"...I know this is a probably obvious and cliched comment, but OSS is not commercial software, you can't exactly expect the same kind of responses to things like requests for support..."
Fair enough. As long as those same people who bite the head of a newbie asking the 51st stupid question of the day dont then turn around and whine because Linux hasn't replaced Windows in the homes and corporate desktops of the world.
Honestly if I have knowledge on a given subject, i either want to share it or I dont. If I do share my knowledge, I have to accept that Im going to get deluged with stupid questions. If doing so pisses me off to the point of being an ass, then maybe I should go do something else in my spare time.
We have about 7 RHEL servers at work, all with very costly support contracts and I have to say: this has been my experience with Redhat support as well.
THEY SUCK.
Before anyone bashes the shit out of me for not being a *nix guru and being able to fix these boxes when they break (and they do), thats why we chose to pay support dollars. To bridge the gap between my mediocre linux knowledge and having someone at our beck and call when stuff breaks I dont know how to fix.
Unfortunately the level of support they give is about what I'd expect using community forums for an open source project. Completely expected and just fine when its community members helping other members - but a total butt-rape when its a TON of yearly dollars, allegedly to get 'expert' support.
scary - I grew up in Westboro and remember when the TV shop started renting videos. my dad had a store right across the street and we'd go over on our lunch break and marvel a the shiny new technology...he he
Lets face it, the story is a bit thin - if Gandalf really knew the fate of the entire earth hinged on those two midgets dropping a ring into a volcano, he would have just sent the giant eagles to drop Frodo - ring and all - right into Mount Doom in the first place and be done with it. Even in Middle Earth there's stats for acceptable loss...
Actually, what you said was that MySpace made no attempt to verify age or restrict content to minors. That's totally untrue. MySpace meets the same requirements in that respect that other, more specifically adult sites do. MySpace is specifically NOT a site with explicit sexual content and it's usage rules are clear on that. MySpace also requires that any member state his age. I'm not aware of MySpace making any false claims that you suggest they do.
If you spent any time whatsoever checking Myspace out before spewing out your uninformed opinion, you'd realize the above paragraph is completely wrong. You say they dont restrict content to minors? Go there and see how long it takes you to find X rated material without anything stopping you. This is within myspace's site mind you, I'm not talking about the entire internet so dont bother with that argument.
You say myspace is 'specifically NOT a site with explicit sexual content' - wrong again. It has elaborate usage rules that they do not enforce - so they might as well not even have them.
They are a social networking site that many people - some underage - use to hook up. I get it. I have no problem with anyone using the site that way. I agree that if underage people are using the site that way, then its ultimately their parents fault. There should be some responsibility on Myspace's part to uphold its own terms of service, which it is not.
They do have policies forbidding explicit content and they block public access to accounts below 16 years old.
But then you say
I've personally see child porn trading pages on MySpace.
Your example, "well hung 4 your pleasure" may be adult content for you but not for everyone. You need to enter the real world.
Just because I object to something and think its not safe for kids does not mean I am not in the "real world."
Does your comment mean to imply you'd be OK with your 10 year old daughter browsing a site with content like that? I can only assume you don't have kids or if you do, you are a horrible parent too stupid (or lazy) to be bothered with your kids.
The context of my post was that this type of content is NOT adult content for me. But it is for my kid and should not be freely available to a site that is marketing itself to young adults/teens, while at the same time falsely claiming they give a crap about privacy, safety and the content underage people see.
That's really only true in large metropolitan areas, none of the newspapers in the small RI town where I live print that stuff. If they did, I'd make sure my 10 year old wasn't reading it.
My point is I dont want some dickhead standing on the corner handing my daughter that type of classified section while claiming to be all about protecting young people's privacy and exposure to adult material.
And just to be clear, I'm not suggesting myspace doesnt have a right to exist and do what they do, just that they should do it responsibly.
Go to my space. Click on Classifieds. Click on Personals (all). Read the titles of the posts. The first one I see is "well hung 4 your pleasure". Keep in mind I have not at any point entered in a login (I dont have one at Myspace) or agreed to any terms whatsoever that I am over 18. How does myspace know how old I am? (hint: they dont).
Believe me I am no prude, but I have 3 daughters, one of which is old enough to start going to various sites, mostly forums for YA scifi/fantasy books she is reading. We use the parental controls under OSX and she isnt allowed to surf without an adult knowing she's on and where she goes. We do our part in accepting responsiblity for our kids and what they see online.
Where this breaks down is when legit sites start using myspace, and encouraging their young adult visitors to go to myspace.com.
Example: Maximum Ride, a young adult book by James Patterson, has a message board she is a member of. One day they announced that they had a Myspace space (I guess their own website and forums werent enough?), and encouraged their young adult visitors to come to myspace and check it out.
