Star Trek could learn a lot from the "Doctor Who" makeover. RTD resurrected Doctor Who and made it rock. I wonder what he'd do with Star Trek. Guess we'll never know...:)
Spinoffs have become fashionable since Buffy had a popular scifi spinoff with Angel. Doctor Who now has Torchwood (and K9 the animated series!), Stargate SG1 has Stargate Atlantis, and now BSG is falling in line. But, unlike Torchwood, I don't think it will star a bisexual conman from the 28th century. Then again, you never know.
It's all good that Star Trek will be cancelled. Blasphemy, you say? I say, no. Doctor Who ran 26 seasons from 1963 to 1989, and by 1989, with an tired crew and tired scripts, it was way past its prime. It NEEDED to be put to sleep for awhile.
Result: The 2005 revival, with a new, modern look and feel, modern, smart, current-generation writers, and the inherent license to grow and change the franchise has reinvigorated it and Doctor Who is said to be in another hayday of production and popularity not seen since Tom Baker portrayed the role in the late 1970's.
Star Trek has needed this sort of break since the second season of Voyager, if you ask me; perhaps before, as Brandon Braga and Rick Berman became the aged and tired producers running out of ideas.
The good news: Star Trek will be back, after its rested, time has passed to gain perspective and for both the fans and the show itself to mature into a more modern and relevant incaration.
Such are growing pains in the sci-fi universe. I would go so far as to say that the next incaration of Star Trek should show up in about 20 years, when the next generation can make it relevant again.
Don't worry folks. Just be patient, and you'll have a chance to fall in love all over again, with your children or grandchildren.
How well do you think this movie will go over with Hitchhiker newbies and United States audiences as compared to a "native" British audience? On a similar vein, did you go out of your way to make it accessible or concentrate on autenticity?
Is Wikipedia mobile like this? If so does anyone have a link? If so, then we'll have our "Encyclopedia Galactica" and our "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" for real!
Correction -- eek I feel just like the BBC -- it's aired in the UK and Canada to record ratings, and is signed to be aired in Australia and Italy -- perhaps because of the record ratings?:)
When will a station finally pick the show up in the United States??? It's showing in Australia, the UK, Canada, and Italy to record ratings. Someone needs to wake up the execs that be and get this show on the air before we look like complete morons.
One thing that kept me from installing 1.1 was the painful installation on a Windows 2000 terminal server, lots of custom scripts and headaches. With 2.0 and its msi installer, does anyone know if that is eliminated??
What about Tru calling? There's a show -- with Eliza Dushku -- that was decently original, but got the sack from Fox apparently in the last month or so, with decent ratings up against shows like CSI and Friends.
Now the second season is all over BitTorrent from its one airing in New Zealand. FOX LOSES (money)!
I wanted to get a Treo 600 back in the day, and it was not dual band. Then I wanted to get a Treo 650 (through Sprint) and that was also not dual band. What this means is that it does not have analog roaming, so once you are out of the core Sprint network you have NO phone service. This is a problem because I travel a lot and sometimes am in remote locations in rural Wisconsin.
Samsung, apparently, has a Palm-based Treo 650-ish phone coming out in December that has dual band capability. I've been told to watch www.phonescoop.com for it. In the mean time, be sure to ask your provider if your Treo/other phone supports roaming before you make the investment!
And for those who believe protein folding is the holy grail, feel free to help it along by joining Folding@Home.
They've recently tied several diseases to malformed proteins joining together to form an internal "plaque" of proteins, indicating that real progress can possibly be made in this sector. I'd much rather find the cure to cancer than alien life, but that's just me...
CJF
What are your writing plans after Baroque cycle?
on
Ask Neal Stephenson
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Neal,
A lot of us fans loved it when you were in the world of pure sci-fi, though we appreciate the Baroque Cycle, we were wondering if you are going to get back into the world of cyberpunk, or future worlds, or what have you, like in The Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon. What are your writing plans when the Baroque Cycle is complete?
