The buck stops with him and not so critical things that get to the top need to be addressed, but seriously he's just human and a politician at that. Not a savior. It would be more appropriate to go after the branch and actual people that are pushing this.
Your statement is completely valid. This little idea, however, was from someone who answers to the President and it involves matters of international relations. Sorry, but you can't tell me that the President was not aware of this action, particularly where matters of international relations, such as they currently are, are involved.
Look, W. I voted for you not once, but twice! What the hell are you trying to prove with this latest shenanigan? The U.S. already has a reputation for being a global bully who pushes its views on others. I don't agree with that across the board, but now you're doing nothing more than adding really flammable fuel to that particular fire.
Let me get this straight. We're going to train foreign individuals who are not in any way U.S. citizens or have any direct link to the U.S. in order to protect U.S. media corporation interests?? And exactly WHY are *MY* tax dollars (as well as the tax dollars of those who already hate you) going to protect the intellectual property of corporations that have enough money to do this on their own?
The simple fact is that if those other countries gave a rat's rear end about the IP rights of U.S. corporations, they would already be doing more to protect those rights or they would have come to us by now asking for help in accomplishing that task. It doesn't take a brain surgeon, which you are proving more and more that you are not, to realize that they most likely don't care. The only reason why they might care is that they wanted to avoid what you're now doing, thus making this whole thing out to be quite disingenuous.
We already look like selfish bullies to the rest of the world. This is just going to make it worse. Thanks a lot. I really hope that those other countries tell you to piss off with respect to this particular issue.
Now, let's be fair. The DLL situation - while true - has not nearly been as much of a factor in Windows 2000 and XP. Windows 3.1 and 95 were rife with DLL incompatibility errors, particularly with every fscking application just assuming that its DLLs were compatible with every other application out there. But I've been using 2000 and XP for many years, and I have yet to run into a DLL conflict using newer software (post-Win-95 software) on either of those operating systems.
And I hope that you're not calling me a Windows bigot. I'm a Solaris bigot more than anything else. I wished Windows and Microsoft would die ever since they *required* the DELETION of OS/2 in order to install DOS 6.2x in a dual-boot partition.
Maybe they have no exposure beyond their own limited teen life living in the basement bedroom at Mom's house.
Sadly, that myopic view that you mention describes probably 90% or more of Windows users of all ages who automatically equate "PC" with "Windows". This is an education factor more than anything else; but until Linux gets closer to Windows in user friendliness and software installation, teaching Joe Six Pack about Linux is like teaching a college-level calculus course to a fourth grater.
You are absolutely correct in every respect. I suspect that you got modded as "troll" more for your attitude and sarcasm than from what you were trying to say. But the core reasons like what you describe are exactly why I will not try to push Linux on family for quite some time.
For example, just recently I wanted to install BlueFish 1.0 on a Solaris 8 system. (No, it's not Linux, but the principle is the same.) Unfortunately, BlueFish.5 is the only version that is available on Sunfreeware.Com. So, I downloaded the source code. I couldn't compile it because my version of GTK wasn't correct and I didn't have libpcre installed. So, I decided to get the source for those. Well, some libraries that THEY needed weren't installed. When all was said and done, I needed to download and install SIX packages/libraries just to run BlueFish 1.0. One of them wouldn't compile due to some error that I don't remember, but fortunately was optional.
I also ran into the same problem last week when trying to get Apache to play nice with Sun Java System/ONE Directory Server. Because Apache assumes that you use OpenLDAP, it didn't see DS. The only options that I could find were to either install OpenLDAP and use its libraries or install SASL. Well, OpenLDAP wouldn't compile because it claimed that it couldn't find libraries that *were* installed and available! I even told it specifically what directory to look in for those libraries, but it still didn't take it. SASL wouldn't install due to a shitload of syntax errors in the DES header file. I found numerous issues regarding that problem on the Internet with the apparent conclusion that it will not compile on Solaris 8. So, I never got that to work. Fortunately, I came up with a solution that does not require Apache plugging directly into DS.
Am I a compilation and C expert? Hardly. I at least know enough to identify if libraries or paths are problematic to the point that I can get around or correct most compiling errors. (As I said, I know that I was talking about Solaris 8, so it's not completely an apples-to-apples comparison, but the underlying principles are the same.) That kind of knowledge is absolutely beyond the cognitive thought processes of the vast majority of Windows users, particularly the Joe Six Pack who uses Windows for nothing more than surfing the web and sending e-mail to his Aunt Bertha in Sheboygan! They want to put a disc in, run the startup program and be done. Linux can't deliver that yet when libraries depend on other libraries which depend on other libraries which might depend on other libraries, and a change to one requires a change to all.
So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that what seems easy and natural to Linux geeks is definitely not what regular people consider easy and natural. Hence, the preference towards Windows.
Very true. Don't get me wrong. Linux is getting there. I've run into a few distributions that are *very* user-friendly right from the start. But until Linux becomes as user-friendly as Windows, particularly when it comes to software and library dependencies, it will never be accepted by the masses as a Windows alternative.
I guess that makes me a "troll", too. In this instance, karma be damned.
Actually, that was relevant to systems other than UNIX. Any Commodore 64 BBS that utilized the Commodore-specific key codes for graphics and color did the same thing.
