Most of your manufacturing has been outsourced to China. What do you plan to wage war with?
An excellent point, which is why the vast majority of weapons systems used by the US are built in the US with US components. The COTS gear is another matter. The post-war situation would without a doubt be seriously screwed up, but I'd imagine in-sourcing would come back into fashion.
Apple does enjoy its little lock-in scheme that we love to roast Microsoft for.
Yes, a little lock-in scheme. They sell a music player, throw in an on-line service as a sales gimmick. Consumers have alternatives to an iPod, and music distributers have alternatives to iTunes. For some bizzarre reason, consumers opted for the Pod enmass. Go figure.
Naturally, "Napster" is pissed. It may be that they'll stay pissed. Every seller's favorate business model is subscription, for the continuing income stream. A consumer's favorate model is (usually) to buy something once, so that they don't piss away money on goods and services they aren't always using. Most folks are already Washington and Franklin'ed to death by rent/mortgage, insurance, utilitities, cable, phone, cell phone, isp, and transportation. And now some bozos want to add music to our monthly.
Yeah, I'll get right on board with that. Sorry Chris, I already did a snail mail version of Napster with the Columbia Frickin' Music Club back in the day. A pain in the ass, having to turn back the crap they were pushing, once you had your fill of your favorates, and got down to the long haul of sorting out a few grains of one's personal wheat from the chaff.
No, is the answer. Ok, I've been looking for an excuse to paraphrase someone's Windows-oriented.sig. Seriously, one of the problems with the Cisco gear we've gotten in the last few years is that while they'll route IPv6, the frickin' admin interface is still IPv4 only. Thanks, Cisco.
As the parent pointed out, cutting off your access is standard procedure. If they need you to do more of whatever your job responsibilities were, they'll ask you. I'm presuming you dropped your resignation on them without warning. If you discussed a departure with your boss beforehand (but, with job offer in your pocket), then a smoother signoff might have been worked out. If you were only a system user, rather than admin, they might have been less abrupt. As it stands, it's probably company policy to cut you off fast, least (the generic) "you" decide to depart in a less than professional manner.
But, as he told us, he isn't interested in correcting the information, he is interested in dragging the original author in front of a court, and I'm sorry, that kind of powerplay just doesn't work anymore in the 21st century.
I'd like to address the two assertions made here:
1) Correcting Info Should Be Good Enough: He is interested in a correction, which he got. Why would he want more? Because a successful libel suit provides a public venue for a plantiff to plead his case in the court of public opinion, which would eventually result in a significant number of hits from a search engine. Because the defamation of one's good name frequently has a tangible cost, and the recovery of those costs is a valid goal. Because although one libel suit nailing one person talking stink on Wikipedia ain't gonna make a whole lot of difference, the weight of a great number of people continuing to exercise their right against bogus gossip may one day come around to helping you, personally.
2) A Libel Suit Is Outdated: Excuse me if I overreach, but I think you're claiming that libel suits, if not all civil suits, are an outdated concept. Because the net moves too fast for most legal systems, or whatever. On the contrary, a political system in general, and legal system in particular, is where the rubber meets the road, where the power of the State is (theoretically, at least) brought to bear on a beef between individuals/groups/entities. As we've been discovering the hard way for recorded music, while a wide spread electronic communication network can at first make it at first difficult to pin someone down for their particular use of it, it's a medium that can be tweaked to make it all too easy to pin someone down. And once pinned down, targeted for further action. In this case, the only thing saving Joe(sephina) Blow from having his/her glory hole probed in court is a policy within Ma Bell. All too easy for a few officials to adjust a policy, and suddenly Mr. Seigenthaler has a lien on the Blow family's physical assets while the attorneys have at it.
On the other hand, if "powerplays" like this really don't work anymore, then technology has given us the tools to quickly move on to more direct modes of redress, such as Mr. Seigenthaler using a private dick to track down 65-81-97-208 for a personalized retort.