I got a bunch of my users to install Anti-spyware and Anti-virus software using two free packages, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Grisoft's Free AV program. (www.grisoft.com).
Since people always like something for nothing, they certainly thought I was doing them a favor. In the end, they were doing themselves a favor, and the business as well!
This will make the return of Dr. Who even more interesting. Doctor Who began to die on TV when ST: TNG came out -- with its special effects and scope, along with some solid early-on writing, TNG put the good Doctor behind the times.
Now we see a role reversal -- Star Trek is behind the times, fading away, and the good Doctor is returning to TV backed by a production team determined to bring the show up to spec. Let's hope the lessons of Star Trek will not be forgotten when DW returns to TV in 2005.
Good point. I don't want people confusing 9800 non-Pro with 9800 SE, which strips it of some of its core technology. I still think Non-pro is a good buy, but NOT the SE.
I had an AllinWonder Pro way back in the day. Used it to sample in some digital video and back up some of my VHS tapes to HD. Drivers sucked. When I got Windows 2000, it totally broke. Since then, I've avoided the whole thing by getting a digital camera with USB drivers. Much more flexible anyways, and you can plug in external sources into the dv camera and I'm back where I was with the AllinWonder.
So here's my video card suggestion: Forget the 9600 AiW and go straight to a 9800 non-pro version. According to Tom's hardware, 20-30% performance difference over the 9600 graphically. Finally, do NOT get the Pro, XT, or SE versions of the 9800 unless you are a hardcore gamer. I was able to get a Radeon 9800/128 meg version for $185 on EBay!
The lower clock speed of the 9800 vs 9800 Pro affects performance minimally, but you can also overclock the regular 9800 to have Pro-like speeds, from what I hear. Tom's hardware also indicated VIRTUALLY NO PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE between the 128 and 256 meg RAM versions of the RaDeon 9800 Pro card. ---- Basically, the extra RAM, fluff features ATI puts on their cards is for the kiddies. If you want to buy in, go for it. Otherwise, be smart, take advantage of the core technology by getting the 9800 -- you'll get all the performance and save $200. Save your money for dedicated, portable peripherals.
Tom Baker was a great Dr. Who, but lately it seems he is a loon with moments of lucidity. Have any of you read his interview at the BBC?? It's hard for him to remember SEASONS of Dr Who at this point. Or, he was just pretending. Either way, he was a loon in the interview.
It's much too early methinks (2 years out) for an actor to be chosen for Dr. Who.
When Big Finnish, who does the Dr Who audio adventures, solicits scripts, they say "write it for any Doctor" and then it is customized to a new Doctor's persona after the actor is chosen. What this means, is any time between now and late 2004 a Doctor could be chosen, even with the script fleshed out. Naturally, to generate the most hype, people will be speculating on the actor (or actress!) to play the Doctor. Paul McGann, the 8th doctor who was in the Fox TV movie, has been quoted as saying he wants a FEMALE doctor this time around, or an African American one -- this doesn't mean it's going to happen -- it's just actors voicing their opinions.
For the latest Dr Who news the best place to go, IMHO, is www.gallifreyone.com. It's a well-maintained fansite that seems to be tearing through the flurry of speculation and sticking to official BBC press releases.
I've had pneumonia three times, and I was a premature child. I'd be dead four times over if it weren't for modern technology. So would most of you. It's funny that a lot of people who are living in the most enlightened age ever still look at these concepts as if they aren't happening already.
What fascinates me more is what is happening in America -- how jobs are not being replaced with new ones thanks to technology -- and people are just being thrown aside. There are only two things that will destroy the "dream" of immortality. Those are greed and scarcity.
I'm glad to have been lucky to be born in the US, so I'm winning the scarcity game, and I have a decent job. so I'm doing okay on the greed side too.
Slashdot Mirror
Star Trek could learn a lot from the "Doctor Who" makeover. RTD resurrected Doctor Who and made it rock. I wonder what he'd do with Star Trek. Guess we'll never know...:)
I got the old release on DVD, I'll wait for the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray release :P
Spinoffs have become fashionable since Buffy had a popular scifi spinoff with Angel. Doctor Who now has Torchwood (and K9 the animated series!), Stargate SG1 has Stargate Atlantis, and now BSG is falling in line. But, unlike Torchwood, I don't think it will star a bisexual conman from the 28th century. Then again, you never know.
