stopped at delphi 7 and ignored the later version. Borland lost sight of what kept them in business, good usable tools, and that started somewhere around delphi 8.
I have used zend's ide to work with php...can't say it is the best ide I've worked with, but it did the job. I still have to install the one day trial (probably on the weekend so I have a few extra hours to play with it), but if it is half as nice as delphi 7, it could be worth the money. Till then, I'll reserve judgment.
Hmm, you know, I am making a decent living using delphi. Is delphi dead? Pretty much, but since windows does occupy a vast majority of pc's out there (fact, not fiction), I will have to disagree with your concept that any language that is not multi-platform as dead. Maybe one day when linux becomes more user friendly, and people stop screaming "look at the source" as a replacement for documentation and simple to use interfaces, maybe your statement might be true. There are far too many idiots in the world that will take anything mickysoft hands them and think it's the greatest thing ever (when they are not cussing it for crashing). Overall, I don't foresee being out of work any time soon.
Note: I have started down the dark road of.net, but I still like to play with php, since php and mysql is on almost every low cost hosting company out there.
I have long loved the Might and Magic series. Starting on the c64 and moving on to the pc, it was one of the better hack and slash rpg's that came out. I even adjusted to #6 that included a 3d engine...and from there it went down hill. The 7th was ok, but similar to 6....while 8 was a touch above bad...and 9. Lets just say, it sucked.
I did see a new one in an add, but I don't know if I even want to bother. Of course I'll probably get it in hopes it will be decent...
I bought version 7 of fractal mapper. It is 100x easier to use than campaign cartogropher. There are a few things that I wouldn't mind them improving, but overall it is a nice program.
Yep...godaddy is such a wonderfull place...until you wish to transfer the domain away from them. They deny the transfer (domain isn't locked, but they will lock it for you without telling/asking you) and don't even bother to send an email telling you they have denied a legitimate transfer request.
Not that I disagree with you, but at this moment Microsoft spends millions in advertising to push windows. Even though almost all computers come with windows pre-installed. Linux only is supported by big companies like IBM and Dell for servers. The desktop has no one pushing it at all. So even if Lindows is a bad rip off of linux it still is not windows. So some exposure to linux even in a bad form will give the unknowing at least a taste of something other than windows.
If Lindows is doing something wrong I am pretty sure they will be taken to court. I don't agree with either companies practices, but one is at least doing something that has some potential for good for linux even if it is done for less than truly honest reasons.
It is a shame that I look at an underhanded ploy as a benifit to linux. Since Microsoft will not stop thier practices I find it hard to get upset when someone does the same which could at some point help linux.
All of it still sounds a wrong, but in business this type of thing happens all the time. Where do you think "A fool and his money will soon be parted" came from? There are allot of fools when it comes to computers.
I have to wonder though. Now I can agree that Lindows is doing this to benifit themselves, but since Lindows is Linux based would this not be good for all people in the long run?
Microsoft has a stranglehold on the desktop world and people will not willingly change from windows to anything else since windows came pre-installed. So if they do get a free computer with Lindows on it then they will get to experience Linux (yes, not a true version) for themselves. This to me seems to be a plus for all people who have never branched outside of the windows world. I use both windows (w2k) and linux so I can appreciate the fact some people actually prefer windows. But if they are going to make that choice wouldn't it be better if they at least had a chance to see an alternative?
If people like linux because of Lindows, and discover there are other flavors out there for them to choose from then it might give people more incentive to not change back to windows. I would just like someone to show the more common people that windows is not the only OS in the world.
I doubt Lindows will make a big impact overall since even if they managed to do 100k of them it would still not harm Microsoft that much. But since Microsoft seems concerned I might be wrong and it could have more potential harm to Microsoft than is apparent.
Either way, I'm glad someone somewhere is doing something to help show more average people that there is a choice.
So can anyone explain to me how Nintendo has been making video games for longer than we have had computers?
Even the original tube type calculator didn't appear to somewhere in the 1950's? Now if they are just talking about some person whose name is Nintendo they should really just say so.
Ok, I looked at the specs and I did notice that it says it will play pc games. That in itself could be a dream for some people who do not want to dedicate a full computer to windows (or is that a full partition). Anyways that in itself would be a good selling point, but it seems to be lacking even a cd rom, much less a dvd rom.
So it seems to be completely dependent on them, which would not get my money. I have avoided tivo and replay tv because of the subscription concept. A console which I would bet will have some form of subscription service will be one reason for me to pass on it.
BTW That whole incident shows why the UN is flawed. Why should 5 countries have the right to veto and get their own way. Everything should be voted on and no one have special powers.
