Being rather blunt, this has stuff-all chance of being implemented. Lets look at why not:
1. Unless it's 100% "fire & forget" then the ISP's will bitch & moan about setting it up (you should have heard the complaints about the absurd legislation the Australian government tried to enact enforcing site filtering at the ISP level:)
2. Unless it's 100% easy and centralised with automation, it benefits the big boys and not the "basement recorders."
3. Packaging the files together into a compressed archive will avoid the TAG searches (unless the ISP looks into the archives as it goes past - whups, there goes my gigbit router slowing back down to 10mbps - say, what's this privacy thing too?:)
4. Why should I pay for some lame-o who just slurps TAG'd files? It would require some form of "pay per use" - sort of a modified RADIUS system.
5. What about "self-promotion" - I produce a TAG'd file and stick it up somewhere. I then go to what-ever places I can and start d/l'ing the file. It costs me stuff-all (free if I can "borrow" other people's accounts, etc) but it drives up the amount I get paid. Of course, it will also drive my file up the "frequently downloaded" lists and may induce others to download it, snowballing things and leading to lots of juicy $$$ for me.
So that's just 5 things that we can easily find which will cause problems. If something relies too much on the "goodness in our hearts" then it's doomed. Most people may be cool, but there are greedy, opportunistic, lazy, I-want-it-all-for-free types who will always be there to rort the system.
Of course, a fully draconian solution could be implemented, but that would require hardware & software level controls, etc throughout the end-to-end system (from record to host to grab to play, etc). We've all seen what's happening with the whole "Copy Protection on Hard Disks" thing...
Thus we are left here with yet another payment system that doesn't quite cut it. Bummer. So, what can we do to balance the need of content vs staying alive/profit?
As someone who has a family to support and rather intensely rich desires (Ferrari, business class travel, geek-toys, etc etc etc) I am not about to take on the role of "unpaid producer of content" etc - the tragically-hip suffering artistic type is just tragic, not hip:)
So, here's the basic model for the content sites & similar things that I'm working on at present:
1. I've got a real job (plus some paying consultancy gigs on the side). This keeps my family alive, well and getting as many international holidays as we can (admittedly via economy class - not quite there yet:)
2. I'm consulting & advising friends/associates in their business ideas (both at conception and during their operation). I'm doing this on a (mostly) stock option basis (eg: swapping shares for cash). Many of these will go no-where, some will pay off. I'm careful to give my time mostly to the ones I think will pay off.
3. The content related sites I'm working on at present have the following in common:
A) Topical theme that's just starting to gain public awareness.
B) Good content producer(s) - who also have regular paying jobs:) Many of them are writing articles on behalf of their companies, etc.
C) Sponsors who are aware that they will likely not make any direct money out of this but will get their names "out there" in a beneficial manner (this public service supported by:)
D) Simple site designs and a dynamic database engine that's already been produced once so we're not reinventing the wheel. Looks good, loads fast, no crap "style over substance" crap.
E) All content is loaded dynamically - so long as the server is running, the tech crew are not required
F) Cheap (but good) hosting service - site is available, served quickly and (thanks to lots of clients) not too expensive to host.
G) Syndication of content around the planet with some $$$ coming in but mostly trading content.
As a result of all this, it's cheap to set up & runs on a shoe string, the sponsors don't have to shell out too much and the content producers are getting their names out in their industry (good advertising for them and/or their companies). Those of us on the core team are all shareholders (some more than others) and if the thing ever goes ballistic, we're happy. If it doesn't - who cares - it's paying for itself and we're getting a good reputation in our industries.
Just keep saying the magic mantra:
"If it worked for Slashdot - it can work for me!"
:)
PS Yes, I'm cheating by ensuring that everyone has a "real" income stream - I've gone out on the limb once and it's not my idea of fun. I'd rather take slightly longer to get it happening than do that again:)
Re:Likely To Happen With Such A Long Wait :)
on
Space Tourism
·
· Score: 1
>what chance does a desk-jockey like me have of keeping it where it belongs?
By not eating or eating very little before and during the flight.
Yeah, but I'd still manage to find something to insert into the environment - even if I'd starved myself for a week:)
Of course, I'd be loving it - if it's anything like aerobatics & roller-coasters, I'll be smiling even if I do hurl!:)
At a place I used to work at a while back, we had a phrase of "They're taking a holiday..." - this meant that they were being fired. Back in the early days of the company, a couple of people had experienced the situation where, upon return from a holiday, they find a letter under their door which reads "Don't bother coming back to work..."
"Paperwork in the guard shack is held in place by a stapler though no one has been inside the small building in years."
Hmmmm - they were right - very X-Files:)
Likely To Happen With Such A Long Wait :)
on
Space Tourism
·
· Score: 5
To get away with something like this, there are a large number of issues to address over & above the whole "We've never done this before" thing (don't forget, the Japanese have an excellent track record at taking what others have done and making it better). Lets see:
Just turn up, pay & fly:
Hmmm - no massive acceleration or there'd be coronaries galore ("Did you pack your bags? Have you had your shots? Are you fit for massive amounts of acceleration?":)
I don't even want to think about the whole space sickness thing - are they going to spin/keep thrusting/etc to keep everyone's stomachs down? If even the gung-ho "Right Stuff" guys puked, what chance does a desk-jockey like me have of keeping it where it belongs?
Shirt sleeve environment:
OK, lots of nifty technology issues to address to ensure that everyone gets a window with enough viewing space, etc (anyone remember the Comet aircraft - it had a nasty habit of braking up in flight due to stress cracks around the square windows in the fuselage)
$26,000 fare:
Hell - I'd pay it, no problems (so I mortgage my soul again - what the hell:) It's basically for those with senior positions, family money, lotteries or serious desire + the guts to save. It'll probably be closer to $100k by the time it gets there, but anyhow - the equivalent right now is good for evaluation...
Given the accelaration & environment issues, there's lots of work required on propulsion and materials issues. Fortunately there's lots of research happening here, provided funding remains.
Tourists in space will happen, it's just a matter of time. It didn't happen by the 90's as predicted in the 60's. It may not happen by 2016 as predicted now, but it will happen. Of course, it will require some very long-term planning people with the balls to fund an expensive programme with a very long term pay off (once it's cheap to get people & things into space, space can start to pay off).
There will be accidents, there will be deaths and some people may try to go legal. Like the early days of aviation, each safely completed trip and each pile of twisted remains (or cloud of atoms/molecules/bits) will teach us more. Eventually, we'll get it right. If it were available right now, I'd do it in a flash.
