Actually it seems almost perfect with two screens. One shows a thumbnail of the whole page, the other shows a blow up of a small portion that you can easily move around.
There was something similar to this in the movie Minority Report, only the cars were oblong, turned sideways and moved along the sides of buildings as well. It seemed to work quite well for them, especially since it's fiction and all.
Chances are the traffic situation would get much better because most traffic jams are generally caused by small changes in vehicle speed that ripple and magnify, creating the jam. Rush hour doesn't help much either, though. But, if every car could tell all the other cars in the vicinity what it was doing, there wouldn't be as many speed changes and the traffic would only be dependent on the number of vehicles on the road, not also the speed changes (as much). The traffic would still be somewhat of an emergent system but it would self organize into a more efficient pattern instead of into a chaotic mess (how's that for an oymoron?).
Actually, the ads are for the movie theater's benefit, not the publisher or whatever of the movie. Theaters barely make enough from ticket sales to pay for the royalties for the movie. I personally don't like the ads at all but if it means my favorite, local, non-chain theater will stay in business, so be it.
It's the same reason I don't mind paying seemingly outrageous prices at the concession stand. It's either pay a lot for snacks only when I want them and sit through a few ads where I can talk to my friends without really bothering anybody or, pay much higher ticket prices everytime in echange for possibly cheaper snacks which I don't get everytime anyways and no ads where I can joke around with my friends. Even when I'm alone it's no big deal. I just read a book I brought with me (I always take a book when I'm alone because of this-a little reading never hurts). They generally don't turn down the lights all the way until the actual movie starts. Or you can just get a (girl/boy)friend and have her or him help you ignore the movie. Trust me, it's fun.
Why do you think those big blockbuster movies make so damn much on opening weekends? They only get almost all of the ticket price.
I first figured it was either a test or accident of some kind (test more than accident, that's a pretty bad screw up, the kind that just "FUCK!" doesn't cover). I did wonder if it was a strike carried out by US forces but I decided it wouldn't make much sense because of all those treaties. Although, knowing the US president... (not likely but) Maybe first strike?
I'm thinking about RPI but not because of the laptop requirement or any other perks like that they offer. It offers a good mixture of what I'm interested in and flexibility. My parents said they are going to get me a nice laptop no matter where I go (instead of a car, personally I think it's a good trade) so that doesn't matter at all. All of the other places I'm looking at (such as CMU, Lehigh) all have offers of some kind but that hasn't really weighed in on my decision so far. I think those freebies are more for people who are really unable to decide between two schools that are otherwise the same. Or they could just be to catch people's attention and get them interested in the school to begin with- a lure of sorts.
As long as it doesn't get a programmed taste for power and call itself Omnius we should be fine. It wouldn't hurt to keep all people who call themselves Barbarossa away from the grid.
The capsule uses a parafoil (wing shaped chute) so that it will move forward more than down. Unfortunately this leads to it being hard to know where it will come down exactly. Or, if you mean net like one to catch a butterfly while it is in midair, the capsule is a lot smaller than the chute is. My guess is that it would be easier to line a hook up with the chute than position a net so that it captures the capsule. Anyways, the pilot said it was one of the most well thought out maneuver he's ever done and has captured it in every practice run on the first try.
Another article in some other paper (sorry no link) said that they did not want to risk any kind of touch down since it was carrying actual samples. Any significant shock could damage the sample container which would lead to either a loss of particles or contamination-not good either way. They're just playing it safe and doing away with that kind of landing all together. Besides, it's damn cool.
Good points. I just think that things still have a long way to go before the actual content moves up to the same level as the method. But, humans do have that weird habit of pointing out the silly and obvious and for the most part want to be social creatures no matter what. So yes, as you said, the pointless stuff will most likely never go away. It just seems that Kay wants the computer to help generate the content instead of just be the medium (I think that's what I was really trying to get at, got carried away).
