People have been predicting the end of oil for as long as we've known about oil...
At some point it might happen but you're not the first to claim it'll 'run out in 20 yrs'.
In reality, we continue to improve efficiencies in extracting oil and even ways of making oil that fundamentally challenge the historical thought that oil takes millions of years at extreme temp and pressure to produce.
And, we continue to find new sources of oil.
My point is, if the new sources dry up (Canada Oil Sand are a 'new' source that alone can keep the entire world supplied for decades)- If/When the 'new sources' don't materialize, we'll be working on improving extraction through efficiencis and conservation - more drastically than we are now (which isn't too drastic at all).
So, Oil running out - not likely in 20 yrs even at current levels of use and extraction.
I would argue the 'point' is about pricing. So many people seem to think that piracy raises prices. Believe me, if I'm a software/music/IT executive, the FIRST thing I do when I'm thinking about launching a new product is to do market research on the optimal price:
Optimal Price = highest revenue
THUS = price that is high enough to make a profice BUT low enough to mean a certain amount of the paying public doesn't think it's worthwhile copying it.
Well,
In Canada it's a pepsi licensed product.
Point is - I've seen it happen. Problem is - it happened. What can I / we do about it? Not much.
It's like GM strongy suggesting that their employees drive GM cars... They can't really do much to stop it if the want to drive a Honda - but hey you didn't tighten that bolt quite hard enough - can I talk to you - what's with your lousy attitude?
>It's not a bit like Coke employees drinking Pepsi
It is EXACTLY like Coke employees drinking Pepsi.
I worked at Coke - and saw people fired for drinking Gatorade. I saw people fired because they have distant family members working at a private label brand.
And before people wonder what level of employee I'm referring to - I'm not talking people with access to 'the secret formula' - I'm talking about people who work in the warehouse and drive a lift truck. SO imagine if a manager or VP walked in with a Dr. Pepper? Toasted.
I'm going to dust off by Commodore 64 tonight and create the BASIC program that'll randomly pick one of three options: Rock, Paper Scissors. SHouldn't be more than 5-6 lines.
Well, we have a plethora of systems - it's just the way it is I'm afraid. I work for an investment firm - I need a password to get on in the morning (1) . A password to get into my client access program (2) a password to get into my investment management prg (3) a password to get into another inv mgmt prg for a separate series of investments (4) a password to be able to reset passwords (5) a password to be able to get into the program to allow clients to see their investments (6) a password to get into another client database (7) a password to get into the network where the centralized files are.
I forget the other one but I know we got drunk once and counted them - it totalled 9.
You see, a lot of the programs are industry-wide and hence we buy access to them - making our computers a sort of dumb terminal with remote access - for a lot of it anyhow.
To me though (I'm just a peon...) I would think a single big motherf..... Password would do the trick.
I'm not so paranoid - simply very frustrated at the need for 9 different passwords to do my job - and they must be changed every 30 days - I always forget them so I keep them on a post it note on my monitor.
There is a highly correlated inverse relationship with software prices and the rate of piracy.
Ergo - piracy actually keeps prices down.
Of course Software companies would have you believe the opposite: "We need to keep this price so high to combat piracy". But the software companies know damn well what is the most optimal price for their marginal returns to be optimized.
I just wish for a good old bit of something called competition. Up here damn near everything is priced according to cartels and governments and so nothing is actually competitive or cheap - when it comes to things like cell phones it's a complete cartel.
Used to be competitive a bit - the companies found per-second billing was a great item. As was treating every call as local.
Turns out the companies all got together and decided to get rid of per second billing and now damn near everything is long distance at 2X the local rate. Stupid. Give me an alternative and/or a real competitor and I'd jump in a second...
Wait a minute - since all the cell phone co's are in cahoots there's no number portability up here either so that means a new number which means it's a pain to change carriers...
Maybe they want to create a voice index system like Gmail does - keep recordings of all of your conversations for ever. Would be something that could be done conceivably but it'd make the Gmail 1Gig of storage seem very small.
It has been very interesting watching how they unfold and steer the company as it is now a public entity with lotsa cash.
Maybe (likely) people are watching them closer now but they seem to be doing some very interesting things to corner the next 'killer app' area - to compliment their search engine, gmail, desktop search, now free phone calls.
I find this *Very* interesting - and revolutionary the way M$ was back in the day.
It's amazing how it takes a little nudge by Google's Gmail with 1gig of storage to prompt M$ to change HM to 250 megs. That's 750 Megs too little, a lot too late for me - since my HM account upped to that about a month after I slowed down my use of it.
Now they think I might possibly want to PAY to use HM on steroids? They actually think that's a realistic proposition?
Bottom line is Gmail is 1000 times better, and infinitely freeer than a Pay-for-use Outlook. (or a free one for that matter). If only Outlook was more like Gmail... it'd be fun to use.
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People have been predicting the end of oil for as long as we've known about oil... At some point it might happen but you're not the first to claim it'll 'run out in 20 yrs'. In reality, we continue to improve efficiencies in extracting oil and even ways of making oil that fundamentally challenge the historical thought that oil takes millions of years at extreme temp and pressure to produce. And, we continue to find new sources of oil. My point is, if the new sources dry up (Canada Oil Sand are a 'new' source that alone can keep the entire world supplied for decades)- If/When the 'new sources' don't materialize, we'll be working on improving extraction through efficiencis and conservation - more drastically than we are now (which isn't too drastic at all). So, Oil running out - not likely in 20 yrs even at current levels of use and extraction.
