For some reason, I really liked the alternity system for "modern" games. It hat the right mix of realism and fantasy to do a "Threshold" style game without the grittyness of GURPS or the unbelievable get shot with a shotgun to the back (not wearing a vest) and not only live, but are basically uninjured and unimpaired of d20 Modern.
Ok, but at least I'm aware I'm making an agreement, and I'd suppose I have some idea of the terms of the agreement prior to shaking hands in a verbal contract.
These EULAS are hidden inside a box(often not even in the box, but online or on the DISC, where getting to the contract (if I even guess there would be one) makes me agree to it *prior to reading it*!
And while most people are used to EULAs on software, who would figure there would be a EULA on a MUSIC CD?
There is no attempt to make us aware of such a thing prior to or during purchasing of the CD.
I guess. I just think there is a problem when you don't know if you are "signing" a contract. I mean, at this point, getting up from the left side of the bed in the morning could be construed as agreeing to some contract. And that's the problem.
I'm not a lawyer, but the act of reading a contract, or opening the box/envelope to read the contract *should not* mean I agree to the contract. But that seems to be the case, or at least what many companies are promoting.
I seriously have a problem with allowing some non-related act count as signing or accepting a contract. I think we need to go back to contracts not being accepted or signed unless done so on paper with a pen. In the digital realm, maybe we need to use gpg signatures, so it's at least clear that you are a) Actively accepting and actually doing something non-normal to sign a document
and
b) future people can see you have signed the document.
So you don't have this "I never read or agreed to anything" issues as with EULAs.
I think the whole thing has to do with the different spheres of knowing (IIRC - the actual title might be different):
1. Knowledge you have that you are aware of 2. Knowledge you have that you are ignorant of 3. Knowledge you are aware you are ignorant of 4. Knowledge you are are not aware you are ignorant of
So, as you move knowledge from the other areas into area 1, you tend to pull things "up" if you will. Knowledge moves from 4 to 3 as well.
2 isn't a contradiction, just that you might not be aware that some "tip" is true, or may not realize at a certain time that certain stuff you know is actually relevant to the situation at hand.
The scary part is area 4 is a default, so the less you move "up", the less you are aware that you don't know things. This is why lots of people say things like you did - the more you learn, the more you learn you don't know.
Can't you play Halo on your PC though? And really, what is so cool about it? It's a basic FPS as far as I can tell. Those are less than a dime a dozen on any platform. I might argue that UT2k4 does it better than Halo for vehicles etc..
Yeah. Books tend to both be less hassle than any portable video (license, format, battery, etc...) and tend to have better storylines. Maybe because books are cheaper, or because you can do anything you can describe with words without increasing the budget, or there just are *more*, you can find lots more books with interesting stories.
Plus, there are more of the styles you might like. I really like the Morell/Ludlum/Clancy spy style. There are hundereds of books in that style I can read, many very good - but since the Bourne series of movies (which butchered the story beyond belief), there really hasn't been a decent movie like that.
Mr and Mrs Smith was lighthearted pap, and Stealth was unadultered crap.
Well, movies have gotten so crappy at theaters compared to even my own PC screen, I have started to wonder why I bother. I think it's the anti-piracy measures, but it might just be the theaters in the Ithaca, Elmira, Binghamton NY area SUCK. The movies are blurry, have random odd discolorations, blink, have black spots randomly, and overall just look like crap. AND I PAID ~$7 to see it.
It's barely above a scene SVCD release. TS is equivelent for me, and once there's a HDTV or DVD Rip, man, it's clearer on my PC than at the theater. Heck, if I went totally legit tomorrow, I'd still wait for the DVD now adays just so it looks watchable.
That sounds like ADD... but maybe not different from much of the population, and multitasking is great, but does anyone else see anything potentially bad about not being able to focus on one task (even entertainment) for some period of time?
Well, there are issues. I'm a big movie watcher, but this past year has sucked for the theaters I'm sure.
First, prices went up yet again. Plus with the spread of cell phones, the theater experiance has been getting worse and worse. Now I have to watch commercials before a movie that *I PAID TO SEE*. Then, there has been a dearth of movies that attract me to the theater... I think the last "Must See" movie for me was Hitchikers Guide. Then with the nearest decent theater ~20 miles away for much of "Middle America" (that's about half the population IIRC) and rising gas prices... It has to be a damn good movie to make me want to spend the money on it.