So, yes, UNIX 101 was over. You were in the Personal Computer Telecommunications History class.:P
As for hijackings, you don't need to worry about it because IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I can't believe people still think that terrorists will try again to hijack a commercial airliner and use it as a missile--it was a one-time trick and it will NEVER work again.
That's exactly what I've been saying ever since the gubment started talking about adding so much more security to airlines. With our new "post-9/11" mindset, the first thing that most people are going to think of if a plane is ever hijacked again is "Well, I'm going to die anyway. So, I might as well go down on my terms!" The terrorists would be nothing short of stupid if they tried it again. They wouldn't be able to get past, "Everyone get back into your seats" before they are taken down like a quarterback getting sacked by the entire defensive line.
Anything further to secure and monitor airlines' cabins is foolhardly and, as Geroge Carlin once said, "is only meant to make white people feel safe." If only the gubment put this much effort into protecting the real threat to national saftey right now (besides the politicians themselves) -- that sieve we call our borders.
Why on earth is Dell even bothering to do this? They're trying to enter a market that's already flooded. Between Apple and Creative, the $99 MP3 player market is pretty much taken care of.
When it comes to style, though, I still prefer my MobiBlu Cube. It has everything that this new Dell unit offers plus 7.5 hours of voice recording. Dell's product looks like most of the other MP3 players out there, so the only thing to differentiate this from the competition is the name. Sounds a lot like when Carly left HP, she and her goofy ideas went over to Dell.
Hmmm... were she and Michael Dell possibly...? Nahhhhh....
you really should pick up a copy. It's an excellent game, and it's cheap
Grrrrr...! And, of course, it's for PS2, not a PC. Well, I'll just have to pretend that I know what you're talking about from the Ico web site. It's too bad, too, because the trailer looks pretty good - and the music was really good. It just seemed to fit while at the same time not seeming to be totally appropriate. Would that there were a functional PS2 emulator for the PC out there... somewhere...
I don't understand the difference. I guess I don't see why a game would by definition have less emotional effect than a movie.
With a movie you have no control. You sit and watch.
With a game, you become the character. In many games, like Wing Commander III and IV, your actions and decisions have a direct influence on what goes on. While I'm sure that some people still can remain totally detached in those circumstances, the truth is that a hell of a lot of gamers can't and don't.
I've had a lot of games pull some strong emotions out of me, everything ranging from close-to-tears to hair standing on end.
I remember getting freaked out playing Castle Wolfenstein. (Yes, the original.) I was on the fourth mission or so. Up to that point, the last level was open a few doors, go down a few hallways, there's the boss. Wipe him out. This one had me going after (if I recall correctly) a mechanized general. At every hall and door, I expect to see the boss. First door, nothing. Second, nothing, Thrid, nothing. Then I got to the point of nervous where-the-hell-is-he? thinking. Another hall, another corner. Still no boss. (Keep in mind it was also in the wee hours of the morning and I was very tired, making me more susceptible.) Another door, no boss, another door, no boss, another corner, no boss. I'm completely freaking out by this time wondering where the hell he is. I walk into a room that didn't seem to be a place for a boss, making me lower my defenses for a bit, when I hear "AMERIKANER!!!" from my left speaker. I jumped out of my chair by several inches and was rightfully slaughtered.
I had had enough, shut the game off, and went to bed, but I actually sat up in bed for about 1/2 hour, twitching at every damn creak that the building made.
Conversely, I was really impacted by the storyline of Unreal II. Believe it or not, that game had an incredibly strong character arc. (It was not the mindless shoot-and-kill like the original Unreal.) Every non-action sequence and cut-scene was dedicated to character development and relevant story progression. Anyway, throughout the whole game I obviously learned more and more about the background of my crew - why they left their home, what they want in life, why they made the decisions that they did. The writers really did a superb job of helping you to bind with and to understand the crew.
SPOLIERS AHEAD, but the game is four years old, so doubt it's much of an issue.
When the ship and crew were destroyed and the main character drops to his knees in sorrow as he watches the ship blown apart in the atmosphere above him, my jaw just dropped and all I wanted was revenge. No game had ever made me want revenge like that before.
The final sequence where he plays their final, recorded messages of thanks and goodbye - now alone in his escape pod - had me almost close to tears. I was really hoping for some kind of expansion pack that shows that the crew actually made it out alive, but alas it was not meant to be. I had never gotten that emotional about video game characters before, but the story writers for Unreal II really were just that good as far as I'm concerned. (Others believed differently. So be it.)
Finally, although I have always been one to respect and honor our military and the sacrifices that they have made (and currently make) for us, if Medal of Honor was anything close to what our soldiers had to go through in World War II (and I'm sure that it was actually much, much worse), I have a much more profound respect for those who fought and died to preserve our liberties.
That was definitely an excellent example! That level did the exact same thing to me as well. I actually dreaded going into that level because I knew that it would have that impact on me - and it certainly surpassed my expectations.
The ghostly applause in the "theatre"; the voices and screams in the area of the asylum cells; the knocking near the staircase that sounded a lot louder than it probably was as you got close to the top... That level just completely freaked me out to the point that when it was done, I felt a combination of "I am so glad to be out of there" and "Damn, those level designers are f**king good!"
with any luck it'll hit the rich and loosen up some of those tax cut dollars into the economy.
