How are the democrats incompetant? I don't expect them to do their job durring the day, and be administrators at night. I highly doubt the GOP SENATORS run their own network..
That's ridiulous.
It was an entirely hypothetical situation.
Drawing a conclusion based on my post that I think that E911 is supporting abortion is asinine. It was just a very convienant hypothetical that would illustrate the point: that people SHOULD have privacy and the ability to do what THEY would like (note: NOT ME), especially when concerning rights already protected in some states.
I know of some areas that don't have electricity, running water, or *gasp* the internet.
That doesn't mean E911 or triangualtion are useless. Just because it's not widespread doesn't mean you can't ever use it.
This issue here is obviously that some people don't want other people to know where they are. Of course, propoents of the "big brother" approach will tell you, if you don't want other people to know where you are, you're prolly somewhere you shouldn't be. However, anyone with half a brain will be able to figure out that that arguement is bullshit.
What if your kid was going to get a free and legal abortion without speaking with you about it, you checked on them, and saw they were at the clinic. I would assume that my child was being pretty responsible, though some parents may have an anyurism finding out that not only was their child sexually active, but also having an abortion. The ramifications are not good in that scenario.
Spying on your kids isn't all fun and games, and sometimes they get to make their own decisions. The bad ones AND the good ones.
NUFF SAID?!
I like the irony of this post, assuming that a single sample out of 1,800 is representative of the entire group of people who signed the petition, directly below someone dismissing the same petition because 1,800 is not representative of the user base of the product.
Maybe it's because one specific bios, in one specific laptop (as far as I can tell from the parent) is the culprit. Of course, Sony has more variations in their Vaio line than you can count on all your digits, so having one faulty item, while very dissapointing I'm sure for the owners, does not disrupt every Vaio on the market. You can't point to Sony and say: "Your bios' are faulty, this is an outrage!" because it's simply not true. It's far less newsworthy to tell the truth, which is that they have a specific problem in a specific model of a specific line. Which is not at all uncommon. Not offering an end-user solution is bad practice, of course, but not uncommon.
Apple, on the other hand, stakes it's reputation on VERY few models. They have a product line that is renowned for "high concept" design and low quality solutions that tend to degrade over time: iPod Battery (though my Gen II is just fine, for the record), ALbook paint if I remember correctly, display hinges, "splotchy" PowerBook screens,cracks in The Cube, etc). Unlike sony, these things are Apple's EVERYTHING. When someone points to these problems, it's much easier to link them to a larger problem with the company itself, rather than a specific product.
You mean like this? I can't see PCs getting any smaller without ditching a screen or a keyboard. Then they wouldn't really be a "PC" as we know it. That's the realm of "PDAs" (god, I hate that term).
I was simply pointing out how far these odd definitions of "virtual crimes" cam be taken. If the crime is truly victimless, in some cases, it's hard to argue that it ocured at all.
[high production values do] not change the fact that the main character (which is usually a hero and should be a hero) is a drug dealer and he has to murder, cheat, steal kill cops or whatever just to achieve the objective of the game is horrible. This is not a heroic action.
The character of the game is immoral in the first place. In the second place, he commits many many sins to achieve the goal of the game. There's a bit of difference in this game then there is in Doom, Quake, or whatever. In Doom or Quake, your typically killing demons and other monsters.
In case you hadn't noticed, the entire point of this whole discussion is that there is not a strict "moral compass" that guides the entire United States of America. I generally don't prefer games, movies, or books that depict "heroic action," as I tend to find it bland and "flat" in terms of character development and story structure.
If I would like to purchase a game that, for example, depicts an anti-hero, possibly one who "sins" (the classical definition of which doesn't concern me, as I'm not a religious man, but I assume you mean something that is morally offensive to you personally), there should be nothing stopping me. You may find this game offensive, or in bad taste, but then I would suggest that you don't view, buy, or play it.
Unless you can prove, without a doubt, that playing a game with an anti-heroic theme is degenerative to society as a whole (and possibly even then), I really can't see any basis for a ban on this "hypothetical" game.