Am I the only one who saw "Microsoft Feces" when first reading the headline?
It's all good that Star Trek will be cancelled. Blasphemy, you say? I say, no. Doctor Who ran 26 seasons from 1963 to 1989, and by 1989, with an tired crew and tired scripts, it was way past its prime. It NEEDED to be put to sleep for awhile.
Result: The 2005 revival, with a new, modern look and feel, modern, smart, current-generation writers, and the inherent license to grow and change the franchise has reinvigorated it and Doctor Who is said to be in another hayday of production and popularity not seen since Tom Baker portrayed the role in the late 1970's.
Star Trek has needed this sort of break since the second season of Voyager, if you ask me; perhaps before, as Brandon Braga and Rick Berman became the aged and tired producers running out of ideas.
The good news: Star Trek will be back, after its rested, time has passed to gain perspective and for both the fans and the show itself to mature into a more modern and relevant incaration.
Such are growing pains in the sci-fi universe.
I would go so far as to say that the next incaration of Star Trek should show up in about 20 years, when the next generation can make it relevant again.
Don't worry folks. Just be patient, and you'll have a chance to fall in love all over again, with your children or grandchildren.
How well do you think this movie will go over with Hitchhiker newbies and United States audiences as compared to a "native" British audience? On a similar vein, did you go out of your way to make it accessible or concentrate on autenticity?
Is Wikipedia mobile like this? If so does anyone have a link? If so, then we'll have our "Encyclopedia Galactica" and our "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" for real!
Correction -- eek I feel just like the BBC -- it's aired in the UK and Canada to record ratings, and is signed to be aired in Australia and Italy -- perhaps because of the record ratings? :)
When will a station finally pick the show up in the United States??? It's showing in Australia, the UK, Canada, and Italy to record ratings. Someone needs to wake up the execs that be and get this show on the air before we look like complete morons.
TIGER PUNCH ;)
One thing that kept me from installing 1.1 was the painful installation on a Windows 2000 terminal server, lots of custom scripts and headaches. With 2.0 and its msi installer, does anyone know if that is eliminated??
What about Tru calling? There's a show -- with Eliza Dushku -- that was decently original, but got the sack from Fox apparently in the last month or so, with decent ratings up against shows like CSI and Friends.
Now the second season is all over BitTorrent from its one airing in New Zealand. FOX LOSES (money)!
Chris
Does anyone know if Firefox works with user profiles in a Windows 2000/2003 terminal services deployment without bugs?
I wanted to get a Treo 600 back in the day, and it was not dual band. Then I wanted to get a Treo 650 (through Sprint) and that was also not dual band. What this means is that it does not have analog roaming, so once you are out of the core Sprint network you have NO phone service. This is a problem because I travel a lot and sometimes am in remote locations in rural Wisconsin.
Samsung, apparently, has a Palm-based Treo 650-ish phone coming out in December that has dual band capability. I've been told to watch www.phonescoop.com for it. In the mean time, be sure to ask your provider if your Treo/other phone supports roaming before you make the investment!
CJF
And for those who believe protein folding is the holy grail, feel free to help it along by joining Folding@Home.
They've recently tied several diseases to malformed proteins joining together to form an internal "plaque" of proteins, indicating that real progress can possibly be made in this sector. I'd much rather find the cure to cancer than alien life, but that's just me...
CJF
Neal,
A lot of us fans loved it when you were in the world of pure sci-fi, though we appreciate the Baroque Cycle, we were wondering if you are going to get back into the world of cyberpunk, or future worlds, or what have you, like in The Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon. What are your writing plans when the Baroque Cycle is complete?
I got a bunch of my users to install Anti-spyware and Anti-virus software using two free packages, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Grisoft's Free AV program. (www.grisoft.com).