And exactly WHY is it always the first reaction of people like yourself to say "punish the rich and their tax cuts" when the more appropriate statement should be "get those jackass Congressmen to stop spending money like it's theirs, knock it off with their bullshit pork projects, and give the money back to us since it's OUR money"?
Oh, that's a really mature response. "Gravity" is well-proven and quite irrefutable. And I could have sworn that I said that just because there is no proof doesn't mean that we shouldn't cut down on emmissions.
It's clear that you like being selective in what you read anyway, so there's no real use in continuing your immature rant.
There are tons of proof that the earth is warming. I agree. However, there is no irrefutable proof that it's a man-made occurrence, not a natural occurrence. A few thousand years of history and some ice cores do not definitively prove man's cause of any atmospheric anomalies. This is particularly true when compared to 2.5 billion years of environmental swings, including atmospheric compositions of such toxicity that there was no chance of life at the time.
Now, that's not to say that we're not causing an impact. I'm just saying that even though we do have issues of global warming, there is no proof that we're the cause.
That said, I fully agree that just because there is no proof doesn't mean that we shouldn't reduce our emissions. But Kyoto seemed to be nothing more than a global protocol to find a way to attack America politically and economically. The exclusion of China and, if I recall correctly, India as well as other developing countries was inexcusable.
It's about time that people started telling the environmentalists and "NIMBY" supporters that their anti-nuclear (because of what could happen), anti-hydro (because it would cause disruption to fish), and anti-wind farm activities (because it would ruin the view of the mountainside) are what are continuing to perpetuate our dependency on fossil fuels.
Upon rereading the article it does state that it returns a beam of light. Either I miscontrued that as being infrared light or they're misrepresenting it as being visible light. If it's visible light, that even brings the issue more to the forefront. It might beam directed, visible light right into someone's eyes if by chance the person's glasses are mistakes as camera lenses.
Again, we're all somewhat ignorant about the technical specifics of this unit, so my concerns might be totally baseless. This still seems to be overkill with the potential to cause some problems that would get it into trouble.
But I agree that this appears to be a rather lame application. Let's face it. If someone really wants to get images of whatever this contraption is protecting, they'll find ways to do it. Fiber optic camera embedded in eyeglass frame or watch strap, anyone?
I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm not a biology major by any stretch (boy, could that phrase be misconstrued!), so I don't know what kind of effect such infrared beams would have on the eyes. But if the beam is going to be strong enough to completely blind a camera, I'd be really concerned about what it could do for the eyes.
Maybe I'm just slightly paranoid and it will have no effect at all. But since the article doesn't state anything about impact to human eyes and most eyewear protection is meant to filter out UV radiation, this should be cause for concern until we're told otherwise. Anyone more knowledgable about ocular physiology care to educate us?
Sun announced back in June that it was putting JDS on the low priority list. That alone makes this deal surprising. More than that, getting Indonesia to switch to JDS is quite a feat considering what a failure JDS has been to this point.
Failure #1: Bad PR from Sun's own supporters that the first JDS came out not on Solaris, but on Linux. It is also rejected by a great deal of the Linux crowd because they already know how to get just about everything that JDS provides, short of Star Office, which is of course the Linux crown simply replaced with Open Office.
Failure #2: Sun partners with a virtually unknown PC company to sell JDS-installed PCs to the masses. The problem is that the PCs were sold only through Wal-Mart's web site. I don't know who the brain was who thought such a distribution method was viable, but I hope that person is now unemployed. Who the HELL would possibly think that tech-minded people who are looking for a Windows alternative would think, "Oh, yeah! Let's check out Wal-Mart! They're just so techie! Hey, get those Best Buy, NewEgg, and Circuit City web sites of my screen!"
Failure #3: PROFIT!!! Er... wait... wrong list...
Well, I certainly hope that this works out for Sun. I love Sun hardware and Solaris. But thus far their foray into the "Windows desktop replacement" genre has been a great deal less than admirable. These Asian deals are their third attempt at raising this phoenix from its ashes. If JDS doesn't pan out this time, Sun needs to enforce a "three strikes, JDS is out" rule.
Sun for whatever reason has moved a great deal of its software to a "Java" title. For example, anything that used to be under the "Sun ONE" moniker has since been renamed to "Sun Java System". There is no more reliance on Java than at any other time.
In fact, the only time that Java is used for their Directory Server package is during the inital configuration and when you use the administration tools. Right now on our very active Directory Server v5.2 system I am showing absolutely no Java or Java-related processes running. It's all in the name.
This kind of word play is nothing new. Look at Starburst "Fruit" Chews. (quotes mine) The candies include AT MOST 3% fruit juice as per the packaging. So, yeah, you're getting juice, but that juice is not the major component.
Same thing with the Java Desktop System. Java is in there, but it's not the core of what you're getting.
I'm probably going to regret replying to this, but here goes.
Ditto here.
you are showing women that their role is to be pretty scenery, unimportant to the plot or action.
Emily, please stop jumping on the defensive and speaking in absolutes. No one here makes the assumptions that you always make. (Anyone who does either has not yet finished puberty or is not representative of the "normal" male.)
I agree that there would be no harm in making games with strong, female characters, or al least designing the game so that such a character is strong. However, there is no basis for making the blanket assumption that showing an attractive woman automatically equates to being irrelevant eye candy. But even if it did, the male target audience for these games are males aged 18-37. You have to expect that. Numerous studies (assuming that they're valid) have shown that most female game players are more into strategy, puzzle solving, or other more intellectual games. That market is changing, of course. You see more and more girls/women playing action/fantasy/FPS games than ever before, and a hell of a lot of them can whip their male opponents' collective asses. But they're still not the largest audience.
