Off Topic Warning: Speaking of statistics! (at least in my post) What are the chances that/.er 9391080 and 9391081 would post adjacent comments at exactly the same time (minute) on the same thread? check parent)
Off Topic Warning: Speaking of statistics! What are the chances that/.er 9391080 and 9391081 would post adjacent comments at exactly the same time (minute) on the same thread? check parent)
...The US ISP followed up on the dubious complaint... with detailed questions. But the UK ISP took the site down almost immediately, effectively censoring legal content without investigation.
ISPs this, ISPs that. The writer tested TWO ISPs and only ONE responded in an immediately censoring manner. The other provided a detailed questionaire for more information. I'm not suggesting the author doesn't raise a valid freedom of speach concern, but I wouldn't call a "secret shopper" experiement of TWO ISPs statistically useful.
If you're going to do secret investigation hidden camera secret shopper style journalism, you need to select a larger group than TWO ISPs.
Sometimes true. But it's worth mentioning that many PHBs (purchasers, CFOs, etc.) are fincancially rewarded based on the percentage or number of dollars "saved". Sure, it may not be the best technical (or financial) solution for their business, but if they are able to negotiate 30% savings on solution A versus 10% savings on solution B, they may get a much larger end-of-quarter bonus if they "save" the company the 30% by choosing option A.
You may want to chat with the folks (read: Board of Directors) who establish potentially counter-productive incentives like this.
Obviously, you've never had to deal directly with those "big buck attorneys". It's just this kind of crap that helps them justify their very existence.
Now, I am not condeming all business-focused lawyers. I base my opinions on the actions of all the lawyers I have used in my own companies. They don't try to be long-winded in an effort to protect me, they just are.
OH YEA! I had that too! Forgot all about it. I had picked it up at a garage sale as a kid. Since it didn't have any original packaging, I never knew its name.
Now, I have something else I need to re-buy that my wife will hate. Every time a new package shows up (usually thanks to eBay) she just rolls her eyes and asks silly questions like; "What in the world do you need a PacMan lunch box for?"
It the parent's responsability to teach their kids right from wrong! Video games do NOT teach our children how to carjack and... ummm shoot people.... Hmmmm...? oO(But they can teach our kids history and stuff, but ummmm.... hmmmm....)
Well great, now what do I do with all those video games don't teach kids stuff rants?
Where do they build those sets with the looooooong repeating streets that have the same 3 houses or stores? They're often used in the background of the driving sequences.
I was also wondering... when those looooong streets are tree-lined, how do they get those trees to grow and branch and leaf out in the exact same pattern? Does the TV industry utilize bio-genetic tree engineering of some sort? I thought they might use CGI trees, but I doubt that would be possible on most TV budgets. (Unless they farmed out the rendering?)
Attention game designers: Please keep taking chances on wierd stuff like this! I'm usually a bigger fan of the non-mainstream gems than the genre-cliched "big hits". Tempest (arcade) Solar JetMan (NES) Worms Armageddon (PS1) are some of my all-time favorites. While not super-obscure games, I think these titles were certainly under the radar for many people.
The current state of the game industry reminds me of automakers in the 80's: too scared to take any chances. Dodge came out with that (at the time) really wierd hood design. Then they started making *crazy* cars like the Plymouth Prowler, PT Cruiser, and the like. People like innovation and new things!
The interactive entertainment industry seems to have settled into a me-too hit genre chaser. I understand the risk/benefit economic views of running a business. I know publishers and game companies exist to make money. But I hope the gaming consumers will put their money where their mouth is by supporting (buying) odd-ball titles if they deserve it.
I suspect the real bottleneck (for the console market) lies in the licensing and approval channels of the Sony's and Microsoft's of the world. Without their blessing, your game don't get published. I understand why the console manufacturers want to control content so tightly, but won't it be interesting when, one day, gaming consoles mature to a similar point as VCRs and DVD players? Imagine if Sony (or Apex, or whoever made your player) controlled ALL of the content you could view. That would stink. Perhaps one day, the "gaming console" will become as generic as a player and ANYone could publish games for it.
