I couldn't agree more. I hate it when I have the ability to choose which groups I give money to, and what they obtain/produce. It's so much better when you have the choice of only a few providers, each of which pumps tons of channels at you, most of which you wouldn't pay for if given the choice.
Netflix is becoming the equivalent of a channel at this point. They're stepping from the archive space into producing their own sitcom. It happens to be one I love dearly, and the last couple episodes clearly gave the impression that the actors wanted to find someone to do it. That part's just icing on the cake, though. I'm happy that a streaming service is actually paying for new content to be produced.
The FCC couldn't do it by mandating that satellite/cable/fiber optic/etc. television providers offer a la carte pricing. It looks like it's being done from the other side, though. The market is producing options for us. I'm happy about that.
It's also why you can install Linux. If you can get Linux to boot in pure EFI mode (i.e. without BIOS emulation), I'm interested to hear how.
I went deep into this awhile back. Unfortunately, when Apple decided to go with EFI for its Intel Macs, the current EFI specification didn't meet all of their needs, so they added a few features, and standardized on that. Most non-Apple EFI hardware now uses the later EFI standard, which has those features, but in a way that is incompatible with Mac OS. The specific features escape me for the moment.
There's also a question of 32-bit EFI vs. 64-bit EFI, which finally made me back down and give up. I had applied kernel patches, gotten an EFI version of GRUB, started digging deep in the EFI shell provided by rEFIt (bootloader for Macs), and I couldn't get anywhere. I gave up.
...then other departments, hell, even important people could be at risk...
Err.. it seems to me that _everyone_ should be considered important when it comes to this. It may sound like I'm nitpicking, but this underlies a big issue with America these days. We should not have a concept of important people. Everyone has one vote (with recent elections, this is a joke, but that's another issue entirely), everyone is equally important. Something about all men (as in, mankind) being created equally or something.
And I'm proud to be an American. Where at least I'm told I'm free. I won't forget the third-grade class that ingrained it into me, and I'll proudly stand up, next to you, though I don't know what it means. Oh, there ain't no doubt who runs this land. God Bless the bourgeois.
I wrote that in my head when I had to work at K-Mart the day after the 9/11 attack, telling people constantly that we were out of flags (what, you didn't care about them a week ago?), and hearing patriotic music blaring on the radio.
Seriously, though, I think that a lot of Slashdot readers hold politics close to their hearts, and therefore would like to hear about this.
Also, since I love picking nits, the post simply says you should write your MP. It does not specify what you should say. Feel free to write in support of whichever side tickles your fancy.
I happen to think you're dead wrong. If ease of use weren't attractive to the average consumer, why did AOL dominate?
Also, I'll grant you that VCRs, DVDs, etc. weren't terribly easy to use when they came out, but one of the major things that helped people out was that they were all completely consistent in the interface, at least the primary one. Play, pause, stop, fast-forward, rewind, next chapter, previous chapter. I know there are tens of other features on most DVD players, but how many average-joe type people use them?
This discrepancy among interfaces is also what has kept Apple alive in the past. People were unwilling to learn Windows as an alternative. Granted, OS X is wonderful, and I'd argue much better than Windows, but that hasn't always been true of MacOS.
Finally, I think a major portion of what keeps Linux off of most people's computers is lack of software compatibility. OpenOffice.org is nice, but most average-joe users don't realize how close to compatible with MS Office it is. Also, there are so many little things -- the CDROM that comes with textbooks, the stupid little games packaged with breakfast cereals, etc. that simply won't work in Linux.
I think things like this, far more than driver compatibility or any such thing, is important. If I had more time, I'd be throwing it at helping develop wine. Until people can switch, and keep all the little niceties that come with software compatibility (I know viruses, spyware and such fall into this category, but it goes with the territory).
That's the important thing in my mind. Average Joe doesn't want to keep a table in his head of Linux equivalents for Windows software. That's all they know about. Most people don't even know they have Windows, because it's not in the Programs menu.
Also, this will get many PHB types to switch. If they can keep using the same apps, it's easier to argue the switch. After that, argue to switch the apps one-by-one if you like. Once people get used to using it at work, they'll clamor for it at home. It worked for Microsoft!
So, a good, solid Wine layer is a majorly important thing if what we really want is desktop dominance. I'd chuck my Windows partition in a second if I thought I could run Half-Life 2 under Linux.
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I couldn't agree more. I hate it when I have the ability to choose which groups I give money to, and what they obtain/produce. It's so much better when you have the choice of only a few providers, each of which pumps tons of channels at you, most of which you wouldn't pay for if given the choice.
Netflix is becoming the equivalent of a channel at this point. They're stepping from the archive space into producing their own sitcom. It happens to be one I love dearly, and the last couple episodes clearly gave the impression that the actors wanted to find someone to do it. That part's just icing on the cake, though. I'm happy that a streaming service is actually paying for new content to be produced.