You also need to keep in mind that most designers are male. As such, they have a tendency to think in those terms. (There are exceptions, of course. Games like the No One Lives Forever series come to mind. Eidos admits to a backlash from the gaming audience for making the latest Laura Croft more top-heavy at the expense of gameplay/story of previous versions.) I remember John Cleese and Terry Jones saying how the Monty Python troupe apologized to Carole Cleveland on multiple occasions because, as they said, "We just didn't know how to write parts for women." Just because you see it as being easy to write strong women into storylines doesn't make it so.
I'm not excusing the game companies from their lack-of-female-character games, but you take these issues far, far too seriously. For example, T2X, an absolutely superb Thief 2 add-on, portrays the lead as one who wants vengeance for the murder of her cousin, of whom she was very fond. Based on your reaction in your post, the T2X team is showing all women to become vindictive, murderous kleptomaniacs when they suffer a personal loss. No one here believes that to be true.
I guess it would be too obvious to state, "Then go and form your own game company - by women, for women." It's also easier said than done, of course.
But the question has to be asked. Have you even bothered to start a grass-roots campaign to both major and independent game companies? I'm sure that question alone is going to garner "troll" or "flamebait" by incompetent mods; but the reality is that complaining on Slashdot isn't going to get these game companies to change their ways, nor is being a single voice who implies that she speaks for a larger segment, nor is putting up your own personal boycott when there are far, far more men who will make up for your single non-sale.
And as for your last question of "And what woman wants to play a game like that?" I know several gaming women just who play exactly the kinds of games that you describe. They look at the gameplay and whether or not the game is an overall enjoyable experience. They don't let comparably minute issues like "women as pretty scenery" bother them because they don't look at the whole issue in absolutes and they don't expect instances in a video game to be the same in the real world. That's why it's called a "game".
*sigh* Well, here come the mods. Who needs karma anyway?
Why? I think that's a really brilliant move! That means that Sun systems are the only systems out there that are certified to run Linux, Windows, and Solaris x86. That's has the potential to be an awesome marketing tool that no other server manufacturer can make.
As I mentioned in a different Slashdot story, one of the local Windows admins got a loaner Sun system with Windows installed on it and he was very impressed with its speed and stability. That can open a whole, new market base for Sun. And even if those servers don't run Solaris now, who's to say that they won't in the future as current systems are put into end-of-life or replaced and therefore can serve other functions? Now that we've moved the data to a bigger server, what should we do with this one? Let's put that Solaris on it and see what we can do with it. Hey, it's a very distinct possibility.
Personally, I think that it's about time that McNealy swallowed a bit of that arrogant pride of his. It's been a long time coming. As a Sun admin for over 10 years I'm very excited about this new direction that Sun has been taking. Let's hope it's not too little, too late.
What price sheet have you been looking at and from what year?
A Sun Fire X2100 starts at $745 LIST. Go through a reseller and you're guaranteed to get discounts on top of that. These prices that UNHEARD OF for Sun. They have completely slashed their prices down to levels that I never thought I would ever see. I've been working with Sun hardware for 10 years and I've been cursing their outrageous prices for nine of those years as I saw Intel after Intel replace numerous Sun workstations and servers. I've had no excuse to curse Sun's prices in the past 12 months.
If we were talking about the Sun of the past, you'd be absolutely correct. They charged outrageous prices because your were buying the Sun name and the Sun R&D. That arrogance died very recently. Look at any of their x86 offerings, like the Ultra 20, which is also available for less than $900 list.
Half the quality? They offer a 3 year warranty on all hardware. Every other vendor I've had to deal with wants a service contract ($$$) for that amount of coverage. I doubt they'd give that warranty if they thought the quality was such that the systems wouldn't last at least that long. Otherwise, they'd expect to lose a shitload of money to spare parts and customer service calls, which would not be a wise move at all.
Oh, by the way... all of Sun's x86 servers are certified to run Linux. They wouldn't bother if they thought that Linux sucks.
It's blatantly obvious that you don't have a clue what you're talking about or you just want to bash on Sun for the sake of bashing on Sun.
I think that William Shatner's classic "Saturday Night Live" skit is more of what you're looking for.
{Shatner at podium at a "Star Trek" convention}
"Before I continue I just want to say... Get a life! Would you, people? It's just a TV show! {points to geek with Spock ears} You! Have you even kissed a girl? {geek slowly lowers head} I didn't think so!"
Even at that, you're still a pompous coward for posting AC.:P
We are now seeing the kinds of corporate sponsorships necessary to back these players so they can train and compete at the highest level worldwide.
...the only thing that came to mind is the introduction to the original Unreal Tournament: "The Liandri Corporation quickly found deathmatch to be its most profitable enterprise" or something to that effect. I didn't know whether to be amused or terrified. I guess that as long as I don't hear "You fight like Nali!" when I'm walking down the road I should just be amused.
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The buck stops with him and not so critical things that get to the top need to be addressed, but seriously he's just human and a politician at that. Not a savior. It would be more appropriate to go after the branch and actual people that are pushing this.
