Young kids now think 1GHz isn't enough to browse web & email. That's not just wrong, it ends up wasteful
Except for the kids researching who take advantage of tabbed browsing, web games, animation, using flash sites, or taking the extra power to automate computer maintenance in the background. And the kids emailing large media files,.pdfs and other rich formats to each other. There's no need to pretend this is what a 486 excels at. We don't have the same web or email content we had back in the day.
It's better to think of Bluetooth to date as fetal, not immature. This new spec might be it's birth, finally.
I was explaining a file format to a friend recently. He said, "is that like bluetooth or something?" I was a bit stumped. After I explained what bluetooth was, he said, "why the hell would I want that? Can't the wifi I've got do all that?" And so on for about 5 minutes...
Of course, it's not his fault, as much as the dubious packaging of blutooth-enabled products vendors...
"In out view, industry-developed guidlines should be as effective as Government-imposed regulations without running afoul of the First Amendment protections that we all respect," John Hogan CEO, Clear Channel Radio.
Well, isn't it nice that the monopoly and ourt government have found a viable soulution to that pasky First Amendment? I was so worried that our Constitution might interfere with censorship. God bless these clever, clever boys.
Different/.'ers obviously use the computer for diffrent tasks. Defining text interfaces (tool) and graphic interfaces (toy) seems a bit simplistic division, and leads to so many elitist flames and division of camps. There are toys that operate from both in the windows world, as well as tools. A GUI is abstraclty more versatile (since a CLI can be implented within it), as well more usable to the masses.
I'd have to say that I am not only more productive on a computer because it's easier to learn new tools, but that the gui itself is one of the main tools I use. I use the desktop not only to switch between apps, but as a clipbook/news reader/clock/media player, and only do so because it it is convienent enough to not interfere with "work" I have to do on the same machine. Those are tools I couldn't take advantage of in a CLI-only space.
As a new linux user, I find it horrifically interesting that there aren't any(?) DE's that allow one to work without a shell. Constantly, one has to open command shells to perform trivial tasks. When adding that to learning a semi-functional DE, I understand why so many people are linux-shy. I must give props to Kuake for taking some of the sting out of this, but it seems it should be in every distro's default DE, since they require a terminal so much.
This may lead to a bit of hatred from both sides, but the complete integration of basic UI (classic), graphic features (skins) and a command line (adress bar, command prompt) in XP is one interesting solution. Additionally, the XP installation takes a more friendly approach to what a user's GUI should look like for them: By default all the graphic bells and whistles are "on" and can be turned off by those experienced and inclined to do so. I think this is an important advancement over a typical linux distro's philosophy, which has a lot of features (sub-pixel blending, etc.) "off" by default. Users inclined to seek these features are those least interested in using them.
Despite all the windows-bashing here, perhaps people should appreciate what they have done well (as well as bash their wicked ways). A great solution would be a new linux based GUI that offers 100% of shell functionality (and no prettiness), rather than "live on top" of an existing CLI, and then develop optional graphic touches as a layer above that. This would scale as well, or better, the current MS offering. Graphic flourishes could be added later in a consistent and pleasant manner.
Easy(I hope)support request: I recently mangled the MBR of the drive that holds 80% of my audio collection. What is the simplest way to restore or at least retrieve the data? I have access to linux (novice-level) or windows. Is there a golden app for this?
I was re-installing win2k over itself, when I painfully learned (midway through) that my 2k cd was fubar. After the aborted re-install, I recieved an error about the boot area. Now, the bios will not usually recognize the drive. Unfortuately, the windows partition was also my a/v files partitition.
Everybody here would probably agree that the data is still on the drive, and should be fetchable. And I didin't overwrite it, either. Thanks,/. hordes!
The only feature I see in this is that NO MATTER WHAT Browsewr you are using, you will still have IE popups all over the place. Keep in mind, IE never goes away on the current Windows, it just gets hidden and relegated to non-default status. Which means it still there, even if you are all about Moz.
So yeah, if they share their little tricks with everybody, there will be a swap of lost-cost (to develop) and resultant low-quality apps dancing all over one's computer. Until sombody releases a patch to reinstste security settings over this "feature".
