I agree at least the "BLOG" is an annoying term, but if you think about it new terminology pops up all the time.
Take "IM" or "PM" for instance. Instant or Private Messages have been made popular by AOL, MSN, and YAHOO. ICQ was more popular than any of these services, though, and it was just calling them "Online Messages". Don't believe me? Install an old version of ICQ and try to send a message. The Window will say SEND ONLINE MESSAGE.
I remember back in the old multiline BBS days (when I ran a 10 line BBS, that is) the software I was running refered to "Instant Messages" as "Online Messages" or "OLM"s for short. (Cnet Amiga Pro was the software, for those interested). Now days if you say "I'll O.L.M you later" to someone they just give you this blank stare. In my circle of friends, though, OLM is the term we used from 1990 till about 1998 so "IM" is still kind of new to us. Old habits, and all that.
My point is, terminology comes and goes. So while I may not like new terms, I accept that they will be coined. What bothers me more than new terms that are annoying is when people take well established terms and misuse them. Esspecially annoying are people who are under some serious misconceptions about something or another, or idiots trying to sound like they know more than they do. There are a lot of both types going around and it bothers me to no end.
For example, the 3D images are best viewed from 40 centimeters away
If you ask me, that's something of a show stopper. It'll be very hard to keep one's head still while getting used to the 3D images coming from the Grand Theft Autos and Quakes of the future.
You can look forward to porn-site plug-in support to start popping up, however.
I'd like to see them pull something like that off with me using LYNX.
HAHAHAH.
Fuckers.
What I think is needed is a browser configuration that doesn't run any of this shit, and then reports it's self as LYNX. This will surely confuse the shit out of them.
With todays digital media that is no longer the case
I used to think this until I had movies and games that failed to play because of a single minor scratch. A scratch that came from removing it from the case of all things.
Of course, they LIKE this. They LOVE it even. They rub their hands together at the mere thought of doctoring the laws so that we're criminals unless we pay them a week's wages everytime we even REMEMBER a line from a movie or a song.
The original DivX format. The new self-destructive disks. DRM. Thought pollution. They really will never stop until they've won, until we stop buying their crap, or until we raid their business offices and shoot every single fucking executive coming up with this shit.
Seriously, though. In the article it mentions how the sound waves have been changed and lack certain intereference frequencies that our ears normally 'filter out' and how that process doesn't happen with MP3 since the sound is already gone. What I'm wondering is if ALL artificial sound (MIDI, Electronic sythesis [think SID music, MODs, etc]) doesn't also lack these frequencies? Sound samples would have the full range, but simple wave-forms generated electronically wouldn't. After all, those sounds aren't full range and they would also inherently lack the natural "interferences" discussed in the article.
My point is -- if they say MP3s are bad for your hearing, the should also say that electronica music, some video games, some electronic devices, and just about anything that produces sound now days could be potentially harmful to our ears.
I mean seriously, you can search out a chat-room by your state, do voice with the whole room, deal with booting, view web-cams, and basically just talk some serious shit to underage and overweight people.
I thought Yahoo Fuck-Chat was WAY more popular than AOL Fuck-Chat these days? Maybe AOL just never noticed this?
*(You boot them or they boot you... it becomes a pissing contest about who is the bigger skript kiddie, of course... but that's life in this primarily lamer-driven internet we live in now days.)
And releasing a new Game Boy now seems... premature. Pokemon Ruby and Saphire have yet to be released in Japan.
Not really, if you think about it. For one thing, Gameboy systems have so far been backward compatible. Also keep in mind that the step up from the Gameboy Pocket to Gameboy color wasn't that long, and the Gameboy Advance has been highly criticised for it's lack of a backlit screen.
Since it's now been shown that lighting can be installed in the Gameboy Advanced aftermarket without effecting battery life, Nintendo has run out of reasons not to light the system themselves.
Likewise, the system has also taken fire for being a platform for the reincarnation of classic SNES titles, yet it only has 2 face buttons. It would be reasonable to guess that Nintendo would release an update to the Advance that contains some form of backlighting and the extra buttons.