The concept is good. The hype is crap. Maybe these guys can pull it off - probably they can't. At least they're trying!
Well, Microsoft's attrition rate (9.6%) is about half the industry average (18.1%), so I think that speaks for itself.
I am quite interested to see how the attrition rates at Micro$oft and other companies hold up with their share prices dropping so much. A big reason many of the folks I know at Micro$oft stayed was the ol' "Golden Handcuffs" - every year they had so many more shares & options, etc.
Does anyone know where we can get access to attrition rate information for Micro$oft and other companies?
So nice to see that the Australian government is not the only one who rams home impossible laws regarding the Internet. So, which members of government used up some of their "IOU" voting favours on this one? Support it, get it through, work off that "favour" and rest assured that it will get shot down after the fact (or, as here in Australia, shoved into the dark 'cos no-one can make it work:)
In addition to all the other wisdom dumped into this thread I would let the kid have a good understanding/knowledge of the past few hundred years of learning. Ensure the kid knows where we've come from and what we've gone through to get here. Helps us to realise that we're standing on the shoulders of giants and to try to prevent us reinventing the mistakes of others:)
On the social skills - a person doesn't have to be charismatic or a jock but a good understanding of social interactions can *really* help:) - I would definitely recommend a bit of social interaction in around the science/tech. Perhaps include "Emotional Intelligence" on the reading list:)
What do you do when you are stuck in code and your focus leaves you?
Bail out - become a manager - it's worked for so many others - how can it be wrong?:)
But seriously:
In one place I worked at, we had a standing rule - if you were bogged down, it was better to just pack up and go home for the day. Get out, get some R&R and get back tomorrow to resolve the issue.
This came about mostly 'cos I had a couple of occasions where, after pounding at a problem until late at night, I'd give up and go home. I'd be half way home when I'd realise what I'd done wrong and, turning around, would race back to plow through the issue.
So, it was not uncommon to hear a defiant "SCREW THIS AND THE HORSE THAT CRAPPED IT!" from the development area followed shortly after by a resolute programmer storming out of the office. Usually within an hour the person would be back with a solution.
Based on my reading (IANAL, but a friend of mine is and he specialises in this type of thing:) - while it is a part of Malaysia and (sorta) under Malaysian laws, it's also its own separate environment, duty free and so on. It's one of the best places to set up in.
If you read in some detail, you may note that if you pay RM20,000 per year (about US$5,000) then you don't have to do anything more, no matter how much you might earn. Think about it:)
Anyhow, like I said, if you're wanting to set up a real off-shore operation, check out Labuan. It's a real place with real laws but enough extensions that you can operate "offshore" from practically everywhere. Sealand seems more suited for political content, risky kind of stuff - not businesses.
Check out Labuan - it's a duty-free, offshore banking haven with great Internet connections (Fibre, Satellite, etc). Many companies around the world are planning to set up their data havens/off shore tax-free e-commerce systems/etc here.
Not a place to store p0rn/warez/etc but if you want that, stick to loony land like Sealand. Labuan is for serious operations:)
I just returned from a visit to Argentina (I used to live there) and am now the owner of a laptop with a fried power supply. Fortunately, it's an old beast and I was doing backups while away...
For my travels, I took my trusty old laptop and used GRIC to connect (they have partner ISP's all over the world). I also used cybercafe's where applicable to do some tasks.
I wouldn't bother using a cellphone - the lack of world standard plus roaming access is a pain in the butt. I can use my Australian GSM phone in Asia and Europe (frequencies, protocols and roaming agreements) but I can't use in the North or South of America (even where GSM is offerred, it's often the wrong frequency or there's no roaming agreement). So much for globalisation:)
I found GRIC was fine, although I've not yet received the invoice for my "roaming" fees. I was presented with quite a list of various parts of the world, although only one ISP was in the club for Buenos Aires. Fortunately, they had a really good link to the rest of the world so the world wide wait wasn't *too* bad.
Most of the places I was at in Buenos Aires had RJ-11 sockets for phones, so I could just "jack in" as required. Here in Australia they often have a wierd three-prong plug setup - you can buy an RJ-11 to wierdo adaptor at any Office Works/Comms/Tech type-store.
Make sure your laptop power supply is auto-switching (don't plug a 110V system into 240V - it's beautiful, but short lived and only works once:)
I picked up power socket converters when I arrived (couldn't find my old stash) but I could have picked up a few before I left at the airport shops here in Melbourne (you should be able to do the same there).
So, all up - I was quite able to tour around, access the 'net, get email and check web pages (I've set up our project management system so it's on the web - means I can see how the company's going from anywhere in the world - what's a holiday?:)
The only problem was that Argentina's power supply is going through a bit of a crises (like the rest of the country). While I was in Buenos Aires, I witnessed a number of power surges and fluctuations around the place. In offices, they generally have a power conditioner hooked up and specially marked sockets to plug computers into. At my in-law's house, we turned on the lights in a room one day and the lot of them blew out. An older computer fried its power supply at a friend's house. My laptop's power supply is dead, probably thanks to a surge or something.
So, while you may have comm's, plugs and all that sorted out, don't trust the power supply. Even in some parts of Sydney I've seen UPS's singing like a canary. If you can get some sort of easily packed & carried line conditioner or mini-UPS, do it. Otherwise, carry a spare power pack for your laptop:)
Oh - I had no problems with my equipment going in & out of customs. The laptop is in an old, well worn no-name laptop case. They didn't even ask to see if it turned on or not. I guess they're used to business travellers (even those who wear baggy raver-pants and alien or Ferrari t-shirts to travel in:)
Full Subject: "How To Do It And Not Get It From Someone Who Did It And Got It!"
:)
1: The planning is everything, the plan is nothing Damn straight you should have that plan written out! It's for you - to hell with anyone else who reads it. If they read it and it helps, bargain. Just never forget, it's for you.
Also, once you've written it, be ready to throw the whole lot away and write it again if necessary. If I meet a leading-edge project or a start-up team which has a plan that hasn't been updated in a month, I start running.
No shit - it's the act of planning that's critical. You've looked around, you've researched, you've figured something out and you've written it down so that everyone involved understands & agrees. If you don't have that, you have no foundation.
Of course, tomorrow brings something entirely new (new tech, new prospects, change in owners, etc etc etc). Don't valiantly attempt to change reality to fit your now outdated plan. Modify those parts of the plan as necessary, get everyone to agree to the new ideas and get back into the work.