Now everbody act surprised when they find new ways for Windows Media Player to make noises and DRM your files after you swear you deleted it. That's MS's next patent, not that they'll enforce it.
"Wallent said that Microsoft has no current plans to enforce the patent."
Obtaining a patent, since they aren't free or easy, seems to imply an intention to enforce a patent. When one does not want to enforce a patent, they dont get one.
For context here's a few thingies that offer that friend-network action:
Friendster
No download, runs anywhere. Kinda simplistic, users stop logging in.
Tribe
No download, runs anywhere. More nerdy, uemphasis on freedom of use, discussion groups. Supports lots of pictures.
MySpace
No download, runs anywhere. Supports restricted blogs, popularity contests, 10 pics. Does not emphasize actual RL friendship dynamics.
Friend of a Friend
Open standard for creting friendster-like network apps. Used by PeepAgg to build OSS system.
There are more, and I'd love to see replies with links to this rapidly growing class of services/apps, with brief descriptions attached.
Thanks
I've noticed that the last three movies I've really liked in concpet, but thought were a bit jumpy or nonsensical, would have been far better with their cut scenes intact.
In Donie Darko, the subtle hints about the rabbit's identitiy "in the real world" would have had me actually thinking the movie made sense, without having to pretend the plot was cohesive. Integrating the missing scenes in my mind, it was. And had I seen the conversation between Donnie and his dad in the original context, I would have felt a great bit more for the characters.
Scarey Movie2: OMG, WTF! This weird butchered montage of half backed scenes was awful. And it felt worse that not only good jokes, but the introductions of most of the characters were on the DVD. It was like the movie was a really bad trailer for a movie-kit I could re-assemble on my computer at my leasure. The return of a dead character? The new chick that just appears at the house, randomly? And the handicapped guy's entrance was not only vital, but really funny. But it wasn't in the movie, along with a few other scenes that managed events and helped one understand the already simple story more gracefully.
Scooby-Doo. They start out alright, dropping an animated sequence that never fit the movie, nor was a pleasant homage to the cartoon. God. Then they dropped the flashback scens from the group's airport reuniion. Since the point of those was to show what loseres the characters were on thier own, it was largely redundant. Then they cut the scene where the main characters are introduced to supporting characters, stumble across clues needed to direct them intitially, and give the audiaence a feel for the fun of the stting in its "normal mode". Then they cut the scariest thing in the film, and it's priceless reflection on Shaggy's psyche. Then they cut out another scene which precipitates the climax of the movie, instead allowing it to "just happen". Weak.
Altogether, the needed scenes would have added about 15 minutes total to the veiwing of all 3 movies together. But in an interest of keeping things short, I feel like directers pressure the editors into wasting 5 hours of my time with poorly polished product.
What about an immense Non-Profit Corporation that is designed to emulate the best of all the searchengines? It might never replace whatever private company is returning the best results with thier proprietary technology, but could run an eternal close second. And it's nonprofit nature would prevent corporate or government takeover. And all donations to it would be tax-deductable.
Now, I think you are being facetious, but I'll bite anyway...
Well, have you thought of how many people are so concerned for tyhier children that they are not allowed religious fredom? When parents are concerned for the "eternal soul" of the child, free speech and reliance on a child's mind to determine what's appropriate for themselves are not so important. I see it all the time. Unfortunately, this happensd to contimue with painful results into and beyond adolesence.
For example, I was forbid from wearing earings until I paid my own rent, do to the percieved association with an alleged "homosexual community". Whatever!? A friend of mine's parents refused to speak to her, until she sent her minister a written apology for visiting a synagogue once. Now she's neither baptist or Jewish.
On the otherhand, if they didn't press their partisan agenda into toddler's brains, those people might grow up to be bizzare liberals, satanists, or incapable of refusing sex with mashed potatoes. I've never seen a parent that hasn't shoved their precious agenda of conformity upon their spawn. That's why the children/adults always freak out about being just like thier parents, then resign themselves to it.
You are being facetious. I will ignore it and thank you. We are both jackasses. I hope you get it. Then I will pretend ther was a victory for somebody somewhere, like anybody who is literate, the next time you almost talk/type and think instead.