Needless to say, I wonder how many YA visitors to maximum ride's site went over to myspace? I wonder how much of what I describe in the first paragraph they saw by accident? I pointed all this out to the maximum ride site admin, but they blew me off, citing (as this post suggests) that the bad press about myspace was just 'backlash'. Thats BS.
I say if something smells like a sewer, and looks like a sewer, call it a sewer. I have no issues with sites that exist for consenting adults to do or see whatever they like, as long as they enforce their own privacy policies and age limits, which myspace does NOT.
The people reading this slashdot article arent the ones you have to sell, regardless of which side of the fence any of us fall on. We all have an opinion. An informed opinion in most cases with good reasons on both sides of the fence why linux is or isn't right for the desktop.
Ask the sales weasel sitting in the cube across from you what he thinks about linux on the desktop and you'll get one of two reactions. Either they will look at you blankly and ask "Which OS do I have now?" or they will ask "Can I run Outlook and will I still be able to use my Blackberry?"
The big MS Office vs (insert open source substitute here) debate isn't really a debate, any more - at least technically speaking. Adoption is another story. As long as Outlook lives as the only true Exchange Server mail client with all the features today's business execs expect (you know the guys/gals who sign the checks) then Linux on the desktop is a worthless conversation.
The average user wants to change their wallpaper, play music, surf the web, use Office-like applications, synch a PDA/Blackberry up to their email and of course run whatever apps they are required to use to do their job - but most importantly they want to be able to figure all this out without having to show the folks in IT how non-savvy they really are.
Until I can hand Vic Ferrari, VP of Sales an OS install disk and expect him to be able to get through the install on a laptop - forget networking even - this isnt going to happen folks. (I wouldnt do that, but sheesh you get my point: even my MOM can get through an XP install)../Dingo
Absolutely prefer MP3's to traditional page flipping out of necessity. I have a 2 hour round trip commute each day and that's the only way I have time to 'read' anything. I still try to find time at home w/the wife & 3 kids but by the time the house is quiet enough for me to read, I'm pretty much nodding off after a couple pages.
I had used Skype for gaming, and it seemed to work great, then I read somewhere that the same shmoes who built KaZaa created Skype, and that it had adware/spyware embedded in it (website says it does not...)
Also it does try to use your network/bandwidth as a supernode, much like Kazaa did.
I cant confirm any of this personally, does anyone know if this really is from the KaZaa goobers or not?
"MPAA Blames BitTorrent for Star Wars Distribution"
and in other news, meteorologists all over the world have come out and blamed rain for making everything so darn wet.
These guys havent gotten that point yet...
http://www.newvoyages.com/news.html
(though I have to say, for what they set out to accomplish, they've done a pretty good job...)
Re:But you CAN have something better....
on
TiVo to Go Released
·
· Score: 1
Below is DirectTV's response (edited to remove personally identifiable crap). I asked them how to get TivoToGo to work w/my DirectTV DVR.
01/03/2005 08:56 AM
Dear ,
Thank you for writing. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Currently we do not have the Home Media option available, but you can still receive it using a stand alone TiVo system connected to your services. Just as personal computers are rapidly evolving, we expect DIRECTV System receivers to incorporate many new features in the coming years. We will enhance our programming service as the receiving equipment evolves. For example, receivers capable of decoding Dolby Digital sound, high definition programming, and even interactive television are now on the market, and we have begun offering programming in all of those formats.
All DIRECTV System receivers bring you excellent picture and sound quality and on-screen program information. However, the on-screen menus of each brand may have a slightly different "look and feel." Also, each manufacturer of DIRECTV Systems offers various receivers which each offer a different array of features. The availability of certain features depends on the receiving equipment you own. If you have questions about DIRECTV Systems, we suggest you see our web site for a list of system manufacturers at http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/OurPartners.js p#Manufacturers
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. We really appreciate your business and hope you continue enjoying DIRECTV service. Keep visiting our web site at DIRECTV.com for latest news and updates.
Sincerely,
DIRECTV Customer Service
Re:no tivotogo for direct tv subscribers
on
TiVo to Go Released
·
· Score: 1
yep, very limited comparatively. I did little research before opting for DirectTV vs. cable when we moved to RI, basically because the local cable company's startup costs were ridiculous and didnt offer the same lineup (and certainly no tivo) at the same price points. my bad, i guess....
no tivotogo for direct tv subscribers
on
TiVo to Go Released
·
· Score: 2, Informative
i just spent 30 minutes reading through all the material on tivo's website about this, drool dribbling down my face happily as I gleefully rub my hands together in evil scientist fashion...only to find in the end that Direct TV subscribers cant use this in the tivo units that come with the service.
i saw a post by someone about linux drivers and enabling features but a quick perusal of that shows that for the average-non-linux-guru human, that is a SWAMP....must...control...fist..of...death
Slashdot Mirror
"...I know this is a probably obvious and cliched comment, but OSS is not commercial software, you can't exactly expect the same kind of responses to things like requests for support..."
