Just like MSFT's patents they are not the first to do it (and once again being software its based on math which has already been ruled can't be patented). In this case Windows OS's have had this ability since evil Active-x was created, we see it happen on spyware/adware affected pc's and even in running chat programs like Yahoo chat and MSN chat. Therefore because 1) Math isn't patantable, therefore software can't be patented and 2) Apple is not the first to do this I don't believe this "patent" should be allowed.
pfft they don't do that at all. Any given hdd could have any level of security on it at any given time. Hard drives, like all "excess property" goes to a DRMO (defense reutilization marketing office) where they are either distributed out to other units who could re-use it or disassembled completely. Circuit cards are even cut up for the elements.
exactly. The fact that keyboards, mice, and even GUI/desktop ways of driving our computers are still used is just sad. If even a third of the R&D costs wasted in gaming hardware development had been spent on changing user interfaces to not be dependent on keyboards and mice we'd likely have sci-fi ways of manipulating our pc's rather than these joint destroying and litterally dumb devices.
bah it's not "free" at all because it has a prepaid 25 movie rental requirement. Netflix service has a subscription that grants us physical dvd's for an unlimited time and as many movie downloads as we want at no extra cost. That is not surprising though as Blockbuster has a history of fine print and outright hostility to its customers.
Rogerborg is absolutely correct. Any interest your child has in computers right now is simply because he sees you at the computer so he's doing what children do: monkey see monkey do. What I did for my child when she "showed an interest" is gaver her an old keyboard which at 5 she still plays with.
At 5 the computer things she does is limited to noggin.com pbskids.com sproutonline.com and a couple Disney Pooh games that are simple point and click. Even those kid-friendly websites still have too many links to non-games and ads that frustrate her. It takes time to develop the understanding what's on a screen (especially when their reading is non-existant or limited) and the dexterity to work a mouse or trackball.
At 2 you're better off with lightup music toys. My 2 copper is get him a toy piano keyboard with flashy lights:)
Good point bigtomrodney. It reminds me of the all the panic over online credit card use. I used to respond to people like this: "hmm so you trust the unshaven overweight fella in the gas station who could have a camera snapping pics of your card as he swipes it over an online JCPenny.com computer that has no feelings or motives?" Every time the response I got was that they never considered that and then thought differently.
I don't mean to sound like I'm playing "blame the victim" here, what I am trying to do is point out the responsibility of self defense. I honestly wonder (which means I'm looking to hear some answers from people here) why kids let the 'net and their peers be so important to them in the first place. The only answer I can think of that can be proven is they are too lazy. Remember the phrase "Idleness is the devil's business"? That seems to come into play here. A school athlete or even music and drama student doesn't have the time for this kind of thing to bother them or be bullied by anyone in the first place. Contrary to hollywood likes to show serious bullies are not found in athletic programs because bullies tend to have lousy grades which gets them booted from athletics in the first place. Oh some of them act like jerks once in a while but that's a far cry different than a bully. If any of them did act that way you have a recourse through the coach and the practice field.
In essence bullies are losers so the best way to avoid a bully is not be a loser as well. Be involved in activities wether it be school affiliated ones, a martial arts or dance school, or volunteer at the local nursing home. Being active and non-idle reduces the time and chances to be bullied!
Why is this not emphasized more? Instead the emphasis we see is on enforcement against bullies which is as useless as the overall fight against drugs. Oh sure the sting operation leading to a pushers arrest one day might maybe prolong one users life for one day but the overall effect is miniscule. But the programs to keep people from becoming users in the first place has proven to have large long term effects yet it gets the less emphasis and funding. See the correlation?
Your thoughts?
