I wonder if any large MMO company will ever be brave enough to calmly address an issue rather than wielding the ban-hammer.
Now I don't know if Joymax is considered a "large MMO company" but for the past two years or so that I've played Silkroad Online, Joymax has been quite calm in addressing the botting issue (quite a large problem in that game). They rarely ever wield the ban-hammer. In my entire time playing, they have had maybe 3 or 4 "Massive Bot Bans" where they ban a few hundred to a thousand gold bots (mostly run by third-party companies) per server, only to have them recreated within 2-5 days.
Player bots quite often will announce in globals how proud they are of their botted high level characters, and how they are not getting banned.
Joymax will sometimes post announcements about their ongoing "war on bots". Just log into one of their 30 Silkroad servers to see how the war is progressing.
So I'd say, sadly, that Joymax does seem "brave enough to calmly address an issue rather than wielding the ban-hammer [often, or effectively]"
After reading the question submitted, I found it does relate to my situation. I got my Bachelor's Degree in CompSci back in 2001, mostly concentrating on software development, with coursework in several languages. After my internship (database software development) I did not find an actual job in programming. Instead, I found a job in computer information security. I didn't have a lot of experience here either, but it worked out for me.
In my IT security job, I mostly did Government C&A work, vulnerability assessments, and the like. They had this database application that the analysts used to perform and track customer interview data so the report writers could easily access this data. The application was originally written as MS Access forms with a little VBA in the background. I saw this and knew I could make it better, so I got assigned the task. I ported the code over to Visual Basic and moved the database to MySQL, which I hosted on a Mandrake Linux server (never saw Linux before then). It taught me a lot. My job wasn't originally programming, but that project allowed me to keep up on my programming skills, and relate those skills to my normal duties, while performing my security work.
Point being: If you don't have much programming experience, try to find a job somewhere doing something you do have some experience with - something that you may be able to fudge in some programming. You may find a job doing data entry, and develop some kind of shell scripts or similar that can help make the system work better. Maybe you can come up with some "wizbang" tool that can be used to perform the job better.
To relate that back to my current job (different job than the one above). We are looking to possibly purchase a piece of software to record and track a variety of information for some IT Security work we do. The software may do what we need, but may be missing some features, or have things we don't need. I may be able to come up with my own software that will be a better fit to our needs, and save from buying the software in question. Of course time is a factor as well.
I couldn't agree more. Geek isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's all in how you present your "Geekness". I think a better term for the social outcast type non-showering, bad hair/clothes style type of person would be nerd or dork. I've always considered geeks to be more of a sociable creature, who just happen to know a lot about computers, or electronics, or any other kind of technology.
I can agree that the actual grind content in Silkroad Online is a bit lacking, could be more interesting, but I don't mind it. It would be nice if we didn't have these "kill 1500 of this monster... 3 times" quests.
I own WoW (assuming I purchased a CD - I didn't)? What gave you that idea? No, when you purchase a CD for WoW, MS Windows, Guild Wars, or any other COTS software, you do not own the software. You own a license to use the software. That license has terms of use, usually listed in an EULA or a TOS or similar.
Of course Blizzard can't enforce terms of use on you for property that you own, but you do not own the software.
A game that makes you grind to get stuff that would make the game fun isn't a good game... for you. Some people enjoy the grind. I like going out and grinding on mobs. I like the reward of getting the next degree of weapon, or a new transport, etc. after handing in different quests and gaining some experience. If the game isn't a good game for _you_ (and I use the term you generically) then why even play?
If you don't want to be bothered with practicing and working out to become more physically fit and able to be a great athlete, should you just cheat and take steroids instead?
If you can't be bothered to work hard and earn a decent income, should you just embezzle money instead?
Yes I know we're talking about "just a game" here, but the concepts are the same. People don't want to play the game the way the game creators permit (through their TOS) so they cheat instead of finding a game that better suits them.
I've never played WoW so I can't comment about the botting scene there. However, take a look at Silkroad Online. The botting problem there is HUGE. They have 30 servers there, each with a 2500 - 3500 player capacity. Often times within a few minutes after server inspection, and the servers reopen, they are filled to the limit (and often times over capacity). If you log in, you can see HUGE herds of gold bots all over the place farming gold.