Trust me, it will make one hell of a difference. I'm doing a new company now and I thought I could get away without doing the plan. HAH! Big F**King mistake. Mind you, if I'd done the planning right in the start, I wouldn't have dumped 7 months into this turkey (note: I've met some great people, learned some wonderful things and I think we can still make it fly - maybe the stress & lack of $$$ will be worth it???:)
2: Worship Your Prospects/Customers If you treat your customers/prospects with extreme respect, act professionally (* see below for definition of "professionally":) and bend over backwards to help them, they'll stick with you through thick & thin. I've had so many experiences where, due to our relationships with customers/prospects, we kept things going even when the software product was collapsing in a heap during rollouts (never trust someone who says "All ODBC-2 systems are equal":)
3: Acting Professionally This does not mean always wearing a Brooks Brothers Shirt, Armani Suit and spewing forth sensless metaphors ("Let's just roll it all up into one big ball of wax, gentlemen":) - Save that for the marketing crew (* more on marketing below:)
To me, acting professionally means:
Keeping your word - say it, do it, stick to it.
Admitting your mistakes (especially for when you cannot keep your word about a deadline/deliverable:) - you fuck it up, you admit it, you determine a solution with those involved and you get on with life
Respecting others - treat your staff, prospects, clients, vendors, etc with respect. No bad mouthing, denigration, etc etc.
4: Marketing Good marketing walks a fine line between "truth" and "bullshit, arse licking insanity" - trust me, I've been doing marketing as well as tech stuff. You need to be able to tell the customer about what you have in such a way that it sounds like what they want without bullshitting (don't say it's a 2 tonne truck when it's actually a new form of moped:)
Get close to the customers and try to learn their language. Watch how they react and adjust as you go, etc. Perform "active listening" (where you say back to the person what you think they've said - not like a parrot though:)
Yes, that's right, it's called "People Skills" - you have to come out from behind the computer screen, dress presentably (for your client - suit if you have to, golf shirt, riped jeans - what ever they're expecting/comfortable with:) If you cannot get on well with those unpredictable, annoying, illogical and unforgiving bastards called humans, you had better get someone in fast who can:)
5: Good Advisors You don't know everything. Your team probably doesn't know everything. Find people who know what you want to know and learn from them. Pick the ones who are where you want to be. Don't pick the ones who aren't (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised:)
Remember - you get what you pay for. It may not always be in $$$ or stock, but you should pay for it in some way (hell, the number of people I've taken out for a few drinks/dinner/lunch to try to learn from them... )
6: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best It's not pessimistic - it's realisitc. Have contingencies in place and be ready. Don't get bogged down in the thinking/worrying but at least review what could go wrong and be ready. This doesn't mean you should stress/plan/prepare for/etc a meteor hitting the earth - it may wipe out your company but it'll probably wipe out a lot of other stuff too:) You should have identified, however, a key player and planned what to do if they leave, go under a bus, etc.
7: Cashflow is King You may look good on paper. It may only be another week until that client's work is done and they give you the final installment of the $2 million job. Unfortunately, your staff are ready to quit 'cos they've not been paid lately, you're getting legal notices from suppliers and the vultures are circling...
Don't splurge on style over substance! That mahogany desk you love will look great in one of those "ex dot.com startup" auction places.
How long 'till the next payment? Right, add a big fat margin for error (installation delayed, signatory canoing in the amazon, lost in the mail, etc etc etc). Got enough cash to survive 'til then? You'd better... (see point #6:)
8: Everything Else Already Said In This Thread I cannot agree more with people who have said all those things already about:
Good Staff
Tread Carefully With Friends
Document Everything
Regular summaries of what's going on to everyone with a vested interest
Delegate
Focus on Goals - do not micromanage
I've worked in "startup" type companies in three countries now. It's the same in each one (well, OK, so the languages are often different, the laws are definitely different and sometimes it's easier/harder to get funding, but anyhow...:)
In a nutshell (and what else is Slashdot but a giant nutshell?:) - get out there, give it your best shot and if you're *really* lucky, you'll succeed. If you don't, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and review all that went wrong (be honest - what went wrong could be you - maybe you're not mentally geared for this sort of shit) If you think you can learn and do it better, get back out there and go. At least you're trying, not just sitting back and bitching/moaning/talking about it...
High school in New Zealand around 1980 - a whole 13 years old and I meet my first computer in maths class. We had a lab which featured a couple of PET's hooked up to a shared disk drive (or something like this). I had been typing for a few years on an old type-writer so I got selected to enter the commands (LOAD xxx,8 - or something:)
When I asked what the commands meant, I heard the most important words of my life for the first time. The words that would shape my future:
"Read the F Manual"
:)
After this, we wound up in Australia where I picked up a VIC-20, then on to an Apple II clone (with Z80 chip - hello CP/M:) then on to an Apple LISA (anyone remember *them*?:) and an IBM-PC.
All down hill from there, I'm afraid...
Damn but I love those memories. Back when 5k of RAM in a VIC-20 was cool (before you turned it on - 1.5k after start-up thanks to BASIC & the screen display:) Shit - my toaster has more RAM than a VIC-20:)
Lets face it, there are lots of management types out there who don't read/understand/etc places like/. and so on. They fear OSS because of all these myths. Now someone "respected" by many has posted a report saying that OSS should be reassessed, etc.
Hell, irrespective of whether Gartner are paid mouthpieces for big-name companies or not, this kind of report can only help. All that was said is dead-obvious to us, but it's not to people who haven't been a part of the scene. This gives OSS a bit more of a legit status.
The thing to now be aware of is that this kind of report may very well lead to lots more "newbies" coming into the OSS world, from both the IT user/support side and the development side ("Carl, go check out OSS and see how it can help us sell more of product X":)
It is now the responsibility of those who have said "Isn't this report kinda old-news & obvious" to ensure that the newbies don't go down the wrong path. Ensure that they are guided to reputable companies & examples. Help them avoid the pitfalls of the OSS world.
Gartner are opening the gates. It's up to the rest of us to ensure that OSS doesn't get a bad name as the "clueless hoards" crash the party and start milling aimlessly about.
We've been doing a spot of research into good connections for an "out back/bush" project we're working on. Here in Australia, the ISP service provided by BigPond (the ones we all love to hate:) have a satellite downlink with an ISP return feed.