I agree, still wouldn't be perfect but would be a big improvement.
Might it be retribution against the French for not doing what the U.S. ordered them to do (Iraq)?
The US was not orering the French to do anything, as I remember it the French said they would veto anything that the US wanted to do. The French had lots of contracts with Iraq and Sadam, so it came down to money. Since terrorist are becoming brave again and are looking to cause more terror, the US is stepping up on its security. Did the Security people single out the French reporters? I wouldn't be supprised, and quite honestly don't care. Since they are picking on others too it helps hide the fact they are singling people out.
Overall they basicly harrassed the journalist because they can, and because right now France has shown that they have only self interest in mind and don't really like the US that much. (This is based on the attitude the French Govt has displayed over the past many months) So when US security gives French people a hard time, its not that it makes it right, but its the little peoples way of getting thier own revenge. If the French want better treatment from the US, then they should act like a friend to the US. As long as they keep showing an attitude that they dislike the US, the response is going to be negitive.
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Why is not everything "worth" publishing, these days? It was "worth" it for the individual to write. With cheap digital publishing/self published material, it seeems it can be. It still may not be "worh" reading, but who cares? Just like the majority of web pages out there, all of which are 'published'.
I see this on POD (Print on Demand) commercials for companies who produce the POD machines, but while I agree that anyone can produce any type of dribble they desire, once you remove the separation of published and vanity press, you now force people to like me to wade through the various new "reviewers" to figure out which ones I might believe. A publisher has a financial stake in the books they publish, while a reviewer does not. Why do trust a publisher over simple reviews? I've seen self published books on amazon, I've actually read the initial (and probably final) version of a book that looks legit, and even has glowing reviews (from personal friends and family) that would make it seem a good book. Other than it was self published by the author's own publishing company, that publishes nothing but their own crud...but it has a five star review on amazon. That isn't a publisher, but self created vanity press in disguise.
I have a couple hundred (maybe more) books on my bookshelves from ace and tor and some of the other large scifi/fantasy publishers, which speak a great deal about the quality of books they publish.
Does everyone who chooses to throw a hundred thousand words or so in a document deserve to call themselves an author? Maybe, but it would be like everyone who can copy a hello world app and compile it be called a programmer.
I don't subscribe to the concept that everything someone does deserves to be praised. Things that are done well and have value should get praise. Otherwise, what is the point of doing anything at all? Having participated and finished two novels for National writers novel month...I could say I'm an author. Being that I'd be ashamed to have anyone read that raw garbage, I believe they can wait until they get rewritten in a form that is worth reading first. Then, maybe I might be worthy of such a title. Actually, I'll feel the title is justified the day one of the publishers, that I trust to publish good books, accepts and publishes one of my own. Then it won't be me applying that title, but someone else who found my work good enough to invest in.
Publishers do more than just market a book, they filter. The cost of the book isn't the real concern for most people buying a book. (assuming there are reasonable prices for those books) My time is worth way more than the $6 paperback, or even $15 hardcover (Yes, I get most hardcovers for $15 to $20 the day it comes out because no one is selling it at the cover price). A book is an investment of my time to read it, and for that I want something well written and not a steamy pile of crud. The publisher wades through the 85% crap sent in to find the 1% of the remaining 15% that is worth publishing. Do a search on slushpiles and you can see some interesting pictures of what a publisher has to wade through. When I buy a book I'm paying the author for the story, but more the publisher for their time to filter out the crap that isn't worth reading so I don't have to. Yes, there are some books that are great that publishers turn down, but in comparison to the tons of worthless garbage that isn't deserving of the few k of space they take up, that is a good trade off for most people.
I do think if you cut out the cost of publishing a paper book, then that cost cutting should filter down to the ebook as well. Not many people pay full price for even a hard cover, why is the e version (bound with drm and the inability to loan or resell it) at $15 realistic? So they pay the author a buck or two and pocket the rest? (I am estimating high on the author payout). I'm more inclined to feel the publisher is against ebooks and would prefer them to fail when they price them high above a non drm'd paper version...which is cheaper in most cases.
And you actually believe this? Or haven't you heard the updated figure this past week? $200k, and Biden said $150 (ok, he does speak before he thinks, so maybe that isn't real), and then some other guy (forget the name) started talking about $120k.
Does it really matter what the number is? It comes down to this, nothing in life is really free. Even if you are given something (aka Linux) someone still provided time, energy, and effort (and usually money) to provide it. So, anyone who promises you to take care of all your needs and only those who are rich will pay...think about what the term rich means, then ask how often that term changes from one election to the next.
