the customer's name, address, license number, perhaps even height, weight, and eye color -- go into a database and are retained, perhaps indefinitely. While a federal law forbids selling or sharing data from drivers licenses, there is no prohibition against collecting it.
On the surface, I don't really care if my local pub has my stats. At worst, I'll get an advertisement in the post for free pool on Thursday night. However, going deeper, who is looking at this data, and why? If I go to the topless pub twice a month, are the police going to use this data to profile me as a pervert. Can I expect this data to be used to obtain a warrant to confiscate my computers. Will the police attempt to blackmail me by threating to tell my wife how often I visit the pub? Will my kids be taken away when they find the pictures I took of my wife, despite the files being locked away from the kids?
I can understand the need to keep minors out of the pub. However, they need to maintain and/or create a method that protects my privacy.
While I agree that drunk driving is stupid, I question MADD's definition. Am I really too drunk to drive if I drink an 8-ounce beer at my local restaurant? Should my wife have to blow in a tube to start the car if I'm arrested for drinking that beer? MADD went off the deep end ages ago.
A lot of that money is going into the animatronic dinosaurs, which are pictured as coexisting with modern humans before the Fall.
I thought the dogma was that dinosaur bones were placed by the devil to confuse and ensnare us. I guess the dogma is evolving. As for the $25 million, the amount of money that the average person is willing to part with to support their 'feel-good' fantasies has always amazed me when compared to the amount they are willing to give to prove or disprove those fantasies using objective science.
This is correct. In the past, Microsoft has tried to define Linux as Red Hat, and failed for this reason. The whole point of this patent deal (at least from Microsoft's POV) is to narrow the definition of Linux. If successful, the deal would separate Linux into legal and illegal groups of Microsoft's choosing. If Linux can be limited to a few corporate entities, then it becomes much easier to turn on those limited number of groups and exterminate, or reign in, Linux.
I don't think that Microsoft wants to completely exterminate Linux at this point. Linux is a highly visible competitor that Microsoft can use in defense of Monopoly claims. However, Microsoft can't keep it under their thumb with such a broad definition.
I mean Flash 9 and Flex 2 are out just couple of months ago... And it's available right now, today, on all browsers, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Yes, it will be nice when Flash 9 is finally released (rumor says sometime early next year). I get so tired of flash sites telling me that I need to upgrade to the current version. I'm running the current version (7.0.68)!
Sorry, it's very annoying! Personally, I don't understand why flash is used as a video format. What is wrong with the other hundred or so formats that were designed to be a video format and don't depend on a single company to remain functional.
It's basically just a generic, actually quite poorly done shooter that was only successful because it came out on console
I never played it on the console. However, I enjoyed the story. As for it being a great FPS, First Person Shooters are all the same. You get a picture of a gun that points at things and you shoot. Not much has changed since Doom.
One example that might fit the OP's logic is the nVidia driver. For years, the nVidia driver was 'Good Enough' for most Linux users. However, it is proprietary, closed-source software. It's taken years for any real interest to show in developing a 3D capable open-source nVidia driver. (I can't remember the name of the project, but it's showing progress).
I've seen some responses that ask how Microsoft will ensure their proprietary software will only work with their distributions. I'd say through FUD and legal actions. It's not really about the home hobbyist that installs libdvdcss. It's about the US (or other pro patent/copy protection country) based OEM who legally can't ship computers with libdvdcss preinstalled. It's also about the businesses that can't afford to be running 'illegal' software.
All that said, I don't think this is Microsoft's strategy. Rather, they tried in the past to define Linux as Red Hat for the purpose of lawsuits. This failed because open source doesn't fit traditional business models. Linux isn't owned by any one company, or group of companies. Now I think they want to create 'legal' Linux distributions. Then they can point to anyone not 'legal' and sue. They are hoping to get rid of the cloud and leave the field with well defined targets.
It's all speculation. But I don't believe anything good can come of this union.
I'd say the target audience is people who use Google Earth or other up to date satellite service. I know I loaded Google Earth upon reading this. I wonder how long it will be before this ad shows up? I've heard Area 51 is a common search for Google Earth. It's not surprising this add was created near it.
Why aren't we simply fighting for a permanent voter-verified paper trail, I completely agree.
So instead of trying to push out enterprise vendors with multi-million dollar contracts (which is essentially what demanding "all open source" would do, since no commercial vendor is going to open up ALL of their software and hardware code and designs), This part I don't understand. How would requiring open source software in such a small niche market push enterprise vendors out? Patent and copyright still protect those designs. I suppose someone could adapt the software to run on a PDA. However, I can't imagine an election office using this setup.