Fair enough. As long as those same people who bite the head of a newbie asking the 51st stupid question of the day dont then turn around and whine because Linux hasn't replaced Windows in the homes and corporate desktops of the world.
Honestly if I have knowledge on a given subject, i either want to share it or I dont. If I do share my knowledge, I have to accept that Im going to get deluged with stupid questions. If doing so pisses me off to the point of being an ass, then maybe I should go do something else in my spare time.
We have about 7 RHEL servers at work, all with very costly support contracts and I have to say: this has been my experience with Redhat support as well. THEY SUCK. Before anyone bashes the shit out of me for not being a *nix guru and being able to fix these boxes when they break (and they do), thats why we chose to pay support dollars. To bridge the gap between my mediocre linux knowledge and having someone at our beck and call when stuff breaks I dont know how to fix. Unfortunately the level of support they give is about what I'd expect using community forums for an open source project. Completely expected and just fine when its community members helping other members - but a total butt-rape when its a TON of yearly dollars, allegedly to get 'expert' support.
scary - I grew up in Westboro and remember when the TV shop started renting videos. my dad had a store right across the street and we'd go over on our lunch break and marvel a the shiny new technology...he he
Lets face it, the story is a bit thin - if Gandalf really knew the fate of the entire earth hinged on those two midgets dropping a ring into a volcano, he would have just sent the giant eagles to drop Frodo - ring and all - right into Mount Doom in the first place and be done with it. Even in Middle Earth there's stats for acceptable loss...
Just curious - how do you block people from installing it? We are actively de-installing but its a manual process....
Actually, what you said was that MySpace made no attempt to verify age or restrict content to minors. That's totally untrue. MySpace meets the same requirements in that respect that other, more specifically adult sites do. MySpace is specifically NOT a site with explicit sexual content and it's usage rules are clear on that. MySpace also requires that any member state his age. I'm not aware of MySpace making any false claims that you suggest they do.
If you spent any time whatsoever checking Myspace out before spewing out your uninformed opinion, you'd realize the above paragraph is completely wrong. You say they dont restrict content to minors? Go there and see how long it takes you to find X rated material without anything stopping you. This is within myspace's site mind you, I'm not talking about the entire internet so dont bother with that argument.
You say myspace is 'specifically NOT a site with explicit sexual content' - wrong again. It has elaborate usage rules that they do not enforce - so they might as well not even have them.
And just what does MySpace "do"?
They are a social networking site that many people - some underage - use to hook up. I get it. I have no problem with anyone using the site that way. I agree that if underage people are using the site that way, then its ultimately their parents fault. There should be some responsibility on Myspace's part to uphold its own terms of service, which it is not.
They do have policies forbidding explicit content and they block public access to accounts below 16 years old.
But then you say
I've personally see child porn trading pages on MySpace.
A policy that's not enforced is worthless.
Your example, "well hung 4 your pleasure" may be adult content for you but not for everyone. You need to enter the real world.
Just because I object to something and think its not safe for kids does not mean I am not in the "real world."
Does your comment mean to imply you'd be OK with your 10 year old daughter browsing a site with content like that? I can only assume you don't have kids or if you do, you are a horrible parent too stupid (or lazy) to be bothered with your kids.
The context of my post was that this type of content is NOT adult content for me. But it is for my kid and should not be freely available to a site that is marketing itself to young adults/teens, while at the same time falsely claiming they give a crap about privacy, safety and the content underage people see.
That's really only true in large metropolitan areas, none of the newspapers in the small RI town where I live print that stuff. If they did, I'd make sure my 10 year old wasn't reading it.
My point is I dont want some dickhead standing on the corner handing my daughter that type of classified section while claiming to be all about protecting young people's privacy and exposure to adult material.
And just to be clear, I'm not suggesting myspace doesnt have a right to exist and do what they do, just that they should do it responsibly.
Go to my space. Click on Classifieds. Click on Personals (all). Read the titles of the posts. The first one I see is "well hung 4 your pleasure". Keep in mind I have not at any point entered in a login (I dont have one at Myspace) or agreed to any terms whatsoever that I am over 18. How does myspace know how old I am? (hint: they dont).
Believe me I am no prude, but I have 3 daughters, one of which is old enough to start going to various sites, mostly forums for YA scifi/fantasy books she is reading. We use the parental controls under OSX and she isnt allowed to surf without an adult knowing she's on and where she goes. We do our part in accepting responsiblity for our kids and what they see online.
Where this breaks down is when legit sites start using myspace, and encouraging their young adult visitors to go to myspace.com.
Example: Maximum Ride, a young adult book by James Patterson, has a message board she is a member of. One day they announced that they had a Myspace space (I guess their own website and forums werent enough?), and encouraged their young adult visitors to come to myspace and check it out.