Readers: This is not a flameblait. It is off-topic, but ther is no bait. Just flame. So try harder if you are going to give it a negative score. Or even think about this thread, and se if there is something of merit in any of these many posts that might raise them to a nice fat "0" rating. Insightful+ but flamebait-? Kharma+ but Trolling-? Who knows...
9 - Despise yourself
Post trite complaints to other intellectual elitists, pretending it will do some good, and loathe yourself for lacking the will to improve anything. Forget that there are morons everywhere, and that despite the WTO giving unlimited protections to American Idiocy (TM), there are hundreds of other countries giving birth to assholes consistently. Complain about Constitutional Amendments, except ehen they suit you.
Most importantly, do nothing whatsoever to benefit the world, because dispite your belief that you are better than everybody else in the country, you are just another jackass.
Yeah. I have 3 PS1 games that won't run on a PS2, so I'd guess I'd need both, except that the Xbox versions always look better than their PS2 counterparts. And It's actually the nicest DVD player in the house, except for when I have to unplug the DVD whatzit to plug in the fourth controller, then find it later... Perhaps there's a way to internally mount the IR eciever, so that it's out of the way, and allows me to use the 4th port whenever I want...
I remember many critically acclaimed science-fiction novels and stories from when I was young describing a "connected" world. This hypothetical trend was carried further by cyberpunk roleplaying games, and now by real-life technologies.
With the cocky wisdom of youth, I thought, "who the hell would want to reboot a toaster, or have their auto-insulin injector crash? Why would the net pervade everything, when it inherently runs on computers and even my apple+ has problems. Then I got older, moved to PC's and realized that it was just an absurd speculation, like Burrough's visions of Martian and Venusian life.
It seemed ludicrous to me that we would want internet-enabled toasters, pacemakers that are tele-monitored, etc.
I've found that hardware is tremedously powerful, and everything but the cutting edge stuff is quite reliable, these days. But secure and stable software lags behind tremendously.
So when are the masses going to DEMAND that these things improve? In twenty network induced blackouts? Or after their MS respiratory-control-system fails to get it's security update online from a proprietary service that's experienceing difficulties?
It sounds you like you are in a win-win situation. I would suggest veering to the moderate side of what/.'ers suggest overall, and be sure that it will look good on a resume. Some sort of offical-sounding relationship with the company, and maintain good terms with more than one person within (so your future reference doesn't dry up if leaving the company later).
And when it's all done, start a new open source project to keep making nice stuff for everybody. I may sound sappy, but building a record of functional products, along with a history of functional relationships. If you don't get as much as you possibly could have this time, you will probably make it back later.
Imagine how much the project is worth to you personally. Will you have the opportunity to keep it "open"? Do you care? Are you in a hurry to see it completed? Do you owe tons of money, or are you getting by?
The more important the project is to you, the more you should ask. The less it matters (personally) the lighter your demands. As an artist, I charge more for paintings I personally favor. Do not try to negotiate a payment for what you have already given away freely by inflating your offer; you've given it away, and there is somebody else who could continue your work more cheaply. (Even if they are n't looking for one, it leads to resentment, as it's tacky.
Whatever you ask for, choose the offer that leaves doors open for the future. Avoid killing a golden-egg goose. If you are getting paid to pursue what you would do of your own accord, you are getting a good deal. The dream of capitalsim. And if the company you are working for thinks it's a steal to have you develop for them, so be it!
Yeah, I'm sure non gamers don't give a damn about our useless bullshit, but then they don't give about your fagotty/nazi-like ALL CAPS REPLY. So save me a few seconds of readiing and eye roll (and mouse wheel fatigue.
I'm replying to some possibly non-gamer's thoughts of what gamers might want. and yeah, gamers define every shitty obsolite, tired, half-assed piece of hardware your sorry cheap ass uses. (Read any book that covers the development of technology. It's gamers much Leeter than me, or military projects (that killed more bunny rabbits than you can stand), that justified the origins of all the obsolite Wal-Mart hardware you think you suck by owning). Well, you managed to get on the web and flaunt your stupidity with it. Thanks. It would only be more sad if you were wasting your breathe as an Anonymous Bas-- oh, wait. Well you don't have the balls to back up your post with a dissable name, but I think you know how dumb you are to say no one cares when someone replies to an EXISTING POST, or might by the time I'm done.