Joymax, the company that owns the game, sells premium tickets in their item mall that grant you preferred access (log in every time even on a "full" server. Silkroad Online is advertised as a Free2Play game, and I refuse to pay real money for a premium ticket just to be able to log into a F2P game.
So yes, I'd say the bots stop (or severely limit my ability to) play the game.
When I'm lucky enough to log in, a good majority of these bots have kill-steal (KS) mode on, which makes it hard to grind in the more populated areas. Granted, I can move to an area that has far less monsters (therefore grinding slower) but I shouldn't have to change my gameplay because of some characters that are not even controlled by a real person.
I'm a lost cause? Ok. It's supposed to take some time to get a high level character. Otherwise, the game would be designed differently, or everyone would start the game at level 70 or 80. Yes, I would say that people who play the game according to the rules, and don't cheat, "deserve" their high level characters that they put time into. You shouldn't be able to just log in, fire up a bot program, and go afk for a few months, come back to your capped character.
Makes sense. The way I see it, copyrights are meant to protect the author - namely to prevent me from making a copy of the author's work and redistributing it as my own work, modified or not. If I'm simply making a copy of an application in RAM - which is required to actually run the software (desired by the author) - then there would be no violation of copyright.
Well doesn't any operating system copy (at least part of) any application into memory in order to execute it? If so, then what's the limit? Can you only load 10% of the entire application into RAM at any given time? 30%? 60%? Mind you, some operating systems even allow the entire OS to be loaded into, and run, directly from RAM if there is enough available for faster execution.
I don't see how that could be a copyright violation in and of itself, unless the copyright says that you can only make copies for authorized purposes. Authorized purposes would be as per the EULA, and if the EULA states you can't modify the game with, say, third party software, then it'd be a violation of at least the EULA, and perhaps the copyright.
if the bot doesn't do anything a player couldn't do anyway (if they were sufficiently skilled) then what does it matter? If it does do things the client doesn't allow, then it's reasonable to pursue him over that, but it seems like it'd be more straightforward to fix their server to not allow it.
The game already has to deal with a large range of players, from casual gamers who maybe get in a few hours a week to the obsessive teens who spend their every waking moment in the game levelling their character. A bot that does the tedious work gives casual players a chance to experience the game as a high level character that they probably wouldn't get otherwise. If Blizzard doesn't want people doing this, maybe they should make the game less tedious.
It matters because botting is cheating. It may or may not be against the TOS, but botters earn experience in the game without actually doing anything to earn it. Why should a botter deserve the same high level character that a regular legit player worked hard to achieve? I'd say if you don't have time to play a game the way it is designed, don't play.
there is usually no inherent advantage to having multiple physically seperated screens, when you can just logically partition a single screen as necessary.
Although it may be minor, one advantage of having multiple physically separate displays is that you can position them to your liking. I have a dual-screen flat-panel display setup at work. Each monitor is turned slightly so when I turn my head slightly to look at one or the other, that screen is facing directly at me. I'm looking at it straight on, instead of at a slight angle. Also, if I prefer, I can rotate one or both of the displays to a portrait orientation instead of landscape depending on what I'm working on.
I think a better way of implementing dual screens on a laptop would be to have your typical clamshell laptop, but when you flip the lid open, there can be 2 thin screens built into the lid that you pull to either side to have a tri-screen setup. The 2 extra screens can slide in and out. They could be thin LCDs, or perhaps a thin projecter screen of sorts and have two tiny built-in projectors on the left and right edges of the laptop lid that can project the two extra displays onto those screens when they are pulled open.
The problem I have with touch screen keyboards is there is no tactile feedback like there is with a mechanical keyboard. Sure, they could make the touchscreen vibrate slightly at each press of a key, but I like the feel of each key sinking slightly into the keyboard when I press it.
Well I suppose when that innocent bystander is carrying a fresh cup of "molten lava" coffee from the McDonalds across the street, and he gets hit with a stray nerf missile, that coffee could do some damage when it spills all over him.