I, speaking for me, would rather not get up each morning and go to work for the "good of all". I'm not going to work to provide health care for all those who choose not to do the same. I would rather not go to work to support other people's children because they can't support them. Why did they have them if they couldn't afford them? I don't hear anyone talking about denying people the right to have kids...so why can't I have a choice to decide not to support kids that are not my own? When did it become the right of the govt to decide which charities I should support, since they give me no choice? It happened long before I had a vote.
If you want to believe the political bs that is thrown out as the "I'll make the rich support all of you." That is your right, but if you work anywhere that takes your taxes out before you get paid...you could very well find yourself in the category of "rich", regardless of the fact you really aren't. In the not so "free" state of Maryland, the latest liberal governor promised to "only tax the rich". I'm wondering how the poor get out of the extra penny of sales tax on every dollar? I guess that isn't considered taxing?
I personally don't like either candidate. So I am going to vote for the one who hasn't openly promised to bend me over and...well, do unpleasant things to me.
As for the main topic of this thread. Isn't it bad enough I have to pay for a educational system that is failing? Has failed. I always here the same line, "the schools need more money." Why? How come the public school system, for double to triple the cost, can't provide as good of an education as the bulk of the private schools? (I'm talking the smaller ones, not the elite ones like Obama uses.)
Govt is rarely the answer, and is almost always the problem.
I'm going to vote for my right to be a stingy and keep my money for myself and my own personal enjoyment, and for the right for everyone else to do the same.
Well, when I needed a new phone, I also needed a new pda (my sony clie is a bit old), so I got both in one. I actually use more of the pda functionality (like the calendar) since I carry the phone most places, while my pda stayed in my bag, or at home.
I like it, and I can write apps for it.
I have one of the Veriozon windows mobile phones, it has .net compact framework, and even compact sql server.
I got it mainly because I could write my own c# apps for the thing. Visual studio even has a nice emulator built in.
What files are private? Hmmm, the writing I do, in a word processor. Even if it is technically protected under copywrite I being the one to have written it, still, it is my creation. Will the world end if someone else were to get it without my permission? No, but since on my computer, behind my firewall, in my home, I have a certain level of confidence it is far safer there than on some server of someone else who may or may not have a security hole. If I have one, shame on me, if they have one...I have no control over it.
I may not have top secret files on my computer, but they are mine. Things I create shouldn't be available to some sys admin of some company I may not trust. In today's world of sell everything you can for a buck, my personal info, my web browsing and buying habbits, are all being sold without my permission, or me getting a cut. I'd rather not ad my own work to it as well.
I won't even get into the source code that I write for my own toys. Even if I would give most of it away to whomever wanted it. That is, and should always be a choice I control...not someone else.
I have had fun playing with VMWare, and I even played with Microsoft's VM software as well. Sadly, while they are nice, I wouldn't want to use one as my main os. While I wouldn't classify myself as a gamer, I do play them sometimes. So far the vm's aren't up to playing 3d games.
To port a vm from one machine to another requires a bit of abstraction, and the video suffers for it. This might be something fixable, but so far I'm not impressed with the capabilities of vm's and games.
Ok, I'm sure minesweeper works just fine.
I don't get it, why would I want to trust Microsoft, or anyone, with all my files?
I think I like the current model, I buy a computer and it is mine, I can put whatever I want on it, and I can use it with or without the internet.
I guess when my unreliable comcast cable modem drops offline I guess that means a worthless terminal till it comes back up. This is an improvement....how?
I live in Maryland, I'm going to be the recipient of all the "NEW" taxes they have decided we should pay. I keep seeing words like "Fair Share", so just what is my fair share? How many times should I pay taxes on the dollar I earn so the state of maryland can waste it as well? I think those who feel income redistribution and fair share should move to places like Cuba or China, even North Korea...those people have been paying their Fair Share for their whole lives.
Let me point out a few facts. This tax increase (which no one yet seems to have figured out what all the new taxes are yet since they did it at 2:30 in the morning) is to help cover the extra 1 billion in new spending they have come up with, and an 18% increase to the failing school system. All this money which I and other Marylander's earn will be thrown into the states accounts who will missmanage and put in the demand for the people working to pay more of the un"Fair Share".
How many of the people here have ever worked on a Government contract? How many of those contracts went over budget, failed to meet the deadline, or both? What happened? Did you get sued? I doubt it. Did the Govt give you more money? Most likely. The normal sop of government is when something fails...throw more money at it, and what happens then? Well, if failing the first time gets you a bonus, why not try it again? Too often that works over and over again. How long can you keep tossing money at a failure before it is enough?