With DVD releases in ~4 months, and Netflix, I'm content to wait. Or I "sample" the movie right away via other means. I save crazy amounts of money that way.
To get people back in the theaters, they will need both more movies that don't seem like every other movie of that genre before it, or arent Foobar 2...
I don't know - some work, but yet another Superman? Meh. I haven't even gotten up the ambition to watch Batman Begins.
Yeah, but if they plan to release something that saturate[s] my broadband connection for 2 days to get it, they also need to compete with Netflix, which can get the movie there in a comparible amount of time (maybe one day more) + full DVD, extras, and associated benefits, while still leaving your broadband connection useable for other purposes.
Now, many people figure you can do NetFlix for ~$3 per rental without any travel fees. When I use it, I tend to hit ~$1.60 per rental as between me, my family and occasional friends, we can watch A LOT OF MOVIES really quickly. Heck, my Dad alone can watch 3 DVDs in a day.
So, this service has to compete with that price point as well. Not to mention if they don't do subscription pricing like NetFlix, they have to deal with per transaction mental costs. See, it's no thought needed to add another movie to you're Netflix Queue - you've already paid for it, and moreso a fixed amount. You *can't* go over budget.
But each movie you grab at say $3... you have to think about it etc... all the things that come into play with micropayments.
1) Software doesn't suck. The same software and interface used to interact with your own music library is the basis for the interface for their online music store. 2) Hardware that doesn't suck. The iPod
I'm sure these points are open to debate. iTunes is pretty obscure to the PC world - or at least I see lots of people (myself included) who struggle with it, not to mention the continous updates that seem to change the way the friggen thing works.
And iPods seem to break down multiple times a week, necessitating shipping to service for some length of time. I certainly don't recommend an iPod to anyone.
And this sort of patenting of "entertainment ideas" likely leading to *far fewer* new movies, books, radio shows, TV episodes and whatnot might finally clue in some of the masses to what we've all been screaming about for years - in terms that both directly affect them:
"What do you mean the only allowed reality TV Show is The Amazing Race?"
"Oh, yeah, they got to the patent office first, Survivor can't pay the royalties to use the patented storyline, so no more Survivor."
and in terms that they might understand how ludicrious the situation is. And affecting Survivor might be something they care about enough to cause some action.
Aren't Algorithms basically mathmatics, and therefore currently (supposedly anyway) unpatentable (and presumably should remain so)? Mathmatics being considered facts and whatnot?
HSBC USA is also a nice midrange fees + internet support for Opera at least. The fees are a little higher than some, but not crazy either. IME they are also very customer supportive, so worth a little money for that.
Ok, this is just specious: Should I be expected to forfeit my original $50 and a years worth of subscription fees because they changed the terms?
What - did you suddenly lose the years worth of gameplay you already experianced? Do you call up HBO when they cancel a show you liked and demand a refund from the moment you subscribed with them?
I mean, you can stop playing the game! And stop paying for it.
I would hope people understand that subscription based games are going to be like any subscription service rather than like the old single player CD based games which were like books (sort of).
Of course, this among other issues is exactly why I have yet to buy or play a MMORPG.
You know, I have studied symlinks and hardlinks, and I know what a shortcut is, but could you explain the actual difference between shortcuts and symlinks?
How are the fossles of Apes, then Neandertals, then Humans not exactly what you are looking for? You see a slow gradual change there. Also, Cro-Magnon and the like. Not to mention the smaller intervening steps such as the differences within Humans?
The return argument I expect is that the various fossles are just micro-evolution. But there's a problem with that statement. It makes it impossible to satisfy your demand.
Because, if there is a distinct difference between say, Neandertals and Humans - you will claim there is no fossil on either side. When we show there is a fossle on either side, I'm betting you will claim those only demonstrate Micro-Evolution.
So, to have fossles close enough to fit criteria A (no huge jump) they also would fit (for you) negative criteria B (they are microevolution).
Slashdot Mirror
For some reason, I really liked the alternity system for "modern" games. It hat the right mix of realism and fantasy to do a "Threshold" style game without the grittyness of GURPS or the unbelievable get shot with a shotgun to the back (not wearing a vest) and not only live, but are basically uninjured and unimpaired of d20 Modern.
