In order for a bubble to burst, there would have had to have been some inflation to begin with.
Aside from a few companies hyping up and releasing products that nobody bought several years ago, there was no 'bubble' to pop concerning E-books.
It would have been a 'bubble' had authors come in droves to dump their works into digital form expecting people to buy them. This never happened, as most authors had the common sense to see there would be free copies of their books sailing all over P2P networks. Not that this doesn't happen already, but any action by the author would have contributed to the potential mess.
So far, when it comes to DRM controlled products, I don't see any growth at all. Perhaps companies will realize customers don't like being treated like thieves.
Anyhow, who wants to read a book on a laptop sized device? Every time I've sat down to read a book I downloaded, that browser icon ends up getting clicked and I find myself posting derogatory flames on/. instead of reading my book. This would never happen with a real book, as my reading area is downstairs from the computer.
With the emphasis on realism and authenticity, the Soviet Red Army meets the German Army on the ground across battlefields from Kiev through Stalingrad and on to the Reichstag in Berlin. Real weapons. Real battles. Real soldiers
Realistic? How is this realistic at all? That is, unless our grandfathers fought WW2 with a mouse and keyboard.
The use of 'realism' and 'real' is bothersome. I remember hearing countless times during a counter-strike match about how 'realistic' the game was. This was usually a comment made by a 14 year old who had never fired an AK47, or been shot at in real life. Not to mention get shot 4 times and still remain focused enough to run around, bunny hop a corner, take down 4 people with an MP5, then save the hostages.
These games may be exciting, battles of avatars dressed up in WW2 or modern military skins, but they are far from a simulation of anything real.
These are the words spoken by an avid FPS gamer since wolf3d. Just so you know I'm not bashing. Though, this mod deserves some bashing for getting posted on/. while Desert Combat for BF1942 was ignored. No vehicles? Even Counter-Strike had those on some maps. BF1942, by far, is the best combat game engine out now, IMO. That EA vehicle code really makes a difference.
With folks like you who bitch about everything, game developers are damned if they do, damned if they don't.
I'm sorry to say, but 3 levels of a game, plus engine, plus textures, plus audio is a few hundred megs. Check your disk usage after installing, I am sure those textures were compressed really well, it's probably around 700MB, right?
Should they have made the download 500MB and included 4 maps?
I think the 100MB limit is hogwash. I would rather wait 45 minutes to play a true technical demonstration of a game than an incomplete, unrealistic demo that took 10 minutes to download.
Perhaps you should just give up your broadband since you whine when you actually need to use it. Nancy boy.
I dunno, when it comes down to it, if CTRL+C takes a measurable amount of time longer than a middle click, then you might want to see an orthapedic surgeon or a shrink.
I know how to do it, but no, that is not completely legal under the DMCA. The writing of the code that circumvents the copy protection, the distribution and possesion are the illegals parts.
Daemon-Tools does not have the built-in mechanism to emulate BF1942's copy protection. At least the last build I downloaded does not.
I agree with the parent on this. They would be stupid not to file some kind of litigation on this kid. The insiders have to put the brakes on that stock slide ASAP or they will be looking for new jobs in a month or two.
I know it sucks for the kid who felt all smart about writing his paper, but that's how f*cked our market is right now. If you do anything to hurt any business entity, no matter how silly the issue, expect it to spend resources on trying to make an example out of you.
By the wording of the DMCA, yes, even suggesting how to defeat that pitiful copy protection is illegal. 'Circumvention' doesn't have to be complex lines of code. It can be and is something this simple. This law has got to go. I am amazed at how little mass media coverage it's gotten. It's one of those issues that isn't just 'geek', it's a serious rights issue that can impact people in ludicrous situations like this one.
Now, I would just like to be able to legally remove the CD check from my Battlefield 1942 installation. I've got a $450 DVD burner and wasting it's spin-life while the damned game makes sure I'm not stealing every MP game launch and every level change. Have a little respect for me for a change, why don't ya?
In 4th grade, me and this other kid were poking at each other with pencils. I had a big, long thing of lead sticking out the front of mine and accidentally stuck him in the palm. It broke off and left about a 1/2 inch of lead under the skin.
It looked really gross. He was pretty upset by the situation, but said it didn't hurt.
It sucks to see several years of work by such a good group of artists go down the tubes like this.