"Only" power users? Power users were the drivers for the bloat of office applications over the last 15 years. If the power users in which ever office environment aren't satisfied with the amount of crap in an application, the word will get around that it's "crippled". Face it, if a mail client doesn't match or exceed Outlook's feature set (minus the security hassles), the closest it'll get to the mass of business desktops is as a bullet point on C/Net.
But your assertion that your employer would have had a deployable system by now is unfounded.
Yep, you've hit it right on the nose. All I had was a gut feeling (back in the day) that LM bit off more than it could chew, and a case of sour grapes to gnaw on.
The parent for this thread probably doesn't have any first hand experience with HWIL, but s/he has the basic ideas down. Lemme hit the previous bullets:
Gyroscopic mount: typically, the seeker for the missile (radar, ir, video, whatever) in question is mounted on the gimbals. The rest of the guidance section is in a nearby rack. The reactions of the rest of the missile (fins, motor, body) is simulated in the kinematic codes running on the HWIL simulation computer(s).
Projection screen: a jargon problem. For Radar: an array of radio frequency feed horns are mounted on a wide hemispheric frame about 50 to 100 feet in front of the seeker, which is at the focal point of their output. By varying the frequency, power, and polarity of the energy from each feed horn, one or more targets can be represented. The simulation computer usually takes care of the radar pulse delay to represent range. Simulated changes in target angle are handled by moving the seeker on it's gimbals.
IR projection: a "hot" video display, to my experience using an led array no bigger than a laptop display a few feet in front of the seeker. Video: to my experience, either a large front or rear video projection system, or a tv display a few feet in front of the seeker.
Fins/vectored thrust: in a HWIL system, the aerodynamic controls are usually simulated. The control computer intercepts the commands from the guidance section, and feeds them into the kinematic software for use in the virtual environment.
Movement in 3D space: Why move the seeker at all? Because it's cheaper than moving the display mechanism (whether radar, ir, or video). The seeker is built to withstand intense shock and vibration, small, and usually weighs anywhere from a few tens to hundreds of pounds. The display system is usually custom built, touchy, and too unwieldy to move in angle or rate in degrees per second needed to represent how a target might present itself. Depending on the scenario, the simulated target may well start 'waaaaaaay off to the side of the seeker's POV. So, throw the seeker on gimbals and move it.
Before moving into an expensive HWIL lab, the guidance software, or guidance computer and s/w, will have been put thru it's paces on a computer-in-the-loop simulation, where nothing moves except logic states. HWIL is the final stage of integration testing before trying the whole missile out on a test range.
Just between you, me, and the lamp post, I believe Lockeed won the THAAD contract on price, and the Army has been paying the price for what, twelve years? If (my previous employer) had won this, I assert we'd have a deployable system by now.
Actually, the comment about looking to skilled trades as a career choice is right on. While there is the problem of "virtual" outsourcing in the building trades due to undocumented immigrants and unlicensed contractors, overall there's a shortage of - for instance - trained electricians nationwide. As an added bonus, one branch of career progression within the skilled trades is to open one's own business.
Back on the IT path, for those that are that worried about outshoring, aim for jobs in government or defence.
Phosphorus (sp) is used in a bomb to burn things, just like napalm, but a bit easier to aim. I think you're about to go off the deep end with your definitions.
Chemical weapons - by definition - specifically aim to target the biology of mammals. Mustard gas, chorine, et al do a great job at messing people up, but will barely blemish the finish of the car they're driving in. On the other hand, WP works wonders at messing up both man and the works of man, just like any other explosive and/or combustible tool of war.
The UK was a charter member of the UN, before WWII was over. Counter insurgency operations in Kenya, Malaysia, & Yemen came well after. Within the Palestine mandate, India, and Cyprus, they largely used police powers.
Outside of the Empire/Commonwealth, there was the Suez Canal intervention with France.
Overall, while the UK may not be as trigger happy as the US, they're not a good counter example.
"Overreact"? If we set an arbitrary starting point after WWII, and stay within the British Isles, then some folks in Ulster/Northern Ireland would probably say yes, they overreacted. Although prison detentions had the sanction of a legal process, there were a number of occasions when the SAS ambushed IRA cells in counties adjoining the border with the Republic.