To me, I trust voting with a device I can see. I inherently distrust magic black boxes (or grey as I recall the Diebold boxes being). I don't see how publishing the source would prevent commercial sales.
Re:Why this is a corrupt and BAD ideas.
on
More A's, More Pay
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· Score: 1
The high school I went to had one of the highest average SAT scores in the state. The school would review student records before the test. They would then go out of their way to encourage poor performers to drop out before the test. One of the grants given to the school was based on SAT scores. Kicking poor performers out allowed them to artificially raise the average. That in turn made them more money.
I obtained a GED after having most of my high school credits stripped. I had transfered to the school the year before. Most of my transfer credits were for advanced classes: electronics, physics, programming, literature, etc. They said I couldn't keep the credits because they didn't offer advanced classes. I found it interesting that, after contacting the school for references, they have me listed as a graduate.
I like the definition of old hardware. From the article:
Momma's five-year-old workhorse (July 2001)
Gateway 1200
Athlon 1.2 GHz
512MB PC133 RAM
20GB UDMA-100 hard drive
NVIDIA FX-5200 (64MB VRAM)
The Small Form Factor Special (March 2004)
Shuttle chassis
Pentium 4 2.8GHz (Hyperthreading enabled)
1GB PC3200
160GB UDMA100 HD
NVIDIA FX5200 (128MB VRAM)
Mr. Corporate Laptop (August 2006)
IBM ThinkPad X41
Pentium M 1.5GHz
1GB PC4200 RAM
40GB SATA HD
i915gl integrated graphics (shared memory)
So basically, old hardware is non-gaming computers bought this year or earlier. I have a mishmash of hardware, from a 233MHz PII to a 2.8GHz AthlonXP. None of it will be running Vista, though all run Linux just fine.
There are two wires used in standard telephone connections, red and green. The other two wires (yellow and black) were supposed to be for a second line. However, most installers just ground them. The reason that the phone works during a blackout is because phones are amazingly simple devices that don't require a lot of power. At least they don't until you add an LCD, amplified speaker, memory, or Linux. There is plenty of signal power on the line to power up to five phones in your home.
I tried to get into tech years ago. I turned down a tech job at Compaq because a small mapping company had a CAD position open that paid better. I worked my way through Editor, Head of Imaging, and finally ran all of their IT. I left that job for a pay cut in customer service at a dot-com. It's been several years, but I'm still at that dot-com. I worked my way from customer service, to copywriter, to the buying teams. After buying for a while, I was able to pitch the idea of refurbishing and selling computers. I now run a fair sized operation where I fix broken computers. It took a while. However, I kept at it and got what I wanted in the end.
You can't make any determinations about global warming based of any particular region. After all, many of the currently accepted theories about global warming show most of Europe cooling several degrees as average global temperature rises, due to changing ocean currents.
I've seen these discussions for years. In every one of them are people who say it's hotter or colder in their region. Then there are people who remind them that "You can't make any determinations about global warming based of any particular region."
I agree with the statement. However, if you start comparing all those determinations, can you average them to make a determination about global warming? If so, I'd say much North America is warming and has less snowfall.
TV warps the mind. That and witnessing other people's reactions. How many people remember the exact date of the Oklahoma City bombing that destroyed the federal building? It was very similar the bombing of the towers. However, it left the news relatively fast when compared to the towers and didn't start any wars.
and why Interstate highways have different rules than state highways (hint: the state is not permitted to regulate what constitutes a safe speed on a federal roadway).
Are you sure about this? I just want to make sure I have my facts straight. I thought the feds gave up control of Interstate highway speed limits back in the 90's. If not, how is it that Montana is allowed a mostly unlimited daytime limit, while Wyoming's is set to 75, and most of Utah is 65? I thought the difference between state and Interstate highway speeds had more to do with Interstate highways being divided.
The article concludes that the days of purely desktop-based applications are clearly numbered, but so are the days of exclusively web-based apps.
I've been hearing about the death of the desktop for at least 20 years. It only makes sense that applications for it are finally dieing.:)
Client/Server applications have been around a lot longer than the WWW. However, the mainframe/smart-terminal combinations have never been popular with the end-user. The WWW, and the Internet in general, is very good at distributing dynamic content. That is what it is used for. The only Web Applications that have seen any real success are email clients. However, I question even that success. Public, free, email servers are very popular. However, most force you to use their web-based email client.