My view that communication has become shallow was more from the experiences on various forums and via IM. At one time I refused to respond to anyone that started the dialogue with "hey" because it would inevitably result in:
hey hey sup? nothing really cool yeah
This got my friends coming up with something to start an interesting convo that wasn't a waste.
He means simulate LIFE. Those games don't really count. You aren't actually doing anything with them really (besides fragging their asses off/beating them to the finish line). He wants more general simulation that is done by everybody. Most simulation is just done by relatively few people (gamers, 3D artists, etc...).
I think that Kay is not bitter about the method of communication but rather the content of it. Lots of instant messenging is a waste; e-mail is filled with pointless spam; many people use spreadsheets simply to organize data, not to analyze it (in real depth). It is true that communication is radically different than in years past but, it is only the method. Interaction between people has not gotten more intelligent, merely easier and more frequent. You could even argue that it is not easier and that communication has actually become less intelligent (LOL, etc...).
Instant messenging is great for communication because of its global "instant" nature but it is not entirely good for society since it promotes not-in-person interaction and isolationism. (Speaking of isolationism, this is could possibly be the biggest thing wrong with our country, as the brother of a friend of mine pointed out in an essay. I would be much obliged if you vote for him too. That's all for a later rant.) The phone isn't in person either but it is still live and with an actual person. And, for the most part, there isn't much idle time on the phone.
Communication has become fast and widespread but very shallow at the same time (shallow streams flow faster?). People do not take the time to create meaningful ideas (snail-mail letters generally are more in depth and intelligent since the person has to actually think).
There are many exceptions to all of this and many examples of the current state of communication promoting the exchange of meaningful and intelligent ideas (like/. and its emergent behavior-like scoring system) but it appears that on the whole it has not been for the best. Metails was started with the intention of being the Friendster that promotes creativity in addition to simple interaction but I don't think it has really stayed on track. It seems like Kay's vision was more intelligent communication, not just more, faster communication. While we may be at a new level of interacting as far as the method goes, the actual nature of communication has actually gone nowhere, perhaps even slightly backwards.
Feel free to blast me for saying we haven't really come anywhere. Oh yes, I am too young (17) to remember party lines but I've heard many a story about them. Is it really "miraculous" that many houses now have their own line or two instead of an entire block sharing one? More like inevitable to me.
That's why I'm a fan of PC gaming. You don't have to worry about the hardware becoming obsolete since it will be old by the time it leaves the warehouse. Also, I don't have to wait a while for upgrades. This of course assumes I have the neccessary cash. PCs do make up for their cost by having software that is easy to pirate. Not that I would know from experience or anything *quick glances*. The multiple use thing is key too. Browsing those certain special sites isn't too easy on consoles. After all, it's easier to get Jenna on the PC.
I think it's a good idea, at least in theory. Maybe the choice to partner with UPS wasn't the best, if these horror stories are endemic to the rest of the UPS system. With my few experiences with sending something back for repair/whatever (always in order to get it covered under warranty, after warranty I always do it myself to save some of that precious money), it spent most of its time not working for me enroute to the place to be fixed or on its way back (thankfully working when I recieved it).
Eliminating this travel time would most benefit people where time is money, such as a business, though those often have some kind of tech dept. that can fix one of these "trivial problems" it mentioned. The average consumer might not experience a huge difference, or at least not care that much.
I tend to read PC Gamer and PC Mag regularly. Sometimes, whenever Science crosses my path I check it out. Can't say I've ever "read" Playboy, probably cause I get more turned on by the latest Falcon NW Exotix case (yeah, I'm a loser, so sue me). I'm sure Playboy and Penthouse are worth reading for their "intellectual" value, but it's the tech stuff that really appeals to me. Besides, I've got a girl (yes, in real life, yes, a real one).
Slashdot Mirror
Actually it seems almost perfect with two screens. One shows a thumbnail of the whole page, the other shows a blow up of a small portion that you can easily move around.