Although that shouldn't be the fault of the Nerf gunner. The coffee drinker shouldn't be carrying that Molten Lava Coffee so close to the war zone anyway.
I remember back when I was working at this one company, the marketing director got us all Nerf missile launchers for Christmas and we often had Inter-Office Warfare games with them. We'd be literally diving in and out of cubicles firing those missiles at each other when work was slow. The missiles had a whistler on them too. Sometimes on a quiet day, you'd hear the screeching sound of a missile being launched and know it's Game Time.:-)
True, you can be far more "superhuman" with mouse+keyboard controls altogether, but I'm not sure how that is a plus per se.
I'm not sure how having the ability to control your turning speed on the fly makes you "superhuman". If I'm running around in real life with an M-16, I should be able to have fine tuned aiming at a distance, as well as instantly spinning around in a 180 to fire behind me.
For me, the key is "dynamic" (for lack of a better word) circle strafing.
I have never played the more recent console FPS titles, but I assumed they had some fine tuning controls in the options. Can you turn slower/more quickly by pushing the analog stick more/less while you are circling? If I remember correctly, I had some ability to do that on the Dreamcast with Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament, but the fast end of the turning speed seemed limited.
I like having the ability to circle around someone and tighten my circle or loosen it (to capture more people) at will.
I couldn't agree more. I hate playing FPS games on a console. The joysticks (or analog stick) just don't have the control that a mouse does. Why hold the stick to the left and wait a few seconds to turn my character 105 degrees or so when I can flick the mouse and turn almost instantly?
Circle strafing seems so much easier with a mouse/keyboard than with a controller, especially if you want to dynamically modify the radius of your circle.
It's also the responsibility of the operating system to manage memory, separate processes, and prevent various processes from accessing the memory of other processes... unless drivers aren't included in that requirement.
Because he linked to the main story. It's the same link in the summary. That's redundant.
If that's the case, then he really was answering the question. Someone asked if a reboot would be required for this firewire hack to be used. He was basically saying "no reboot required. This tool (the one in the original article) gives you an admin command prompt without a reboot." Perhaps redundant, but informative at the same time.
Exactly. The way I read Genesis 1, it's saying that the heavens and earth were created before light. Then light was split to day and night, and called the first day. So the creation of heaven and earth (does that mean all of the universe?) was made before a 'day' was defined. Also, it says "heavens and the earth" but after that's created, it says the waters were split by a firmament which God called Heaven. Are those two different things, the heavens and Heaven?
I'd still be interested to know what came of "the waters" above Heaven. It seems these waters were split by a firmament, and then land was created in the lower waters where plants, animals, etc. were created. What of the waters above heaven?
As a Christian, the way I see it, why can't evolution be the process that God has used (and is still using) to create the universe?
The Bible says that God created the world in 7 days (rested on the 7th), but does not define what a day is. A day to an eternal diety could be billions of years. The Bible also does not go into details of how he created things. If I remember correctly, it simply says that he 'said let there be and there was and he saw that it was good.' Evolution could just be what happened behind the scenes.
The Bible also refers to creating the "heavens and the earth". It seems a bit confusing there. Is "earth" the 3rd planet from the sun in this solar system in the milky way galaxy, or is "earth" simply planets? God created a firmament between "the waters", and called the firmament Heaven, and then he created land in the waters below Heaven to separate the waters into seas. To me, that sounds like he created our planet Earth, and Heaven is all of the stuff outside Earth (the universe?). So what about the waters above the firmament (Heaven)?
I'm with you on this one. A GUI isn't needed on a server. GUIs just add an extra layer of potential security problems by running extra code that is not needed.
If anything, make the GUI a service you can turn on and off like the grandparent said similar to X windows. Leave the GUI off for normal operation, but it's there for those occasions you might want or need it.
Perhaps it would be better if people would not refer to what you see on the desktop as the "operating system". It's just a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the OS.
The purpose of an operating system is supposed to be to handle low level tasks like managing memory, providing kernel resources, performing I/O operations with peripherals, and executing applications on behalf of the user. It should be up to the application to decide how the information from the operating system is displayed (or not displayed) to the user.