Hmmm... I wonder if you could overclock it by adding liquid cooling system?!
Geez, wouldn't want to have to *work* would he?
How long until the administration says "See ya lazy prof, but don't touch your office computer..."
I would argue the 'point' is about pricing. So many people seem to think that piracy raises prices. Believe me, if I'm a software/music/IT executive, the FIRST thing I do when I'm thinking about launching a new product is to do market research on the optimal price:
Optimal Price = highest revenue
THUS = price that is high enough to make a profice BUT low enough to mean a certain amount of the paying public doesn't think it's worthwhile copying it.
I'm considering a new TV and was just wondering if anyone had found this on the new TVs also?
What's that site that has the passwords and logins for all the subscription only sites?
It is however, quite more likely that we've reached peak oil pricing, and production will increase to bring down the price.
Yes... And be forced to watch nothing but Anne of Green Gables or Hockey Night in Canada since we only get 2 channels.
>>It's a bit better than the Dreamcast.
Now the Dreamcast... Talk about a gigaFLOP.
Imagine a beowolf cluster of these! Legit comment actually.
I got excited I thought this was all about the Stegasaurus.
Well, In Canada it's a pepsi licensed product. Point is - I've seen it happen. Problem is - it happened. What can I / we do about it? Not much. It's like GM strongy suggesting that their employees drive GM cars... They can't really do much to stop it if the want to drive a Honda - but hey you didn't tighten that bolt quite hard enough - can I talk to you - what's with your lousy attitude?
Hey I have found the cure for all ilnesses in the world... it's just around that corner I'm guessing.
>It's not a bit like Coke employees drinking Pepsi
It is EXACTLY like Coke employees drinking Pepsi.
I worked at Coke - and saw people fired for drinking Gatorade. I saw people fired because they have distant family members working at a private label brand.
And before people wonder what level of employee I'm referring to - I'm not talking people with access to 'the secret formula' - I'm talking about people who work in the warehouse and drive a lift truck. SO imagine if a manager or VP walked in with a Dr. Pepper? Toasted.
I thought about installing it but my spyware prg picked up a lot of baddies.
I thought about installing it and my spyware prg picked up a lot of baddies.
It's probably not too hard to get around it from in there. Of course, the consequences might be a little harsher than you'd like.
And yet it is probably not too different from our government(s) blocking sites that *it* thinks is unsuitable for *us*.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks this happens more than we'd like to know.
I'm going to dust off by Commodore 64 tonight and create the BASIC program that'll randomly pick one of three options: Rock, Paper Scissors. SHouldn't be more than 5-6 lines.
Do I get mention in Scientific American too?
Well, we have a plethora of systems - it's just the way it is I'm afraid. I work for an investment firm - I need a password to get on in the morning (1) . A password to get into my client access program (2) a password to get into my investment management prg (3) a password to get into another inv mgmt prg for a separate series of investments (4) a password to be able to reset passwords (5) a password to be able to get into the program to allow clients to see their investments (6) a password to get into another client database (7) a password to get into the network where the centralized files are. I forget the other one but I know we got drunk once and counted them - it totalled 9. You see, a lot of the programs are industry-wide and hence we buy access to them - making our computers a sort of dumb terminal with remote access - for a lot of it anyhow. To me though (I'm just a peon...) I would think a single big motherf..... Password would do the trick.
I'm not so paranoid - simply very frustrated at the need for 9 different passwords to do my job - and they must be changed every 30 days - I always forget them so I keep them on a post it note on my monitor.
There is a highly correlated inverse relationship with software prices and the rate of piracy.
Ergo - piracy actually keeps prices down.
Of course Software companies would have you believe the opposite: "We need to keep this price so high to combat piracy". But the software companies know damn well what is the most optimal price for their marginal returns to be optimized.
I just wish for a good old bit of something called competition. Up here damn near everything is priced according to cartels and governments and so nothing is actually competitive or cheap - when it comes to things like cell phones it's a complete cartel. Used to be competitive a bit - the companies found per-second billing was a great item. As was treating every call as local. Turns out the companies all got together and decided to get rid of per second billing and now damn near everything is long distance at 2X the local rate. Stupid. Give me an alternative and/or a real competitor and I'd jump in a second... Wait a minute - since all the cell phone co's are in cahoots there's no number portability up here either so that means a new number which means it's a pain to change carriers...
Maybe they want to create a voice index system like Gmail does - keep recordings of all of your conversations for ever. Would be something that could be done conceivably but it'd make the Gmail 1Gig of storage seem very small.
It has been very interesting watching how they unfold and steer the company as it is now a public entity with lotsa cash. Maybe (likely) people are watching them closer now but they seem to be doing some very interesting things to corner the next 'killer app' area - to compliment their search engine, gmail, desktop search, now free phone calls. I find this *Very* interesting - and revolutionary the way M$ was back in the day.
It's amazing how it takes a little nudge by Google's Gmail with 1gig of storage to prompt M$ to change HM to 250 megs. That's 750 Megs too little, a lot too late for me - since my HM account upped to that about a month after I slowed down my use of it. Now they think I might possibly want to PAY to use HM on steroids? They actually think that's a realistic proposition? Bottom line is Gmail is 1000 times better, and infinitely freeer than a Pay-for-use Outlook. (or a free one for that matter). If only Outlook was more like Gmail... it'd be fun to use.