I hope the find whoever leaked the code and make a serious example out of them. Stealing a binary alpha release is one thing, but running off with their source is a terrible thing to do.
I do think, in the long run, this engine's source being leaked will do more good for the gaming community as a whole, since coders can use this source as a reference for their own engines.
That's still not an excuse for trying to destroy valve. I had hoped, for once, they would have a smooth release. Guess they just have bad luck (or bad security policy).
When it comes to cheating, I doubt that will be an enormous problem if they stick with Steam. Each binary can be checked for authenticity at each game launch, plus the system's memory can be examined for proxy cheats. But, I doubt there's little they can do about man-in-the-middle proxy cheats where someone has a game exploit running on their home firewall, though.:(
Best of luck to you Valve. I'll still buy a copy when it's released.
Another option is to get a dual tuner PVR and record PPV with it. It's not technically video on demand, but close enough.
I've noticed one of the real crappers about how americans watch movies. One word sums it up: impulsive.
Go to www.imdb.com, browse around. Find artists you like, directors, etc. Read reviews from real people, select your movies, add to your netflix queue or record them off the PPV channels with the PVR. Then watch them on Friday/Saturday/Sunday with the lady.
You can't really beat that for download speed. Realtime PPV signals equate to around 1.6MBytes/sec (assuming DVD quality). If you want to equate UL/DL speeds using a different transmit medium, such as snailmail, you are still doing pretty good:
I figured it up and, assuming a 72 hour turnaround on my netflix movies, I'm getting what amounts to 104,166Kb/sec via snail mail when I do 3 movies at a time. This also has the advantage of getting all the extras and unlimited access to the DVD until I feel like sending it back. If you were evil, you could even rip the movies onto DVD+R media. Don't do that, though, it's illegal.
Well. According to DirecTV's recent lawsuits, even owning hardware that could be programmed to break signals is implication enough to sue ya for $12k. Doesn't matter if they have any proof at all. All they need is to see a credit card transaction from years ago with someone who sells the stuff and you are toast.
Toast in the sense, that even if you fight it, you'll still be out a few thousand in legal counsel. Then if you lose, add $12-20k on top of it and possible criminal charges.
I'd just say fuck it, man. There's no point in stealing less-than-DVD quality signals when companies like Netflix have such an insanely affordable service.
For some reason I just thought about those goons who would spend 2 weeks downloading a 320x200 divx camera rip of some blockbuster SFX movie on Kazaa. Sometimes free isn't the best option..:]
The sales of hardware aren't what they used to be, and they're not going to come back. It adds up to big trouble for hardware manufacturers."
This is so typical of the music production industry. They sit by idle, over-charging us for equipment for the past 20 years, then just assume they are going to lose a lot of business. I think the word that all aspects of the music industry miss is innovation. A few companies are starting to make neat gadgets for the 'digital' musician, like those little motion sensor orbs for doing warping and scratching effects. Very nifty stuff.
Looking back, this industry, especially the synth side of things, really needs a kick in the butt. $3000 for a keyboard with a synth system inferior to an Audigy2EX card ($250). Yeah, um, those keys and switches must have cost a fortune, right? Not.
I understand that the production quantity is lower, thus each buyer pays a higher premium on the engineering that went into developing this sort of thing. But that's no excuse to keep prices artifically high for years and years. Especially when you've got companies like Fender who did a decent job of opening up quality instruments to the masses by relocating their manufacturing plant to Mexico.
I guess I'm just bitter because I spent my youth wanting to learn to play all kinds of instruments, but couldn't afford to get much of anything.
Does this mean I can finally record that rock opera I've always dreamed about?"
Portability does not equate to talent. Audio applications tend to try and clone the controls you'd find in a recording booth, so you still have to know how to turn the knobs. It's not an instant musician in a box(tm) like your wording seems to emphasize.
If you can't separate the two, then you may want to go find a stone in the back yard and download a copy of Opera. =)
If you could travel back in time and tell a teenager that for $6 he/she could play a game as much as they like for all eternity, they'd pony it up in a heartbeat. I know I would have. Today, people gripe because everything isn't free and won't cough up a couple of bucks to revel in their youth.
I agree. I'd like to see these guys get more old software companies involved. The old raster, overhead, plane games (like Raiden) are some of my favorite. If there was a way I could purchase them online, I would have long ago.