I am of the opinion that I can do a better job with my money than the state can. I pay government enforced charities, also known as social programs. I get to help fund all the poor children out there that aren't mine, I didn't ask people to have, but now for some reason it is my responsibility to pay for their health care, food, and housing. If I don't jump for joy at being forced to pay for all these social programs I'm just mean...or other nasty thought get thrown my way. I no longer care. The largest tax increase in the history of the state was passed in the middle of the night with closed door negotiations and a flat refusal to listen to the people of Maryland. Representatives email servers suddenly started to reject all mail, phones remained busy for days..this is crooked government racking businesses and the working people so some politician can feel they are "helping the needy" with my money.
It's a shame I can't tell the state I'm going to have a structural deficit next year....so I don't have to pay you any taxes. I need a big screen tv and a new home theater system and if I pay you then I can't afford it. It's what they are doing to all the people of Maryland...the tax on services is only one of a very large set of taxes they are bending us over with. Scream "Fair Share" all you want, but until you are volunteering 50% of your income to assist all the people who are irresponsible or just lazy...don't tell me they are my responsibility.
I've heard that from a couple cops about domestic violence. That something I can imagine, but have a hard time grasping.
I do know that for Baltimore City at least, almost every group of applicants to become a cop include a couple, to several people who have standing warrants for their arrest. I just wish the stereotyping of professions like the cops, military, border agents, would be treated with the same reaction of criminal stereotyping. It has become alright to say "All cops are out to beat up the neighborhood," but not ok to say, "all men that wear baggy clothes and hang out on street corners are drug dealers" or "all Muslims are terrorists".
The cameras will only be given out in areas that are the most violent, and with a touch of editing, you don't see the criminal attacking the cop, or beating the cop, only the cop defending themselves from the criminal. So the criminal is in the right, because someone wants the cop to be in the wrong. It's happened before, and it will happen again. If we keep abusing those trying to protect us, one day we might find a lack of people willing to do so.
I'm sure my view won't be popular, but if it is so easy to be a police officer in a high crime area where the criminals have guns and have no problem shooting a cop, why isn't there a line of people waiting for that job. I've had a chance to work on police software in the past and had several months spent going down to the main district to verify reports. Needless to say, I did talk to other people while I was there, including some of the cops that work the lovely streets of Baltimore, Maryland. I wouldn't do that job for twice what I'm making now. The victims hate the cops as much as the criminals.
Want a solution, instead of video cameras, let the police just stop bothering in the high crime areas where no one really wants them. After the criminals have killed each other off, then the survivors might decide they want police.
Yes, blame the cops for doing the dirty job of trying to bring in people who are always willing to go down fighting, but we have to make sure we give every advantage to the crook over the cop. It's ok for the crook to hit the cop, but the cop can't hit back. How many of you would take the abuse and not return it? Next, how many of you have tried?
I fiddled with Kylix, and I've played with most of their development tools. It's funny how many people stopped at delphi 7 and ignored the later version. Borland lost sight of what kept them in business, good usable tools, and that started somewhere around delphi 8.
I have used zend's ide to work with php...can't say it is the best ide I've worked with, but it did the job. I still have to install the one day trial (probably on the weekend so I have a few extra hours to play with it), but if it is half as nice as delphi 7, it could be worth the money. Till then, I'll reserve judgment.
Hmm, you know, I am making a decent living using delphi. Is delphi dead? Pretty much, but since windows does occupy a vast majority of pc's out there (fact, not fiction), I will have to disagree with your concept that any language that is not multi-platform as dead. Maybe one day when linux becomes more user friendly, and people stop screaming "look at the source" as a replacement for documentation and simple to use interfaces, maybe your statement might be true. There are far too many idiots in the world that will take anything mickysoft hands them and think it's the greatest thing ever (when they are not cussing it for crashing). Overall, I don't foresee being out of work any time soon.
.net, but I still like to play with php, since php and mysql is on almost every low cost hosting company out there.
Note: I have started down the dark road of
I have long loved the Might and Magic series. Starting on the c64 and moving on to the pc, it was one of the better hack and slash rpg's that came out. I even adjusted to #6 that included a 3d engine...and from there it went down hill. The 7th was ok, but similar to 6....while 8 was a touch above bad...and 9. Lets just say, it sucked.
I did see a new one in an add, but I don't know if I even want to bother. Of course I'll probably get it in hopes it will be decent...
I bought version 7 of fractal mapper. It is 100x easier to use than campaign cartogropher. There are a few things that I wouldn't mind them improving, but overall it is a nice program.