Unless hardware suddenly becomes expensive again, software will stay on the local desktop.
Reading most of the comments in this thread, I have to say that Linux's best bet for capturing Window's game programmers would be for OpenGL, OpenAL, and SDL to team up and release their stuff under one brand name. The comments concerning DirectX vs OpenGL seem to indicate that Window's programmers are easily confused by software from multiple sources.
"Americans are the best hosts in the world, however they make the lousiest guests"
I've often wondered if this has anything to do with income. I've lived in tourist towns and encountered plenty of foreign tourists. However, I do not personally know anyone that has traveled outside the USA. Most people I know think it unusual that I've traveled to Canada. I just don't know many people that can afford the luxury of traveling to another continent. The few I have encountered tend to be a bit snobbish.
I've let laptops sit for a month without any power (including the CMOS battery) and I'm still greeted by a password prompt. I asked IBM about it. They said that the password is stored on a flash memory chip that is write/read protected. They then offered to replace the motherboard on my laptop for a couple hundred dollars, claiming that was the only way to reset a BIOS password.
I did once come across a website that claimed they could do it for a small fee. It's at: www.ja.axxs.net/unlock. I've never tried their service though.
Um, no. You are fine if you buy a computer from an authorized reseller. Dell is authorized by Microsoft to sell OEM licensed systems. Want to resell Microsoft software? Check out oem.microsoft.com. Selling used computers has been grey market for years because of Microsoft's OEM license.
MS actively discourages manufacturers sending out CDs.
Um, no. Just the opposite in fact. Only the largest resellers are allowed to resell Microsoft software without a holographic CD. The only reason they can is because they leverage their sales numbers.
Basically, the COA, the receipt, and the ELUA are just measures to help restrict illegal trading. None of them are proof of license. Why? Because it is against the license to resell the software without authorization from Microsoft. An illegally sold piece of software is still illegal, even with COA, CD, and receipt.
If you don't like Microsoft's restrictive licenses, don't buy Microsoft. It's one of the reasons Linux has so much support from large corporations.
I really don't know where to draw the line, but it certainly seems the pendulum has swung in the direction of treating all students as potential Columbinites.
Several years ago I started working for an Internet startup. The people were close-knit and it was common to pass around Internet jokes in e-mail. The company is now a large corporation. Sending jokes via email is expressly forbidden. You get fired for it. Why this hard-line stance? To avoid harassment lawsuits. I'm sure this applies to schools as well. The pendulum has swung, but for everyone, not just students.
Looks like an interesting project. It's a shame that running the games still requires the use of an emulator. I was hoping that, in remaking them, they would be porting them to modern platforms. Oh well, there are many good DOS emulators out there.
There's this thing that became quite popular more than 50 years ago, and it was given away free! No price whatsoever. It was called television, and a lot of people saw value in it. It had so much value that many people use this service far too much. About 50 years before that the scientists invented something we now radio. It was also, and continues to be free, and many people seem to love it and see value in it.
I've read the replies below your message. They point out things like taxes, advertising, paid TV/radio (cable/satellite), etc. However, one thing I don't see is the fact that television and radio also require that you purchase a receiver. It's common to judge the value of television and radio on the quality of picture and/or sound presented. Quality receivers are not free.
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the customer's name, address, license number, perhaps even height, weight, and eye color -- go into a database and are retained, perhaps indefinitely. While a federal law forbids selling or sharing data from drivers licenses, there is no prohibition against collecting it.
On the surface, I don't really care if my local pub has my stats. At worst, I'll get an advertisement in the post for free pool on Thursday night. However, going deeper, who is looking at this data, and why? If I go to the topless pub twice a month, are the police going to use this data to profile me as a pervert. Can I expect this data to be used to obtain a warrant to confiscate my computers. Will the police attempt to blackmail me by threating to tell my wife how often I visit the pub? Will my kids be taken away when they find the pictures I took of my wife, despite the files being locked away from the kids?
I can understand the need to keep minors out of the pub. However, they need to maintain and/or create a method that protects my privacy.
While I agree that drunk driving is stupid, I question MADD's definition. Am I really too drunk to drive if I drink an 8-ounce beer at my local restaurant? Should my wife have to blow in a tube to start the car if I'm arrested for drinking that beer? MADD went off the deep end ages ago.
A lot of that money is going into the animatronic dinosaurs, which are pictured as coexisting with modern humans before the Fall.