Moral of the story, SMEG off, YOU useless, unemployed TROLL.
I apologize to anybody who actually read this thread, it parent, or anyone just generally sickened by AC's all caps, my piss-poor drunken spelling, or the Waves of Hate(TM) spewed by me at the "re-re".
News Flash: I care about anything program developers think matters, because they read this, and AC's don't don't matter (when flaming). Shit & Spin, buddy.
Slashdot Mirror
Except for the kids researching who take advantage of tabbed browsing, web games, animation, using flash sites, or taking the extra power to automate computer maintenance in the background. And the kids emailing large media files, .pdfs and other rich formats to each other. There's no need to pretend this is what a 486 excels at. We don't have the same web or email content we had back in the day.
I was explaining a file format to a friend recently. He said, "is that like bluetooth or something?" I was a bit stumped. After I explained what bluetooth was, he said, "why the hell would I want that? Can't the wifi I've got do all that?" And so on for about 5 minutes...
Of course, it's not his fault, as much as the dubious packaging of blutooth-enabled products vendors...
"In out view, industry-developed guidlines should be as effective as Government-imposed regulations without running afoul of the First Amendment protections that we all respect," John Hogan CEO, Clear Channel Radio.
Well, isn't it nice that the monopoly and ourt government have found a viable soulution to that pasky First Amendment? I was so worried that our Constitution might interfere with censorship. God bless these clever, clever boys.
I'd have to say that I am not only more productive on a computer because it's easier to learn new tools, but that the gui itself is one of the main tools I use. I use the desktop not only to switch between apps, but as a clipbook/news reader/clock/media player, and only do so because it it is convienent enough to not interfere with "work" I have to do on the same machine. Those are tools I couldn't take advantage of in a CLI-only space.
As a new linux user, I find it horrifically interesting that there aren't any(?) DE's that allow one to work without a shell. Constantly, one has to open command shells to perform trivial tasks. When adding that to learning a semi-functional DE, I understand why so many people are linux-shy. I must give props to Kuake for taking some of the sting out of this, but it seems it should be in every distro's default DE, since they require a terminal so much.
This may lead to a bit of hatred from both sides, but the complete integration of basic UI (classic), graphic features (skins) and a command line (adress bar, command prompt) in XP is one interesting solution. Additionally, the XP installation takes a more friendly approach to what a user's GUI should look like for them: By default all the graphic bells and whistles are "on" and can be turned off by those experienced and inclined to do so. I think this is an important advancement over a typical linux distro's philosophy, which has a lot of features (sub-pixel blending, etc.) "off" by default. Users inclined to seek these features are those least interested in using them.
Despite all the windows-bashing here, perhaps people should appreciate what they have done well (as well as bash their wicked ways). A great solution would be a new linux based GUI that offers 100% of shell functionality (and no prettiness), rather than "live on top" of an existing CLI, and then develop optional graphic touches as a layer above that. This would scale as well, or better, the current MS offering. Graphic flourishes could be added later in a consistent and pleasant manner.
tried both. the disk stilll won't boot, nor be recognized by the bios. :(
Easy(I hope)support request:
/. hordes!
I recently mangled the MBR of the drive that holds 80% of my audio collection. What is the simplest way to restore or at least retrieve the data? I have access to linux (novice-level) or windows. Is there a golden app for this?
I was re-installing win2k over itself, when I painfully learned (midway through) that my 2k cd was fubar. After the aborted re-install, I recieved an error about the boot area. Now, the bios will not usually recognize the drive. Unfortuately, the windows partition was also my a/v files partitition.
Everybody here would probably agree that the data is still on the drive, and should be fetchable. And I didin't overwrite it, either. Thanks,
The only feature I see in this is that NO MATTER WHAT Browsewr you are using, you will still have IE popups all over the place. Keep in mind, IE never goes away on the current Windows, it just gets hidden and relegated to non-default status. Which means it still there, even if you are all about Moz. So yeah, if they share their little tricks with everybody, there will be a swap of lost-cost (to develop) and resultant low-quality apps dancing all over one's computer. Until sombody releases a patch to reinstste security settings over this "feature". Now everbody act surprised when they find new ways for Windows Media Player to make noises and DRM your files after you swear you deleted it. That's MS's next patent, not that they'll enforce it.