I don't think a lot of the younger people here will understand the vintage arcade thing. When playing a game from your youth, a PC or Xbox knock off isn't really going to do unless the ROM is 100% stock and being emulated on a fast machine or run on it's native hardware. For those of us who pumped thousands into these ancient coin boxes, the games each had their own unique feel that doesn't translate well when done in the written-from-scratch-to-look-like-the-original routine that has been done commercially so far.
What drives me nuts is the fact that most of the old games will probably never be sold again. Too bad half the companies that hold rights to these old works are unaware that they own the rights or that there's a few dollars to be made. Forgotten, basically, until someone infringes then it's off to court!
That's my assumption, anyway. For example, try calling Data East and request a license to play Ring King on your emulator. You won't get far. I don't think their arcade divison still exists. So, the only legal option is to go find a used motherboard for $70 so you'll be compliant. That is, as long as it's the proper region rom. Then it's not really worth my time.
Re:Here's some pictures of Bush busting his arse
on
Build Your Own Segway
·
· Score: 1
OMFG YOU MUST BE A REPUBLICAN
I dunno, it seems less complex than all this...
on
The Cult of the NDA
·
· Score: 1
It seems this discussion has gotten a little off track with so many ideas from/.ers throwing opinions around.
Here's the track record I've noticed:
Companies funded by VC's or public investors are much more likely to put a NDA in front of every employee, contract worker, visitor, etc. I always figured it was to make the old investor, who only understands the general business model (the money side), feel more comfortable when he sees a company going to great lengths to protect it's information. Think back, if you've worked for a public traded or VC funded firm, all the money wasted to impress share holders. One ISP I worked for spent tens of millions of dollars making their offices look nicer a quarter after we had posted some massive losses. There was literally no hope of breaking even, yet they felt we needed new cubes, offices, fancy plasma displays in the halls, etc. None of this really contributed to the bottom line: offering the best service to our customer base so they wouldn't mind paying a couple of extra bucks a month. (preceeding the buyout, we had 3 consecutive quaters of profits; after the merger and investor mayhem, losses galore)
Private firms, held by an individual or small group of partners, tend to be a bit more inclined to be open with their business, as to build a more honest relationship with the companies they deal with. Since they are small, have less potential capitol in a bind, they are usually more likely to be your buddy without attorney supervision.
Well, your mention of GWB busting on a Segway sent me straight to google in hopes of finding a photograph. Not only did I find a picture, but a series of pictures showing the fall a different points of the action:
http://www.bikexprt.com/witness/product/bushfall s. htm
Hehe another missed point. I'm not upset about any of these things, just saying they are things people should care about more if they are going to care about marketing invading their lives.
Wow, you are really reaching. Your computer's desktop isn't the last safe-haven. It's been an advertising platform since commercial software came about (splash screens and install advertisements). The web is covered with ads and obnoxious popups. There's nothing left to save if you consider your computer to be some special ad-free zone.
I'd rather my computer be covered with ads than have any of the other things I listed in my preceeding post. Not that I want ads, but they are a fact of life. As long as capitalism dominates our lives, marketing groups will find new ways to dangle their brand names in front of our noses.
As I have said a million times, if you have such a serious problem with it, then uninstall your Yahoo! client and GO OUTSIDE, GET A LIFE. It's not the end of the world.
I know that sounds trollish, but really, getting all wound up over a FREE NETWORK posting ads is less than retarded. It all reminds me of when Slashdot went to advertising. Everyone cried and whined about it like some evil force had arrived.
For real, though, an IM client. It's not like you have anything to save. It's not your network, so there's nothing to 'fight' for. How are you going to fight it? Do you really think making a derogatory post on Slashdot is going to make a difference to Yahoo! executives? How about when you remove their client? Nah, you probably weren't going to buy anything anyway; not if you were upset enough about ads to remove the application.
This 1984 of advertising you speak of won't happen, ever. I doubt anyone in the Open Source movement would tool together an OS that required you to view ads when booting up your system. Discussion of such a point is meaningless.
I've been logged into Yahoo! for 5 hours today while working. I've seen no ads. I've been on Slashdot for 20 minutes today and have seen about 30. Go figure.
Apparently you don't use the Yahoo! IM service. It's to the point I keep the client on a hidden virtual desktop since I don't like my boss walking by and seeing an IM from S3XXEEmama69 inviting me to view her webcam for $3.99/minute.