There was something similar to this in the movie Minority Report, only the cars were oblong, turned sideways and moved along the sides of buildings as well. It seemed to work quite well for them, especially since it's fiction and all.
The mud already was a solid, just mixed with the water. The water evaporates leaving the dirt behind. Not the same thing.
Chances are the traffic situation would get much better because most traffic jams are generally caused by small changes in vehicle speed that ripple and magnify, creating the jam. Rush hour doesn't help much either, though. But, if every car could tell all the other cars in the vicinity what it was doing, there wouldn't be as many speed changes and the traffic would only be dependent on the number of vehicles on the road, not also the speed changes (as much). The traffic would still be somewhat of an emergent system but it would self organize into a more efficient pattern instead of into a chaotic mess (how's that for an oymoron?).
Actually, the ads are for the movie theater's benefit, not the publisher or whatever of the movie. Theaters barely make enough from ticket sales to pay for the royalties for the movie. I personally don't like the ads at all but if it means my favorite, local, non-chain theater will stay in business, so be it.
It's the same reason I don't mind paying seemingly outrageous prices at the concession stand. It's either pay a lot for snacks only when I want them and sit through a few ads where I can talk to my friends without really bothering anybody or, pay much higher ticket prices everytime in echange for possibly cheaper snacks which I don't get everytime anyways and no ads where I can joke around with my friends. Even when I'm alone it's no big deal. I just read a book I brought with me (I always take a book when I'm alone because of this-a little reading never hurts). They generally don't turn down the lights all the way until the actual movie starts. Or you can just get a (girl/boy)friend and have her or him help you ignore the movie. Trust me, it's fun.
Why do you think those big blockbuster movies make so damn much on opening weekends? They only get almost all of the ticket price.
I first figured it was either a test or accident of some kind (test more than accident, that's a pretty bad screw up, the kind that just "FUCK!" doesn't cover). I did wonder if it was a strike carried out by US forces but I decided it wouldn't make much sense because of all those treaties. Although, knowing the US president... (not likely but) Maybe first strike?
I'm thinking about RPI but not because of the laptop requirement or any other perks like that they offer. It offers a good mixture of what I'm interested in and flexibility. My parents said they are going to get me a nice laptop no matter where I go (instead of a car, personally I think it's a good trade) so that doesn't matter at all. All of the other places I'm looking at (such as CMU, Lehigh) all have offers of some kind but that hasn't really weighed in on my decision so far. I think those freebies are more for people who are really unable to decide between two schools that are otherwise the same. Or they could just be to catch people's attention and get them interested in the school to begin with- a lure of sorts.
Makes a sweet desktop.
As long as it doesn't get a programmed taste for power and call itself Omnius we should be fine. It wouldn't hurt to keep all people who call themselves Barbarossa away from the grid.
My guess is reliabilty and specialization. Or, they're just greedy for power.
The capsule uses a parafoil (wing shaped chute) so that it will move forward more than down. Unfortunately this leads to it being hard to know where it will come down exactly. Or, if you mean net like one to catch a butterfly while it is in midair, the capsule is a lot smaller than the chute is. My guess is that it would be easier to line a hook up with the chute than position a net so that it captures the capsule. Anyways, the pilot said it was one of the most well thought out maneuver he's ever done and has captured it in every practice run on the first try.
Another article in some other paper (sorry no link) said that they did not want to risk any kind of touch down since it was carrying actual samples. Any significant shock could damage the sample container which would lead to either a loss of particles or contamination-not good either way. They're just playing it safe and doing away with that kind of landing all together. Besides, it's damn cool.
Good points. I just think that things still have a long way to go before the actual content moves up to the same level as the method. But, humans do have that weird habit of pointing out the silly and obvious and for the most part want to be social creatures no matter what. So yes, as you said, the pointless stuff will most likely never go away. It just seems that Kay wants the computer to help generate the content instead of just be the medium (I think that's what I was really trying to get at, got carried away).