If we reach out beyond the UK proper, and look at how the British dealt with insurgents in Kenya, Malaysia, and southern Yemen, they largely went the military route. Worked in the first two, not so much in Yemen.
I'll agree all ideas should be given fair weight. At issue is whether than means a particular idea gets "equal" weight, or "any" weight when dealt with "fairly".
As for teaching evolution in biology class, it's like this: evolution can be shown to work using a series of experiments that are repeatable. By doing the experiments, you can see that various bits of (for example) the evolutionary hypothesis are or are not borne out by your results. This provides you, personally, with some level of confidence that when you interact with or upon Nature, within the limits of your experience you can anticipate consequences. This isn't a belief system, this is a school of hard knocks, like Bart Simpson finally realizing that no matter how many times he slams a door on his fingers, it's always going to hurt. Intelligent Design does not add understanding to this process.
IMO, a belief system comes into play when considering what to do with the knowledge gained: ethics. A belief system comes into play when considering how to ponder the questions of why: faith. A problem with weaving faith into a primary or secondary science class such as Kansas proposes to do is that the aim seems to be to cut off the discovery of the workings of Nature before it runs up against someone's preconception of Nature's workings.
Much as I consider that a PETA activist arises from a childhood of clean supermarkets and "Bambi", I feel the driver for creationism and ID in science class is a childhood envisioning the Lord wavying a wand over Creation in a 168 hour week. Much as I'd hope a (in this case) Christian believer's understanding of the Gospels as a whole would become more learned and sophisticated by adulthood, I'd hope their childhood conception of Genesis would mature as well. Frankly, the recipe for Creation ain't in the KJV, and for the majority of the Kansas School Board to in essence decide they've got the workings of the Lord all figured out (the magic wand) is child-like in the most literal sense.
You've hit the nail on the head. Science is useful within its assumption... that Nature responds consistently. So far, this seems to hold true. If God elects to have Nature as a whole interact with Man in particular in a way inconsistent with previous behavior, we will react to it. In the meantime, we deal with what we've been dealt, which seems to be consistent.
Yah must not be from around here! Most Americans would refer to residents of Kansas as "KAN-zans" or "KAN-zens". The always popular "HAY-seeds" covers just about anyone that seems less urbane than one's more sophisticated self.
Case exited because Carl Icahn wanted his ass out. Case and the other execs that pushed the TW/AOL merger were responsible for destroying investor wealth on a vast scale. Case was the last of these empire-killers to go.
Even if Case was merely mediocre, Icahn would still want him out, since clearing out company founders with emotional ties to the company is a big investor's first step towards jerking it any which way he can to shake some more coin out of it.
Since Icahn's actions will probably increase the value of Case's portfolio, Steve might feel less inclined to screw around with his land holdings out here in Hawaii, which can only be a good thing.
For cheese ravioli at a normal price, you shoulda/woulda/coulda hit Aroma d' Italia, on S. Kihei Rd next to Foodland... in Kihei, in case that wasn't obvious.
As you'll have figured out after reading the threads a bit more, the point is to help net users within the PRC to see content their government doesn't want them to, not for you to surf into China.
You're missing the point, which is that Disney hopes to make anon duplication more of a hassle than recipients would think it worth attempting. I'm sure that on Disney's end, the creation process, including the insertion of identifying data, is largely automated.
I think most folks thought of PDAs as a business tool, and a mini computer. That scared away just about everyone but the hardcore business technology users. Among this niche, there was (and is) the hard won lesson that PDA screens are fragile, so protecting access to the names, numbers, notes, and dates within was first priority.
With the addition of a 512mb sd card and 'aeroplayer' software, my Palm Tungsten made a fine mp3 player during travel... until my wife gave the gift of iPod, which was superior and durable enough of a player that it was worth adding to my travel kit.
A: Around about the middle of '90, while Sculley was at the helm, Apple raised prices across the board. Product demand was strong, and Apple shipped more systems per year than anyone. They figured this was an Econ 101 situation, and raised prices with only a fig leaf attempt to bs their way out of it. Obviously someone dropped out before Econ 401, which would have taught the costs of trading on "good will", when they could have been looking at increasing their market share upward from 20%.