Your statement is completely valid. This little idea, however, was from someone who answers to the President and it involves matters of international relations. Sorry, but you can't tell me that the President was not aware of this action, particularly where matters of international relations, such as they currently are, are involved.
Karma be damned!!
Look, W. I voted for you not once, but twice! What the hell are you trying to prove with this latest shenanigan? The U.S. already has a reputation for being a global bully who pushes its views on others. I don't agree with that across the board, but now you're doing nothing more than adding really flammable fuel to that particular fire.
Let me get this straight. We're going to train foreign individuals who are not in any way U.S. citizens or have any direct link to the U.S. in order to protect U.S. media corporation interests?? And exactly WHY are *MY* tax dollars (as well as the tax dollars of those who already hate you) going to protect the intellectual property of corporations that have enough money to do this on their own?
The simple fact is that if those other countries gave a rat's rear end about the IP rights of U.S. corporations, they would already be doing more to protect those rights or they would have come to us by now asking for help in accomplishing that task. It doesn't take a brain surgeon, which you are proving more and more that you are not, to realize that they most likely don't care. The only reason why they might care is that they wanted to avoid what you're now doing, thus making this whole thing out to be quite disingenuous.
We already look like selfish bullies to the rest of the world. This is just going to make it worse. Thanks a lot. I really hope that those other countries tell you to piss off with respect to this particular issue.
Now, let's be fair. The DLL situation - while true - has not nearly been as much of a factor in Windows 2000 and XP. Windows 3.1 and 95 were rife with DLL incompatibility errors, particularly with every fscking application just assuming that its DLLs were compatible with every other application out there. But I've been using 2000 and XP for many years, and I have yet to run into a DLL conflict using newer software (post-Win-95 software) on either of those operating systems.
And I hope that you're not calling me a Windows bigot. I'm a Solaris bigot more than anything else. I wished Windows and Microsoft would die ever since they *required* the DELETION of OS/2 in order to install DOS 6.2x in a dual-boot partition.
Maybe they have no exposure beyond their own limited teen life living in the basement bedroom at Mom's house.
Sadly, that myopic view that you mention describes probably 90% or more of Windows users of all ages who automatically equate "PC" with "Windows". This is an education factor more than anything else; but until Linux gets closer to Windows in user friendliness and software installation, teaching Joe Six Pack about Linux is like teaching a college-level calculus course to a fourth grater.
You are absolutely correct in every respect. I suspect that you got modded as "troll" more for your attitude and sarcasm than from what you were trying to say. But the core reasons like what you describe are exactly why I will not try to push Linux on family for quite some time.
.5 is the only version that is available on Sunfreeware.Com. So, I downloaded the source code. I couldn't compile it because my version of GTK wasn't correct and I didn't have libpcre installed. So, I decided to get the source for those. Well, some libraries that THEY needed weren't installed. When all was said and done, I needed to download and install SIX packages/libraries just to run BlueFish 1.0. One of them wouldn't compile due to some error that I don't remember, but fortunately was optional.
For example, just recently I wanted to install BlueFish 1.0 on a Solaris 8 system. (No, it's not Linux, but the principle is the same.) Unfortunately, BlueFish
I also ran into the same problem last week when trying to get Apache to play nice with Sun Java System/ONE Directory Server. Because Apache assumes that you use OpenLDAP, it didn't see DS. The only options that I could find were to either install OpenLDAP and use its libraries or install SASL. Well, OpenLDAP wouldn't compile because it claimed that it couldn't find libraries that *were* installed and available! I even told it specifically what directory to look in for those libraries, but it still didn't take it. SASL wouldn't install due to a shitload of syntax errors in the DES header file. I found numerous issues regarding that problem on the Internet with the apparent conclusion that it will not compile on Solaris 8. So, I never got that to work. Fortunately, I came up with a solution that does not require Apache plugging directly into DS.
Am I a compilation and C expert? Hardly. I at least know enough to identify if libraries or paths are problematic to the point that I can get around or correct most compiling errors. (As I said, I know that I was talking about Solaris 8, so it's not completely an apples-to-apples comparison, but the underlying principles are the same.) That kind of knowledge is absolutely beyond the cognitive thought processes of the vast majority of Windows users, particularly the Joe Six Pack who uses Windows for nothing more than surfing the web and sending e-mail to his Aunt Bertha in Sheboygan! They want to put a disc in, run the startup program and be done. Linux can't deliver that yet when libraries depend on other libraries which depend on other libraries which might depend on other libraries, and a change to one requires a change to all.
So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that what seems easy and natural to Linux geeks is definitely not what regular people consider easy and natural. Hence, the preference towards Windows.
Very true. Don't get me wrong. Linux is getting there. I've run into a few distributions that are *very* user-friendly right from the start. But until Linux becomes as user-friendly as Windows, particularly when it comes to software and library dependencies, it will never be accepted by the masses as a Windows alternative.
I guess that makes me a "troll", too. In this instance, karma be damned.
Actually, that was relevant to systems other than UNIX. Any Commodore 64 BBS that utilized the Commodore-specific key codes for graphics and color did the same thing.
:P
So, yes, UNIX 101 was over. You were in the Personal Computer Telecommunications History class.
Some things are probably better left unknown.
CTRL-H is the UNIX-standard control code for a backspace. It's used in this case for humorous effect or sarcasm.
