[[Context: I was born in 1962. (Yes, people really are that old.)]]
[Context: I was born in 1959. ~;-)]
Context: I was born in 1958 - I win! I guess...
I had one of those tracks that clipped on to the end of a table, too. I don't know how many hours we spent figuring out new and ultimately destructive (to the cars) ways to use it. We had a virtually endless supply of cars 'cause Shell gave away one free with each fill-up. Crash cars, stunt cars (a little lighter fluid and a match), blow up (firecrackers) and, sometimes, actually racing them. Then came the argument about who actually won...
The UN is irrelevant because the member countries prefer it that way.
Do you honestly think that any one of the larger members would tolerate the UN telling them what to do about an internal issue? Would the US allow Peacekeepers at Guantanamo Bay? The Russians in Chechnya? The Chinese in Tibet? If the UN had agreed with the Argentine government about the Falklands and stationed troops there after the invasion to keep the British away, how would that have gone over?
The UN was, is, and always will be a debating society because nations with veto power in the General Assembly will never allow it to be anthing else.
I figured you were using the generic "you" rather than referring to me. No problem.
I apologize for the partial flame, but I get a bit hot under the collar when people refer to users as idiots. They have their reasons for using a computer. I have mine. They have their reasons for using whatever browser that they use - even if they feel ok with it because it came with the OS. I feel a bit differently (I use Firefox and Opera because each has different strengths), but just because I don't agree with them or their reasoning doesn't mean that I think that they're dumb.
Rather than give someone specific reasons to use a one specific piece of software, I prefer to give more general instructions on security and what a piece of software is for and what it does. I figure that when they get the basics and are more comfortable, then I can suggest other software that they might like. Because they're tied to a function rather than a program, it's easier to for me to get them to look at something new. It also helps them feel as though they're "getting it".
Yeah, it takes longer, but if they understand what it's for rather than what it is, we can both spend more time on what we each use computers for.
I'm not there all of the time. Someone's going to have to help when I'm not around. When the menu changes from Favorites to Bookmarks and they can't figure out where to find their stuff and neither can the person who's helping them, what have you achieved? Yes, you get a sense of moral superiority because you've struck a blow for "freedom", whatever the hell that means, but have you actually helped the person that you're trying to help?
I have been doing some form of customer support for about three decades now and I can tell you that people absolutely notice the difference when something is changed on them. Especially so when they are a bit nervous about using computers in the first place. Changing things without telling them and then calling them an idiot because they can't figure out the difference is absolutely the best way to get them to never want to work with you again.
Which is fine, I guess, if that was your intent in the first place.
Yeah, treating family members like idiots is always a good way to go.
I installed Firefox on my mother's computer but gave up having her use it. The woman that helps her out when I'm not around (which isn't all that often - at least according to her...) only knows how to use IE and I'm really not terribly interested taking support calls from BOTH of them...
If you were looking at putting one in your basement, yeah, you could do it cheaper. For a datacenter, however, it's more than just a bunch of drives. Stuff like maintenance, 24-hour support, firmware upgrades, monitoring software, making sure it works with all of your systems and being there to help when it doesn't are important to large enterprises...
If the labels object, they can just be told that laws are superior to private agreements and all the music services are simply obeying the law. The contract clauses about DRM are superseded by the law. Tough bananas on the labels boo-hoo! However, surprise, the labels will find out that legal music sales actually go up and they make more money.
IANAL, but it seems to me that one could easily argue that this law only applies to music sold in France and nowhere else (yes, I know that the Internet is essentially locationless, but I don't think that the law recognizes that). If so, Apple dropping DRM everywhere could leave them in abrogation of whatever agreement that they have with the labels. The labels could merely walk away (after extracting multiple million dollars for breach of contract, that is) leaving iTunes with nothing to sell and Apple a whole lot poorer.
If windos were something that you had to buy extra, people would start looking for alternatives.
Doubtful. Just because there are options doesn't mean that people will go out of their way to investigate them. Or do you really think that, when an average new computer buyer is given the option between Windows, something that they've heard of and have probably used before, or one of the various flavors of Linux, something that they probably haven't heard of and more than likely haven't used, that they won't choose Windows? More likely it'll just be just another additional cost that they'll grumble about and pay anyway - like USB cables with printers or HDMI cables with new DVD players.