B: Learning from Atari's experience where unmanaged 3rd party game developers flooded the market with crappy product, Nintendo required developers to register with them for the right to see the NES s/w development tools, or get any cooperation in distributing game carts. While some moaned that this was a restraint of trade and raised prices, Nintendo was able to control who traded on Nintendo's good will.
So, which is it for Apple, this time? Any knowledgeable insider Anon Coward care to comment?
Ah yes, the future may be bright. But even George Jetson had Mr. Spacely to report to.
The potential may soon be there to put 200 year lifespans and nano-based goods production in everyone's hands. But... remember when the move to the information economy was supposed to free us from the druggery of a 9-to-5 factory job? Sure, it gave millions the ability to view porn w/o a magazine shop stop. On the other hand, it gave thousands the ability to move the information and manufacturing economy jobs elsewhere. Helloooo 7-11. Wow, that was sure liberating.
So, when Merck starts selling DNA treatments that'll keep you looking and humping like you're 20 'til you're 200, how many folks will be able to afford it, not to mention the nano-factory? Eventually, maybe quite a few of us, but in the meantime, there will without a doubt be some other means that'll concentrate wealth in a few hands.
Which brings up the point, do you really WANT to live 300 years? We already tend to go downhill after our 20's, and each decade after is compounded by more health problems.
It's a funny thing, how age changes one's perspective. On the one hand, from about age 22 until 43 (incl. marriage, 2 degrees, child, job chg, three major relocations), I didn't think of myself as basically any different than years past. There have always been new things to learn and do, new people to meet, more ways to bang the old lady. If there was ever a cathartic momenet, it's when I got a framed photo of my dad and I when he was 43, and I a teen. OMFG, I am my Dad, confirmed responsible adult.
However, now that I'm at 45, kicking the bucket any time sooner than 85 or so looks too damn close, 'cause there are still a lot of possibilities to experience. I'm more than happy to hang in through years and years of old coggerdom, provided I'm not strapped to a chair watching Days Of Our Lives reruns.
Perhaps it helps that I didn't total my body during my twenties, but whenever I hear someone say it's all downhill after 20 - looking only at a preconceived idea of sperm count and neuron branching - I can now know that I'm listening to the voice of inexperience.
The "American Dream" is to reach your individual goal, which may be striking it rich. Another American ideal is that the taxpayers have (an indirect) say in what their taxes pay for. Finally, there's the Anglo-Saxon tradition that elections should be open and their processes transparent to the voters.
Sometimes these ideas conflict, in which case open elections trump the other two, which are at risk if elections aren't open.
It's one thing to have vendor X print up ballots, because you can always switch vendors, and you can directly assess the quality of their product. Its another thing altogether to have vendor X drop a black box console at a voting site. "Trust us, it'll work great." There are certain things which really need to be completely and utterly owned - not licensed - by the public, regardless of how much and who is paid to purchase it. If it doesn't pan out that way, then brother, my own prime political objective should be to buy every outstanding share of election machine companies.
After which, you should address me by my preferred name, "Yes Sir".
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An excellent point, which is why the vast majority of weapons systems used by the US are built in the US with US components. The COTS gear is another matter. The post-war situation would without a doubt be seriously screwed up, but I'd imagine in-sourcing would come back into fashion.
Yes, a little lock-in scheme. They sell a music player, throw in an on-line service as a sales gimmick. Consumers have alternatives to an iPod, and music distributers have alternatives to iTunes. For some bizzarre reason, consumers opted for the Pod enmass. Go figure.
Naturally, "Napster" is pissed. It may be that they'll stay pissed. Every seller's favorate business model is subscription, for the continuing income stream. A consumer's favorate model is (usually) to buy something once, so that they don't piss away money on goods and services they aren't always using. Most folks are already Washington and Franklin'ed to death by rent/mortgage, insurance, utilitities, cable, phone, cell phone, isp, and transportation. And now some bozos want to add music to our monthly.