Spam and abuse on Yahoo! chat has been out of control for years. Plus, it's not like any corporate entity can tell the full truth about anything these days. Instead of a few people going "OH HEEEEY! What about them ads you want me to see??", they simply address the most beneficial points to the public. That's because the masses can be a whiney, time consuming waste of time and resource if you give them too much information.
Personally, I'd rather see Yahoo! make revenue off their small ads and keep their email and IM services free.
As I read this thread, I find no end to my disappointment in people's attitude towards a free service trying to get back a little of what they've given you. I think this model should be praised for even existing. Think about it. Don't you remember the days before you broadband connections? You know, back when people silently got nickeled and dimed to death over any little perk or service for analog phone service (think $5.95/mo for CallerID!). Now you get the world at your finger tips, for free, but yet whine endlessly when they would like to show you and advertisement in an attempt to run their business.
If half the people on this website got outside on occasion, they'd find there's a lot more to get upset about in the marketing industry than small non-popping up ads in an IM.
Chew on these:
- Gas stations that you can't even see in the windows because they are completely covered with beer, cigarette, and drink ads.
- Billboards with ~1100 watts worth of lights blanket our cities and dot our countryside.
- 6-10 minutes of TV commercials every 30 minutes. The same obnoxious commercials every break.
- MTV
- Spam
- Advertising in public school campuses.
- Companies scheming to put billboards in space.
It's not like the people complaining are even being forced into using a service at all. Everyone can go back to IRC and deal with the service level of a free realtime chat network. You know, smurfers, script kiddies, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
In order for a bubble to burst, there would have had to have been some inflation to begin with.
/. instead of reading my book. This would never happen with a real book, as my reading area is downstairs from the computer.
Aside from a few companies hyping up and releasing products that nobody bought several years ago, there was no 'bubble' to pop concerning E-books.
It would have been a 'bubble' had authors come in droves to dump their works into digital form expecting people to buy them. This never happened, as most authors had the common sense to see there would be free copies of their books sailing all over P2P networks. Not that this doesn't happen already, but any action by the author would have contributed to the potential mess.
So far, when it comes to DRM controlled products, I don't see any growth at all. Perhaps companies will realize customers don't like being treated like thieves.
Anyhow, who wants to read a book on a laptop sized device? Every time I've sat down to read a book I downloaded, that browser icon ends up getting clicked and I find myself posting derogatory flames on
With the emphasis on realism and authenticity, the Soviet Red Army meets the German Army on the ground across battlefields from Kiev through Stalingrad and on to the Reichstag in Berlin. Real weapons. Real battles. Real soldiers
/. while Desert Combat for BF1942 was ignored. No vehicles? Even Counter-Strike had those on some maps. BF1942, by far, is the best combat game engine out now, IMO. That EA vehicle code really makes a difference.
Realistic? How is this realistic at all? That is, unless our grandfathers fought WW2 with a mouse and keyboard.
The use of 'realism' and 'real' is bothersome. I remember hearing countless times during a counter-strike match about how 'realistic' the game was. This was usually a comment made by a 14 year old who had never fired an AK47, or been shot at in real life. Not to mention get shot 4 times and still remain focused enough to run around, bunny hop a corner, take down 4 people with an MP5, then save the hostages.
These games may be exciting, battles of avatars dressed up in WW2 or modern military skins, but they are far from a simulation of anything real.
These are the words spoken by an avid FPS gamer since wolf3d. Just so you know I'm not bashing. Though, this mod deserves some bashing for getting posted on
With folks like you who bitch about everything, game developers are damned if they do, damned if they don't.
I'm sorry to say, but 3 levels of a game, plus engine, plus textures, plus audio is a few hundred megs. Check your disk usage after installing, I am sure those textures were compressed really well, it's probably around 700MB, right?
Should they have made the download 500MB and included 4 maps?
I think the 100MB limit is hogwash. I would rather wait 45 minutes to play a true technical demonstration of a game than an incomplete, unrealistic demo that took 10 minutes to download.
Perhaps you should just give up your broadband since you whine when you actually need to use it. Nancy boy.
I dunno, when it comes down to it, if CTRL+C takes a measurable amount of time longer than a middle click, then you might want to see an orthapedic surgeon or a shrink.