This is all speculation of course, but it all does make sense. Still, supposing it's spot on, I'd hardly consider any of this "Megaton" news.
Nintendo buying Capcom, or at least signing an exclusivity deal with them in the future is more likely than Nintendo going after the Playstation name nearly ten years after the joint project with Sony and Nintendo fell through.
The "Megaton" annoucement will likely be either news of a large online gaming service similar to XBox live (possible), a huge line-up of first and third party titles to include names that nobody would expect (very possible), or a new version of the Gameboy (most likely).
Or, it could be the unveiling of a game called "Megaton". hah.
Actually, Discover was one of the biggest ass-kissers. When they called me and I told them I do not do business with companies that call me, they put me on the phone with a manager who proceeded to suck up, beg for forgiveness, and made promises to have me removed because Discover "only wants to serve it's customers, not annoy them."
I have not heard one word from them since, nor have I recieved any junk mail from them. It's been almost a year.
I always say "I do not do business with people who call my house." This even goes for charities. I do not donate to organizations that call me.
At first I thought this wouldn't work, but I've actually had a reduction in calls (that is, no repeats) and I almost always get apologies.
Here as of late I've just been having fun with the telemarketers, since they're not as frequent as they used to be.
RING RING
ME: Hello? HER: Yes, I'm with (she said the name of some glasswork and door company) and we're calling to see if you would be interested in new windows for your home. Have you considered having new windows installed? ME: I don't have windows. I live in a dog house. HER: *giggle* Very funny, sir. ME: I don't think it's very funny at all. HER:... ME: You think being homeless is funny? HER: *CLICK*
Actually, that would be a great idea. Launch a series of repeaters every few years.... one right behind another...
Eventually we'll have this long trail of little probes, each sending very weak signals to the next in line. One day, the one in the front will get to some alien planet and it's message of peace will be delivered.
Then, all they have to do is follow the trail of junk back to earth and wipe us out.
Okay, no, seriously. This IS a good idea. It would allow us to listen to a probe no matter how far away it traveled, as long as the probes all stayed aligned, and nothing broke. They wouldn't even really have to be that "close" for it to work, either.
Actually, there isn't a whole lot to making a Sports game. The costs of developement lie mostly in liscensing costs. Technologically speaking, they are really empty. Let me rephrase that. They are really, really, really, really empty.
Don't believe me? Take a out a pencil and paper and draw a map of a football stadium. Now do the typical adventure game level. Now try to invision one in polygons, and then the other. It won't take you long to see where I'm going with this.
You mention updated rosters, but yet you admit they would be simple enough to update live over the internet. Sports games are crap. They're crap to develope and they're crap to play. Unless you are a sports fan, there is absolutely nothing about the typical sports game worth playing.
You can hate Mafia themed movies or books and still think Grand Theft Auto 3 is fun. You can absolutely loath Sci-Fi but find Metroid Prime to be a real test of skill. Finally, you can think puzzle games are stupid and pointless but still get trapped for hours playing Tetris. But if you either hate sports, or much like myself are largely indifferent, it won't take you 5 minutes to realize that sports games blow goat cheese.
Fortunately for Sports Game developers, there are a lot of diehard sports fans. It doesn't matter that the games suck and require no skill to play (for a real gamer, that is). It doesn't matter if the graphics are drab, low polygon, empty, and lacking creativity. If the jock looks like a football player, the ball is brown, and the men all pile up on top of each other, it'll work for any NFL fan.
More often than not, when a gamer moves from the "casual gamer"* stage into the "diehard fanatic"**, they give up on sports games. I've seen it many times, but it normally takes about 5 copies of Madden before that gamer realizes he's been had. *Casual Gamer = Doesn't play very often; first machine was a Playstation. **Diehard Fanatic = Either started prior to the Atari 2600 or has started more recently and bought every system to make up for their late coming; Typically buys a very large television to play video games and stops watching TV altogether; Dumps girlfriend because she's no longer a challenge in Quake (or she always wins (or he never had a girlfriend)); Suscribes to gaming magazines; "Hint books are for lamers"; etc.