Yeah, I'll get right on board with that. Sorry Chris, I already did a snail mail version of Napster with the Columbia Frickin' Music Club back in the day. A pain in the ass, having to turn back the crap they were pushing, once you had your fill of your favorates, and got down to the long haul of sorting out a few grains of one's personal wheat from the chaff.
No, is the answer. Ok, I've been looking for an excuse to paraphrase someone's Windows-oriented .sig. Seriously, one of the problems with the Cisco gear we've gotten in the last few years is that while they'll route IPv6, the frickin' admin interface is still IPv4 only. Thanks, Cisco.
As the parent pointed out, cutting off your access is standard procedure. If they need you to do more of whatever your job responsibilities were, they'll ask you. I'm presuming you dropped your resignation on them without warning. If you discussed a departure with your boss beforehand (but, with job offer in your pocket), then a smoother signoff might have been worked out. If you were only a system user, rather than admin, they might have been less abrupt. As it stands, it's probably company policy to cut you off fast, least (the generic) "you" decide to depart in a less than professional manner.
I'd like to address the two assertions made here:
1) Correcting Info Should Be Good Enough: He is interested in a correction, which he got. Why would he want more? Because a successful libel suit provides a public venue for a plantiff to plead his case in the court of public opinion, which would eventually result in a significant number of hits from a search engine. Because the defamation of one's good name frequently has a tangible cost, and the recovery of those costs is a valid goal. Because although one libel suit nailing one person talking stink on Wikipedia ain't gonna make a whole lot of difference, the weight of a great number of people continuing to exercise their right against bogus gossip may one day come around to helping you, personally.
2) A Libel Suit Is Outdated: Excuse me if I overreach, but I think you're claiming that libel suits, if not all civil suits, are an outdated concept. Because the net moves too fast for most legal systems, or whatever. On the contrary, a political system in general, and legal system in particular, is where the rubber meets the road, where the power of the State is (theoretically, at least) brought to bear on a beef between individuals/groups/entities. As we've been discovering the hard way for recorded music, while a wide spread electronic communication network can at first make it at first difficult to pin someone down for their particular use of it, it's a medium that can be tweaked to make it all too easy to pin someone down. And once pinned down, targeted for further action. In this case, the only thing saving Joe(sephina) Blow from having his/her glory hole probed in court is a policy within Ma Bell. All too easy for a few officials to adjust a policy, and suddenly Mr. Seigenthaler has a lien on the Blow family's physical assets while the attorneys have at it.
On the other hand, if "powerplays" like this really don't work anymore, then technology has given us the tools to quickly move on to more direct modes of redress, such as Mr. Seigenthaler using a private dick to track down 65-81-97-208 for a personalized retort.
"Only" power users? Power users were the drivers for the bloat of office applications over the last 15 years. If the power users in which ever office environment aren't satisfied with the amount of crap in an application, the word will get around that it's "crippled". Face it, if a mail client doesn't match or exceed Outlook's feature set (minus the security hassles), the closest it'll get to the mass of business desktops is as a bullet point on C/Net.
Yep, you've hit it right on the nose. All I had was a gut feeling (back in the day) that LM bit off more than it could chew, and a case of sour grapes to gnaw on.
Gyroscopic mount: typically, the seeker for the missile (radar, ir, video, whatever) in question is mounted on the gimbals. The rest of the guidance section is in a nearby rack. The reactions of the rest of the missile (fins, motor, body) is simulated in the kinematic codes running on the HWIL simulation computer(s).
Projection screen: a jargon problem. For Radar: an array of radio frequency feed horns are mounted on a wide hemispheric frame about 50 to 100 feet in front of the seeker, which is at the focal point of their output. By varying the frequency, power, and polarity of the energy from each feed horn, one or more targets can be represented. The simulation computer usually takes care of the radar pulse delay to represent range. Simulated changes in target angle are handled by moving the seeker on it's gimbals.
IR projection: a "hot" video display, to my experience using an led array no bigger than a laptop display a few feet in front of the seeker. Video: to my experience, either a large front or rear video projection system, or a tv display a few feet in front of the seeker.