I thought the dogma was that dinosaur bones were placed by the devil to confuse and ensnare us. I guess the dogma is evolving. As for the $25 million, the amount of money that the average person is willing to part with to support their 'feel-good' fantasies has always amazed me when compared to the amount they are willing to give to prove or disprove those fantasies using objective science.
No one company or individual "owns" Linux
This is correct. In the past, Microsoft has tried to define Linux as Red Hat, and failed for this reason. The whole point of this patent deal (at least from Microsoft's POV) is to narrow the definition of Linux. If successful, the deal would separate Linux into legal and illegal groups of Microsoft's choosing. If Linux can be limited to a few corporate entities, then it becomes much easier to turn on those limited number of groups and exterminate, or reign in, Linux.
I don't think that Microsoft wants to completely exterminate Linux at this point. Linux is a highly visible competitor that Microsoft can use in defense of Monopoly claims. However, Microsoft can't keep it under their thumb with such a broad definition.
I mean Flash 9 and Flex 2 are out just couple of months ago... And it's available right now, today, on all browsers, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Yes, it will be nice when Flash 9 is finally released (rumor says sometime early next year). I get so tired of flash sites telling me that I need to upgrade to the current version. I'm running the current version (7.0.68)!
Sorry, it's very annoying! Personally, I don't understand why flash is used as a video format. What is wrong with the other hundred or so formats that were designed to be a video format and don't depend on a single company to remain functional.
It's basically just a generic, actually quite poorly done shooter that was only successful because it came out on console
I never played it on the console. However, I enjoyed the story. As for it being a great FPS, First Person Shooters are all the same. You get a picture of a gun that points at things and you shoot. Not much has changed since Doom.
I caught the 2002 show and was a bit disappointed. I saw maybe 4 meteors per hour. It sucks living in the west. Nothing cool ever happens.
One example that might fit the OP's logic is the nVidia driver. For years, the nVidia driver was 'Good Enough' for most Linux users. However, it is proprietary, closed-source software. It's taken years for any real interest to show in developing a 3D capable open-source nVidia driver. (I can't remember the name of the project, but it's showing progress).
I've seen some responses that ask how Microsoft will ensure their proprietary software will only work with their distributions. I'd say through FUD and legal actions. It's not really about the home hobbyist that installs libdvdcss. It's about the US (or other pro patent/copy protection country) based OEM who legally can't ship computers with libdvdcss preinstalled. It's also about the businesses that can't afford to be running 'illegal' software.
All that said, I don't think this is Microsoft's strategy. Rather, they tried in the past to define Linux as Red Hat for the purpose of lawsuits. This failed because open source doesn't fit traditional business models. Linux isn't owned by any one company, or group of companies. Now I think they want to create 'legal' Linux distributions. Then they can point to anyone not 'legal' and sue. They are hoping to get rid of the cloud and leave the field with well defined targets.
It's all speculation. But I don't believe anything good can come of this union.
I'd say the target audience is people who use Google Earth or other up to date satellite service. I know I loaded Google Earth upon reading this. I wonder how long it will be before this ad shows up? I've heard Area 51 is a common search for Google Earth. It's not surprising this add was created near it.
Why aren't we simply fighting for a permanent voter-verified paper trail,
I completely agree.
So instead of trying to push out enterprise vendors with multi-million dollar contracts (which is essentially what demanding "all open source" would do, since no commercial vendor is going to open up ALL of their software and hardware code and designs),
This part I don't understand. How would requiring open source software in such a small niche market push enterprise vendors out? Patent and copyright still protect those designs. I suppose someone could adapt the software to run on a PDA. However, I can't imagine an election office using this setup.
To me, I trust voting with a device I can see. I inherently distrust magic black boxes (or grey as I recall the Diebold boxes being). I don't see how publishing the source would prevent commercial sales.
The high school I went to had one of the highest average SAT scores in the state. The school would review student records before the test. They would then go out of their way to encourage poor performers to drop out before the test. One of the grants given to the school was based on SAT scores. Kicking poor performers out allowed them to artificially raise the average. That in turn made them more money.
I obtained a GED after having most of my high school credits stripped. I had transfered to the school the year before. Most of my transfer credits were for advanced classes: electronics, physics, programming, literature, etc. They said I couldn't keep the credits because they didn't offer advanced classes. I found it interesting that, after contacting the school for references, they have me listed as a graduate.