You should be able to customize the look and feel of your desktop how you see fit. The underlying operating system is essentially the same among the various Linux distros. Sure, in Windows you can customize things by changing your screensaver, icons, and moving the taskbar to another part of the screen. Why can't there be more (without 3rd party software)?
not just for security reasons but for accountability reasons as well.
Very true, however, accountability is a subset of security in the same way that confidentiality, integrity, and availability, are all part of security. They're not separate.
How does it teach complex verb tenses / conjugation with pictures? I mean how does one illustrate third-person-plural-future-perfect? That was always my beef with learning other languages.
I was wondering this myself before I started Rosetta Stone classes. Here's an example (not translated for simplicity):
They show you 4 pictures:
(1) 2 boys standing on a table, 2 girls in the air a few inches off the table,
(2) all 4 kids standing on the table, but knees bent, arms swung back as if to jump,
(3) 2 boys crouching on the ground in front of the table, 2 girls standing on the table, and
(4) all 4 kids standing on the table.
Then they present you with a sentence (in the language you're learning), for example: "Two girls are jumping off the table." Once you select the correct picture, they'll show the same set of pictures, and maybe say "The boys jumped off the table". The second picture example above might be described as "The children are going to jump off the table."
Slashdot Mirror
Player bots quite often will announce in globals how proud they are of their botted high level characters, and how they are not getting banned.
Joymax will sometimes post announcements about their ongoing "war on bots". Just log into one of their 30 Silkroad servers to see how the war is progressing.
So I'd say, sadly, that Joymax does seem "brave enough to calmly address an issue rather than wielding the ban-hammer [often, or effectively]"
After reading the question submitted, I found it does relate to my situation. I got my Bachelor's Degree in CompSci back in 2001, mostly concentrating on software development, with coursework in several languages. After my internship (database software development) I did not find an actual job in programming. Instead, I found a job in computer information security. I didn't have a lot of experience here either, but it worked out for me.
In my IT security job, I mostly did Government C&A work, vulnerability assessments, and the like. They had this database application that the analysts used to perform and track customer interview data so the report writers could easily access this data. The application was originally written as MS Access forms with a little VBA in the background. I saw this and knew I could make it better, so I got assigned the task. I ported the code over to Visual Basic and moved the database to MySQL, which I hosted on a Mandrake Linux server (never saw Linux before then). It taught me a lot. My job wasn't originally programming, but that project allowed me to keep up on my programming skills, and relate those skills to my normal duties, while performing my security work.
Point being: If you don't have much programming experience, try to find a job somewhere doing something you do have some experience with - something that you may be able to fudge in some programming. You may find a job doing data entry, and develop some kind of shell scripts or similar that can help make the system work better. Maybe you can come up with some "wizbang" tool that can be used to perform the job better.
To relate that back to my current job (different job than the one above). We are looking to possibly purchase a piece of software to record and track a variety of information for some IT Security work we do. The software may do what we need, but may be missing some features, or have things we don't need. I may be able to come up with my own software that will be a better fit to our needs, and save from buying the software in question. Of course time is a factor as well.
I couldn't agree more. Geek isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's all in how you present your "Geekness". I think a better term for the social outcast type non-showering, bad hair/clothes style type of person would be nerd or dork. I've always considered geeks to be more of a sociable creature, who just happen to know a lot about computers, or electronics, or any other kind of technology.
I wear my Geek Badge proud!
I can agree that the actual grind content in Silkroad Online is a bit lacking, could be more interesting, but I don't mind it. It would be nice if we didn't have these "kill 1500 of this monster... 3 times" quests.
I own WoW (assuming I purchased a CD - I didn't)? What gave you that idea? No, when you purchase a CD for WoW, MS Windows, Guild Wars, or any other COTS software, you do not own the software. You own a license to use the software. That license has terms of use, usually listed in an EULA or a TOS or similar.
Of course Blizzard can't enforce terms of use on you for property that you own, but you do not own the software.
A game that makes you grind to get stuff that would make the game fun isn't a good game... for you. Some people enjoy the grind. I like going out and grinding on mobs. I like the reward of getting the next degree of weapon, or a new transport, etc. after handing in different quests and gaining some experience. If the game isn't a good game for _you_ (and I use the term you generically) then why even play?