I'm not saying that these people are stupid - it's just that there are things more important things to them than the operating system that their computer uses. They care about what it can do, not what it runs. Which is as it should be.
What does his net worth have to do with anything? If the Microsoft Corporation loses money do you think it'll come directly out of his pocket? His net worth is tied to Microsoft stock, so he, as a stockholder, may feel some effect if Microsoft stock went down. But so will all of the other stockholders.
You're thinking in human terms. If the increase in temperature makes the difference between ice fields being just above freezing rather than just below freezing, the effect could be a bit worrisome...
You're right. Legally, you can do anything that you want to the case. However, once you crack the case, it's definitely yours - if you mess something up while modding your XBox, Microsoft has every right to say "The warranty's been voided - we'll fix this, but it won't be free".
Or to use your example, you can put any water pump that you want on your GM product, but GM has no responsibility for it - if it doesn't work, it's your problem.
Wonderful, the future will be a continual CNN Headline News - no background information, no context, nothing that would illuminate the "whys" - just "what's happening now".
Which is the philosophy of most IBM PC users. If it works, it doesn't need to be pretty.
Really? Have you been to a computer store recently? What a system looks like does seem to be important to people. From candy-colored Apple rip-offs and black Alienware rip-offs to stainless steel and brushed aluminum cases, appearance is more important than it used to be. Even Dells are a bit more stylish. Not to mention case mods like windows, lights or wraps, cables and fans that light up or other stuff that folks use to make their systems look diffent.
The old plain beige cases don't quite make it any more. When the only real difference between systems is "how cool it looks", appearances do matter.
Really? Then please explain this: http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html. I guess it's just a figment of our collective imagination or yet another liberal conspiracy...
You can, however simulate just about any reaction in a common chemistry set.
Oooh, how exciting! Virtual experiments! No fuss! No mess! No stinky results! Everything fun already programmed out for your safety!
No thanks.
I guess I was lucky. I got a chemistry set when you could still get stuff that was kinda dangerous. It was my favorite present and I used it until the interesting chemicals ran out. The end products of my experimentation were mostly nasty chemical stains and noxious odors rather than expected (explosive) results, but I learned a bit about chemistry and had a whole lot of fun.
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[[Context: I was born in 1962. (Yes, people really are that old.)]]
[Context: I was born in 1959. ~;-)]
Context: I was born in 1958 - I win! I guess...
I had one of those tracks that clipped on to the end of a table, too. I don't know how many hours we spent figuring out new and ultimately destructive (to the cars) ways to use it. We had a virtually endless supply of cars 'cause Shell gave away one free with each fill-up. Crash cars, stunt cars (a little lighter fluid and a match), blow up (firecrackers) and, sometimes, actually racing them. Then came the argument about who actually won...
The VW Touareg has an iPod holder that goes in the glovebox. Works great, too.
Do you honestly think that any one of the larger members would tolerate the UN telling them what to do about an internal issue? Would the US allow Peacekeepers at Guantanamo Bay? The Russians in Chechnya? The Chinese in Tibet? If the UN had agreed with the Argentine government about the Falklands and stationed troops there after the invasion to keep the British away, how would that have gone over?
The UN was, is, and always will be a debating society because nations with veto power in the General Assembly will never allow it to be anthing else.
Care to expand on that?
I apologize for the partial flame, but I get a bit hot under the collar when people refer to users as idiots. They have their reasons for using a computer. I have mine. They have their reasons for using whatever browser that they use - even if they feel ok with it because it came with the OS. I feel a bit differently (I use Firefox and Opera because each has different strengths), but just because I don't agree with them or their reasoning doesn't mean that I think that they're dumb.
Rather than give someone specific reasons to use a one specific piece of software, I prefer to give more general instructions on security and what a piece of software is for and what it does. I figure that when they get the basics and are more comfortable, then I can suggest other software that they might like. Because they're tied to a function rather than a program, it's easier to for me to get them to look at something new. It also helps them feel as though they're "getting it".
Yeah, it takes longer, but if they understand what it's for rather than what it is, we can both spend more time on what we each use computers for.