For some reason, recently moderates have gone out of style. Probably because their views don't make as compelling slogans or Crossfire episodes...
Ok, but at least I'm aware I'm making an agreement, and I'd suppose I have some idea of the terms of the agreement prior to shaking hands in a verbal contract.
These EULAS are hidden inside a box(often not even in the box, but online or on the DISC, where getting to the contract (if I even guess there would be one) makes me agree to it *prior to reading it*!
And while most people are used to EULAs on software, who would figure there would be a EULA on a MUSIC CD?
There is no attempt to make us aware of such a thing prior to or during purchasing of the CD.
I guess. I just think there is a problem when you don't know if you are "signing" a contract. I mean, at this point, getting up from the left side of the bed in the morning could be construed as agreeing to some contract. And that's the problem.
I'm not a lawyer, but the act of reading a contract, or opening the box/envelope to read the contract *should not* mean I agree to the contract. But that seems to be the case, or at least what many companies are promoting.
I seriously have a problem with allowing some non-related act count as signing or accepting a contract. I think we need to go back to contracts not being accepted or signed unless done so on paper with a pen. In the digital realm, maybe we need to use gpg signatures, so it's at least clear that you are
a) Actively accepting and actually doing something non-normal to sign a document
and
b) future people can see you have signed the document.
So you don't have this "I never read or agreed to anything" issues as with EULAs.
I think the whole thing has to do with the different spheres of knowing (IIRC - the actual title might be different):
1. Knowledge you have that you are aware of
2. Knowledge you have that you are ignorant of
3. Knowledge you are aware you are ignorant of
4. Knowledge you are are not aware you are ignorant of
So, as you move knowledge from the other areas into area 1, you tend to pull things "up" if you will. Knowledge moves from 4 to 3 as well.
2 isn't a contradiction, just that you might not be aware that some "tip" is true, or may not realize at a certain time that certain stuff you know is actually relevant to the situation at hand.
The scary part is area 4 is a default, so the less you move "up", the less you are aware that you don't know things. This is why lots of people say things like you did - the more you learn, the more you learn you don't know.
Has anyone ever thought of someone saving lots of trouble and uploading this to newsgroups?
Can't you play Halo on your PC though? And really, what is so cool about it? It's a basic FPS as far as I can tell. Those are less than a dime a dozen on any platform. I might argue that UT2k4 does it better than Halo for vehicles etc..
Check out iRiver devices, IIRC they might support ogg.
Yeah. Books tend to both be less hassle than any portable video (license, format, battery, etc...) and tend to have better storylines. Maybe because books are cheaper, or because you can do anything you can describe with words without increasing the budget, or there just are *more*, you can find lots more books with interesting stories.
Plus, there are more of the styles you might like. I really like the Morell/Ludlum/Clancy spy style. There are hundereds of books in that style I can read, many very good - but since the Bourne series of movies (which butchered the story beyond belief), there really hasn't been a decent movie like that.
Mr and Mrs Smith was lighthearted pap, and Stealth was unadultered crap.
Well, movies have gotten so crappy at theaters compared to even my own PC screen, I have started to wonder why I bother. I think it's the anti-piracy measures, but it might just be the theaters in the Ithaca, Elmira, Binghamton NY area SUCK. The movies are blurry, have random odd discolorations, blink, have black spots randomly, and overall just look like crap. AND I PAID ~$7 to see it.
It's barely above a scene SVCD release. TS is equivelent for me, and once there's a HDTV or DVD Rip, man, it's clearer on my PC than at the theater. Heck, if I went totally legit tomorrow, I'd still wait for the DVD now adays just so it looks watchable.
That sounds like ADD... but maybe not different from much of the population, and multitasking is great, but does anyone else see anything potentially bad about not being able to focus on one task (even entertainment) for some period of time?
Well, there are issues. I'm a big movie watcher, but this past year has sucked for the theaters I'm sure.
... I think the last "Must See" movie for me was Hitchikers Guide. Then with the nearest decent theater ~20 miles away for much of "Middle America" (that's about half the population IIRC) and rising gas prices... It has to be a damn good movie to make me want to spend the money on it.
First, prices went up yet again. Plus with the spread of cell phones, the theater experiance has been getting worse and worse. Now I have to watch commercials before a movie that *I PAID TO SEE*. Then, there has been a dearth of movies that attract me to the theater
With DVD releases in ~4 months, and Netflix, I'm content to wait. Or I "sample" the movie right away via other means. I save crazy amounts of money that way.