Now is the time, if any, for people to start making games work in Linux as best as possible. If something isn't done soon, all the gaming manufacturers will start building games to work with this system and make them completely unusable in Linux.
What!? Do we have to try and make *everything* run great on Linux just because Microsoft has entered (or is expanding) a certain line of business? Sure, [L|*]nix is great for lots of stuff, but do we always have to pull out the Linux sword and slash at MS' knees just because they're breathing? (Keep reading before modding me down.)
Don't forget, MS already owns the PC gaming platform market (the PC itself) for the most part. In comparison, they only have (I'm guessing) 30-40% of the console gaming platform market with the Xbox.
...all the gaming manufacturers...
As long as computers receive electricity, there will probably be *thousands* of gaming manufacturers (read: indies) developing for a wide range of systems. In fairness, I think your comment is in reference to the mainstream developers and publishers. But hey, if you were them, and you wanted to stay in business, earn a profit for shareholders, etc...: Would you develop for a relatively small niche market accustomed to getting stuff for "free"? OR, would you develop for an installed base in the millions who are accustomed to paying $30-$50 per title?
BTW: I'm all for indie game developers -especially on Linux. I still believe thats where a lot of the great *game play* still originates. Graphics, mo-cap, glitz, and licensed music is neat, but I STILL appreciate the feel of my Asteroids and Lunar Lander ships! (Yes, I know they didn't originate on linux, but you know what I mean.:-)
I've been in strange troubleshooting situations where I need to type commands blindly on a keyboard when there is either no monitor attached to the server, or the display is completely screwed up. Junior folks are amazed that I can login, cd to a directory, make backup copies of the config files before I edit them, and vi the config files with no screen./.ers know it's a big deal to "see" the screens in your mind.
What if there was a USB memory stick you stick on the end of a USB keyboard cable that would simply record keystrokes? You could record huge amounts of text with a small amount of storage. Just keep the mem-stick in your pocket until you need to make notes. Pull out your keyboard and type away, or borrow one you find laying around. So what if you lose the keyboard or it gets filled with sand? USB KBs are almost disposable anyways. Just don't lose your log stick.
Finally, a use for all of those extra Sun USB keyboards piled in the warehouse! Just jab on a keyboard capture memeory plug and type away! That's it! The "Jab-On"(tm) "Jab one on so you can jabber on...". Or, instead of a memory-stick, you could have a "Log-Stick" (tm). Hmmm, maybe that's why I'm not in marketing...
"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa! That's what you think mere mortal! Wait until I re-re-re-release the original trilogy with 8.5 seconds of additional Ewok footage, 26 additional seconds of ending credits, AND 2 cantina shots with digitially modified whiskers on the third alien at the back table!"
"You will submit to my marketing prowess! You cannot resist the power of the marketing side!"
What you should do is make sure to purchase the retailer's Extended Warranty! Apparently, retailer EW's gaurd against anything that could possibly go wrong with your consumer product.:-)
At least I was entertained when the pimple-faced Best Buy lacky was trying to convince me I needed to buy a $24.00 Extended Warranty for the $30 USB memory stick I was getting. I pretended to waiver and gave him plenty of opportunities to impress me with his justifications.
Obligitory Simpson's Reference: As Homer was having a crayone re-inserted into his brain by the Dr. hammering it up his nose...
[tap-tap-tap]
"Hmmmm... don't notice any difference."
[tap-tap-tap]
"DeeeFENCE! DeeeFENCE! DeeeFENCE!"
[tap-tap-tap]
"Oooooh, extended warranty? I can't lose..."
Although I usually leave my tinfoil hat at home when shopping with the family, I loathe the new touch-screen (via pen) card readers used in more and more checkout lanes.
The older style units with actual punch keys allowed me to "ghost-type" whenever I had to enter a PIN. I use 4 fingers in a flurry of key punches to interfere with anyone who might be shoulder surfing or videoing from afar. As I move my fingers, it appears I'm pressing 4 keys for each keystroke. In fact, only 1 of the 4 fingers is actually pressing a key all the way down. I use different fingers for each digit of the PIN. Although only 4 sets of "landings" actually presses a key, I throw in a few extra non-landings where none of the 4 fingers punch any key all the way down.