My view that communication has become shallow was more from the experiences on various forums and via IM. At one time I refused to respond to anyone that started the dialogue with "hey" because it would inevitably result in:
hey
hey
sup?
nothing really
cool
yeah
This got my friends coming up with something to start an interesting convo that wasn't a waste.
He means simulate LIFE. Those games don't really count. You aren't actually doing anything with them really (besides fragging their asses off/beating them to the finish line). He wants more general simulation that is done by everybody. Most simulation is just done by relatively few people (gamers, 3D artists, etc...).
I think that Kay is not bitter about the method of communication but rather the content of it. Lots of instant messenging is a waste; e-mail is filled with pointless spam; many people use spreadsheets simply to organize data, not to analyze it (in real depth). It is true that communication is radically different than in years past but, it is only the method. Interaction between people has not gotten more intelligent, merely easier and more frequent. You could even argue that it is not easier and that communication has actually become less intelligent (LOL, etc...).
/. and its emergent behavior-like scoring system) but it appears that on the whole it has not been for the best. Metails was started with the intention of being the Friendster that promotes creativity in addition to simple interaction but I don't think it has really stayed on track. It seems like Kay's vision was more intelligent communication, not just more, faster communication. While we may be at a new level of interacting as far as the method goes, the actual nature of communication has actually gone nowhere, perhaps even slightly backwards.
Instant messenging is great for communication because of its global "instant" nature but it is not entirely good for society since it promotes not-in-person interaction and isolationism. (Speaking of isolationism, this is could possibly be the biggest thing wrong with our country, as the brother of a friend of mine pointed out in an essay. I would be much obliged if you vote for him too. That's all for a later rant.) The phone isn't in person either but it is still live and with an actual person. And, for the most part, there isn't much idle time on the phone.
Communication has become fast and widespread but very shallow at the same time (shallow streams flow faster?). People do not take the time to create meaningful ideas (snail-mail letters generally are more in depth and intelligent since the person has to actually think).
There are many exceptions to all of this and many examples of the current state of communication promoting the exchange of meaningful and intelligent ideas (like
Feel free to blast me for saying we haven't really come anywhere. Oh yes, I am too young (17) to remember party lines but I've heard many a story about them. Is it really "miraculous" that many houses now have their own line or two instead of an entire block sharing one? More like inevitable to me.
That's why I'm a fan of PC gaming. You don't have to worry about the hardware becoming obsolete since it will be old by the time it leaves the warehouse. Also, I don't have to wait a while for upgrades. This of course assumes I have the neccessary cash. PCs do make up for their cost by having software that is easy to pirate. Not that I would know from experience or anything *quick glances*. The multiple use thing is key too. Browsing those certain special sites isn't too easy on consoles. After all, it's easier to get Jenna on the PC.
All the other stuff pales in usefulness compared to a towel.
"Oh man, yeah, yeah, that one blob is really getting it on with that other one."
Well if that was the case then this place would be called heaven.
I think it's a good idea, at least in theory. Maybe the choice to partner with UPS wasn't the best, if these horror stories are endemic to the rest of the UPS system. With my few experiences with sending something back for repair/whatever (always in order to get it covered under warranty, after warranty I always do it myself to save some of that precious money), it spent most of its time not working for me enroute to the place to be fixed or on its way back (thankfully working when I recieved it).
Eliminating this travel time would most benefit people where time is money, such as a business, though those often have some kind of tech dept. that can fix one of these "trivial problems" it mentioned. The average consumer might not experience a huge difference, or at least not care that much.
I tend to read PC Gamer and PC Mag regularly. Sometimes, whenever Science crosses my path I check it out. Can't say I've ever "read" Playboy, probably cause I get more turned on by the latest Falcon NW Exotix case (yeah, I'm a loser, so sue me). I'm sure Playboy and Penthouse are worth reading for their "intellectual" value, but it's the tech stuff that really appeals to me. Besides, I've got a girl (yes, in real life, yes, a real one).