Rob
Wether she's actually intelligent is up for debate; the facts seem to indicate otherwise. There's a fellow in my hometown that has done the same thing despite warnings from the president of the bank even and family members but last I heard he still was believing it would pay off. I think it's the same phenomenon that happens when people refuse to hear the evidence against the lights in the sky they saw as anything but a flying saucer from outer space. "I know what I saw!" - actually they don't know what they saw, they are not a trained observer and don't know how the brain forms patterns and refuse to hear evidence to the contrary. There's bound to be a psychological term for this.
well said! The whole subject is just another way of making sure "geeks" are categorized. It's especially important for the powers that be to try to re-establish gaming as "geeky" because now that the graphics and social abilities of gaming has increased so much the "non geeks" are now participants. This whole matter is another part of the culture war and nothing more.
Very well said. What ticks me off about "studies" about gaming is that it gets assumed that gaming is not "normal" whereas Monday Night Football, Sunday and Saturday Football, soap opera viewing and going to clubs they have deemed is normal. It's absolutely no different than prejudicial "studies" about ethnic groups.
game addiction is crap. To have an "addiction" means that the body has at least temporarily become dependent on the item in question such that the removal of it causes harm. This is why detox and rehabs are so important for addicts to get off drugs and alcohol.
All this quote means: "Learning to balance them is its own technology. It's something that humankind is in a process of developing, even if on a subconscious level for most gamers.'""
is that our society is evolving.
If I don't play a game today that I've played for several days my body has no ill effects. Therefore gaming is NOT an addiction. It may be bad behavior to overindulge in it just as too much football watching can be or anything else one puts their time into, but it is NOT an addiction.
Because that's all control measures ever accomplish. The sad thing is what this is actually a step toward: it's a measure against pornography in general. People already miscategorize "pedophilia" as it is and the anti-porn people know they do that and encourage the misuse of the term so that they can advantage their puritan agendas.
umm the point of science is to change as new knowledge is discovered. That is in direct contrast to dogma's generally non-changing ways. (even though it has anyway due to scientific discoveries)
Also your statement "All science is theory" is being used incorrect. You see the scientific use of the word "theory" is the same as the word "fact." To be classified as a theory, the hypotheses has to be put through rigorous tests that attempts to disprove it have failed.
What you are thinking of is "hypotheses" which is an assumption either not yet fully tested or not fully tested via peer review yet.
I suggest you take some actual science classes before you spew more nonsense like your post.
so true Darkness404. All viacom has to do is what the music companies SHOULD have done: rather than whine about it join them or design their own site with higher quality and ditch the commercials because we flat out hate them. That's the underlieing issue with suppossed video copying: we despise the old way of being forced into commercials. New media is all about choice, not force.
Your argument doesn't fly. The reason is that there could be a confidentiality agreement between the customer and the technician. Why is it that a pscyologist has client-patient confidentiality and a computer tech can't? The limit to that of course is if the patient has done something illegal so does the head shrink need to get a criminal justice degree or a 3 year apprenticeship on top of her medical training? Answer: no, because ethics in business is already part of a pschologists training. Well that requirement is also part of every tech degree as well! So if Texas wants more tax money (which is all licenses are anyway) they already have a freaking law for it called a "business license!" Simply add on x number of hours for ethics training or a tech degree that has an ethics class as part of its curriculum! Done. But noooo government always has to muddle and make things harder than it has to be.
until they change console's to have to "install" the game just like a PC, AND put a limit on number of installs AND keep it like current DRM where you can't transfer the license. That would KILL the used game market just like book publishers have dreamed of someday crushing.
This DRM on games will only serve to kill off gaming on PC's once and for all. This means consoles are the only way to game now. Of course when that shift is complete they'll decide to "install" the games on the console hard disk just like a PC AND require us to still have the disc in the console AND it also will have a 1 install limit which ensures repeat sales for as long as they publish the game.
Slashdot Mirror
Just like MSFT's patents they are not the first to do it (and once again being software its based on math which has already been ruled can't be patented). In this case Windows OS's have had this ability since evil Active-x was created, we see it happen on spyware/adware affected pc's and even in running chat programs like Yahoo chat and MSN chat. Therefore because 1) Math isn't patantable, therefore software can't be patented and 2) Apple is not the first to do this I don't believe this "patent" should be allowed.