Electronic Arts no longer artists...
on
EA As The Next Disney
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I once read a very well respected Japanese developer said (I think it was Yuji Naka) [Some companies]"...make games at the desk." He was refering to game companies making games to make money, not to create something fun to play.
Electronic Arts is in the video game industry making sound business moves and producing disposable rubbish for an eager consumer base. They are no longer Electronic Artists and they no longer make great video games. This shows in the huge amount of crap they spew out each year.
Other companies were getting to be guilty of the same thing, but they seem to have realized it and are trying to make a turn for the better. Capcom, for instance, has pledged a shift towards quality and innovation, and shortly afterwards announced 6 new fairly unique looking titles.
3DO claims to be making a similar shift, and has cancelled many projects to focus on a few unique titles. Trip Hawkins even forked over his own personal money to help fund the company further along. How many CEOs do you know of who would do that? (Well, the President of Sega did that, too, then died shortly afterwards.)
Many of the more respectable publishers and developers are making this shift towards quality, but Electronic Arts openly clings to "tried and true" titles, even if it means saturating the market with crap.
I hate to reply to myself -- but I should clear one bit up...
Samus Aran --IS-- a Chick, as I said.
Defeating the game once in a set amount of time will have her remove her power suit. Defeating it again without the power suit will end the game with her in a Bikini.
Using the codes provided will allow one to play her without the Power Suit and start the game with enough time remaining for the player to get the final energy tank, trek up to mother-brain, and still see the Bikini ending.
Is the code you are refering to. Caps are required, as are the dashes.
Alternatively, this code can be used.
y19ZVz YMRU83 WB--00 0000Zg
It starts one off in BRINSTAR with Ice Beam and leaves the Energy Tank three sections to the right and hidden in the ceiling just before the large wall that can only be passed using Maru Mari. Getting this tank will refill Samus's energy allowing the player go to straight up in Brinstar to Tourin and defeat Mother Brain. (The Zeebetites are already destroyed).
Right, but beating the game wasn't all there was to it.
There was the search for the secret message, the Yar, and of course the desire to get your "Adventure Points" as high as possible.
As it turns out, the Yar is in fact in the game, and uncovering it gives you a higher rating. But I think I read one time that the secret signature was removed from production cartridges, so some parts of the game were cut out to prevent the player from ever being able to reach the score needed to unlock the "message".
Still, there is a lot of little hidden crap in that game that most people don't know about since none of it is required to beat the game.
Yes, it was a funny game. It was a great game. It was for mature audiences. It's not a Miyomoto game.
Re:How many times does it have to be said?
on
AOL Wins Anti-Spam Case
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Free Speech? Is it free speech if I walk up to your front yard with a Megahorn and start ranting to you about Hot Sluts 4 You or Dirty Cheap Viagra? How about discount diplomas in your subject of chioce? Would you like to share my 10 million dollars? Refill your expensive printer cartridges. Lose weight fast. Attract women now. Refinance. Here's your free pass. You've won. Hot Date. Cheap insurance for you. Business Forcast! Improve your penis size!
You wouldn't like it very much. You'd hate it in fact if it were a regular thing. While SPAM may no be trespassing, it is often fraud and that is against the law. When it's not fraud, it's often done through the use of stolen resources (in terms of server space, bandwidth, or personal information). Those too are crimes.
The few bits of spam you actually do get from legit businesses with interesting products or services are so drown out by the pure flood of crap that those who are trying to do real business without breaking any laws are harmed by the rest of the spammers.
Thus, spam isn't free speech. It's dishonest, it's annoying, it's unethical, and it's harmful to legit internet-based business.
I'm not saying spam should be outlawed altogether. I am saying that current laws should be enforced strictly against current spammers. Most of them are guilty of at least one serious crime even if it's simply an invasion of privacy.