Bigpond supplies a relatively good/cheap "rural" service that works all around the country (if you can get the phone lines to where you are). Given the quality & distance of country lines, you're lucky to get 28.8 or 33.6 - many consider 14.4 wonderful:)
Thus, satellite could be pretty good for bringing down standard surfing, news feeds, etc. I too am concerned about emails being broadcast to anyone looking at the satellite (just what encryption do they use again?:) Additionally, the lag due to Earth->GEO->Earth routing makes it pretty much a consumption operation. As has been noted, gaming would suck:)
Other issues are, as noted, getting the things working on Linux. Not many drivers/etc for these systems, unfortunately.
If you're in the middle of nowhere and 14.4 in both directions is killing you then yes, satellite is a good idea. If you're in an urban or regional center area, get ISDN/DSL/Cable and get a real connection.
Personally, I'm hanging for good, competitive LEO systems like Teledesic and/or Iridium. Mmmmmm - solar powered laptop, satellite 128kbps link, total planetary coverage - "People who don't need people are the happiest people!":)
To register sld.com, sld must be a form of your company name or a trademarked product name.
This is how the.AU domain space is controlled. You can't get a.com.au unless you have a company with that name (or a derivative of it:). You can't get a.org.au unless you're a non-profit organisation.
Quite handy for limiting cybersquatting, etc (note: it doesn't get rid of it, not by a long shot:) However, it does present problems. The people arranging the New Bruce Sports Stadium in Canberra (capital of Australia) had to get newbruce.com because they didn't have a company name like "New Bruce", etc.
As with anything, it has its good points and its bad points. Check out the.au Domain Administration pages for information about the group that's hoping to take over control of the AU domain.
OK gang, so we're talking boycots and we're talking about how MPAA et al are bastards. Great - even if all of us just boycot, I'm sure we're not going to impact that much (unless we buy lots of DVD's on a daily basis:)
So, why not take the time & effort to email/contact them? Tell them that you're boycotting, that you're telling your friends and that you're supporting the DeCSS/LiViD folks.
Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a statement that could be wrong: I'd say most of us on/. are fairly typical in one respect. We'll bitch, we'll moan, we'll talk it up - but when it comes to the crunch, we never quite get around to doing something about it.
Don't you just hate that? This is why governments/corporations take notice if 1% of a target demographic respond. For every person who does do something, there are at least 10 who want to but don't get around to it. Thus that 1% represents about 10% and that's enough to count as a vocal majority.
This is also why highly organised groups/cults/sects/religious organisations/etc get the ear of politics/corporates. They manage to influence/order a lot of their consituents to do something, thus inflating the numbers and throwing out the "Total Number x 10 = % population who are annoyed/concerned":)
Anyhow, to help you folks tell these people what you think, here's some handy info:
MPAA Their web site has no "contact us" that I could find. How convenient, no?:)
If you want to get physical, try their snail mail address:
15503 Ventura Blvd. Encino, California 91436 USA
Or phone on: (818) 995-6600
Otherwise, email to WareNet (the guys who made their site) and ask why no online "Contact Us" was supplied.
Sony Go to http://www.world.sony.com/Feedback/in dex.html, select the part of the world you're in and tell them you're so annoyed, you're not going to buy any more PlayStation stuff and you've kicked your AIBO out in the snow:)
Paramount Send an email to info@pde.paramount.com and ask for information about their logic behind this as you're sure it's not what's being said in public:)
Fox Send an email to askfox@foxinc.com and ask them why they're doing this. You might also want to mention the fact that their Simpson's splash page is seriously lame:)
Warner No "contact us" in an obvious location, so I gave up - there must be one somewhere here but it's very well hidden:)
Now, much in all as I'd love to say "Wild, uncontrolled bursts - we do more damage that way" - the reality is that a reasoned, controlled message stating that you disagree with their actions and have commenced boycotting their products will have much more impact than a flame or mail bombing.
Do it right and we get respect. Do it in classic "Script Kiddy, 31337 Wanker Fuckwit Mode" and we're doomed:)
So, why do we get disoriented all the time playing VR games, Quake, etc?
Well, basically, your eyes & ears are telling you one thing ("Woo - I'm running & weaving down a corridor") and your inner-ear is saying another ("Dude, you're sitting on yer ass!"). As a result, your brain hearkens back to the 'good ol days' back in the savannas/trees when, if your eyes & ears didn't agree with your inner ear, it probably meant you'd eaten something nasty that you'd better get out of your system fast. Thus - PUKE-O-RAMA!:)
I was speaking to a NASA guy *way* back in 93/94 in Boston who was delivering a speach to a VR group. He noted that being weightless meant that your eyes & ears told you one thing, but your inner-ear said another. "Brain to stomach - hello - evacuate!":)
When the shuttle went up with mission specialists, many were seriously affected by motion sickness. Every minute that someone is in space costs a fortune, so it was not a good look to have them working at less than peak efficiency. So, NASA wound up using lots of nifty toys to simulate the disorientation on the ground so space-cadets could build up resistance to the nausea, etc. These included slowly rotatating a person who was strapped down sideways with their inner-ear at the center of the rotation. They'd then project images of the inside of the shuttle on the walls as the person rotated, thus inflicting the disorientation that can occur in space.
Now, of course, they can also use a VFX-1 and Descent to produce a very similar result at much less cost (and probably more fun for the space-cadet:)
Another way of getting a resistance to the disorientation is to have someone drive you around in a car. You sit in the back, facing backwards. Then, get a mirror and position it so you're looking forwards in the direction of travel. Focus on the mirror. Grab your barf-bag and tell the driver to start the car moving. Won't take long:)
So, the upshot is that yes, you get VR disorientation and this thing could be a cool aid to prevent puke-a-thon's during Quake/Descent/Aerobatics+VFX-1/etc. The problem to me appears to be that if you spend sufficient time wired in VR gear + this gismo, you stand a very real chance of reprogramming your reactions, etc.
Who's played DOOM/QUAKE/etc for hours on end and then tried to walk/drive home? Oh yes, great fun:)
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to buy one and try it out *grin*
Only communist countries will try to silence Internet users!
And totalitarian states (like Singapore sometimes appears to be)
And clueless, brain dead, wanna-be totalitarian governments (like the ones we have here in Australia).
Oh, and a stack of religions/cults:)
Hmmmm..... Face it, anyone who has a vested interest in protecting their power situation will do almost anything to protect it. Slowly removing the ability to bitch/moan/coerce/educate freely is one of the best ways of doing it.
Hell, if I were evil overlord with slaves, harem and so on, I'd be doing all I could to protect my situation. I've read The Rules:)
Slashdot Mirror
Being rather blunt, this has stuff-all chance of being implemented. Lets look at why not:
:)
:)
:)
:)
:) Many of them are writing articles on behalf of their companies, etc.