I like how their 'donate' link is the only one that works. It'd be wise for them to show a screen shot or tell us their names before asking for dough.
I know how to do it, but no, that is not completely legal under the DMCA. The writing of the code that circumvents the copy protection, the distribution and possesion are the illegals parts.
Daemon-Tools does not have the built-in mechanism to emulate BF1942's copy protection. At least the last build I downloaded does not.
I agree with the parent on this. They would be stupid not to file some kind of litigation on this kid. The insiders have to put the brakes on that stock slide ASAP or they will be looking for new jobs in a month or two.
I know it sucks for the kid who felt all smart about writing his paper, but that's how f*cked our market is right now. If you do anything to hurt any business entity, no matter how silly the issue, expect it to spend resources on trying to make an example out of you.
By the wording of the DMCA, yes, even suggesting how to defeat that pitiful copy protection is illegal. 'Circumvention' doesn't have to be complex lines of code. It can be and is something this simple. This law has got to go. I am amazed at how little mass media coverage it's gotten. It's one of those issues that isn't just 'geek', it's a serious rights issue that can impact people in ludicrous situations like this one.
Now, I would just like to be able to legally remove the CD check from my Battlefield 1942 installation. I've got a $450 DVD burner and wasting it's spin-life while the damned game makes sure I'm not stealing every MP game launch and every level change. Have a little respect for me for a change, why don't ya?
Heatpipes have been around and used in laptops and GPU's for a while.
8 &oe=utf -8&q=heat+pipe+cpu
Yeah, the heat dispersal is extrodinary. But, I am certain when the end-user product arrives it won't be flawless. Perhaps not as functional.
Heatpipes for every day of the week:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=utf-
Ha! /. effect fully engaged. That'll teach him to use 'Inbox.net' as his provider.
Lemme guess, unlimited bandwidth for $9.99/mo? At least it isn't the 'Would you like some Gator to go with your gossip column?' plan for $2.99/mo.
I wonder if that kid I stuck still has a black mark on his hand. hmmmmm. I didn't know so many people had permanent marks from such things. awesome. :]
-- Injecting graphite into people
In 4th grade, me and this other kid were poking at each other with pencils. I had a big, long thing of lead sticking out the front of mine and accidentally stuck him in the palm. It broke off and left about a 1/2 inch of lead under the skin.
It looked really gross. He was pretty upset by the situation, but said it didn't hurt.
Thought I'd share.
It sucks to see several years of work by such a good group of artists go down the tubes like this.
:(
I hope the find whoever leaked the code and make a serious example out of them. Stealing a binary alpha release is one thing, but running off with their source is a terrible thing to do.
I do think, in the long run, this engine's source being leaked will do more good for the gaming community as a whole, since coders can use this source as a reference for their own engines.
That's still not an excuse for trying to destroy valve. I had hoped, for once, they would have a smooth release. Guess they just have bad luck (or bad security policy).
When it comes to cheating, I doubt that will be an enormous problem if they stick with Steam. Each binary can be checked for authenticity at each game launch, plus the system's memory can be examined for proxy cheats. But, I doubt there's little they can do about man-in-the-middle proxy cheats where someone has a game exploit running on their home firewall, though.
Best of luck to you Valve. I'll still buy a copy when it's released.
Then get Netflix.
Another option is to get a dual tuner PVR and record PPV with it. It's not technically video on demand, but close enough.
I've noticed one of the real crappers about how americans watch movies. One word sums it up: impulsive.
Go to www.imdb.com, browse around. Find artists you like, directors, etc. Read reviews from real people, select your movies, add to your netflix queue or record them off the PPV channels with the PVR. Then watch them on Friday/Saturday/Sunday with the lady.
You can't really beat that for download speed. Realtime PPV signals equate to around 1.6MBytes/sec (assuming DVD quality). If you want to equate UL/DL speeds using a different transmit medium, such as snailmail, you are still doing pretty good:
I figured it up and, assuming a 72 hour turnaround on my netflix movies, I'm getting what amounts to 104,166Kb/sec via snail mail when I do 3 movies at a time. This also has the advantage of getting all the extras and unlimited access to the DVD until I feel like sending it back. If you were evil, you could even rip the movies onto DVD+R media. Don't do that, though, it's illegal.
Please excuse my random babblings.