Example: He is stupid^H^H^H^H^H^Hcool --> "He is cool", but that's not what you originally typed, hence the humor or sarcasm.
UNIX 101 is over for today. Class dismissed.
As for hijackings, you don't need to worry about it because IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I can't believe people still think that terrorists will try again to hijack a commercial airliner and use it as a missile--it was a one-time trick and it will NEVER work again.
That's exactly what I've been saying ever since the gubment started talking about adding so much more security to airlines. With our new "post-9/11" mindset, the first thing that most people are going to think of if a plane is ever hijacked again is "Well, I'm going to die anyway. So, I might as well go down on my terms!" The terrorists would be nothing short of stupid if they tried it again. They wouldn't be able to get past, "Everyone get back into your seats" before they are taken down like a quarterback getting sacked by the entire defensive line.
Anything further to secure and monitor airlines' cabins is foolhardly and, as Geroge Carlin once said, "is only meant to make white people feel safe." If only the gubment put this much effort into protecting the real threat to national saftey right now (besides the politicians themselves) -- that sieve we call our borders.
Why on earth is Dell even bothering to do this? They're trying to enter a market that's already flooded. Between Apple and Creative, the $99 MP3 player market is pretty much taken care of.
When it comes to style, though, I still prefer my MobiBlu Cube. It has everything that this new Dell unit offers plus 7.5 hours of voice recording. Dell's product looks like most of the other MP3 players out there, so the only thing to differentiate this from the competition is the name. Sounds a lot like when Carly left HP, she and her goofy ideas went over to Dell.
Hmmm... were she and Michael Dell possibly...? Nahhhhh....
you really should pick up a copy. It's an excellent game, and it's cheap
... somewhere ...
Grrrrr...! And, of course, it's for PS2, not a PC. Well, I'll just have to pretend that I know what you're talking about from the Ico web site. It's too bad, too, because the trailer looks pretty good - and the music was really good. It just seemed to fit while at the same time not seeming to be totally appropriate. Would that there were a functional PS2 emulator for the PC out there
I don't understand the difference. I guess I don't see why a game would by definition have less emotional effect than a movie.
With a movie you have no control. You sit and watch.
With a game, you become the character. In many games, like Wing Commander III and IV, your actions and decisions have a direct influence on what goes on. While I'm sure that some people still can remain totally detached in those circumstances, the truth is that a hell of a lot of gamers can't and don't.
I've had a lot of games pull some strong emotions out of me, everything ranging from close-to-tears to hair standing on end.
I remember getting freaked out playing Castle Wolfenstein. (Yes, the original.) I was on the fourth mission or so. Up to that point, the last level was open a few doors, go down a few hallways, there's the boss. Wipe him out. This one had me going after (if I recall correctly) a mechanized general. At every hall and door, I expect to see the boss. First door, nothing. Second, nothing, Thrid, nothing. Then I got to the point of nervous where-the-hell-is-he? thinking. Another hall, another corner. Still no boss. (Keep in mind it was also in the wee hours of the morning and I was very tired, making me more susceptible.) Another door, no boss, another door, no boss, another corner, no boss. I'm completely freaking out by this time wondering where the hell he is. I walk into a room that didn't seem to be a place for a boss, making me lower my defenses for a bit, when I hear "AMERIKANER!!!" from my left speaker. I jumped out of my chair by several inches and was rightfully slaughtered.
I had had enough, shut the game off, and went to bed, but I actually sat up in bed for about 1/2 hour, twitching at every damn creak that the building made.
Conversely, I was really impacted by the storyline of Unreal II. Believe it or not, that game had an incredibly strong character arc. (It was not the mindless shoot-and-kill like the original Unreal.) Every non-action sequence and cut-scene was dedicated to character development and relevant story progression. Anyway, throughout the whole game I obviously learned more and more about the background of my crew - why they left their home, what they want in life, why they made the decisions that they did. The writers really did a superb job of helping you to bind with and to understand the crew.
SPOLIERS AHEAD, but the game is four years old, so doubt it's much of an issue.
When the ship and crew were destroyed and the main character drops to his knees in sorrow as he watches the ship blown apart in the atmosphere above him, my jaw just dropped and all I wanted was revenge. No game had ever made me want revenge like that before.
The final sequence where he plays their final, recorded messages of thanks and goodbye - now alone in his escape pod - had me almost close to tears. I was really hoping for some kind of expansion pack that shows that the crew actually made it out alive, but alas it was not meant to be. I had never gotten that emotional about video game characters before, but the story writers for Unreal II really were just that good as far as I'm concerned. (Others believed differently. So be it.)
Finally, although I have always been one to respect and honor our military and the sacrifices that they have made (and currently make) for us, if Medal of Honor was anything close to what our soldiers had to go through in World War II (and I'm sure that it was actually much, much worse), I have a much more profound respect for those who fought and died to preserve our liberties.
That was definitely an excellent example! That level did the exact same thing to me as well. I actually dreaded going into that level because I knew that it would have that impact on me - and it certainly surpassed my expectations.
The ghostly applause in the "theatre"; the voices and screams in the area of the asylum cells; the knocking near the staircase that sounded a lot louder than it probably was as you got close to the top... That level just completely freaked me out to the point that when it was done, I felt a combination of "I am so glad to be out of there" and "Damn, those level designers are f**king good!"
with any luck it'll hit the rich and loosen up some of those tax cut dollars into the economy.
