The DOS game "Warlords 2" is available for free for download now... good thing too, because the floppies I bought it on are no longer readable!
The original concept of copyright was that it would need to be renewed every few years to stay in effect. Yes, I think it would be a good idea to legally require that somebody be actively making the material available for sale in order for the copyright to remain in effect. But is there really a significant difference between charging $10,000 for something that should sell for $1 and flat out refusing to sell it?
As opposed to, say, Brian Wilson's Smile, which caused the record company to tell him to fuck off, because people wanted singles, not "concept albums", and nobody would buy something unless they heard it over and over on the radio? I've got news for you -- Justin Beiber ain't releasing any "albums with a cohesive theme", and record companies are interested only in making a quick buck, not in "artistic vision"!
When your distribution model generates a huge market for "chipped" DVD players designed to get around your artificial restrictions, perhaps that is an indication that there is something wrong with your distribution model. With digital distribution, there is NOTHING keeping you from doing simultaneous global releases, except your stubborn incantation of "but that's the way we've always done it!"
I still prefer the Somali definition of "piracy": we board your ship armed with AK-47s, kidnap everyone on board, and hold them and the ship for ransom. None of this "unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material" bullshit!
If you are used to "admining" *nix boxes, then working with Linux is easier. If all you've ever done is admin Windows, then working with Windows is a hell of a lot easier. It's always cheaper and easier to go with what you already know; that is the advantage that most Microsoft sales are now built on.
They are correct in that retraining people to use new software IS generally an order of magnitude more expensive than the purchase/license price of the software. What they fail to take into consideration is that Microsoft drastically revamps their user interfaces every couple years so that the training costs involved with upgrading to the latest Microsoft release is comparable to the costs involved with retraining users to use an open source alternative. Continuing to use what you've always used is always going to be cheaper!
Let's look at this from a different viewpoint: If you are already using open source and have already put in place all the systems, scripts, custom software, etc. to run your business, how much more expensive would it be to switch to a Microsoft solution with all the same functionality?
Lots of aspects of being a cop would get old real fast. Especially when you get older and have a family - if you get killed in the line of duty who looks after your kids?
That other cop -- you know, the one that's been drilling your wife while you're out all night on patrol!
We already have proof of that: God created gays, despite the fact that we all know he really, really HATES gays! If he fucked that up, it's certainly feasible that he screwed some other things up as well!
If you do your job correctly, then everything runs smoothly and you don't get any attention (or credit) at all. But as soon as something goes wrong, it's obviously because YOU FUCKED UP, and you get LOTS of attention! Other than money, can anyone cite an upside to working in IT?
As the principle author of a patent application based on misuse of the DHCP protocol to do device discovery, I find your lack of faith in the US Patent system disturbing...
With a pipe organ, the whole building is part of the instrument. I'd like to conduct a world-wide search for the best church in which to listen to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the definitive work for the organ. Too bad E. Power Biggs is no longer around to play it.
Remember:
Online games bad; they teach competition, team-playing, and collaboration, and violence!
Sports good; they teach competition, team-playing, collaboration, and violence!
I'll bet all the hot chicks in highschool were just dying to go out with you...
As somebody who never thought it was worth hurting oneself to win a GAME, I find the emphasis our culture places on sports somewhat disturbing. In Beaverton, every high school hosts "youth league" teams for kids as young as 7, grooming them to eventually play for that high school (they must be from within the high school's attendance boundaries).
This is slashdot... the amount of empirical data collected on either variety of coitus is quite small; not enough to draw a conclusion with a high degree of confidence.
But... what possibly incentive could a blogger have for just making shit up? I thought bloggers were supposed to be the epitome of responsible journalism.
Slashdot Mirror
The DOS game "Warlords 2" is available for free for download now... good thing too, because the floppies I bought it on are no longer readable!
The original concept of copyright was that it would need to be renewed every few years to stay in effect. Yes, I think it would be a good idea to legally require that somebody be actively making the material available for sale in order for the copyright to remain in effect. But is there really a significant difference between charging $10,000 for something that should sell for $1 and flat out refusing to sell it?