Yes, they give you WinPoET, but you can use anything.
I shouldn't have to use anything other than a plain old TCP/IP network connection. I refuse to use any DSL that requires I use some kind of tunnel software. It amazes me how many people put up with that.
And it doesn't matter. Sprint DSL isn't available in my area.
Re:cable IS better
on
DSL Rising
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Well, that's just your DSL provider. There are DSL providers that truely do rock. Well, there WERE until DirecttvDSL closed down.
Now, I suppose it's Speakeasy or nothing. That is, if you can get Speakeasy in your area. I personally can't.
As for Cable, in my area, Cable ISN'T faster. It's horribly slow. They won't give a static IP. The upstream is only 128k (though you won't ever even send THAT much because their network sucks). As if that weren't bad enough, it's nearly impossible to keep connections to servers active for long. They know about the problems, and they don't care. Gaming? Don't even try it. File sharing? It'll take you forever. Forget about streaming unless you don't mind serious lag.
As if all that wasn't enough, they offer three packages (silver, gold, and platinum) and from what I've been told by people who work there, anyone who gets gold or platinum is wasting their money as the network is too slow to give them even what silver promises.
I realize of course that not all cable providers are like this. What makes you think all DSL providers are as bad as the one you had?
Telocity/DirectTvDSL kicked ass. But Bellsouth in my area sucks. They suck the same way it sounds like your DSL provider sucks. In the end it comes down to who you use. In my case, I have nobody reliable left to use.:(
I vote against shitty service by not spending my money on it. I guess I'll be offline for a while.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree at least the "BLOG" is an annoying term, but if you think about it new terminology pops up all the time.
Take "IM" or "PM" for instance. Instant or Private Messages have been made popular by AOL, MSN, and YAHOO. ICQ was more popular than any of these services, though, and it was just calling them "Online Messages". Don't believe me? Install an old version of ICQ and try to send a message. The Window will say SEND ONLINE MESSAGE.
I remember back in the old multiline BBS days (when I ran a 10 line BBS, that is) the software I was running refered to "Instant Messages" as "Online Messages" or "OLM"s for short. (Cnet Amiga Pro was the software, for those interested). Now days if you say "I'll O.L.M you later" to someone they just give you this blank stare. In my circle of friends, though, OLM is the term we used from 1990 till about 1998 so "IM" is still kind of new to us. Old habits, and all that.
My point is, terminology comes and goes. So while I may not like new terms, I accept that they will be coined. What bothers me more than new terms that are annoying is when people take well established terms and misuse them. Esspecially annoying are people who are under some serious misconceptions about something or another, or idiots trying to sound like they know more than they do. There are a lot of both types going around and it bothers me to no end.
For example, the 3D images are best viewed from 40 centimeters away
If you ask me, that's something of a show stopper. It'll be very hard to keep one's head still while getting used to the 3D images coming from the Grand Theft Autos and Quakes of the future.
You can look forward to porn-site plug-in support to start popping up, however.
I'd like to see them pull something like that off with me using LYNX.
HAHAHAH.
Fuckers.
What I think is needed is a browser configuration that doesn't run any of this shit, and then reports it's self as LYNX. This will surely confuse the shit out of them.
With todays digital media that is no longer the case
I used to think this until I had movies and games that failed to play because of a single minor scratch. A scratch that came from removing it from the case of all things.
Of course, they LIKE this. They LOVE it even. They rub their hands together at the mere thought of doctoring the laws so that we're criminals unless we pay them a week's wages everytime we even REMEMBER a line from a movie or a song.
The original DivX format. The new self-destructive disks. DRM. Thought pollution. They really will never stop until they've won, until we stop buying their crap, or until we raid their business offices and shoot every single fucking executive coming up with this shit.
Pr0n makes you go blinde...
...
MP3 makes you go deaf...
We're running out of things to do online.