Well. According to DirecTV's recent lawsuits, even owning hardware that could be programmed to break signals is implication enough to sue ya for $12k. Doesn't matter if they have any proof at all. All they need is to see a credit card transaction from years ago with someone who sells the stuff and you are toast.
:]
Toast in the sense, that even if you fight it, you'll still be out a few thousand in legal counsel. Then if you lose, add $12-20k on top of it and possible criminal charges.
I'd just say fuck it, man. There's no point in stealing less-than-DVD quality signals when companies like Netflix have such an insanely affordable service.
For some reason I just thought about those goons who would spend 2 weeks downloading a 320x200 divx camera rip of some blockbuster SFX movie on Kazaa. Sometimes free isn't the best option..
The sales of hardware aren't what they used to be, and they're not going to come back. It adds up to big trouble for hardware manufacturers."
This is so typical of the music production industry. They sit by idle, over-charging us for equipment for the past 20 years, then just assume they are going to lose a lot of business. I think the word that all aspects of the music industry miss is innovation. A few companies are starting to make neat gadgets for the 'digital' musician, like those little motion sensor orbs for doing warping and scratching effects. Very nifty stuff.
Looking back, this industry, especially the synth side of things, really needs a kick in the butt. $3000 for a keyboard with a synth system inferior to an Audigy2EX card ($250). Yeah, um, those keys and switches must have cost a fortune, right? Not.
I understand that the production quantity is lower, thus each buyer pays a higher premium on the engineering that went into developing this sort of thing. But that's no excuse to keep prices artifically high for years and years. Especially when you've got companies like Fender who did a decent job of opening up quality instruments to the masses by relocating their manufacturing plant to Mexico.
I guess I'm just bitter because I spent my youth wanting to learn to play all kinds of instruments, but couldn't afford to get much of anything.
Does this mean I can finally record that rock opera I've always dreamed about?"
Portability does not equate to talent. Audio applications tend to try and clone the controls you'd find in a recording booth, so you still have to know how to turn the knobs. It's not an instant musician in a box(tm) like your wording seems to emphasize.
If you can't separate the two, then you may want to go find a stone in the back yard and download a copy of Opera. =)
If you could travel back in time and tell a teenager that for $6 he/she could play a game as much as they like for all eternity, they'd pony it up in a heartbeat. I know I would have. Today, people gripe because everything isn't free and won't cough up a couple of bucks to revel in their youth.
I agree. I'd like to see these guys get more old software companies involved. The old raster, overhead, plane games (like Raiden) are some of my favorite. If there was a way I could purchase them online, I would have long ago.
I don't think a lot of the younger people here will understand the vintage arcade thing. When playing a game from your youth, a PC or Xbox knock off isn't really going to do unless the ROM is 100% stock and being emulated on a fast machine or run on it's native hardware. For those of us who pumped thousands into these ancient coin boxes, the games each had their own unique feel that doesn't translate well when done in the written-from-scratch-to-look-like-the-original routine that has been done commercially so far.
What drives me nuts is the fact that most of the old games will probably never be sold again. Too bad half the companies that hold rights to these old works are unaware that they own the rights or that there's a few dollars to be made. Forgotten, basically, until someone infringes then it's off to court!
That's my assumption, anyway. For example, try calling Data East and request a license to play Ring King on your emulator. You won't get far. I don't think their arcade divison still exists. So, the only legal option is to go find a used motherboard for $70 so you'll be compliant. That is, as long as it's the proper region rom. Then it's not really worth my time.
OMFG YOU MUST BE A REPUBLICAN
It seems this discussion has gotten a little off track with so many ideas from /.ers throwing opinions around.
;-)
Here's the track record I've noticed:
Companies funded by VC's or public investors are much more likely to put a NDA in front of every employee, contract worker, visitor, etc. I always figured it was to make the old investor, who only understands the general business model (the money side), feel more comfortable when he sees a company going to great lengths to protect it's information. Think back, if you've worked for a public traded or VC funded firm, all the money wasted to impress share holders. One ISP I worked for spent tens of millions of dollars making their offices look nicer a quarter after we had posted some massive losses. There was literally no hope of breaking even, yet they felt we needed new cubes, offices, fancy plasma displays in the halls, etc. None of this really contributed to the bottom line: offering the best service to our customer base so they wouldn't mind paying a couple of extra bucks a month. (preceeding the buyout, we had 3 consecutive quaters of profits; after the merger and investor mayhem, losses galore)
Private firms, held by an individual or small group of partners, tend to be a bit more inclined to be open with their business, as to build a more honest relationship with the companies they deal with. Since they are small, have less potential capitol in a bind, they are usually more likely to be your buddy without attorney supervision.