Since people always like something for nothing, they certainly thought I was doing them a favor. In the end, they were doing themselves a favor, and the business as well!
Fear not! Dr. Who returns to the airwaves in 2005. And thankfully, it's only at it's "Next Generation" phase.
CJF
Anyone know how I could use either of these with my copy of MS Outlook or Exchange 2000 server at work?
This will make the return of Dr. Who even more interesting. Doctor Who began to die on TV when ST: TNG came out -- with its special effects and scope, along with some solid early-on writing, TNG put the good Doctor behind the times.
Now we see a role reversal -- Star Trek is behind the times, fading away, and the good Doctor is returning to TV backed by a production team determined to bring the show up to spec. Let's hope the lessons of Star Trek will not be forgotten when DW returns to TV in 2005.
Good point. I don't want people confusing 9800 non-Pro with 9800 SE, which strips it of some of its core technology. I still think Non-pro is a good buy, but NOT the SE.
I had an AllinWonder Pro way back in the day. Used it to sample in some digital video and back up some of my VHS tapes to HD. Drivers sucked. When I got Windows 2000, it totally broke. Since then, I've avoided the whole thing by getting a digital camera with USB drivers. Much more flexible anyways, and you can plug in external sources into the dv camera and I'm back where I was with the AllinWonder.
So here's my video card suggestion: Forget the 9600 AiW and go straight to a 9800 non-pro version. According to Tom's hardware, 20-30% performance difference over the 9600 graphically. Finally, do NOT get the Pro, XT, or SE versions of the 9800 unless you are a hardcore gamer. I was able to get a Radeon 9800/128 meg version for $185 on EBay!
The lower clock speed of the 9800 vs 9800 Pro affects performance minimally, but you can also overclock the regular 9800 to have Pro-like speeds, from what I hear.
Tom's hardware also indicated VIRTUALLY NO PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE between the 128 and 256 meg RAM versions of the RaDeon 9800 Pro card.
----
Basically, the extra RAM, fluff features ATI puts on their cards is for the kiddies. If you want to buy in, go for it. Otherwise, be smart, take advantage of the core technology by getting the 9800 -- you'll get all the performance and save $200. Save your money for dedicated, portable peripherals.
Tom Baker was a great Dr. Who, but lately it seems he is a loon with moments of lucidity. Have any of you read his interview at the BBC?? It's hard for him to remember SEASONS of Dr Who at this point. Or, he was just pretending. Either way, he was a loon in the interview.
It's much too early methinks (2 years out) for an actor to be chosen for Dr. Who.
When Big Finnish, who does the Dr Who audio adventures, solicits scripts, they say "write it for any Doctor" and then it is customized to a new Doctor's persona after the actor is chosen. What this means, is any time between now and late 2004 a Doctor could be chosen, even with the script fleshed out. Naturally, to generate the most hype, people will be speculating on the actor (or actress!) to play the Doctor. Paul McGann, the 8th doctor who was in the Fox TV movie, has been quoted as saying he wants a FEMALE doctor this time around, or an African American one -- this doesn't mean it's going to happen -- it's just actors voicing their opinions.
For the latest Dr Who news the best place to go, IMHO, is www.gallifreyone.com. It's a well-maintained fansite that seems to be tearing through the flurry of speculation and sticking to official BBC press releases.
I can't wait for the Doctor to be back on TV.
I've had pneumonia three times, and I was a premature child. I'd be dead four times over if it weren't for modern technology. So would most of you. It's funny that a lot of people who are living in the most enlightened age ever still look at these concepts as if they aren't happening already.
What fascinates me more is what is happening in America -- how jobs are not being replaced with new ones thanks to technology -- and people are just being thrown aside. There are only two things that will destroy the "dream" of immortality. Those are greed and scarcity.
I'm glad to have been lucky to be born in the US, so I'm winning the scarcity game, and I have a decent job. so I'm doing okay on the greed side too.
Human nature is truly ugly.
CJF
To be concluded??? Doc Brown is in 1885! Can't wait to see the sequel!