Fins/vectored thrust: in a HWIL system, the aerodynamic controls are usually simulated. The control computer intercepts the commands from the guidance section, and feeds them into the kinematic software for use in the virtual environment.
Movement in 3D space: Why move the seeker at all? Because it's cheaper than moving the display mechanism (whether radar, ir, or video). The seeker is built to withstand intense shock and vibration, small, and usually weighs anywhere from a few tens to hundreds of pounds. The display system is usually custom built, touchy, and too unwieldy to move in angle or rate in degrees per second needed to represent how a target might present itself. Depending on the scenario, the simulated target may well start 'waaaaaaay off to the side of the seeker's POV. So, throw the seeker on gimbals and move it.
Before moving into an expensive HWIL lab, the guidance software, or guidance computer and s/w, will have been put thru it's paces on a computer-in-the-loop simulation, where nothing moves except logic states. HWIL is the final stage of integration testing before trying the whole missile out on a test range.
Just between you, me, and the lamp post, I believe Lockeed won the THAAD contract on price, and the Army has been paying the price for what, twelve years? If (my previous employer) had won this, I assert we'd have a deployable system by now.
Back on the IT path, for those that are that worried about outshoring, aim for jobs in government or defence.
Chemical weapons - by definition - specifically aim to target the biology of mammals. Mustard gas, chorine, et al do a great job at messing people up, but will barely blemish the finish of the car they're driving in. On the other hand, WP works wonders at messing up both man and the works of man, just like any other explosive and/or combustible tool of war.
Outside of the Empire/Commonwealth, there was the Suez Canal intervention with France.
Overall, while the UK may not be as trigger happy as the US, they're not a good counter example.
If we reach out beyond the UK proper, and look at how the British dealt with insurgents in Kenya, Malaysia, and southern Yemen, they largely went the military route. Worked in the first two, not so much in Yemen.
I'm just curious as to whether my post got modded down because
a) someone figured I'm an evolutionist
b) someone figured I'm a creationist
c) someone figured I ramble on waaaay too much, or my least favorite...
d) a driveby mod
As for teaching evolution in biology class, it's like this: evolution can be shown to work using a series of experiments that are repeatable. By doing the experiments, you can see that various bits of (for example) the evolutionary hypothesis are or are not borne out by your results. This provides you, personally, with some level of confidence that when you interact with or upon Nature, within the limits of your experience you can anticipate consequences. This isn't a belief system, this is a school of hard knocks, like Bart Simpson finally realizing that no matter how many times he slams a door on his fingers, it's always going to hurt. Intelligent Design does not add understanding to this process.
IMO, a belief system comes into play when considering what to do with the knowledge gained: ethics. A belief system comes into play when considering how to ponder the questions of why: faith. A problem with weaving faith into a primary or secondary science class such as Kansas proposes to do is that the aim seems to be to cut off the discovery of the workings of Nature before it runs up against someone's preconception of Nature's workings.
Much as I consider that a PETA activist arises from a childhood of clean supermarkets and "Bambi", I feel the driver for creationism and ID in science class is a childhood envisioning the Lord wavying a wand over Creation in a 168 hour week. Much as I'd hope a (in this case) Christian believer's understanding of the Gospels as a whole would become more learned and sophisticated by adulthood, I'd hope their childhood conception of Genesis would mature as well. Frankly, the recipe for Creation ain't in the KJV, and for the majority of the Kansas School Board to in essence decide they've got the workings of the Lord all figured out (the magic wand) is child-like in the most literal sense.
You've hit the nail on the head. Science is useful within its assumption... that Nature responds consistently. So far, this seems to hold true. If God elects to have Nature as a whole interact with Man in particular in a way inconsistent with previous behavior, we will react to it. In the meantime, we deal with what we've been dealt, which seems to be consistent.
Yah must not be from around here! Most Americans would refer to residents of Kansas as "KAN-zans" or "KAN-zens". The always popular "HAY-seeds" covers just about anyone that seems less urbane than one's more sophisticated self.