Just seems to be common sense.
Well, your mention of GWB busting on a Segway sent me straight to google in hopes of finding a photograph. Not only did I find a picture, but a series of pictures showing the fall a different points of the action:
http://www.bikexprt.com/witness/product/bushfal
Sadly, no face plant.
You can't avoid billboard ads and the sign-laden gas stations. At least not in urban areas. :]
Hehe another missed point. I'm not upset about any of these things, just saying they are things people should care about more if they are going to care about marketing invading their lives.
Wow, you are really reaching. Your computer's desktop isn't the last safe-haven. It's been an advertising platform since commercial software came about (splash screens and install advertisements). The web is covered with ads and obnoxious popups. There's nothing left to save if you consider your computer to be some special ad-free zone.
I'd rather my computer be covered with ads than have any of the other things I listed in my preceeding post. Not that I want ads, but they are a fact of life. As long as capitalism dominates our lives, marketing groups will find new ways to dangle their brand names in front of our noses.
As I have said a million times, if you have such a serious problem with it, then uninstall your Yahoo! client and GO OUTSIDE, GET A LIFE. It's not the end of the world.
I know that sounds trollish, but really, getting all wound up over a FREE NETWORK posting ads is less than retarded. It all reminds me of when Slashdot went to advertising. Everyone cried and whined about it like some evil force had arrived.
For real, though, an IM client. It's not like you have anything to save. It's not your network, so there's nothing to 'fight' for. How are you going to fight it? Do you really think making a derogatory post on Slashdot is going to make a difference to Yahoo! executives? How about when you remove their client? Nah, you probably weren't going to buy anything anyway; not if you were upset enough about ads to remove the application.
This 1984 of advertising you speak of won't happen, ever. I doubt anyone in the Open Source movement would tool together an OS that required you to view ads when booting up your system. Discussion of such a point is meaningless.
I've been logged into Yahoo! for 5 hours today while working. I've seen no ads. I've been on Slashdot for 20 minutes today and have seen about 30. Go figure.
Apparently you don't use the Yahoo! IM service. It's to the point I keep the client on a hidden virtual desktop since I don't like my boss walking by and seeing an IM from S3XXEEmama69 inviting me to view her webcam for $3.99/minute.
;-)
Spam and abuse on Yahoo! chat has been out of control for years. Plus, it's not like any corporate entity can tell the full truth about anything these days. Instead of a few people going "OH HEEEEY! What about them ads you want me to see??", they simply address the most beneficial points to the public. That's because the masses can be a whiney, time consuming waste of time and resource if you give them too much information.
Personally, I'd rather see Yahoo! make revenue off their small ads and keep their email and IM services free.
As I read this thread, I find no end to my disappointment in people's attitude towards a free service trying to get back a little of what they've given you. I think this model should be praised for even existing. Think about it. Don't you remember the days before you broadband connections? You know, back when people silently got nickeled and dimed to death over any little perk or service for analog phone service (think $5.95/mo for CallerID!). Now you get the world at your finger tips, for free, but yet whine endlessly when they would like to show you and advertisement in an attempt to run their business.
If half the people on this website got outside on occasion, they'd find there's a lot more to get upset about in the marketing industry than small non-popping up ads in an IM.
Chew on these:
- Gas stations that you can't even see in the windows because they are completely covered with beer, cigarette, and drink ads.
- Billboards with ~1100 watts worth of lights blanket our cities and dot our countryside.
- 6-10 minutes of TV commercials every 30 minutes. The same obnoxious commercials every break.
- MTV
- Spam
- Advertising in public school campuses.
- Companies scheming to put billboards in space.
It's not like the people complaining are even being forced into using a service at all. Everyone can go back to IRC and deal with the service level of a free realtime chat network. You know, smurfers, script kiddies, etc.
I got nothing, so I'll be quiet now.
I used to love picking those things up and dangling them over my shoulder. Horseshoe crabs make excellent back scratchers.