"Wallent said that Microsoft has no current plans to enforce the patent." Obtaining a patent, since they aren't free or easy, seems to imply an intention to enforce a patent. When one does not want to enforce a patent, they dont get one.
No download, runs anywhere. Kinda simplistic, users stop logging in.
Tribe
No download, runs anywhere. More nerdy, uemphasis on freedom of use, discussion groups. Supports lots of pictures.
MySpace
No download, runs anywhere. Supports restricted blogs, popularity contests, 10 pics. Does not emphasize actual RL friendship dynamics.
Friend of a Friend
Open standard for creting friendster-like network apps. Used by PeepAgg to build OSS system.
There are more, and I'd love to see replies with links to this rapidly growing class of services/apps, with brief descriptions attached. Thanks
There's already been a great solution for anti-socials: do-it-yourself.
In Donie Darko, the subtle hints about the rabbit's identitiy "in the real world" would have had me actually thinking the movie made sense, without having to pretend the plot was cohesive. Integrating the missing scenes in my mind, it was. And had I seen the conversation between Donnie and his dad in the original context, I would have felt a great bit more for the characters.
Scarey Movie2: OMG, WTF! This weird butchered montage of half backed scenes was awful. And it felt worse that not only good jokes, but the introductions of most of the characters were on the DVD. It was like the movie was a really bad trailer for a movie-kit I could re-assemble on my computer at my leasure. The return of a dead character? The new chick that just appears at the house, randomly? And the handicapped guy's entrance was not only vital, but really funny. But it wasn't in the movie, along with a few other scenes that managed events and helped one understand the already simple story more gracefully.
Scooby-Doo. They start out alright, dropping an animated sequence that never fit the movie, nor was a pleasant homage to the cartoon. God. Then they dropped the flashback scens from the group's airport reuniion. Since the point of those was to show what loseres the characters were on thier own, it was largely redundant. Then they cut the scene where the main characters are introduced to supporting characters, stumble across clues needed to direct them intitially, and give the audiaence a feel for the fun of the stting in its "normal mode". Then they cut the scariest thing in the film, and it's priceless reflection on Shaggy's psyche. Then they cut out another scene which precipitates the climax of the movie, instead allowing it to "just happen". Weak.
Altogether, the needed scenes would have added about 15 minutes total to the veiwing of all 3 movies together. But in an interest of keeping things short, I feel like directers pressure the editors into wasting 5 hours of my time with poorly polished product.
"shipments of PlayStation 2 consoles in its fiscal year 2002, ending March 2003, totaled 22.5 million units."
That many people disagreed already, and they never even RTFA!
What about an immense Non-Profit Corporation that is designed to emulate the best of all the searchengines? It might never replace whatever private company is returning the best results with thier proprietary technology, but could run an eternal close second. And it's nonprofit nature would prevent corporate or government takeover. And all donations to it would be tax-deductable.
Well, have you thought of how many people are so concerned for tyhier children that they are not allowed religious fredom? When parents are concerned for the "eternal soul" of the child, free speech and reliance on a child's mind to determine what's appropriate for themselves are not so important. I see it all the time. Unfortunately, this happensd to contimue with painful results into and beyond adolesence.
For example, I was forbid from wearing earings until I paid my own rent, do to the percieved association with an alleged "homosexual community". Whatever!? A friend of mine's parents refused to speak to her, until she sent her minister a written apology for visiting a synagogue once. Now she's neither baptist or Jewish.
On the otherhand, if they didn't press their partisan agenda into toddler's brains, those people might grow up to be bizzare liberals, satanists, or incapable of refusing sex with mashed potatoes. I've never seen a parent that hasn't shoved their precious agenda of conformity upon their spawn. That's why the children/adults always freak out about being just like thier parents, then resign themselves to it.