:)
:)
1. Unless it's 100% "fire & forget" then the ISP's will bitch & moan about setting it up (you should have heard the complaints about the absurd legislation the Australian government tried to enact enforcing site filtering at the ISP level
2. Unless it's 100% easy and centralised with automation, it benefits the big boys and not the "basement recorders."
3. Packaging the files together into a compressed archive will avoid the TAG searches (unless the ISP looks into the archives as it goes past - whups, there goes my gigbit router slowing back down to 10mbps - say, what's this privacy thing too?
4. Why should I pay for some lame-o who just slurps TAG'd files? It would require some form of "pay per use" - sort of a modified RADIUS system.
5. What about "self-promotion" - I produce a TAG'd file and stick it up somewhere. I then go to what-ever places I can and start d/l'ing the file. It costs me stuff-all (free if I can "borrow" other people's accounts, etc) but it drives up the amount I get paid. Of course, it will also drive my file up the "frequently downloaded" lists and may induce others to download it, snowballing things and leading to lots of juicy $$$ for me.
So that's just 5 things that we can easily find which will cause problems. If something relies too much on the "goodness in our hearts" then it's doomed. Most people may be cool, but there are greedy, opportunistic, lazy, I-want-it-all-for-free types who will always be there to rort the system.
Of course, a fully draconian solution could be implemented, but that would require hardware & software level controls, etc throughout the end-to-end system (from record to host to grab to play, etc). We've all seen what's happening with the whole "Copy Protection on Hard Disks" thing...
Thus we are left here with yet another payment system that doesn't quite cut it. Bummer. So, what can we do to balance the need of content vs staying alive/profit?
As someone who has a family to support and rather intensely rich desires (Ferrari, business class travel, geek-toys, etc etc etc) I am not about to take on the role of "unpaid producer of content" etc - the tragically-hip suffering artistic type is just tragic, not hip
So, here's the basic model for the content sites & similar things that I'm working on at present:
1. I've got a real job (plus some paying consultancy gigs on the side). This keeps my family alive, well and getting as many international holidays as we can (admittedly via economy class - not quite there yet
2. I'm consulting & advising friends/associates in their business ideas (both at conception and during their operation). I'm doing this on a (mostly) stock option basis (eg: swapping shares for cash). Many of these will go no-where, some will pay off. I'm careful to give my time mostly to the ones I think will pay off.
3. The content related sites I'm working on at present have the following in common:
A) Topical theme that's just starting to gain public awareness.
B) Good content producer(s) - who also have regular paying jobs
C) Sponsors who are aware that they will likely not make any direct money out of this but will get their names "out there" in a beneficial manner (this public service supported by
D) Simple site designs and a dynamic database engine that's already been produced once so we're not reinventing the wheel. Looks good, loads fast, no crap "style over substance" crap.
E) All content is loaded dynamically - so long as the server is running, the tech crew are not required
F) Cheap (but good) hosting service - site is available, served quickly and (thanks to lots of clients) not too expensive to host.
G) Syndication of content around the planet with some $$$ coming in but mostly trading content.
As a result of all this, it's cheap to set up & runs on a shoe string, the sponsors don't have to shell out too much and the content producers are getting their names out in their industry (good advertising for them and/or their companies). Those of us on the core team are all shareholders (some more than others) and if the thing ever goes ballistic, we're happy. If it doesn't - who cares - it's paying for itself and we're getting a good reputation in our industries.
Just keep saying the magic mantra:
"If it worked for Slashdot - it can work for me!"
:)
PS Yes, I'm cheating by ensuring that everyone has a "real" income stream - I've gone out on the limb once and it's not my idea of fun. I'd rather take slightly longer to get it happening than do that again
>what chance does a desk-jockey like me have of keeping it where it belongs?
By not eating or eating very little before and during the flight.
Yeah, but I'd still manage to find something to insert into the environment - even if I'd starved myself for a week
Of course, I'd be loving it - if it's anything like aerobatics & roller-coasters, I'll be smiling even if I do hurl!
At a place I used to work at a while back, we had a phrase of "They're taking a holiday..." - this meant that they were being fired. Back in the early days of the company, a couple of people had experienced the situation where, upon return from a holiday, they find a letter under their door which reads "Don't bother coming back to work..."
No shit - hell of a way to come home...
Maybe it's being used over at that ex-NSA site mentioned previously. The actual article itself mentioned:
:)
"Paperwork in the guard shack is held in place by a stapler though no one has been inside the small building in years."
Hmmmm - they were right - very X-Files
To get away with something like this, there are a large number of issues to address over & above the whole "We've never done this before" thing (don't forget, the Japanese have an excellent track record at taking what others have done and making it better). Lets see:
:)
:) It's basically for those with senior positions, family money, lotteries or serious desire + the guts to save. It'll probably be closer to $100k by the time it gets there, but anyhow - the equivalent right now is good for evaluation...
Just turn up, pay & fly:
Hmmm - no massive acceleration or there'd be coronaries galore ("Did you pack your bags? Have you had your shots? Are you fit for massive amounts of acceleration?"
I don't even want to think about the whole space sickness thing - are they going to spin/keep thrusting/etc to keep everyone's stomachs down? If even the gung-ho "Right Stuff" guys puked, what chance does a desk-jockey like me have of keeping it where it belongs?
Shirt sleeve environment:
OK, lots of nifty technology issues to address to ensure that everyone gets a window with enough viewing space, etc (anyone remember the Comet aircraft - it had a nasty habit of braking up in flight due to stress cracks around the square windows in the fuselage)
$26,000 fare:
Hell - I'd pay it, no problems (so I mortgage my soul again - what the hell
Given the accelaration & environment issues, there's lots of work required on propulsion and materials issues. Fortunately there's lots of research happening here, provided funding remains.
Tourists in space will happen, it's just a matter of time. It didn't happen by the 90's as predicted in the 60's. It may not happen by 2016 as predicted now, but it will happen. Of course, it will require some very long-term planning people with the balls to fund an expensive programme with a very long term pay off (once it's cheap to get people & things into space, space can start to pay off).
There will be accidents, there will be deaths and some people may try to go legal. Like the early days of aviation, each safely completed trip and each pile of twisted remains (or cloud of atoms/molecules/bits) will teach us more. Eventually, we'll get it right. If it were available right now, I'd do it in a flash.
The concept is good. The hype is crap. Maybe these guys can pull it off - probably they can't. At least they're trying!
Analyst research from investment banks usually has that information.