Seriously, though. In the article it mentions how the sound waves have been changed and lack certain intereference frequencies that our ears normally 'filter out' and how that process doesn't happen with MP3 since the sound is already gone. What I'm wondering is if ALL artificial sound (MIDI, Electronic sythesis [think SID music, MODs, etc]) doesn't also lack these frequencies? Sound samples would have the full range, but simple wave-forms generated electronically wouldn't. After all, those sounds aren't full range and they would also inherently lack the natural "interferences" discussed in the article.
My point is -- if they say MP3s are bad for your hearing, the should also say that electronica music, some video games, some electronic devices, and just about anything that produces sound now days could be potentially harmful to our ears.
My basic problems with some of the Extra-Gibs hacks for some games is that some of the games had identifiable body parts amoung the gibs.
for instance, I was always very disturbed by Carmageddon 1 when I would run someone over and 10 eyeballs would end up scattered in the street.
Isn't everybody using YAHOO now anyway?
I mean seriously, you can search out a chat-room by your state, do voice with the whole room, deal with booting, view web-cams, and basically just talk some serious shit to underage and overweight people.
I thought Yahoo Fuck-Chat was WAY more popular than AOL Fuck-Chat these days? Maybe AOL just never noticed this?
*(You boot them or they boot you... it becomes a pissing contest about who is the bigger skript kiddie, of course... but that's life in this primarily lamer-driven internet we live in now days.)
Close.
The Gameboy Advance literally does do this.
And releasing a new Game Boy now seems... premature. Pokemon Ruby and Saphire have yet to be released in Japan.
Not really, if you think about it. For one thing, Gameboy systems have so far been backward compatible. Also keep in mind that the step up from the Gameboy Pocket to Gameboy color wasn't that long, and the Gameboy Advance has been highly criticised for it's lack of a backlit screen.
Since it's now been shown that lighting can be installed in the Gameboy Advanced aftermarket without effecting battery life, Nintendo has run out of reasons not to light the system themselves.
Likewise, the system has also taken fire for being a platform for the reincarnation of classic SNES titles, yet it only has 2 face buttons. It would be reasonable to guess that Nintendo would release an update to the Advance that contains some form of backlighting and the extra buttons.
This is all speculation of course, but it all does make sense. Still, supposing it's spot on, I'd hardly consider any of this "Megaton" news.
Nintendo buying Capcom, or at least signing an exclusivity deal with them in the future is more likely than Nintendo going after the Playstation name nearly ten years after the joint project with Sony and Nintendo fell through.
The "Megaton" annoucement will likely be either news of a large online gaming service similar to XBox live (possible), a huge line-up of first and third party titles to include names that nobody would expect (very possible), or a new version of the Gameboy (most likely).
Or, it could be the unveiling of a game called "Megaton". hah.
Actually, Discover was one of the biggest ass-kissers. When they called me and I told them I do not do business with companies that call me, they put me on the phone with a manager who proceeded to suck up, beg for forgiveness, and made promises to have me removed because Discover "only wants to serve it's customers, not annoy them."
I have not heard one word from them since, nor have I recieved any junk mail from them. It's been almost a year.
I always say "I do not do business with people who call my house." This even goes for charities. I do not donate to organizations that call me.
...
At first I thought this wouldn't work, but I've actually had a reduction in calls (that is, no repeats) and I almost always get apologies.
Here as of late I've just been having fun with the telemarketers, since they're not as frequent as they used to be.
RING
RING
ME: Hello?
HER: Yes, I'm with (she said the name of some glasswork and door company) and we're calling to see if you would be interested in new windows for your home. Have you considered having new windows installed?
ME: I don't have windows. I live in a dog house.
HER: *giggle* Very funny, sir.
ME: I don't think it's very funny at all.
HER:
ME: You think being homeless is funny?
HER: *CLICK*
Actually, that would be a great idea. Launch a series of repeaters every few years.... one right behind another...
Eventually we'll have this long trail of little probes, each sending very weak signals to the next in line. One day, the one in the front will get to some alien planet and it's message of peace will be delivered.