If you would agree that thoughts are "simulated experiences," then the act of imagining a nude child, for erotic purposes or not would be illegal. The fact that no one else can view this simulated image doesn't make it any less illegal. To prove you have viewed or posessed physical, simulated images of a nude child, the prosecution doesn't actually have to have them in their possession (that's what circumstantial evidence is for).
Thought police?
It's an interesting problem. As a graphic artist, I could easily "create" (mix, alter, etc) a photo that would be indistinguishable from an analog counter-part. While I doubt edited photos would stand up in court (there are very specific, subtle things that can prove a photo has been changed), they could definately work well as propaganda. The ability to change the public's mind in many cases is more powerful than the legal value of the evidence.
I would say Stalker is in my top five most anticipated. These guys seriously know what they're doing. I just hope there are some considerations made for multiplayer (IE: the ability to run "persistant" servers).
Actually Commander Keen WAS started as an enine demonstration for their first game after the ID founders left Softdisc. Carmack tried to replicated the Mario 3 engine, succeeded, and ditched their previous side-scrolling hero, Dangerous Dave, for something more "fun" (read: Mario-esque) because Nintendo wouldn't let them port Mario 3 to the PC.
50 Bell Ranger helicopters were sold to Iraq. These are not and never have been gunship class helicopters. They are light utility helicopters, typically used in the US for radio traffic watch.
They don't have to have guns to be used in the military. But I guess they just liked color scheme.
If you think that's bad service, DO NOT go with Alienware. They shipped me a computer a week late, with bad RAM (wouldn't boot most of the time, long story), and wanted me to ship it back to them to fix at my expense (even with an "extended" warranty).
Of course, they wouldn't send me the single stick of RAM I need, and allow me to ship the bad one after I replaced it. Because, you know, after I gave them my $3500, I was going to screw them out of $200. And of course, it took HOURS each time to get someone on the phone. When I did, they were either rude, or literally did not speak english (their call center is somewhere in India).
I sent it back, ate the shipping, and was done with them forever. Might I reccomend Monarchcomputer.com . A+ service all around. Friendly too!
Every MMO that I've played had some very generous "patrons" willing to help start out some of the newer players. They generally don't just throw money at you, but socializing generally will work in your favor as a newer player. It depends on what your definition of "rewarding" is, but I'd say that counts.
The original Asheron's Call also had a "patronage" system, which basically was a higherarchical pyramid that allowed you to gain experience for those that you helped teach. It was interesting, but kind of reminicent of all those "Drug wars" or "zombie" HTML recruitment games.
You won't save money with books on CD. Many textbooks now come with CD companions, but they're pretty bad. And the books themselves, of course cost $100+
Or at least this has been the college experience thus far. But I'm willing to bet that the books I buy are made by some of the same publishers as highschool textbooks.
Actually, it's run by one Despotic nation: The USA. We have veto power over any proposition in the UN, or at least enough sway to make it happen ("we'll lift your trade sanctions if you vote __").
It's because the development hardware costs are very high. Also, Nintendo has a very strict licensing policy, which as far as I know, gives them the right to deny distribution.
Ironically, I think standing on it's side is what's killing my PS2. It's now noticably slower than when I got it around a year ago, and it shows alot in games that load "on the fly" (IE: Vice City). I assume because the disc is slightly unballanced.. soon I will be saying goodbye (RIP PS2).
Hardware is almost never sold for a profit, as far as I know. Most consoles make money from licensing games, and the sales of those games. Most console companies take a loss on the hardware itself. That's exactly what got MS in so much trouble: they had the same model as everyone else, but with no track record. They were bleeding money on the X-Box, but they were still having a hard time luring developers (especially in Japan, where they're still having big problems).
Slashdot Mirror
I'm pretty sure it's exactly the opposite..
It's most definately illegal to repeatedly violate another organization's computer files. Since when is it illegal to have sex with interns?