:)
Cool - thanks. I kinda feel embarrased about asking, actually - I should have just hit Google and asked there
Well, Microsoft's attrition rate (9.6%) is about half the industry average (18.1%), so I think that speaks for itself.
I am quite interested to see how the attrition rates at Micro$oft and other companies hold up with their share prices dropping so much. A big reason many of the folks I know at Micro$oft stayed was the ol' "Golden Handcuffs" - every year they had so many more shares & options, etc.
Does anyone know where we can get access to attrition rate information for Micro$oft and other companies?
So nice to see that the Australian government is not the only one who rams home impossible laws regarding the Internet. So, which members of government used up some of their "IOU" voting favours on this one? Support it, get it through, work off that "favour" and rest assured that it will get shot down after the fact (or, as here in Australia, shoved into the dark 'cos no-one can make it work :)
In addition to all the other wisdom dumped into this thread I would let the kid have a good understanding/knowledge of the past few hundred years of learning. Ensure the kid knows where we've come from and what we've gone through to get here. Helps us to realise that we're standing on the shoulders of giants and to try to prevent us reinventing the mistakes of others :)
:) - I would definitely recommend a bit of social interaction in around the science/tech. Perhaps include "Emotional Intelligence" on the reading list :)
On the social skills - a person doesn't have to be charismatic or a jock but a good understanding of social interactions can *really* help
What do you do when you are stuck in code and your focus leaves you?
:)
Bail out - become a manager - it's worked for so many others - how can it be wrong?
But seriously:
In one place I worked at, we had a standing rule - if you were bogged down, it was better to just pack up and go home for the day. Get out, get some R&R and get back tomorrow to resolve the issue.
This came about mostly 'cos I had a couple of occasions where, after pounding at a problem until late at night, I'd give up and go home. I'd be half way home when I'd realise what I'd done wrong and, turning around, would race back to plow through the issue.
So, it was not uncommon to hear a defiant "SCREW THIS AND THE HORSE THAT CRAPPED IT!" from the development area followed shortly after by a resolute programmer storming out of the office. Usually within an hour the person would be back with a solution.
Worked almost every time...
Based on my reading (IANAL, but a friend of mine is and he specialises in this type of thing :) - while it is a part of Malaysia and (sorta) under Malaysian laws, it's also its own separate environment, duty free and so on. It's one of the best places to set up in.
:)
If you read in some detail, you may note that if you pay RM20,000 per year (about US$5,000) then you don't have to do anything more, no matter how much you might earn. Think about it
Anyhow, like I said, if you're wanting to set up a real off-shore operation, check out Labuan. It's a real place with real laws but enough extensions that you can operate "offshore" from practically everywhere. Sealand seems more suited for political content, risky kind of stuff - not businesses.
Check out Labuan - it's a duty-free, offshore banking haven with great Internet connections (Fibre, Satellite, etc). Many companies around the world are planning to set up their data havens/off shore tax-free e-commerce systems/etc here.
:)
Not a place to store p0rn/warez/etc but if you want that, stick to loony land like Sealand. Labuan is for serious operations
I just returned from a visit to Argentina (I used to live there) and am now the owner of a laptop with a fried power supply. Fortunately, it's an old beast and I was doing backups while away...
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
For my travels, I took my trusty old laptop and used GRIC to connect (they have partner ISP's all over the world). I also used cybercafe's where applicable to do some tasks.
I wouldn't bother using a cellphone - the lack of world standard plus roaming access is a pain in the butt. I can use my Australian GSM phone in Asia and Europe (frequencies, protocols and roaming agreements) but I can't use in the North or South of America (even where GSM is offerred, it's often the wrong frequency or there's no roaming agreement). So much for globalisation
I found GRIC was fine, although I've not yet received the invoice for my "roaming" fees. I was presented with quite a list of various parts of the world, although only one ISP was in the club for Buenos Aires. Fortunately, they had a really good link to the rest of the world so the world wide wait wasn't *too* bad.
Most of the places I was at in Buenos Aires had RJ-11 sockets for phones, so I could just "jack in" as required. Here in Australia they often have a wierd three-prong plug setup - you can buy an RJ-11 to wierdo adaptor at any Office Works/Comms/Tech type-store.
Make sure your laptop power supply is auto-switching (don't plug a 110V system into 240V - it's beautiful, but short lived and only works once
I picked up power socket converters when I arrived (couldn't find my old stash) but I could have picked up a few before I left at the airport shops here in Melbourne (you should be able to do the same there).
So, all up - I was quite able to tour around, access the 'net, get email and check web pages (I've set up our project management system so it's on the web - means I can see how the company's going from anywhere in the world - what's a holiday?
The only problem was that Argentina's power supply is going through a bit of a crises (like the rest of the country). While I was in Buenos Aires, I witnessed a number of power surges and fluctuations around the place. In offices, they generally have a power conditioner hooked up and specially marked sockets to plug computers into. At my in-law's house, we turned on the lights in a room one day and the lot of them blew out. An older computer fried its power supply at a friend's house. My laptop's power supply is dead, probably thanks to a surge or something.
So, while you may have comm's, plugs and all that sorted out, don't trust the power supply. Even in some parts of Sydney I've seen UPS's singing like a canary. If you can get some sort of easily packed & carried line conditioner or mini-UPS, do it. Otherwise, carry a spare power pack for your laptop
Oh - I had no problems with my equipment going in & out of customs. The laptop is in an old, well worn no-name laptop case. They didn't even ask to see if it turned on or not. I guess they're used to business travellers (even those who wear baggy raver-pants and alien or Ferrari t-shirts to travel in
Best comments heard during the Quake wedding:
"With this rocket launcher, I thee [splat]"
"These Roman Catholic ceremonies are just wwwaayyy to boring - good thing I happen to be carrying my trust BFG..."
"Make it stop... Make it stop..."
"By the power vested in me through the state of Quad Damage..."
"You may now frag the bride"
"Allright, who spiked the punchbowl?"
"Are you sure that's the bride? It could be anyone under that skin!"
"Until death do us part? Can we change that bit..."
"How To Do It And Not Get It From Someone Who Did It And Got It!"
:)
1: The planning is everything, the plan is nothing
Damn straight you should have that plan written out! It's for you - to hell with anyone else who reads it. If they read it and it helps, bargain. Just never forget, it's for you.
Also, once you've written it, be ready to throw the whole lot away and write it again if necessary. If I meet a leading-edge project or a start-up team which has a plan that hasn't been updated in a month, I start running.