Does this *really* increase the security of my PIN? I'd say a little bit. But now, I'm faced with the dreaded pen-touch-screen conviently located at near chest level so the entire store can watch my actions!
And instead of using handwriting recognition for the PIN digits, there's a GIANT on-screen keypad. So now I have to use a damn 8" pen to jab at an on screen display (designed for near-blind blue-hairs) easily viewable by anyone in the store!
Finally! More broadcast bandwidth for the World's Scariest Reality Midget High School Survival Makeover Elimidate Police Fear Mini-series.
Now if we could only wipe out those damn persistant channels of informative crap like PBS, Discovery, and that other "high-brow" crap. Maybe we'll finally get a whole channel dedicated to quality shows like "The View" and "American Idol".
burb also 'burb ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bûrb) n. Informal - A suburb: "when the condos get so dense out in those 'burbs that the deer have to run right through hot tubs" (Russell Baker).
Grammer criticism on/.? Are you kidding me? Especially from an AC using improper caps, improper use of elipses, incomplete sentances, incorrect spacing, improper abbreviations, and sentance fragments. BTW: dude is also an informal noun.
"Just because you use the word "Burbs" does not make you a cool guy on slashdot."
Hmmmm, not sure how the use of "burbs" could be confused as an attempt to be "cool". Besides, there is no +mod for cool anyways. Of course, an AC may not be familiar with mod options.
Also, do you think someone attempting to become a "cool guy" would have an account on/., read an article on anthropomorphizing Mars rovers at space.com, and then post an insightful comment about the article? C'mon!
"Will your keyboard break down if you add Su?"
No. However, I am conditioned to avoid the use of su whenever possible. I use sudo instead.
"Also, avoid that bold lettering."
Ooops! Agreed! However, the excessive use of bold probably saved you a small amount on your electric bill since fewer bright white pixels had to be rendered on your display. Multiply that by zillions of/.ers and I should get a Nobel prize for energy conservation!
"Wallace said it's hard to predict how the rovers will eventually be silenced."
Pure Silence: "A gentle, loving, inner peace and silence is here and now in this moment. It has always been this way. It is always here. It is right here within you and all around you, a stillness, an apparent void, a seeming nothingness out of which everything arises, exists, and eventually returns. "
OMG! The rovers are going to get sucked into a black hole! WATCH OUT!!
The suburbs is where all the s#!t happens that everyone *thinks* is limited to the "inner city".
Leading market for gang growth and presence? The burbs.
Leading market of drug users and drug spending? The burbs.
Leading market for pr0n? Burbs.
By far the leading market for SUVs (speaking of so-called evil)? Burbs.
Number one users of so-called Earth killing pollutants? Burbs.
The list goes on and on and on...
Why do so many entities (read: media) STILL portray the suburbs as some sort of pure, loving, pastures of solice? The suburbs are like a nice, ripe tomato: All shiny and pretty on the surface, but a disgusting mess 1mm below the surface.
I see where this is heading: Gene's son joins the team so he can get close to the launch site. He climbs some scafolding just as that Alaskan sheriff is about to board the ship (Contact). Instead of blowing everything up, Gene Jr. jumps onto said Sheriff with a big bear hug and ends up on board the ship (ST:IV:TVH). They slingshot around the Sun (ibid) where they go back to October of 1955 (BTTF). They steal Doc's DeLorean, drive into the future at 88 mph to San Francisco's UFP HQ. Since money is no longer an issue, they easily win an antique British phone box off of eBay, make some slight mods, and time/space warp back to 2004 (Dr.W)
Unfortunately, at the end of this spectacular journey, Gene Jr. was mistakenly wearing a red shirt. We all know what happens to the red shirts.:-(
Slashdot Mirror
Doh!