The FCC couldn't do it by mandating that satellite/cable/fiber optic/etc. television providers offer a la carte pricing. It looks like it's being done from the other side, though. The market is producing options for us. I'm happy about that.
Hey old-timer! You do realize that if you have a path that is uphill both ways, that you also could've gone downhill both ways, right?
Hey, hey, hey The term "Indian-giver" is racist and misleading. Please use "Native-American-giver" instead.
It's also why you can install Linux. If you can get Linux to boot in pure EFI mode (i.e. without BIOS emulation), I'm interested to hear how. I went deep into this awhile back. Unfortunately, when Apple decided to go with EFI for its Intel Macs, the current EFI specification didn't meet all of their needs, so they added a few features, and standardized on that. Most non-Apple EFI hardware now uses the later EFI standard, which has those features, but in a way that is incompatible with Mac OS. The specific features escape me for the moment. There's also a question of 32-bit EFI vs. 64-bit EFI, which finally made me back down and give up. I had applied kernel patches, gotten an EFI version of GRUB, started digging deep in the EFI shell provided by rEFIt (bootloader for Macs), and I couldn't get anywhere. I gave up.
or War of the Worlds!
I am likewise firmly against movies being created with FORTH.
...then other departments, hell, even important people could be at risk...
Err.. it seems to me that _everyone_ should be considered important when it comes to this. It may sound like I'm nitpicking, but this underlies a big issue with America these days. We should not have a concept of important people. Everyone has one vote (with recent elections, this is a joke, but that's another issue entirely), everyone is equally important. Something about all men (as in, mankind) being created equally or something.
Kudos for linking to an article _from_within_that_very_article_ Excellent.
I want to work in that sweatshop, even if it is for less than "minimum" wage : )
And I'm proud to be an American.
Where at least I'm told I'm free.
I won't forget the third-grade class
that ingrained it into me,
and I'll proudly stand up,
next to you, though I don't know what it means.
Oh, there ain't no doubt who runs this land.
God Bless the bourgeois.
I wrote that in my head when I had to work at K-Mart the day after the 9/11 attack, telling people constantly that we were out of flags (what, you didn't care about them a week ago?), and hearing patriotic music blaring on the radio.
Right, and no one sees any reason to store more than 4.5GB on a disc anytime soon either.
Wasn't this the very reason they changed the DVD acronym to stand for Digital Versatile Disc rather than Digital Video disc?
Precisely what I was thinking. Thank you for saying it first.
Number 50 on the list is University if Missouri-Columbus.
I've lived in misery (ahem: Missouri) all my life, and don't know of this college, though I do attend the University of Missouri-Columbia.
(Well, I pay them, anyway. I rarely _attend_.)
I'm not exactly loyal, but damnit, I want my crappy college spelled right!
Strictly a news site? You new here?
Seriously, though, I think that a lot of Slashdot readers hold politics close to their hearts, and therefore would like to hear about this.
Also, since I love picking nits, the post simply says you should write your MP. It does not specify what you should say. Feel free to write in support of whichever side tickles your fancy.
I happen to think you're dead wrong. If ease of use weren't attractive to the average consumer, why did AOL dominate?
Also, I'll grant you that VCRs, DVDs, etc. weren't terribly easy to use when they came out, but one of the major things that helped people out was that they were all completely consistent in the interface, at least the primary one. Play, pause, stop, fast-forward, rewind, next chapter, previous chapter. I know there are tens of other features on most DVD players, but how many average-joe type people use them?
This discrepancy among interfaces is also what has kept Apple alive in the past. People were unwilling to learn Windows as an alternative. Granted, OS X is wonderful, and I'd argue much better than Windows, but that hasn't always been true of MacOS.
Finally, I think a major portion of what keeps Linux off of most people's computers is lack of software compatibility. OpenOffice.org is nice, but most average-joe users don't realize how close to compatible with MS Office it is. Also, there are so many little things -- the CDROM that comes with textbooks, the stupid little games packaged with breakfast cereals, etc. that simply won't work in Linux.
I think things like this, far more than driver compatibility or any such thing, is important. If I had more time, I'd be throwing it at helping develop wine. Until people can switch, and keep all the little niceties that come with software compatibility (I know viruses, spyware and such fall into this category, but it goes with the territory).
That's the important thing in my mind. Average Joe doesn't want to keep a table in his head of Linux equivalents for Windows software. That's all they know about. Most people don't even know they have Windows, because it's not in the Programs menu.
Also, this will get many PHB types to switch. If they can keep using the same apps, it's easier to argue the switch. After that, argue to switch the apps one-by-one if you like. Once people get used to using it at work, they'll clamor for it at home. It worked for Microsoft!
So, a good, solid Wine layer is a majorly important thing if what we really want is desktop dominance. I'd chuck my Windows partition in a second if I thought I could run Half-Life 2 under Linux.
I'd buy that for a dollar.
Seriously, though, this is a good idea.