To get people back in the theaters, they will need both more movies that don't seem like every other movie of that genre before it, or arent Foobar 2...
I don't know - some work, but yet another Superman? Meh. I haven't even gotten up the ambition to watch Batman Begins.
Yeah, but if they plan to release something that saturate[s] my broadband connection for 2 days to get it, they also need to compete with Netflix, which can get the movie there in a comparible amount of time (maybe one day more) + full DVD, extras, and associated benefits, while still leaving your broadband connection useable for other purposes.
Now, many people figure you can do NetFlix for ~$3 per rental without any travel fees. When I use it, I tend to hit ~$1.60 per rental as between me, my family and occasional friends, we can watch A LOT OF MOVIES really quickly. Heck, my Dad alone can watch 3 DVDs in a day.
So, this service has to compete with that price point as well. Not to mention if they don't do subscription pricing like NetFlix, they have to deal with per transaction mental costs. See, it's no thought needed to add another movie to you're Netflix Queue - you've already paid for it, and moreso a fixed amount. You *can't* go over budget.
But each movie you grab at say $3... you have to think about it etc... all the things that come into play with micropayments.
1) Software doesn't suck. The same software and interface used to interact with your own music library is the basis for the interface for their online music store.
2) Hardware that doesn't suck. The iPod
I'm sure these points are open to debate. iTunes is pretty obscure to the PC world - or at least I see lots of people (myself included) who struggle with it, not to mention the continous updates that seem to change the way the friggen thing works.
And iPods seem to break down multiple times a week, necessitating shipping to service for some length of time. I certainly don't recommend an iPod to anyone.
And this sort of patenting of "entertainment ideas" likely leading to *far fewer* new movies, books, radio shows, TV episodes and whatnot might finally clue in some of the masses to what we've all been screaming about for years - in terms that both directly affect them:
"What do you mean the only allowed reality TV Show is The Amazing Race?"
"Oh, yeah, they got to the patent office first, Survivor can't pay the royalties to use the patented storyline, so no more Survivor."
and in terms that they might understand how ludicrious the situation is. And affecting Survivor might be something they care about enough to cause some action.
Aren't Algorithms basically mathmatics, and therefore currently (supposedly anyway) unpatentable (and presumably should remain so)? Mathmatics being considered facts and whatnot?
HSBC USA is also a nice midrange fees + internet support for Opera at least. The fees are a little higher than some, but not crazy either. IME they are also very customer supportive, so worth a little money for that.
Hence why I love Proxomitron. I can defuse and fix any textual based code.
VMWare isn't GPLed... It's rather expensive propriatery software, though there is that new free (as in beer) player program.
Ok, this is just specious:
Should I be expected to forfeit my original $50 and a years worth of subscription fees because they changed the terms?
What - did you suddenly lose the years worth of gameplay you already experianced? Do you call up HBO when they cancel a show you liked and demand a refund from the moment you subscribed with them?
I mean, you can stop playing the game! And stop paying for it.
I would hope people understand that subscription based games are going to be like any subscription service rather than like the old single player CD based games which were like books (sort of).
Of course, this among other issues is exactly why I have yet to buy or play a MMORPG.
You know, I have studied symlinks and hardlinks, and I know what a shortcut is, but could you explain the actual difference between shortcuts and symlinks?
I can't think of a simple solution, but if you can install software on both ends, you might be able to use www.hamachi.cc
How are the fossles of Apes, then Neandertals, then Humans not exactly what you are looking for? You see a slow gradual change there. Also, Cro-Magnon and the like. Not to mention the smaller intervening steps such as the differences within Humans?
The return argument I expect is that the various fossles are just micro-evolution. But there's a problem with that statement. It makes it impossible to satisfy your demand.
Because, if there is a distinct difference between say, Neandertals and Humans - you will claim there is no fossil on either side. When we show there is a fossle on either side, I'm betting you will claim those only demonstrate Micro-Evolution.
So, to have fossles close enough to fit criteria A (no huge jump) they also would fit (for you) negative criteria B (they are microevolution).
And this is a real good example why free-markets don't work. And why the best economies are mixed, rather than any one extreme.