Needless to say, I wonder how many YA visitors to maximum ride's site went over to myspace? I wonder how much of what I describe in the first paragraph they saw by accident? I pointed all this out to the maximum ride site admin, but they blew me off, citing (as this post suggests) that the bad press about myspace was just 'backlash'. Thats BS.
I say if something smells like a sewer, and looks like a sewer, call it a sewer. I have no issues with sites that exist for consenting adults to do or see whatever they like, as long as they enforce their own privacy policies and age limits, which myspace does NOT.
We've learned that we need to hire more users like your nine year old ;) ./Dingo
Forget installing stuff, just imagine how to tell them to mount a CDROM (for those distros still unable to figure THAT out automatically...)
The people reading this slashdot article arent the ones you have to sell, regardless of which side of the fence any of us fall on. We all have an opinion. An informed opinion in most cases with good reasons on both sides of the fence why linux is or isn't right for the desktop. Ask the sales weasel sitting in the cube across from you what he thinks about linux on the desktop and you'll get one of two reactions. Either they will look at you blankly and ask "Which OS do I have now?" or they will ask "Can I run Outlook and will I still be able to use my Blackberry?" The big MS Office vs (insert open source substitute here) debate isn't really a debate, any more - at least technically speaking. Adoption is another story. As long as Outlook lives as the only true Exchange Server mail client with all the features today's business execs expect (you know the guys/gals who sign the checks) then Linux on the desktop is a worthless conversation. The average user wants to change their wallpaper, play music, surf the web, use Office-like applications, synch a PDA/Blackberry up to their email and of course run whatever apps they are required to use to do their job - but most importantly they want to be able to figure all this out without having to show the folks in IT how non-savvy they really are. Until I can hand Vic Ferrari, VP of Sales an OS install disk and expect him to be able to get through the install on a laptop - forget networking even - this isnt going to happen folks. (I wouldnt do that, but sheesh you get my point: even my MOM can get through an XP install). ./Dingo
that site is awesome. you just made my day...thanks.
Absolutely prefer MP3's to traditional page flipping out of necessity. I have a 2 hour round trip commute each day and that's the only way I have time to 'read' anything. I still try to find time at home w/the wife & 3 kids but by the time the house is quiet enough for me to read, I'm pretty much nodding off after a couple pages.
I had used Skype for gaming, and it seemed to work great, then I read somewhere that the same shmoes who built KaZaa created Skype, and that it had adware/spyware embedded in it (website says it does not...) Also it does try to use your network/bandwidth as a supernode, much like Kazaa did. I cant confirm any of this personally, does anyone know if this really is from the KaZaa goobers or not?
"MPAA Blames BitTorrent for Star Wars Distribution" and in other news, meteorologists all over the world have come out and blamed rain for making everything so darn wet.
Did I miss something in the trailer or is The Shepherd Book missing?
These guys havent gotten that point yet... http://www.newvoyages.com/news.html (though I have to say, for what they set out to accomplish, they've done a pretty good job...)
Below is DirectTV's response (edited to remove personally identifiable crap). I asked them how to get TivoToGo to work w/my DirectTV DVR. 01/03/2005 08:56 AM Dear , Thank you for writing. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Currently we do not have the Home Media option available, but you can still receive it using a stand alone TiVo system connected to your services. Just as personal computers are rapidly evolving, we expect DIRECTV System receivers to incorporate many new features in the coming years. We will enhance our programming service as the receiving equipment evolves. For example, receivers capable of decoding Dolby Digital sound, high definition programming, and even interactive television are now on the market, and we have begun offering programming in all of those formats. All DIRECTV System receivers bring you excellent picture and sound quality and on-screen program information. However, the on-screen menus of each brand may have a slightly different "look and feel." Also, each manufacturer of DIRECTV Systems offers various receivers which each offer a different array of features. The availability of certain features depends on the receiving equipment you own. If you have questions about DIRECTV Systems, we suggest you see our web site for a list of system manufacturers at http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/OurPartners.js p#Manufacturers
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. We really appreciate your business and hope you continue enjoying DIRECTV service. Keep visiting our web site at DIRECTV.com for latest news and updates.
Sincerely,
DIRECTV Customer Service
yep, very limited comparatively. I did little research before opting for DirectTV vs. cable when we moved to RI, basically because the local cable company's startup costs were ridiculous and didnt offer the same lineup (and certainly no tivo) at the same price points. my bad, i guess....
i just spent 30 minutes reading through all the material on tivo's website about this, drool dribbling down my face happily as I gleefully rub my hands together in evil scientist fashion...only to find in the end that Direct TV subscribers cant use this in the tivo units that come with the service. i saw a post by someone about linux drivers and enabling features but a quick perusal of that shows that for the average-non-linux-guru human, that is a SWAMP. ...must...control...fist..of...death