Off Topic Warning: Speaking of statistics! (at least in my post) What are the chances that /.er 9391080 and 9391081 would post adjacent comments at exactly the same time (minute) on the same thread? check parent)
Off Topic Warning: Speaking of statistics! What are the chances that /.er 9391080 and 9391081 would post adjacent comments at exactly the same time (minute) on the same thread? check parent)
ISPs this, ISPs that. The writer tested TWO ISPs and only ONE responded in an immediately censoring manner. The other provided a detailed questionaire for more information. I'm not suggesting the author doesn't raise a valid freedom of speach concern, but I wouldn't call a "secret shopper" experiement of TWO ISPs statistically useful.
If you're going to do secret investigation hidden camera secret shopper style journalism, you need to select a larger group than TWO ISPs.
Of course, the TV would need to employ similar technology to the mid-air text messages mentioned on /. a few days ago.
THINK about it...
Sometimes true. But it's worth mentioning that many PHBs (purchasers, CFOs, etc.) are fincancially rewarded based on the percentage or number of dollars "saved". Sure, it may not be the best technical (or financial) solution for their business, but if they are able to negotiate 30% savings on solution A versus 10% savings on solution B, they may get a much larger end-of-quarter bonus if they "save" the company the 30% by choosing option A.
You may want to chat with the folks (read: Board of Directors) who establish potentially counter-productive incentives like this.
Obviously, you've never had to deal directly with those "big buck attorneys". It's just this kind of crap that helps them justify their very existence.
Now, I am not condeming all business-focused lawyers. I base my opinions on the actions of all the lawyers I have used in my own companies. They don't try to be long-winded in an effort to protect me, they just are.
OH YEA! I had that too! Forgot all about it. I had picked it up at a garage sale as a kid. Since it didn't have any original packaging, I never knew its name.
Now, I have something else I need to re-buy that my wife will hate. Every time a new package shows up (usually thanks to eBay) she just rolls her eyes and asks silly questions like; "What in the world do you need a PacMan lunch box for?"
SOs just don't get it.
Okay, maybe not quite a board game, but closely related. I remember continually increasing the difficulty by:
"How could anyone use petabytes of memory and terabits of bandwidth for personal needs?"
C'mon, that's easy: Install Windows FU-Pro 2034.
Or, the (hopefully released by then) FPS "Duke Nukem Forever".
It the parent's responsability to teach their kids right from wrong! Video games do NOT teach our children how to carjack and... ummm shoot people.... Hmmmm...? oO(But they can teach our kids history and stuff, but ummmm.... hmmmm....)
Well great, now what do I do with all those video games don't teach kids stuff rants?
Where do they build those sets with the looooooong repeating streets that have the same 3 houses or stores? They're often used in the background of the driving sequences.
I was also wondering... when those looooong streets are tree-lined, how do they get those trees to grow and branch and leaf out in the exact same pattern? Does the TV industry utilize bio-genetic tree engineering of some sort? I thought they might use CGI trees, but I doubt that would be possible on most TV budgets. (Unless they farmed out the rendering?)
"Take into account the fact that kids are playing, no matter that they shouldn't be."
Take into account the fact that kids are playing, since their parents are not interested in parenting.
Attention game designers: Please keep taking chances on wierd stuff like this! I'm usually a bigger fan of the non-mainstream gems than the genre-cliched "big hits". Tempest (arcade) Solar JetMan (NES) Worms Armageddon (PS1) are some of my all-time favorites. While not super-obscure games, I think these titles were certainly under the radar for many people.
The current state of the game industry reminds me of automakers in the 80's: too scared to take any chances. Dodge came out with that (at the time) really wierd hood design. Then they started making *crazy* cars like the Plymouth Prowler, PT Cruiser, and the like. People like innovation and new things!
The interactive entertainment industry seems to have settled into a me-too hit genre chaser. I understand the risk/benefit economic views of running a business. I know publishers and game companies exist to make money. But I hope the gaming consumers will put their money where their mouth is by supporting (buying) odd-ball titles if they deserve it.
I suspect the real bottleneck (for the console market) lies in the licensing and approval channels of the Sony's and Microsoft's of the world. Without their blessing, your game don't get published. I understand why the console manufacturers want to control content so tightly, but won't it be interesting when, one day, gaming consoles mature to a similar point as VCRs and DVD players? Imagine if Sony (or Apex, or whoever made your player) controlled ALL of the content you could view. That would stink. Perhaps one day, the "gaming console" will become as generic as a player and ANYone could publish games for it.