And exactly WHY is it always the first reaction of people like yourself to say "punish the rich and their tax cuts" when the more appropriate statement should be "get those jackass Congressmen to stop spending money like it's theirs, knock it off with their bullshit pork projects, and give the money back to us since it's OUR money"?
Oh, that's a really mature response. "Gravity" is well-proven and quite irrefutable. And I could have sworn that I said that just because there is no proof doesn't mean that we shouldn't cut down on emmissions.
It's clear that you like being selective in what you read anyway, so there's no real use in continuing your immature rant.
There are tons of proof that the earth is warming. I agree. However, there is no irrefutable proof that it's a man-made occurrence, not a natural occurrence. A few thousand years of history and some ice cores do not definitively prove man's cause of any atmospheric anomalies. This is particularly true when compared to 2.5 billion years of environmental swings, including atmospheric compositions of such toxicity that there was no chance of life at the time.
Now, that's not to say that we're not causing an impact. I'm just saying that even though we do have issues of global warming, there is no proof that we're the cause.
That said, I fully agree that just because there is no proof doesn't mean that we shouldn't reduce our emissions. But Kyoto seemed to be nothing more than a global protocol to find a way to attack America politically and economically. The exclusion of China and, if I recall correctly, India as well as other developing countries was inexcusable.
It's about time that people started telling the environmentalists and "NIMBY" supporters that their anti-nuclear (because of what could happen), anti-hydro (because it would cause disruption to fish), and anti-wind farm activities (because it would ruin the view of the mountainside) are what are continuing to perpetuate our dependency on fossil fuels.
Upon rereading the article it does state that it returns a beam of light. Either I miscontrued that as being infrared light or they're misrepresenting it as being visible light. If it's visible light, that even brings the issue more to the forefront. It might beam directed, visible light right into someone's eyes if by chance the person's glasses are mistakes as camera lenses.
Again, we're all somewhat ignorant about the technical specifics of this unit, so my concerns might be totally baseless. This still seems to be overkill with the potential to cause some problems that would get it into trouble.
But I agree that this appears to be a rather lame application. Let's face it. If someone really wants to get images of whatever this contraption is protecting, they'll find ways to do it. Fiber optic camera embedded in eyeglass frame or watch strap, anyone?
I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm not a biology major by any stretch (boy, could that phrase be misconstrued!), so I don't know what kind of effect such infrared beams would have on the eyes. But if the beam is going to be strong enough to completely blind a camera, I'd be really concerned about what it could do for the eyes.
Maybe I'm just slightly paranoid and it will have no effect at all. But since the article doesn't state anything about impact to human eyes and most eyewear protection is meant to filter out UV radiation, this should be cause for concern until we're told otherwise. Anyone more knowledgable about ocular physiology care to educate us?
Sun announced back in June that it was putting JDS on the low priority list. That alone makes this deal surprising. More than that, getting Indonesia to switch to JDS is quite a feat considering what a failure JDS has been to this point.
... wait ... wrong list ...
Failure #1: Bad PR from Sun's own supporters that the first JDS came out not on Solaris, but on Linux. It is also rejected by a great deal of the Linux crowd because they already know how to get just about everything that JDS provides, short of Star Office, which is of course the Linux crown simply replaced with Open Office.
Failure #2: Sun partners with a virtually unknown PC company to sell JDS-installed PCs to the masses. The problem is that the PCs were sold only through Wal-Mart's web site. I don't know who the brain was who thought such a distribution method was viable, but I hope that person is now unemployed. Who the HELL would possibly think that tech-minded people who are looking for a Windows alternative would think, "Oh, yeah! Let's check out Wal-Mart! They're just so techie! Hey, get those Best Buy, NewEgg, and Circuit City web sites of my screen!"
Failure #3: PROFIT!!! Er
Well, I certainly hope that this works out for Sun. I love Sun hardware and Solaris. But thus far their foray into the "Windows desktop replacement" genre has been a great deal less than admirable. These Asian deals are their third attempt at raising this phoenix from its ashes. If JDS doesn't pan out this time, Sun needs to enforce a "three strikes, JDS is out" rule.
Sun for whatever reason has moved a great deal of its software to a "Java" title. For example, anything that used to be under the "Sun ONE" moniker has since been renamed to "Sun Java System". There is no more reliance on Java than at any other time.
In fact, the only time that Java is used for their Directory Server package is during the inital configuration and when you use the administration tools. Right now on our very active Directory Server v5.2 system I am showing absolutely no Java or Java-related processes running. It's all in the name.
This kind of word play is nothing new. Look at Starburst "Fruit" Chews. (quotes mine) The candies include AT MOST 3% fruit juice as per the packaging. So, yeah, you're getting juice, but that juice is not the major component.
Same thing with the Java Desktop System. Java is in there, but it's not the core of what you're getting.
I'm probably going to regret replying to this, but here goes.
Ditto here.
you are showing women that their role is to be pretty scenery, unimportant to the plot or action.
Emily, please stop jumping on the defensive and speaking in absolutes. No one here makes the assumptions that you always make. (Anyone who does either has not yet finished puberty or is not representative of the "normal" male.)