This is just another example of academics trying to justify their jobs and twisting the meaning of the word addiction.
don't you mean to "rent" you their stuff?
frackin gov't. When will people get it through their heads that gov't is NOT the answer, it's the PROBLEM. Leave us alone like the founders intended.
yea but gov't regulation? This country has gotten so socialized its pathetic.
They make great targets at a firing range :)
pfft they don't do that at all. Any given hdd could have any level of security on it at any given time. Hard drives, like all "excess property" goes to a DRMO (defense reutilization marketing office) where they are either distributed out to other units who could re-use it or disassembled completely. Circuit cards are even cut up for the elements.
Yaaaayy!!! Let's all go BUY a service pack so we can have the OS we should have gotten when we got Vista. MSFT, I'm done with you.
exactly. The fact that keyboards, mice, and even GUI/desktop ways of driving our computers are still used is just sad. If even a third of the R&D costs wasted in gaming hardware development had been spent on changing user interfaces to not be dependent on keyboards and mice we'd likely have sci-fi ways of manipulating our pc's rather than these joint destroying and litterally dumb devices.
bah it's not "free" at all because it has a prepaid 25 movie rental requirement. Netflix service has a subscription that grants us physical dvd's for an unlimited time and as many movie downloads as we want at no extra cost. That is not surprising though as Blockbuster has a history of fine print and outright hostility to its customers.
hmm isn't that a modern way of the old heat a knife over a fire then burn the wound closed with the side of it like on movies?
Rogerborg is absolutely correct. Any interest your child has in computers right now is simply because he sees you at the computer so he's doing what children do: monkey see monkey do. What I did for my child when she "showed an interest" is gaver her an old keyboard which at 5 she still plays with. At 5 the computer things she does is limited to noggin.com pbskids.com sproutonline.com and a couple Disney Pooh games that are simple point and click. Even those kid-friendly websites still have too many links to non-games and ads that frustrate her. It takes time to develop the understanding what's on a screen (especially when their reading is non-existant or limited) and the dexterity to work a mouse or trackball. At 2 you're better off with lightup music toys. My 2 copper is get him a toy piano keyboard with flashy lights :)
speaking as a veteran military supply officer you'd be amazed at how many parts come from overseas in the military - especially from France.
Good point bigtomrodney. It reminds me of the all the panic over online credit card use. I used to respond to people like this: "hmm so you trust the unshaven overweight fella in the gas station who could have a camera snapping pics of your card as he swipes it over an online JCPenny.com computer that has no feelings or motives?" Every time the response I got was that they never considered that and then thought differently. I don't mean to sound like I'm playing "blame the victim" here, what I am trying to do is point out the responsibility of self defense. I honestly wonder (which means I'm looking to hear some answers from people here) why kids let the 'net and their peers be so important to them in the first place. The only answer I can think of that can be proven is they are too lazy. Remember the phrase "Idleness is the devil's business"? That seems to come into play here. A school athlete or even music and drama student doesn't have the time for this kind of thing to bother them or be bullied by anyone in the first place. Contrary to hollywood likes to show serious bullies are not found in athletic programs because bullies tend to have lousy grades which gets them booted from athletics in the first place. Oh some of them act like jerks once in a while but that's a far cry different than a bully. If any of them did act that way you have a recourse through the coach and the practice field. In essence bullies are losers so the best way to avoid a bully is not be a loser as well. Be involved in activities wether it be school affiliated ones, a martial arts or dance school, or volunteer at the local nursing home. Being active and non-idle reduces the time and chances to be bullied! Why is this not emphasized more? Instead the emphasis we see is on enforcement against bullies which is as useless as the overall fight against drugs. Oh sure the sting operation leading to a pushers arrest one day might maybe prolong one users life for one day but the overall effect is miniscule. But the programs to keep people from becoming users in the first place has proven to have large long term effects yet it gets the less emphasis and funding. See the correlation? Your thoughts? Rob
Wether she's actually intelligent is up for debate; the facts seem to indicate otherwise. There's a fellow in my hometown that has done the same thing despite warnings from the president of the bank even and family members but last I heard he still was believing it would pay off. I think it's the same phenomenon that happens when people refuse to hear the evidence against the lights in the sky they saw as anything but a flying saucer from outer space. "I know what I saw!" - actually they don't know what they saw, they are not a trained observer and don't know how the brain forms patterns and refuse to hear evidence to the contrary. There's bound to be a psychological term for this.