If you don't want to be bothered with practicing and working out to become more physically fit and able to be a great athlete, should you just cheat and take steroids instead?
If you can't be bothered to work hard and earn a decent income, should you just embezzle money instead?
Yes I know we're talking about "just a game" here, but the concepts are the same. People don't want to play the game the way the game creators permit (through their TOS) so they cheat instead of finding a game that better suits them.
I've never played WoW so I can't comment about the botting scene there. However, take a look at Silkroad Online. The botting problem there is HUGE. They have 30 servers there, each with a 2500 - 3500 player capacity. Often times within a few minutes after server inspection, and the servers reopen, they are filled to the limit (and often times over capacity). If you log in, you can see HUGE herds of gold bots all over the place farming gold.
Joymax, the company that owns the game, sells premium tickets in their item mall that grant you preferred access (log in every time even on a "full" server. Silkroad Online is advertised as a Free2Play game, and I refuse to pay real money for a premium ticket just to be able to log into a F2P game.
So yes, I'd say the bots stop (or severely limit my ability to) play the game.
When I'm lucky enough to log in, a good majority of these bots have kill-steal (KS) mode on, which makes it hard to grind in the more populated areas. Granted, I can move to an area that has far less monsters (therefore grinding slower) but I shouldn't have to change my gameplay because of some characters that are not even controlled by a real person.
I'm a lost cause? Ok. It's supposed to take some time to get a high level character. Otherwise, the game would be designed differently, or everyone would start the game at level 70 or 80. Yes, I would say that people who play the game according to the rules, and don't cheat, "deserve" their high level characters that they put time into. You shouldn't be able to just log in, fire up a bot program, and go afk for a few months, come back to your capped character.
Makes sense. The way I see it, copyrights are meant to protect the author - namely to prevent me from making a copy of the author's work and redistributing it as my own work, modified or not. If I'm simply making a copy of an application in RAM - which is required to actually run the software (desired by the author) - then there would be no violation of copyright.
Well doesn't any operating system copy (at least part of) any application into memory in order to execute it? If so, then what's the limit? Can you only load 10% of the entire application into RAM at any given time? 30%? 60%? Mind you, some operating systems even allow the entire OS to be loaded into, and run, directly from RAM if there is enough available for faster execution.
I don't see how that could be a copyright violation in and of itself, unless the copyright says that you can only make copies for authorized purposes. Authorized purposes would be as per the EULA, and if the EULA states you can't modify the game with, say, third party software, then it'd be a violation of at least the EULA, and perhaps the copyright.
It matters because botting is cheating. It may or may not be against the TOS, but botters earn experience in the game without actually doing anything to earn it. Why should a botter deserve the same high level character that a regular legit player worked hard to achieve? I'd say if you don't have time to play a game the way it is designed, don't play.
Good point about the dual screen on the DS.
I think a better way of implementing dual screens on a laptop would be to have your typical clamshell laptop, but when you flip the lid open, there can be 2 thin screens built into the lid that you pull to either side to have a tri-screen setup. The 2 extra screens can slide in and out. They could be thin LCDs, or perhaps a thin projecter screen of sorts and have two tiny built-in projectors on the left and right edges of the laptop lid that can project the two extra displays onto those screens when they are pulled open.
The problem I have with touch screen keyboards is there is no tactile feedback like there is with a mechanical keyboard. Sure, they could make the touchscreen vibrate slightly at each press of a key, but I like the feel of each key sinking slightly into the keyboard when I press it.
Well I suppose when that innocent bystander is carrying a fresh cup of "molten lava" coffee from the McDonalds across the street, and he gets hit with a stray nerf missile, that coffee could do some damage when it spills all over him. Although that shouldn't be the fault of the Nerf gunner. The coffee drinker shouldn't be carrying that Molten Lava Coffee so close to the war zone anyway. I remember back when I was working at this one company, the marketing director got us all Nerf missile launchers for Christmas and we often had Inter-Office Warfare games with them. We'd be literally diving in and out of cubicles firing those missiles at each other when work was slow. The missiles had a whistler on them too. Sometimes on a quiet day, you'd hear the screeching sound of a missile being launched and know it's Game Time. :-)
Unless I misunderstood you...