Then, all they have to do is follow the trail of junk back to earth and wipe us out.
Okay, no, seriously. This IS a good idea. It would allow us to listen to a probe no matter how far away it traveled, as long as the probes all stayed aligned, and nothing broke. They wouldn't even really have to be that "close" for it to work, either.
Actually, there isn't a whole lot to making a Sports game. The costs of developement lie mostly in liscensing costs. Technologically speaking, they are really empty. Let me rephrase that. They are really, really, really, really empty.
Don't believe me? Take a out a pencil and paper and draw a map of a football stadium. Now do the typical adventure game level. Now try to invision one in polygons, and then the other. It won't take you long to see where I'm going with this.
You mention updated rosters, but yet you admit they would be simple enough to update live over the internet. Sports games are crap. They're crap to develope and they're crap to play. Unless you are a sports fan, there is absolutely nothing about the typical sports game worth playing.
You can hate Mafia themed movies or books and still think Grand Theft Auto 3 is fun. You can absolutely loath Sci-Fi but find Metroid Prime to be a real test of skill. Finally, you can think puzzle games are stupid and pointless but still get trapped for hours playing Tetris. But if you either hate sports, or much like myself are largely indifferent, it won't take you 5 minutes to realize that sports games blow goat cheese.
Fortunately for Sports Game developers, there are a lot of diehard sports fans. It doesn't matter that the games suck and require no skill to play (for a real gamer, that is). It doesn't matter if the graphics are drab, low polygon, empty, and lacking creativity. If the jock looks like a football player, the ball is brown, and the men all pile up on top of each other, it'll work for any NFL fan.
More often than not, when a gamer moves from the "casual gamer"* stage into the "diehard fanatic"**, they give up on sports games. I've seen it many times, but it normally takes about 5 copies of Madden before that gamer realizes he's been had.
*Casual Gamer = Doesn't play very often; first machine was a Playstation.
**Diehard Fanatic = Either started prior to the Atari 2600 or has started more recently and bought every system to make up for their late coming; Typically buys a very large television to play video games and stops watching TV altogether; Dumps girlfriend because she's no longer a challenge in Quake (or she always wins (or he never had a girlfriend)); Suscribes to gaming magazines; "Hint books are for lamers"; etc.
I once read a very well respected Japanese developer said (I think it was Yuji Naka) [Some companies]"...make games at the desk." He was refering to game companies making games to make money, not to create something fun to play.
Electronic Arts is in the video game industry making sound business moves and producing disposable rubbish for an eager consumer base. They are no longer Electronic Artists and they no longer make great video games. This shows in the huge amount of crap they spew out each year.
Other companies were getting to be guilty of the same thing, but they seem to have realized it and are trying to make a turn for the better. Capcom, for instance, has pledged a shift towards quality and innovation, and shortly afterwards announced 6 new fairly unique looking titles.
3DO claims to be making a similar shift, and has cancelled many projects to focus on a few unique titles. Trip Hawkins even forked over his own personal money to help fund the company further along. How many CEOs do you know of who would do that? (Well, the President of Sega did that, too, then died shortly afterwards.)
Many of the more respectable publishers and developers are making this shift towards quality, but Electronic Arts openly clings to "tried and true" titles, even if it means saturating the market with crap.
I don't rant about it like I used to. I just stopped buying the shit. After all, there are other great video game developers out there.
For a company that was so far ahead of the times, you would think that they could write a decent chess game.
You mean like one that could be Kasparov or something?
I hate to reply to myself -- but I should clear one bit up...
Samus Aran --IS-- a Chick, as I said.
Defeating the game once in a set amount of time will have her remove her power suit.
Defeating it again without the power suit will end the game with her in a Bikini.
Using the codes provided will allow one to play her without the Power Suit and start the game with enough time remaining for the player to get the final energy tank, trek up to mother-brain, and still see the Bikini ending.
There are no nipples.
Samus Aran is a chick.