Now is the time, if any, for people to start making games work in Linux as best as possible. If something isn't done soon, all the gaming manufacturers will start building games to work with this system and make them completely unusable in Linux.
What!? Do we have to try and make *everything* run great on Linux just because Microsoft has entered (or is expanding) a certain line of business? Sure, [L|*]nix is great for lots of stuff, but do we always have to pull out the Linux sword and slash at MS' knees just because they're breathing? (Keep reading before modding me down.)
Don't forget, MS already owns the PC gaming platform market (the PC itself) for the most part. In comparison, they only have (I'm guessing) 30-40% of the console gaming platform market with the Xbox.
As long as computers receive electricity, there will probably be *thousands* of gaming manufacturers (read: indies) developing for a wide range of systems. In fairness, I think your comment is in reference to the mainstream developers and publishers. But hey, if you were them, and you wanted to stay in business, earn a profit for shareholders, etc...: Would you develop for a relatively small niche market accustomed to getting stuff for "free"? OR, would you develop for an installed base in the millions who are accustomed to paying $30-$50 per title?
BTW: I'm all for indie game developers -especially on Linux. I still believe thats where a lot of the great *game play* still originates. Graphics, mo-cap, glitz, and licensed music is neat, but I STILL appreciate the feel of my Asteroids and Lunar Lander ships! (Yes, I know they didn't originate on linux, but you know what I mean. :-)
I've been in strange troubleshooting situations where I need to type commands blindly on a keyboard when there is either no monitor attached to the server, or the display is completely screwed up. Junior folks are amazed that I can login, cd to a directory, make backup copies of the config files before I edit them, and vi the config files with no screen. /.ers know it's a big deal to "see" the screens in your mind.
What if there was a USB memory stick you stick on the end of a USB keyboard cable that would simply record keystrokes? You could record huge amounts of text with a small amount of storage. Just keep the mem-stick in your pocket until you need to make notes. Pull out your keyboard and type away, or borrow one you find laying around. So what if you lose the keyboard or it gets filled with sand? USB KBs are almost disposable anyways. Just don't lose your log stick.
Finally, a use for all of those extra Sun USB keyboards piled in the warehouse! Just jab on a keyboard capture memeory plug and type away! That's it! The "Jab-On"(tm) "Jab one on so you can jabber on...". Or, instead of a memory-stick, you could have a "Log-Stick" (tm). Hmmm, maybe that's why I'm not in marketing...
"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa! That's what you think mere mortal! Wait until I re-re-re-release the original trilogy with 8.5 seconds of additional Ewok footage, 26 additional seconds of ending credits, AND 2 cantina shots with digitially modified whiskers on the third alien at the back table!"
"You will submit to my marketing prowess! You cannot resist the power of the marketing side!"
-George Lucas
What you should do is make sure to purchase the retailer's Extended Warranty! Apparently, retailer EW's gaurd against anything that could possibly go wrong with your consumer product. :-)
At least I was entertained when the pimple-faced Best Buy lacky was trying to convince me I needed to buy a $24.00 Extended Warranty for the $30 USB memory stick I was getting. I pretended to waiver and gave him plenty of opportunities to impress me with his justifications.
Obligitory Simpson's Reference: As Homer was having a crayone re-inserted into his brain by the Dr. hammering it up his nose...
[tap-tap-tap]
"Hmmmm... don't notice any difference."
[tap-tap-tap]
"DeeeFENCE! DeeeFENCE! DeeeFENCE!"
[tap-tap-tap]
"Oooooh, extended warranty? I can't lose..."
Although I usually leave my tinfoil hat at home when shopping with the family, I loathe the new touch-screen (via pen) card readers used in more and more checkout lanes.
The older style units with actual punch keys allowed me to "ghost-type" whenever I had to enter a PIN. I use 4 fingers in a flurry of key punches to interfere with anyone who might be shoulder surfing or videoing from afar. As I move my fingers, it appears I'm pressing 4 keys for each keystroke. In fact, only 1 of the 4 fingers is actually pressing a key all the way down. I use different fingers for each digit of the PIN. Although only 4 sets of "landings" actually presses a key, I throw in a few extra non-landings where none of the 4 fingers punch any key all the way down.