I'm not there all of the time. Someone's going to have to help when I'm not around. When the menu changes from Favorites to Bookmarks and they can't figure out where to find their stuff and neither can the person who's helping them, what have you achieved? Yes, you get a sense of moral superiority because you've struck a blow for "freedom", whatever the hell that means, but have you actually helped the person that you're trying to help?
I have been doing some form of customer support for about three decades now and I can tell you that people absolutely notice the difference when something is changed on them. Especially so when they are a bit nervous about using computers in the first place. Changing things without telling them and then calling them an idiot because they can't figure out the difference is absolutely the best way to get them to never want to work with you again.
Which is fine, I guess, if that was your intent in the first place.
I installed Firefox on my mother's computer but gave up having her use it. The woman that helps her out when I'm not around (which isn't all that often - at least according to her...) only knows how to use IE and I'm really not terribly interested taking support calls from BOTH of them...
If you were looking at putting one in your basement, yeah, you could do it cheaper. For a datacenter, however, it's more than just a bunch of drives. Stuff like maintenance, 24-hour support, firmware upgrades, monitoring software, making sure it works with all of your systems and being there to help when it doesn't are important to large enterprises...
IANAL, but it seems to me that one could easily argue that this law only applies to music sold in France and nowhere else (yes, I know that the Internet is essentially locationless, but I don't think that the law recognizes that). If so, Apple dropping DRM everywhere could leave them in abrogation of whatever agreement that they have with the labels. The labels could merely walk away (after extracting multiple million dollars for breach of contract, that is) leaving iTunes with nothing to sell and Apple a whole lot poorer.
Doubtful. Just because there are options doesn't mean that people will go out of their way to investigate them. Or do you really think that, when an average new computer buyer is given the option between Windows, something that they've heard of and have probably used before, or one of the various flavors of Linux, something that they probably haven't heard of and more than likely haven't used, that they won't choose Windows? More likely it'll just be just another additional cost that they'll grumble about and pay anyway - like USB cables with printers or HDMI cables with new DVD players.
I'm not saying that these people are stupid - it's just that there are things more important things to them than the operating system that their computer uses. They care about what it can do, not what it runs. Which is as it should be.
What does his net worth have to do with anything? If the Microsoft Corporation loses money do you think it'll come directly out of his pocket? His net worth is tied to Microsoft stock, so he, as a stockholder, may feel some effect if Microsoft stock went down. But so will all of the other stockholders.
You're thinking in human terms. If the increase in temperature makes the difference between ice fields being just above freezing rather than just below freezing, the effect could be a bit worrisome...
Or to use your example, you can put any water pump that you want on your GM product, but GM has no responsibility for it - if it doesn't work, it's your problem.
That's entertainment, not news.
She has something that works for her and she's happy. So what's your problem?
And the supercooling that makes it work would solve the heat problem, too.
Does anybody know of a good barely-intelligible-to-English dictionary?
Not at all like the HD-DVD consortium. They're all free and open - they would never think of creating an incompatable standard!
Really? Have you been to a computer store recently? What a system looks like does seem to be important to people. From candy-colored Apple rip-offs and black Alienware rip-offs to stainless steel and brushed aluminum cases, appearance is more important than it used to be. Even Dells are a bit more stylish. Not to mention case mods like windows, lights or wraps, cables and fans that light up or other stuff that folks use to make their systems look diffent.
The old plain beige cases don't quite make it any more. When the only real difference between systems is "how cool it looks", appearances do matter.
Close - it's tchotchke (Yiddish for trinket or curio - also refers to a pretty woman).
Really? Then please explain this: http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html. I guess it's just a figment of our collective imagination or yet another liberal conspiracy...
It'll be HUGE!
It left when it realized that nobody here spoke English.
What's next, an award for Duke Nukem Forever?
Oooh, how exciting! Virtual experiments! No fuss! No mess! No stinky results! Everything fun already programmed out for your safety!
No thanks.
I guess I was lucky. I got a chemistry set when you could still get stuff that was kinda dangerous. It was my favorite present and I used it until the interesting chemicals ran out. The end products of my experimentation were mostly nasty chemical stains and noxious odors rather than expected (explosive) results, but I learned a bit about chemistry and had a whole lot of fun.