There were no nipples.
JUSTIN BAILEY
------ ------
Is the code you are refering to. Caps are required, as are the dashes.
Alternatively, this code can be used.
y19ZVz YMRU83
WB--00 0000Zg
It starts one off in BRINSTAR with Ice Beam and leaves the Energy Tank three sections to the right and hidden in the ceiling just before the large wall that can only be passed using Maru Mari. Getting this tank will refill Samus's energy allowing the player go to straight up in Brinstar to Tourin and defeat Mother Brain. (The Zeebetites are already destroyed).
Right, but beating the game wasn't all there was to it.
There was the search for the secret message, the Yar, and of course the desire to get your "Adventure Points" as high as possible.
As it turns out, the Yar is in fact in the game, and uncovering it gives you a higher rating. But I think I read one time that the secret signature was removed from production cartridges, so some parts of the game were cut out to prevent the player from ever being able to reach the score needed to unlock the "message".
Still, there is a lot of little hidden crap in that game that most people don't know about since none of it is required to beat the game.
Yes, it was a funny game. It was a great game. It was for mature audiences. It's not a Miyomoto game.
Free Speech? Is it free speech if I walk up to your front yard with a Megahorn and start ranting to you about Hot Sluts 4 You or Dirty Cheap Viagra? How about discount diplomas in your subject of chioce? Would you like to share my 10 million dollars? Refill your expensive printer cartridges. Lose weight fast. Attract women now. Refinance. Here's your free pass. You've won. Hot Date. Cheap insurance for you. Business Forcast! Improve your penis size!
You wouldn't like it very much. You'd hate it in fact if it were a regular thing. While SPAM may no be trespassing, it is often fraud and that is against the law. When it's not fraud, it's often done through the use of stolen resources (in terms of server space, bandwidth, or personal information). Those too are crimes.
The few bits of spam you actually do get from legit businesses with interesting products or services are so drown out by the pure flood of crap that those who are trying to do real business without breaking any laws are harmed by the rest of the spammers.
Thus, spam isn't free speech. It's dishonest, it's annoying, it's unethical, and it's harmful to legit internet-based business.
I'm not saying spam should be outlawed altogether. I am saying that current laws should be enforced strictly against current spammers. Most of them are guilty of at least one serious crime even if it's simply an invasion of privacy.
Yes, they give you WinPoET, but you can use anything.
I shouldn't have to use anything other than a plain old TCP/IP network connection. I refuse to use any DSL that requires I use some kind of tunnel software. It amazes me how many people put up with that.
And it doesn't matter. Sprint DSL isn't available in my area.
Well, that's just your DSL provider. There are DSL providers that truely do rock. Well, there WERE until DirecttvDSL closed down.
:(
Now, I suppose it's Speakeasy or nothing. That is, if you can get Speakeasy in your area. I personally can't.
As for Cable, in my area, Cable ISN'T faster. It's horribly slow. They won't give a static IP. The upstream is only 128k (though you won't ever even send THAT much because their network sucks). As if that weren't bad enough, it's nearly impossible to keep connections to servers active for long. They know about the problems, and they don't care. Gaming? Don't even try it. File sharing? It'll take you forever. Forget about streaming unless you don't mind serious lag.
As if all that wasn't enough, they offer three packages (silver, gold, and platinum) and from what I've been told by people who work there, anyone who gets gold or platinum is wasting their money as the network is too slow to give them even what silver promises.
I realize of course that not all cable providers are like this. What makes you think all DSL providers are as bad as the one you had?
Telocity/DirectTvDSL kicked ass. But Bellsouth in my area sucks. They suck the same way it sounds like your DSL provider sucks. In the end it comes down to who you use. In my case, I have nobody reliable left to use.
I vote against shitty service by not spending my money on it. I guess I'll be offline for a while.
Ah yes. Nothing screams geeky dork like buying a RealDoll and dressing it up in a Starfleet uniform.
A life sized Beverly Crusher... Maybe.