Does this *really* increase the security of my PIN? I'd say a little bit. But now, I'm faced with the dreaded pen-touch-screen conviently located at near chest level so the entire store can watch my actions!
And instead of using handwriting recognition for the PIN digits, there's a GIANT on-screen keypad. So now I have to use a damn 8" pen to jab at an on screen display (designed for near-blind blue-hairs) easily viewable by anyone in the store!
Finally! More broadcast bandwidth for the World's Scariest Reality Midget High School Survival Makeover Elimidate Police Fear Mini-series.
Now if we could only wipe out those damn persistant channels of informative crap like PBS, Discovery, and that other "high-brow" crap. Maybe we'll finally get a whole channel dedicated to quality shows like "The View" and "American Idol".
Falling for the flamebait... :-)
"dude...learn some english. ok?"
burb also 'burb ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bûrb) n. Informal - A suburb: "when the condos get so dense out in those 'burbs that the deer have to run right through hot tubs" (Russell Baker).
Grammer criticism on /.? Are you kidding me? Especially from an AC using improper caps, improper use of elipses, incomplete sentances, incorrect spacing, improper abbreviations, and sentance fragments. BTW: dude is also an informal noun.
"Just because you use the word "Burbs" does not make you a cool guy on slashdot."
Hmmmm, not sure how the use of "burbs" could be confused as an attempt to be "cool". Besides, there is no +mod for cool anyways. Of course, an AC may not be familiar with mod options.
Also, do you think someone attempting to become a "cool guy" would have an account on /., read an article on anthropomorphizing Mars rovers at space.com, and then post an insightful comment about the article? C'mon!
"Will your keyboard break down if you add Su?"
No. However, I am conditioned to avoid the use of su whenever possible. I use sudo instead.
"Also, avoid that bold lettering."
Ooops! Agreed! However, the excessive use of bold probably saved you a small amount on your electric bill since fewer bright white pixels had to be rendered on your display. Multiply that by zillions of /.ers and I should get a Nobel prize for energy conservation!
"Wallace said it's hard to predict how the rovers will eventually be silenced."
Pure Silence: "A gentle, loving, inner peace and silence is here and now in this moment. It has always been this way. It is always here. It is right here within you and all around you, a stillness, an apparent void, a seeming nothingness out of which everything arises, exists, and eventually returns. "
OMG! The rovers are going to get sucked into a black hole! WATCH OUT!!
The suburbs is where all the s#!t happens that everyone *thinks* is limited to the "inner city".
Leading market for gang growth and presence? The burbs.
Leading market of drug users and drug spending? The burbs.
Leading market for pr0n? Burbs.
By far the leading market for SUVs (speaking of so-called evil)? Burbs.
Number one users of so-called Earth killing pollutants? Burbs.
The list goes on and on and on...
Why do so many entities (read: media) STILL portray the suburbs as some sort of pure, loving, pastures of solice? The suburbs are like a nice, ripe tomato: All shiny and pretty on the surface, but a disgusting mess 1mm below the surface.
"RODDENBERRY JOINS X PRIZE ADVISORY COMMITTEE"
I see where this is heading: Gene's son joins the team so he can get close to the launch site. He climbs some scafolding just as that Alaskan sheriff is about to board the ship (Contact). Instead of blowing everything up, Gene Jr. jumps onto said Sheriff with a big bear hug and ends up on board the ship (ST:IV:TVH). They slingshot around the Sun (ibid) where they go back to October of 1955 (BTTF). They steal Doc's DeLorean, drive into the future at 88 mph to San Francisco's UFP HQ. Since money is no longer an issue, they easily win an antique British phone box off of eBay, make some slight mods, and time/space warp back to 2004 (Dr.W)
Unfortunately, at the end of this spectacular journey, Gene Jr. was mistakenly wearing a red shirt. We all know what happens to the red shirts. :-(
If I remember correctly...