Even if Case was merely mediocre, Icahn would still want him out, since clearing out company founders with emotional ties to the company is a big investor's first step towards jerking it any which way he can to shake some more coin out of it.
Since Icahn's actions will probably increase the value of Case's portfolio, Steve might feel less inclined to screw around with his land holdings out here in Hawaii, which can only be a good thing.
For cheese ravioli at a normal price, you shoulda/woulda/coulda hit Aroma d' Italia, on S. Kihei Rd next to Foodland... in Kihei, in case that wasn't obvious.
As you'll have figured out after reading the threads a bit more, the point is to help net users within the PRC to see content their government doesn't want them to, not for you to surf into China.
You're missing the point, which is that Disney hopes to make anon duplication more of a hassle than recipients would think it worth attempting. I'm sure that on Disney's end, the creation process, including the insertion of identifying data, is largely automated.
With the addition of a 512mb sd card and 'aeroplayer' software, my Palm Tungsten made a fine mp3 player during travel... until my wife gave the gift of iPod, which was superior and durable enough of a player that it was worth adding to my travel kit.
A: Around about the middle of '90, while Sculley was at the helm, Apple raised prices across the board. Product demand was strong, and Apple shipped more systems per year than anyone. They figured this was an Econ 101 situation, and raised prices with only a fig leaf attempt to bs their way out of it. Obviously someone dropped out before Econ 401, which would have taught the costs of trading on "good will", when they could have been looking at increasing their market share upward from 20%.
B: Learning from Atari's experience where unmanaged 3rd party game developers flooded the market with crappy product, Nintendo required developers to register with them for the right to see the NES s/w development tools, or get any cooperation in distributing game carts. While some moaned that this was a restraint of trade and raised prices, Nintendo was able to control who traded on Nintendo's good will.
So, which is it for Apple, this time? Any knowledgeable insider Anon Coward care to comment?
The potential may soon be there to put 200 year lifespans and nano-based goods production in everyone's hands. But... remember when the move to the information economy was supposed to free us from the druggery of a 9-to-5 factory job? Sure, it gave millions the ability to view porn w/o a magazine shop stop. On the other hand, it gave thousands the ability to move the information and manufacturing economy jobs elsewhere. Helloooo 7-11. Wow, that was sure liberating.
So, when Merck starts selling DNA treatments that'll keep you looking and humping like you're 20 'til you're 200, how many folks will be able to afford it, not to mention the nano-factory? Eventually, maybe quite a few of us, but in the meantime, there will without a doubt be some other means that'll concentrate wealth in a few hands.
It's a funny thing, how age changes one's perspective. On the one hand, from about age 22 until 43 (incl. marriage, 2 degrees, child, job chg, three major relocations), I didn't think of myself as basically any different than years past. There have always been new things to learn and do, new people to meet, more ways to bang the old lady. If there was ever a cathartic momenet, it's when I got a framed photo of my dad and I when he was 43, and I a teen. OMFG, I am my Dad, confirmed responsible adult.
However, now that I'm at 45, kicking the bucket any time sooner than 85 or so looks too damn close, 'cause there are still a lot of possibilities to experience. I'm more than happy to hang in through years and years of old coggerdom, provided I'm not strapped to a chair watching Days Of Our Lives reruns.
Perhaps it helps that I didn't total my body during my twenties, but whenever I hear someone say it's all downhill after 20 - looking only at a preconceived idea of sperm count and neuron branching - I can now know that I'm listening to the voice of inexperience.
Sometimes these ideas conflict, in which case open elections trump the other two, which are at risk if elections aren't open.
It's one thing to have vendor X print up ballots, because you can always switch vendors, and you can directly assess the quality of their product. Its another thing altogether to have vendor X drop a black box console at a voting site. "Trust us, it'll work great." There are certain things which really need to be completely and utterly owned - not licensed - by the public, regardless of how much and who is paid to purchase it. If it doesn't pan out that way, then brother, my own prime political objective should be to buy every outstanding share of election machine companies.
After which, you should address me by my preferred name, "Yes Sir".