well said! The whole subject is just another way of making sure "geeks" are categorized. It's especially important for the powers that be to try to re-establish gaming as "geeky" because now that the graphics and social abilities of gaming has increased so much the "non geeks" are now participants. This whole matter is another part of the culture war and nothing more.
Very well said. What ticks me off about "studies" about gaming is that it gets assumed that gaming is not "normal" whereas Monday Night Football, Sunday and Saturday Football, soap opera viewing and going to clubs they have deemed is normal. It's absolutely no different than prejudicial "studies" about ethnic groups.
game addiction is crap. To have an "addiction" means that the body has at least temporarily become dependent on the item in question such that the removal of it causes harm. This is why detox and rehabs are so important for addicts to get off drugs and alcohol. All this quote means: "Learning to balance them is its own technology. It's something that humankind is in a process of developing, even if on a subconscious level for most gamers.'"" is that our society is evolving. If I don't play a game today that I've played for several days my body has no ill effects. Therefore gaming is NOT an addiction. It may be bad behavior to overindulge in it just as too much football watching can be or anything else one puts their time into, but it is NOT an addiction.
my last line should have read "...advance their..." not "advantage."
Because that's all control measures ever accomplish. The sad thing is what this is actually a step toward: it's a measure against pornography in general. People already miscategorize "pedophilia" as it is and the anti-porn people know they do that and encourage the misuse of the term so that they can advantage their puritan agendas.
umm the point of science is to change as new knowledge is discovered. That is in direct contrast to dogma's generally non-changing ways. (even though it has anyway due to scientific discoveries) Also your statement "All science is theory" is being used incorrect. You see the scientific use of the word "theory" is the same as the word "fact." To be classified as a theory, the hypotheses has to be put through rigorous tests that attempts to disprove it have failed. What you are thinking of is "hypotheses" which is an assumption either not yet fully tested or not fully tested via peer review yet. I suggest you take some actual science classes before you spew more nonsense like your post.
so true Darkness404. All viacom has to do is what the music companies SHOULD have done: rather than whine about it join them or design their own site with higher quality and ditch the commercials because we flat out hate them. That's the underlieing issue with suppossed video copying: we despise the old way of being forced into commercials. New media is all about choice, not force.
Your argument doesn't fly. The reason is that there could be a confidentiality agreement between the customer and the technician. Why is it that a pscyologist has client-patient confidentiality and a computer tech can't? The limit to that of course is if the patient has done something illegal so does the head shrink need to get a criminal justice degree or a 3 year apprenticeship on top of her medical training? Answer: no, because ethics in business is already part of a pschologists training. Well that requirement is also part of every tech degree as well! So if Texas wants more tax money (which is all licenses are anyway) they already have a freaking law for it called a "business license!" Simply add on x number of hours for ethics training or a tech degree that has an ethics class as part of its curriculum! Done. But noooo government always has to muddle and make things harder than it has to be.
until they change console's to have to "install" the game just like a PC, AND put a limit on number of installs AND keep it like current DRM where you can't transfer the license. That would KILL the used game market just like book publishers have dreamed of someday crushing.
This DRM on games will only serve to kill off gaming on PC's once and for all. This means consoles are the only way to game now. Of course when that shift is complete they'll decide to "install" the games on the console hard disk just like a PC AND require us to still have the disc in the console AND it also will have a 1 install limit which ensures repeat sales for as long as they publish the game.