No shit - it's the act of planning that's critical. You've looked around, you've researched, you've figured something out and you've written it down so that everyone involved understands & agrees. If you don't have that, you have no foundation.
Of course, tomorrow brings something entirely new (new tech, new prospects, change in owners, etc etc etc). Don't valiantly attempt to change reality to fit your now outdated plan. Modify those parts of the plan as necessary, get everyone to agree to the new ideas and get back into the work.
Trust me, it will make one hell of a difference. I'm doing a new company now and I thought I could get away without doing the plan. HAH! Big F**King mistake. Mind you, if I'd done the planning right in the start, I wouldn't have dumped 7 months into this turkey (note: I've met some great people, learned some wonderful things and I think we can still make it fly - maybe the stress & lack of $$$ will be worth it???
2: Worship Your Prospects/Customers
If you treat your customers/prospects with extreme respect, act professionally (* see below for definition of "professionally"
3: Acting Professionally
This does not mean always wearing a Brooks Brothers Shirt, Armani Suit and spewing forth sensless metaphors ("Let's just roll it all up into one big ball of wax, gentlemen"
To me, acting professionally means:
4: Marketing
Good marketing walks a fine line between "truth" and "bullshit, arse licking insanity" - trust me, I've been doing marketing as well as tech stuff. You need to be able to tell the customer about what you have in such a way that it sounds like what they want without bullshitting (don't say it's a 2 tonne truck when it's actually a new form of moped
Get close to the customers and try to learn their language. Watch how they react and adjust as you go, etc. Perform "active listening" (where you say back to the person what you think they've said - not like a parrot though
Yes, that's right, it's called "People Skills" - you have to come out from behind the computer screen, dress presentably (for your client - suit if you have to, golf shirt, riped jeans - what ever they're expecting/comfortable with
5: Good Advisors
You don't know everything. Your team probably doesn't know everything. Find people who know what you want to know and learn from them. Pick the ones who are where you want to be. Don't pick the ones who aren't (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised
Remember - you get what you pay for. It may not always be in $$$ or stock, but you should pay for it in some way (hell, the number of people I've taken out for a few drinks/dinner/lunch to try to learn from them... )
6: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best
It's not pessimistic - it's realisitc. Have contingencies in place and be ready. Don't get bogged down in the thinking/worrying but at least review what could go wrong and be ready. This doesn't mean you should stress/plan/prepare for/etc a meteor hitting the earth - it may wipe out your company but it'll probably wipe out a lot of other stuff too
7: Cashflow is King
You may look good on paper. It may only be another week until that client's work is done and they give you the final installment of the $2 million job. Unfortunately, your staff are ready to quit 'cos they've not been paid lately, you're getting legal notices from suppliers and the vultures are circling...
Don't splurge on style over substance! That mahogany desk you love will look great in one of those "ex dot.com startup" auction places.
How long 'till the next payment? Right, add a big fat margin for error (installation delayed, signatory canoing in the amazon, lost in the mail, etc etc etc). Got enough cash to survive 'til then? You'd better... (see point #6
8: Everything Else Already Said In This Thread
I cannot agree more with people who have said all those things already about:
I've worked in "startup" type companies in three countries now. It's the same in each one (well, OK, so the languages are often different, the laws are definitely different and sometimes it's easier/harder to get funding, but anyhow...
In a nutshell (and what else is Slashdot but a giant nutshell?
Well, I did go an submit a letter to all these fine people (MPAA, studios, etc) using their email addresses or "submit" forms.
:)
Of course, I used my HotMail account as it's a convenient "public" bag.
Surprise surprise, I checked my email today and the SPAM level has gone about by - ooooo - at least 80-100%
What a vicious form of revenge they have, no?
Wow - memories!
:)
:) then on to an Apple LISA (anyone remember *them*? :) and an IBM-PC.
:) Shit - my toaster has more RAM than a VIC-20 :)
High school in New Zealand around 1980 - a whole 13 years old and I meet my first computer in maths class. We had a lab which featured a couple of PET's hooked up to a shared disk drive (or something like this). I had been typing for a few years on an old type-writer so I got selected to enter the commands (LOAD xxx,8 - or something
When I asked what the commands meant, I heard the most important words of my life for the first time. The words that would shape my future:
"Read the F Manual"
:)
After this, we wound up in Australia where I picked up a VIC-20, then on to an Apple II clone (with Z80 chip - hello CP/M
All down hill from there, I'm afraid...
Damn but I love those memories. Back when 5k of RAM in a VIC-20 was cool (before you turned it on - 1.5k after start-up thanks to BASIC & the screen display
Floating point was still problematic back then.
:)
Nothing much has changed, has it:
Intel's Pentium fault.
Microsoft's floating point functions (evidenced by the desktop calculator)
etc
What was that someone said a little earlier in this story about "not learning from history" ??
Lets face it, there are lots of management types out there who don't read/understand/etc places like /. and so on. They fear OSS because of all these myths. Now someone "respected" by many has posted a report saying that OSS should be reassessed, etc.
:)
Hell, irrespective of whether Gartner are paid mouthpieces for big-name companies or not, this kind of report can only help. All that was said is dead-obvious to us, but it's not to people who haven't been a part of the scene. This gives OSS a bit more of a legit status.
The thing to now be aware of is that this kind of report may very well lead to lots more "newbies" coming into the OSS world, from both the IT user/support side and the development side ("Carl, go check out OSS and see how it can help us sell more of product X"
It is now the responsibility of those who have said "Isn't this report kinda old-news & obvious" to ensure that the newbies don't go down the wrong path. Ensure that they are guided to reputable companies & examples. Help them avoid the pitfalls of the OSS world.
Gartner are opening the gates. It's up to the rest of us to ensure that OSS doesn't get a bad name as the "clueless hoards" crash the party and start milling aimlessly about.
demonstrates the benefits of playing Quake on the Office LAN?
You forgot the all important ones, such as:
"Stress tests workstation hardware"
"Verification of LAN's ability to deal with high network loading"
and the best one:
"Quickly locate workers with outdated equipment."
:)
We've been doing a spot of research into good connections for an "out back/bush" project we're working on. Here in Australia, the ISP service provided by BigPond (the ones we all love to hate :) have a satellite downlink with an ISP return feed.
:)
:) Additionally, the lag due to Earth->GEO->Earth routing makes it pretty much a consumption operation. As has been noted, gaming would suck :)
:)
Bigpond supplies a relatively good/cheap "rural" service that works all around the country (if you can get the phone lines to where you are). Given the quality & distance of country lines, you're lucky to get 28.8 or 33.6 - many consider 14.4 wonderful
Thus, satellite could be pretty good for bringing down standard surfing, news feeds, etc. I too am concerned about emails being broadcast to anyone looking at the satellite (just what encryption do they use again?