I agree that there would be no harm in making games with strong, female characters, or al least designing the game so that such a character is strong. However, there is no basis for making the blanket assumption that showing an attractive woman automatically equates to being irrelevant eye candy. But even if it did, the male target audience for these games are males aged 18-37. You have to expect that. Numerous studies (assuming that they're valid) have shown that most female game players are more into strategy, puzzle solving, or other more intellectual games. That market is changing, of course. You see more and more girls/women playing action/fantasy/FPS games than ever before, and a hell of a lot of them can whip their male opponents' collective asses. But they're still not the largest audience.
You also need to keep in mind that most designers are male. As such, they have a tendency to think in those terms. (There are exceptions, of course. Games like the No One Lives Forever series come to mind. Eidos admits to a backlash from the gaming audience for making the latest Laura Croft more top-heavy at the expense of gameplay/story of previous versions.) I remember John Cleese and Terry Jones saying how the Monty Python troupe apologized to Carole Cleveland on multiple occasions because, as they said, "We just didn't know how to write parts for women." Just because you see it as being easy to write strong women into storylines doesn't make it so.
I'm not excusing the game companies from their lack-of-female-character games, but you take these issues far, far too seriously. For example, T2X, an absolutely superb Thief 2 add-on, portrays the lead as one who wants vengeance for the murder of her cousin, of whom she was very fond. Based on your reaction in your post, the T2X team is showing all women to become vindictive, murderous kleptomaniacs when they suffer a personal loss. No one here believes that to be true.
I guess it would be too obvious to state, "Then go and form your own game company - by women, for women." It's also easier said than done, of course.
But the question has to be asked. Have you even bothered to start a grass-roots campaign to both major and independent game companies? I'm sure that question alone is going to garner "troll" or "flamebait" by incompetent mods; but the reality is that complaining on Slashdot isn't going to get these game companies to change their ways, nor is being a single voice who implies that she speaks for a larger segment, nor is putting up your own personal boycott when there are far, far more men who will make up for your single non-sale.
And as for your last question of "And what woman wants to play a game like that?" I know several gaming women just who play exactly the kinds of games that you describe. They look at the gameplay and whether or not the game is an overall enjoyable experience. They don't let comparably minute issues like "women as pretty scenery" bother them because they don't look at the whole issue in absolutes and they don't expect instances in a video game to be the same in the real world. That's why it's called a "game".
*sigh* Well, here come the mods. Who needs karma anyway?
Why? I think that's a really brilliant move! That means that Sun systems are the only systems out there that are certified to run Linux, Windows, and Solaris x86. That's has the potential to be an awesome marketing tool that no other server manufacturer can make.
As I mentioned in a different Slashdot story, one of the local Windows admins got a loaner Sun system with Windows installed on it and he was very impressed with its speed and stability. That can open a whole, new market base for Sun. And even if those servers don't run Solaris now, who's to say that they won't in the future as current systems are put into end-of-life or replaced and therefore can serve other functions? Now that we've moved the data to a bigger server, what should we do with this one? Let's put that Solaris on it and see what we can do with it. Hey, it's a very distinct possibility.
Personally, I think that it's about time that McNealy swallowed a bit of that arrogant pride of his. It's been a long time coming. As a Sun admin for over 10 years I'm very excited about this new direction that Sun has been taking. Let's hope it's not too little, too late.
What price sheet have you been looking at and from what year?
... all of Sun's x86 servers are certified to run Linux. They wouldn't bother if they thought that Linux sucks.
A Sun Fire X2100 starts at $745 LIST. Go through a reseller and you're guaranteed to get discounts on top of that. These prices that UNHEARD OF for Sun. They have completely slashed their prices down to levels that I never thought I would ever see. I've been working with Sun hardware for 10 years and I've been cursing their outrageous prices for nine of those years as I saw Intel after Intel replace numerous Sun workstations and servers. I've had no excuse to curse Sun's prices in the past 12 months.
If we were talking about the Sun of the past, you'd be absolutely correct. They charged outrageous prices because your were buying the Sun name and the Sun R&D. That arrogance died very recently. Look at any of their x86 offerings, like the Ultra 20, which is also available for less than $900 list.
Half the quality? They offer a 3 year warranty on all hardware. Every other vendor I've had to deal with wants a service contract ($$$) for that amount of coverage. I doubt they'd give that warranty if they thought the quality was such that the systems wouldn't last at least that long. Otherwise, they'd expect to lose a shitload of money to spare parts and customer service calls, which would not be a wise move at all.
Oh, by the way
It's blatantly obvious that you don't have a clue what you're talking about or you just want to bash on Sun for the sake of bashing on Sun.
I think that William Shatner's classic "Saturday Night Live" skit is more of what you're looking for.
... Get a life! Would you, people? It's just a TV show! {points to geek with Spock ears} You! Have you even kissed a girl? {geek slowly lowers head} I didn't think so!"
:P
{Shatner at podium at a "Star Trek" convention}
"Before I continue I just want to say
Even at that, you're still a pompous coward for posting AC.
When I read this:
...the only thing that came to mind is the introduction to the original Unreal Tournament: "The Liandri Corporation quickly found deathmatch to be its most profitable enterprise" or something to that effect. I didn't know whether to be amused or terrified. I guess that as long as I don't hear "You fight like Nali!" when I'm walking down the road I should just be amused.
We are now seeing the kinds of corporate sponsorships necessary to back these players so they can train and compete at the highest level worldwide.
(That's called "humor", mods. Look it up.)