For me, the key is "dynamic" (for lack of a better word) circle strafing.
I have never played the more recent console FPS titles, but I assumed they had some fine tuning controls in the options. Can you turn slower/more quickly by pushing the analog stick more/less while you are circling? If I remember correctly, I had some ability to do that on the Dreamcast with Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament, but the fast end of the turning speed seemed limited.
I like having the ability to circle around someone and tighten my circle or loosen it (to capture more people) at will.
I couldn't agree more. I hate playing FPS games on a console. The joysticks (or analog stick) just don't have the control that a mouse does. Why hold the stick to the left and wait a few seconds to turn my character 105 degrees or so when I can flick the mouse and turn almost instantly? Circle strafing seems so much easier with a mouse/keyboard than with a controller, especially if you want to dynamically modify the radius of your circle.
It's also the responsibility of the operating system to manage memory, separate processes, and prevent various processes from accessing the memory of other processes... unless drivers aren't included in that requirement.
Well said! :-)
Exactly. The way I read Genesis 1, it's saying that the heavens and earth were created before light. Then light was split to day and night, and called the first day. So the creation of heaven and earth (does that mean all of the universe?) was made before a 'day' was defined. Also, it says "heavens and the earth" but after that's created, it says the waters were split by a firmament which God called Heaven. Are those two different things, the heavens and Heaven?
I'd still be interested to know what came of "the waters" above Heaven. It seems these waters were split by a firmament, and then land was created in the lower waters where plants, animals, etc. were created. What of the waters above heaven?
Here's one possible explanation: http://www.kgov.com/writings/heaven_on_earth
As a Christian, the way I see it, why can't evolution be the process that God has used (and is still using) to create the universe? The Bible says that God created the world in 7 days (rested on the 7th), but does not define what a day is. A day to an eternal diety could be billions of years. The Bible also does not go into details of how he created things. If I remember correctly, it simply says that he 'said let there be and there was and he saw that it was good.' Evolution could just be what happened behind the scenes. The Bible also refers to creating the "heavens and the earth". It seems a bit confusing there. Is "earth" the 3rd planet from the sun in this solar system in the milky way galaxy, or is "earth" simply planets? God created a firmament between "the waters", and called the firmament Heaven, and then he created land in the waters below Heaven to separate the waters into seas. To me, that sounds like he created our planet Earth, and Heaven is all of the stuff outside Earth (the universe?). So what about the waters above the firmament (Heaven)?
I'm with you on this one. A GUI isn't needed on a server. GUIs just add an extra layer of potential security problems by running extra code that is not needed. If anything, make the GUI a service you can turn on and off like the grandparent said similar to X windows. Leave the GUI off for normal operation, but it's there for those occasions you might want or need it.
Perhaps it would be better if people would not refer to what you see on the desktop as the "operating system". It's just a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the OS. The purpose of an operating system is supposed to be to handle low level tasks like managing memory, providing kernel resources, performing I/O operations with peripherals, and executing applications on behalf of the user. It should be up to the application to decide how the information from the operating system is displayed (or not displayed) to the user. You should be able to customize the look and feel of your desktop how you see fit. The underlying operating system is essentially the same among the various Linux distros. Sure, in Windows you can customize things by changing your screensaver, icons, and moving the taskbar to another part of the screen. Why can't there be more (without 3rd party software)?
They show you 4 pictures:
(1) 2 boys standing on a table, 2 girls in the air a few inches off the table,
(2) all 4 kids standing on the table, but knees bent, arms swung back as if to jump,
(3) 2 boys crouching on the ground in front of the table, 2 girls standing on the table, and
(4) all 4 kids standing on the table.
Then they present you with a sentence (in the language you're learning), for example: "Two girls are jumping off the table." Once you select the correct picture, they'll show the same set of pictures, and maybe say "The boys jumped off the table". The second picture example above might be described as "The children are going to jump off the table."