How are the democrats incompetant? I don't expect them to do their job durring the day, and be administrators at night. I highly doubt the GOP SENATORS run their own network..
That's ridiulous. It was an entirely hypothetical situation.
Drawing a conclusion based on my post that I think that E911 is supporting abortion is asinine. It was just a very convienant hypothetical that would illustrate the point: that people SHOULD have privacy and the ability to do what THEY would like (note: NOT ME), especially when concerning rights already protected in some states.
I know of some areas that don't have electricity, running water, or *gasp* the internet.
That doesn't mean E911 or triangualtion are useless. Just because it's not widespread doesn't mean you can't ever use it.
This issue here is obviously that some people don't want other people to know where they are. Of course, propoents of the "big brother" approach will tell you, if you don't want other people to know where you are, you're prolly somewhere you shouldn't be. However, anyone with half a brain will be able to figure out that that arguement is bullshit.
What if your kid was going to get a free and legal abortion without speaking with you about it, you checked on them, and saw they were at the clinic. I would assume that my child was being pretty responsible, though some parents may have an anyurism finding out that not only was their child sexually active, but also having an abortion. The ramifications are not good in that scenario.
Spying on your kids isn't all fun and games, and sometimes they get to make their own decisions. The bad ones AND the good ones.
'nuff said.
NUFF SAID?!
I like the irony of this post, assuming that a single sample out of 1,800 is representative of the entire group of people who signed the petition, directly below someone dismissing the same petition because 1,800 is not representative of the user base of the product.
Maybe it's because one specific bios, in one specific laptop (as far as I can tell from the parent) is the culprit. Of course, Sony has more variations in their Vaio line than you can count on all your digits, so having one faulty item, while very dissapointing I'm sure for the owners, does not disrupt every Vaio on the market. You can't point to Sony and say: "Your bios' are faulty, this is an outrage!" because it's simply not true. It's far less newsworthy to tell the truth, which is that they have a specific problem in a specific model of a specific line. Which is not at all uncommon. Not offering an end-user solution is bad practice, of course, but not uncommon.
Apple, on the other hand, stakes it's reputation on VERY few models. They have a product line that is renowned for "high concept" design and low quality solutions that tend to degrade over time: iPod Battery (though my Gen II is just fine, for the record), ALbook paint if I remember correctly, display hinges, "splotchy" PowerBook screens,cracks in The Cube, etc). Unlike sony, these things are Apple's EVERYTHING. When someone points to these problems, it's much easier to link them to a larger problem with the company itself, rather than a specific product.
That raises the question: Just what exactly would the goatse guy be advertising? It's frightening to think about.
You mean like this? I can't see PCs getting any smaller without ditching a screen or a keyboard. Then they wouldn't really be a "PC" as we know it. That's the realm of "PDAs" (god, I hate that term).
I was simply pointing out how far these odd definitions of "virtual crimes" cam be taken. If the crime is truly victimless, in some cases, it's hard to argue that it ocured at all.
[high production values do] not change the fact that the main character (which is usually a hero and should be a hero) is a drug dealer and he has to murder, cheat, steal kill cops or whatever just to achieve the objective of the game is horrible. This is not a heroic action.
The character of the game is immoral in the first place. In the second place, he commits many many sins to achieve the goal of the game. There's a bit of difference in this game then there is in Doom, Quake, or whatever. In Doom or Quake, your typically killing demons and other monsters.
In case you hadn't noticed, the entire point of this whole discussion is that there is not a strict "moral compass" that guides the entire United States of America. I generally don't prefer games, movies, or books that depict "heroic action," as I tend to find it bland and "flat" in terms of character development and story structure.
If I would like to purchase a game that, for example, depicts an anti-hero, possibly one who "sins" (the classical definition of which doesn't concern me, as I'm not a religious man, but I assume you mean something that is morally offensive to you personally), there should be nothing stopping me. You may find this game offensive, or in bad taste, but then I would suggest that you don't view, buy, or play it.
Unless you can prove, without a doubt, that playing a game with an anti-heroic theme is degenerative to society as a whole (and possibly even then), I really can't see any basis for a ban on this "hypothetical" game.