As opposed to, say, Brian Wilson's Smile, which caused the record company to tell him to fuck off, because people wanted singles, not "concept albums", and nobody would buy something unless they heard it over and over on the radio? I've got news for you -- Justin Beiber ain't releasing any "albums with a cohesive theme", and record companies are interested only in making a quick buck, not in "artistic vision"!
When your distribution model generates a huge market for "chipped" DVD players designed to get around your artificial restrictions, perhaps that is an indication that there is something wrong with your distribution model. With digital distribution, there is NOTHING keeping you from doing simultaneous global releases, except your stubborn incantation of "but that's the way we've always done it!"
I still prefer the Somali definition of "piracy": we board your ship armed with AK-47s, kidnap everyone on board, and hold them and the ship for ransom. None of this "unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material" bullshit!
If you are used to "admining" *nix boxes, then working with Linux is easier. If all you've ever done is admin Windows, then working with Windows is a hell of a lot easier. It's always cheaper and easier to go with what you already know; that is the advantage that most Microsoft sales are now built on.
Why would you pay someone $75k/yr when you have easy access to grad students willing to do it in exchange for ramen noodles and free porn?
They are correct in that retraining people to use new software IS generally an order of magnitude more expensive than the purchase/license price of the software. What they fail to take into consideration is that Microsoft drastically revamps their user interfaces every couple years so that the training costs involved with upgrading to the latest Microsoft release is comparable to the costs involved with retraining users to use an open source alternative. Continuing to use what you've always used is always going to be cheaper!
Let's look at this from a different viewpoint: If you are already using open source and have already put in place all the systems, scripts, custom software, etc. to run your business, how much more expensive would it be to switch to a Microsoft solution with all the same functionality?
Lots of aspects of being a cop would get old real fast. Especially when you get older and have a family - if you get killed in the line of duty who looks after your kids?
That other cop -- you know, the one that's been drilling your wife while you're out all night on patrol!
We already have proof of that: God created gays, despite the fact that we all know he really, really HATES gays! If he fucked that up, it's certainly feasible that he screwed some other things up as well!
I hear he's a really mean drunk.
If you do your job correctly, then everything runs smoothly and you don't get any attention (or credit) at all. But as soon as something goes wrong, it's obviously because YOU FUCKED UP, and you get LOTS of attention! Other than money, can anyone cite an upside to working in IT?
Teach them Windows instead. I've got to compete with these young whippersnappers, and I'd prefer they be hobbled as much as possible.
Even better, as the only straight male in the choir, you were on easy street!
As the principle author of a patent application based on misuse of the DHCP protocol to do device discovery, I find your lack of faith in the US Patent system disturbing...
As I always used to say, "You don't have to be drunk to like Country Music, but it helps!"
"This is your brain... this is your brain on Top 40... any questions?"
With a pipe organ, the whole building is part of the instrument. I'd like to conduct a world-wide search for the best church in which to listen to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the definitive work for the organ. Too bad E. Power Biggs is no longer around to play it.
It's because he looks exactly like Donny Osmond, only not as talented.
Remember:
Online games bad; they teach competition, team-playing, and collaboration, and violence!
Sports good; they teach competition, team-playing, collaboration, and violence!
I'll bet all the hot chicks in highschool were just dying to go out with you...
As somebody who never thought it was worth hurting oneself to win a GAME, I find the emphasis our culture places on sports somewhat disturbing. In Beaverton, every high school hosts "youth league" teams for kids as young as 7, grooming them to eventually play for that high school (they must be from within the high school's attendance boundaries).
This is slashdot... the amount of empirical data collected on either variety of coitus is quite small; not enough to draw a conclusion with a high degree of confidence.
So... my parents were right about the evils of listening to that Rock'n'Roll after all?
But... what possibly incentive could a blogger have for just making shit up? I thought bloggers were supposed to be the epitome of responsible journalism.
The usual expression is "eating their own dog food". I've never heard it referred to as "dogfooding" either.
You can't WIN a concert, and that's the most important thing in life, right? Winning at any cost?