Other issues are, as noted, getting the things working on Linux. Not many drivers/etc for these systems, unfortunately.
If you're in the middle of nowhere and 14.4 in both directions is killing you then yes, satellite is a good idea. If you're in an urban or regional center area, get ISDN/DSL/Cable and get a real connection.
Personally, I'm hanging for good, competitive LEO systems like Teledesic and/or Iridium. Mmmmmm - solar powered laptop, satellite 128kbps link, total planetary coverage - "People who don't need people are the happiest people!"
To register sld.com, sld must be a form of your company name or a trademarked product name.
.AU domain space is controlled. You can't get a .com.au unless you have a company with that name (or a derivative of it :). You can't get a .org.au unless you're a non-profit organisation.
:) However, it does present problems. The people arranging the New Bruce Sports Stadium in Canberra (capital of Australia) had to get newbruce.com because they didn't have a company name like "New Bruce", etc.
.au Domain Administration pages for information about the group that's hoping to take over control of the AU domain.
This is how the
Quite handy for limiting cybersquatting, etc (note: it doesn't get rid of it, not by a long shot
As with anything, it has its good points and its bad points. Check out the
OK gang, so we're talking boycots and we're talking about how MPAA et al are bastards. Great - even if all of us just boycot, I'm sure we're not going to impact that much (unless we buy lots of DVD's on a daily basis :)
/. are fairly typical in one respect. We'll bitch, we'll moan, we'll talk it up - but when it comes to the crunch, we never quite get around to doing something about it.
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
So, why not take the time & effort to email/contact them? Tell them that you're boycotting, that you're telling your friends and that you're supporting the DeCSS/LiViD folks.
Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a statement that could be wrong: I'd say most of us on
Don't you just hate that? This is why governments/corporations take notice if 1% of a target demographic respond. For every person who does do something, there are at least 10 who want to but don't get around to it. Thus that 1% represents about 10% and that's enough to count as a vocal majority.
This is also why highly organised groups/cults/sects/religious organisations/etc get the ear of politics/corporates. They manage to influence/order a lot of their consituents to do something, thus inflating the numbers and throwing out the "Total Number x 10 = % population who are annoyed/concerned"
Anyhow, to help you folks tell these people what you think, here's some handy info:
MPAA
Their web site has no "contact us" that I could find. How convenient, no?
If you want to get physical, try their snail mail address:
15503 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, California 91436
USA
Or phone on: (818) 995-6600
Otherwise, email to WareNet (the guys who made their site) and ask why no online "Contact Us" was supplied.
Disney
The investor relations feedback form at http://disney.go.com/mail/investorinfo/ would be a good place to hassle them.
Sony
Go to http://www.world.sony.com/Feedback/in dex.html, select the part of the world you're in and tell them you're so annoyed, you're not going to buy any more PlayStation stuff and you've kicked your AIBO out in the snow
MGM
Fill in the form at http://www.mgm.com/corporate/email/in dex.html and let them know.
Paramount
Send an email to info@pde.paramount.com and ask for information about their logic behind this as you're sure it's not what's being said in public
Fox
Send an email to askfox@foxinc.com and ask them why they're doing this. You might also want to mention the fact that their Simpson's splash page is seriously lame
Universal
Go to http://www.mca.com/fp/contact_form.html and fill in the form.
Warner
No "contact us" in an obvious location, so I gave up - there must be one somewhere here but it's very well hidden
Now, much in all as I'd love to say "Wild, uncontrolled bursts - we do more damage that way" - the reality is that a reasoned, controlled message stating that you disagree with their actions and have commenced boycotting their products will have much more impact than a flame or mail bombing.
Do it right and we get respect. Do it in classic "Script Kiddy, 31337 Wanker Fuckwit Mode" and we're doomed
So, why do we get disoriented all the time playing VR games, Quake, etc?
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
Well, basically, your eyes & ears are telling you one thing ("Woo - I'm running & weaving down a corridor") and your inner-ear is saying another ("Dude, you're sitting on yer ass!"). As a result, your brain hearkens back to the 'good ol days' back in the savannas/trees when, if your eyes & ears didn't agree with your inner ear, it probably meant you'd eaten something nasty that you'd better get out of your system fast. Thus - PUKE-O-RAMA!
I was speaking to a NASA guy *way* back in 93/94 in Boston who was delivering a speach to a VR group. He noted that being weightless meant that your eyes & ears told you one thing, but your inner-ear said another. "Brain to stomach - hello - evacuate!"
When the shuttle went up with mission specialists, many were seriously affected by motion sickness. Every minute that someone is in space costs a fortune, so it was not a good look to have them working at less than peak efficiency. So, NASA wound up using lots of nifty toys to simulate the disorientation on the ground so space-cadets could build up resistance to the nausea, etc. These included slowly rotatating a person who was strapped down sideways with their inner-ear at the center of the rotation. They'd then project images of the inside of the shuttle on the walls as the person rotated, thus inflicting the disorientation that can occur in space.
Now, of course, they can also use a VFX-1 and Descent to produce a very similar result at much less cost (and probably more fun for the space-cadet
Another way of getting a resistance to the disorientation is to have someone drive you around in a car. You sit in the back, facing backwards. Then, get a mirror and position it so you're looking forwards in the direction of travel. Focus on the mirror. Grab your barf-bag and tell the driver to start the car moving. Won't take long
So, the upshot is that yes, you get VR disorientation and this thing could be a cool aid to prevent puke-a-thon's during Quake/Descent/Aerobatics+VFX-1/etc. The problem to me appears to be that if you spend sufficient time wired in VR gear + this gismo, you stand a very real chance of reprogramming your reactions, etc.
Who's played DOOM/QUAKE/etc for hours on end and then tried to walk/drive home? Oh yes, great fun
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to buy one and try it out *grin*
Only communist countries will try to silence Internet users!
:)
:)
And totalitarian states (like Singapore sometimes appears to be)
And clueless, brain dead, wanna-be totalitarian governments (like the ones we have here in Australia).
Oh, and a stack of religions/cults
Hmmmm..... Face it, anyone who has a vested interest in protecting their power situation will do almost anything to protect it. Slowly removing the ability to bitch/moan/coerce/educate freely is one of the best ways of doing it.
Hell, if I were evil overlord with slaves, harem and so on, I'd be doing all I could to protect my situation. I've read The Rules