If you would agree that thoughts are "simulated experiences," then the act of imagining a nude child, for erotic purposes or not would be illegal. The fact that no one else can view this simulated image doesn't make it any less illegal. To prove you have viewed or posessed physical, simulated images of a nude child, the prosecution doesn't actually have to have them in their possession (that's what circumstantial evidence is for). Thought police?
Yeah, then there'd be cameras at ATMs, stoplights, in building security, and parking lots! Man, that WOULD suck..
It's an interesting problem. As a graphic artist, I could easily "create" (mix, alter, etc) a photo that would be indistinguishable from an analog counter-part. While I doubt edited photos would stand up in court (there are very specific, subtle things that can prove a photo has been changed), they could definately work well as propaganda. The ability to change the public's mind in many cases is more powerful than the legal value of the evidence.
Aliens of Gold!
I would say Stalker is in my top five most anticipated. These guys seriously know what they're doing. I just hope there are some considerations made for multiplayer (IE: the ability to run "persistant" servers).
Actually Commander Keen WAS started as an enine demonstration for their first game after the ID founders left Softdisc. Carmack tried to replicated the Mario 3 engine, succeeded, and ditched their previous side-scrolling hero, Dangerous Dave, for something more "fun" (read: Mario-esque) because Nintendo wouldn't let them port Mario 3 to the PC.
50 Bell Ranger helicopters were sold to Iraq. These are not and never have been gunship class helicopters. They are light utility helicopters, typically used in the US for radio traffic watch.
2 .jpg
They don't have to have guns to be used in the military. But I guess they just liked color scheme.
http://www.hellas.org/military/army/images/ab206-
If you think that's bad service, DO NOT go with Alienware. They shipped me a computer a week late, with bad RAM (wouldn't boot most of the time, long story), and wanted me to ship it back to them to fix at my expense (even with an "extended" warranty).
Of course, they wouldn't send me the single stick of RAM I need, and allow me to ship the bad one after I replaced it. Because, you know, after I gave them my $3500, I was going to screw them out of $200. And of course, it took HOURS each time to get someone on the phone. When I did, they were either rude, or literally did not speak english (their call center is somewhere in India).
I sent it back, ate the shipping, and was done with them forever. Might I reccomend Monarchcomputer.com . A+ service all around. Friendly too!
Every MMO that I've played had some very generous "patrons" willing to help start out some of the newer players. They generally don't just throw money at you, but socializing generally will work in your favor as a newer player. It depends on what your definition of "rewarding" is, but I'd say that counts.
The original Asheron's Call also had a "patronage" system, which basically was a higherarchical pyramid that allowed you to gain experience for those that you helped teach. It was interesting, but kind of reminicent of all those "Drug wars" or "zombie" HTML recruitment games.
You won't save money with books on CD. Many textbooks now come with CD companions, but they're pretty bad. And the books themselves, of course cost $100+ Or at least this has been the college experience thus far. But I'm willing to bet that the books I buy are made by some of the same publishers as highschool textbooks.
Actually, it's run by one Despotic nation: The USA. We have veto power over any proposition in the UN, or at least enough sway to make it happen ("we'll lift your trade sanctions if you vote __").
It's because the development hardware costs are very high. Also, Nintendo has a very strict licensing policy, which as far as I know, gives them the right to deny distribution.
Ironically, I think standing on it's side is what's killing my PS2. It's now noticably slower than when I got it around a year ago, and it shows alot in games that load "on the fly" (IE: Vice City). I assume because the disc is slightly unballanced.. soon I will be saying goodbye (RIP PS2).
Hardware is almost never sold for a profit, as far as I know. Most consoles make money from licensing games, and the sales of those games. Most console companies take a loss on the hardware itself. That's exactly what got MS in so much trouble: they had the same model as everyone else, but with no track record. They were bleeding money on the X-Box, but they were still having a hard time luring developers (especially in Japan, where they're still having big problems).