Readers: This is not a flameblait. It is off-topic, but ther is no bait. Just flame. So try harder if you are going to give it a negative score. Or even think about this thread, and se if there is something of merit in any of these many posts that might raise them to a nice fat "0" rating. Insightful+ but flamebait-? Kharma+ but Trolling-? Who knows...
Post trite complaints to other intellectual elitists, pretending it will do some good, and loathe yourself for lacking the will to improve anything. Forget that there are morons everywhere, and that despite the WTO giving unlimited protections to American Idiocy (TM), there are hundreds of other countries giving birth to assholes consistently. Complain about Constitutional Amendments, except ehen they suit you.
Most importantly, do nothing whatsoever to benefit the world, because dispite your belief that you are better than everybody else in the country, you are just another jackass.
Shouldn't we demand an open source solution? ;)
If they are looking for good global branding, don't they realize everbody in Japan calls it Mojeera?
Okay, it wasn't that funny anyway, but I couldn't resist.
But thanks to "trusted" computing, you will only be able to read the files with that app on that hard drive on that computer. Thief!
Yeah. I have 3 PS1 games that won't run on a PS2, so I'd guess I'd need both, except that the Xbox versions always look better than their PS2 counterparts. And It's actually the nicest DVD player in the house, except for when I have to unplug the DVD whatzit to plug in the fourth controller, then find it later... Perhaps there's a way to internally mount the IR eciever, so that it's out of the way, and allows me to use the 4th port whenever I want...
With the cocky wisdom of youth, I thought, "who the hell would want to reboot a toaster, or have their auto-insulin injector crash? Why would the net pervade everything, when it inherently runs on computers and even my apple+ has problems. Then I got older, moved to PC's and realized that it was just an absurd speculation, like Burrough's visions of Martian and Venusian life.
It seemed ludicrous to me that we would want internet-enabled toasters, pacemakers that are tele-monitored, etc.
I've found that hardware is tremedously powerful, and everything but the cutting edge stuff is quite reliable, these days. But secure and stable software lags behind tremendously.
So when are the masses going to DEMAND that these things improve? In twenty network induced blackouts? Or after their MS respiratory-control-system fails to get it's security update online from a proprietary service that's experienceing difficulties?
And when it's all done, start a new open source project to keep making nice stuff for everybody. I may sound sappy, but building a record of functional products, along with a history of functional relationships. If you don't get as much as you possibly could have this time, you will probably make it back later.
The more important the project is to you, the more you should ask. The less it matters (personally) the lighter your demands. As an artist, I charge more for paintings I personally favor. Do not try to negotiate a payment for what you have already given away freely by inflating your offer; you've given it away, and there is somebody else who could continue your work more cheaply. (Even if they are n't looking for one, it leads to resentment, as it's tacky.
Whatever you ask for, choose the offer that leaves doors open for the future. Avoid killing a golden-egg goose. If you are getting paid to pursue what you would do of your own accord, you are getting a good deal. The dream of capitalsim. And if the company you are working for thinks it's a steal to have you develop for them, so be it!
I'm replying to some possibly non-gamer's thoughts of what gamers might want. and yeah, gamers define every shitty obsolite, tired, half-assed piece of hardware your sorry cheap ass uses. (Read any book that covers the development of technology. It's gamers much Leeter than me, or military projects (that killed more bunny rabbits than you can stand), that justified the origins of all the obsolite Wal-Mart hardware you think you suck by owning). Well, you managed to get on the web and flaunt your stupidity with it. Thanks. It would only be more sad if you were wasting your breathe as an Anonymous Bas-- oh, wait. Well you don't have the balls to back up your post with a dissable name, but I think you know how dumb you are to say no one cares when someone replies to an EXISTING POST, or might by the time I'm done.
Moral of the story, SMEG off, YOU useless, unemployed TROLL.
I apologize to anybody who actually read this thread, it parent, or anyone just generally sickened by AC's all caps, my piss-poor drunken spelling, or the Waves of Hate(TM) spewed by me at the "re-re".
News Flash: I care about anything program developers think matters, because they read this, and AC's don't don't matter (when flaming). Shit & Spin, buddy.
You're welcome.