Yep...godaddy is such a wonderfull place...until you wish to transfer the domain away from them. They deny the transfer (domain isn't locked, but they will lock it for you without telling/asking you) and don't even bother to send an email telling you they have denied a legitimate transfer request.
Yep...got to love that.
The cynical part of me thinks stealth is popular with game developers because they can slow the player down and stretch a 5 hour game to 20+ hours.
:(
And what is wrong with that? I have to admit I am hooked on Thief, I've played all 3 of them not...well, working on the third. I love it.
I wish there were more games like it.
Not that I disagree with you, but at this moment Microsoft spends millions in advertising to push windows. Even though almost all computers come with windows pre-installed. Linux only is supported by big companies like IBM and Dell for servers. The desktop has no one pushing it at all. So even if Lindows is a bad rip off of linux it still is not windows. So some exposure to linux even in a bad form will give the unknowing at least a taste of something other than windows.
If Lindows is doing something wrong I am pretty sure they will be taken to court. I don't agree with either companies practices, but one is at least doing something that has some potential for good for linux even if it is done for less than truly honest reasons.
It is a shame that I look at an underhanded ploy as a benifit to linux. Since Microsoft will not stop thier practices I find it hard to get upset when someone does the same which could at some point help linux.
All of it still sounds a wrong, but in business this type of thing happens all the time. Where do you think "A fool and his money will soon be parted" came from? There are allot of fools when it comes to computers.
I have to wonder though. Now I can agree that Lindows is doing this to benifit themselves, but since Lindows is Linux based would this not be good for all people in the long run?
Microsoft has a stranglehold on the desktop world and people will not willingly change from windows to anything else since windows came pre-installed. So if they do get a free computer with Lindows on it then they will get to experience Linux (yes, not a true version) for themselves. This to me seems to be a plus for all people who have never branched outside of the windows world. I use both windows (w2k) and linux so I can appreciate the fact some people actually prefer windows. But if they are going to make that choice wouldn't it be better if they at least had a chance to see an alternative?
If people like linux because of Lindows, and discover there are other flavors out there for them to choose from then it might give people more incentive to not change back to windows. I would just like someone to show the more common people that windows is not the only OS in the world.
I doubt Lindows will make a big impact overall since even if they managed to do 100k of them it would still not harm Microsoft that much. But since Microsoft seems concerned I might be wrong and it could have more potential harm to Microsoft than is apparent.
Either way, I'm glad someone somewhere is doing something to help show more average people that there is a choice.
I remember atari 2600 games comming out at $40 to $50 each. I thought it was ridiculous then, somewhat still do now.
Ok, that makes sense. But you would think someone would have mentioned it. It implied that they had been making video games for a long time.
Today is the 114th birthday of our favorite video game company!
So can anyone explain to me how Nintendo has been making video games for longer than we have had computers?
Even the original tube type calculator didn't appear to somewhere in the 1950's? Now if they are just talking about some person whose name is Nintendo they should really just say so.
As for me my ps2 still working just fine.
Ok, I looked at the specs and I did notice that it says it will play pc games. That in itself could be a dream for some people who do not want to dedicate a full computer to windows (or is that a full partition). Anyways that in itself would be a good selling point, but it seems to be lacking even a cd rom, much less a dvd rom.
So it seems to be completely dependent on them, which would not get my money. I have avoided tivo and replay tv because of the subscription concept. A console which I would bet will have some form of subscription service will be one reason for me to pass on it.
BTW That whole incident shows why the UN is flawed. Why should 5 countries have the right to veto and get their own way. Everything should be voted on and no one have special powers.
I agree, still wouldn't be perfect but would be a big improvement.
Might it be retribution against the French for not doing what the U.S. ordered them to do (Iraq)?
The US was not orering the French to do anything, as I remember it the French said they would veto anything that the US wanted to do. The French had lots of contracts with Iraq and Sadam, so it came down to money. Since terrorist are becoming brave again and are looking to cause more terror, the US is stepping up on its security. Did the Security people single out the French reporters? I wouldn't be supprised, and quite honestly don't care. Since they are picking on others too it helps hide the fact they are singling people out.
Overall they basicly harrassed the journalist because they can, and because right now France has shown that they have only self interest in mind and don't really like the US that much. (This is based on the attitude the French Govt has displayed over the past many months) So when US security gives French people a hard time, its not that it makes it right, but its the little peoples way of getting thier own revenge. If the French want better treatment from the US, then they should act like a friend to the US. As long as they keep showing an attitude that they dislike the US, the response is going to be negitive.