Momma's five-year-old workhorse (July 2001)
- Gateway 1200
- Athlon 1.2 GHz
- 512MB PC133 RAM
- 20GB UDMA-100 hard drive
- NVIDIA FX-5200 (64MB VRAM)
The Small Form Factor Special (March 2004)- Shuttle chassis
- Pentium 4 2.8GHz (Hyperthreading enabled)
- 1GB PC3200
- 160GB UDMA100 HD
- NVIDIA FX5200 (128MB VRAM)
Mr. Corporate Laptop (August 2006)- IBM ThinkPad X41
- Pentium M 1.5GHz
- 1GB PC4200 RAM
- 40GB SATA HD
- i915gl integrated graphics (shared memory)
So basically, old hardware is non-gaming computers bought this year or earlier. I have a mishmash of hardware, from a 233MHz PII to a 2.8GHz AthlonXP. None of it will be running Vista, though all run Linux just fine.There are two wires used in standard telephone connections, red and green. The other two wires (yellow and black) were supposed to be for a second line. However, most installers just ground them. The reason that the phone works during a blackout is because phones are amazingly simple devices that don't require a lot of power. At least they don't until you add an LCD, amplified speaker, memory, or Linux. There is plenty of signal power on the line to power up to five phones in your home.
I tried to get into tech years ago. I turned down a tech job at Compaq because a small mapping company had a CAD position open that paid better. I worked my way through Editor, Head of Imaging, and finally ran all of their IT. I left that job for a pay cut in customer service at a dot-com. It's been several years, but I'm still at that dot-com. I worked my way from customer service, to copywriter, to the buying teams. After buying for a while, I was able to pitch the idea of refurbishing and selling computers. I now run a fair sized operation where I fix broken computers. It took a while. However, I kept at it and got what I wanted in the end.
You can't make any determinations about global warming based of any particular region. After all, many of the currently accepted theories about global warming show most of Europe cooling several degrees as average global temperature rises, due to changing ocean currents.
I've seen these discussions for years. In every one of them are people who say it's hotter or colder in their region. Then there are people who remind them that "You can't make any determinations about global warming based of any particular region."
I agree with the statement. However, if you start comparing all those determinations, can you average them to make a determination about global warming? If so, I'd say much North America is warming and has less snowfall.
TV warps the mind. That and witnessing other people's reactions. How many people remember the exact date of the Oklahoma City bombing that destroyed the federal building? It was very similar the bombing of the towers. However, it left the news relatively fast when compared to the towers and didn't start any wars.
and why Interstate highways have different rules than state highways (hint: the state is not permitted to regulate what constitutes a safe speed on a federal roadway).
Are you sure about this? I just want to make sure I have my facts straight. I thought the feds gave up control of Interstate highway speed limits back in the 90's. If not, how is it that Montana is allowed a mostly unlimited daytime limit, while Wyoming's is set to 75, and most of Utah is 65? I thought the difference between state and Interstate highway speeds had more to do with Interstate highways being divided.
The article concludes that the days of purely desktop-based applications are clearly numbered, but so are the days of exclusively web-based apps.
:)
I've been hearing about the death of the desktop for at least 20 years. It only makes sense that applications for it are finally dieing.
Client/Server applications have been around a lot longer than the WWW. However, the mainframe/smart-terminal combinations have never been popular with the end-user. The WWW, and the Internet in general, is very good at distributing dynamic content. That is what it is used for. The only Web Applications that have seen any real success are email clients. However, I question even that success. Public, free, email servers are very popular. However, most force you to use their web-based email client.
Unless hardware suddenly becomes expensive again, software will stay on the local desktop.
Reading most of the comments in this thread, I have to say that Linux's best bet for capturing Window's game programmers would be for OpenGL, OpenAL, and SDL to team up and release their stuff under one brand name. The comments concerning DirectX vs OpenGL seem to indicate that Window's programmers are easily confused by software from multiple sources.
"Americans are the best hosts in the world, however they make the lousiest guests"
I've often wondered if this has anything to do with income. I've lived in tourist towns and encountered plenty of foreign tourists. However, I do not personally know anyone that has traveled outside the USA. Most people I know think it unusual that I've traveled to Canada. I just don't know many people that can afford the luxury of traveling to another continent. The few I have encountered tend to be a bit snobbish.
I've let laptops sit for a month without any power (including the CMOS battery) and I'm still greeted by a password prompt. I asked IBM about it. They said that the password is stored on a flash memory chip that is write/read protected. They then offered to replace the motherboard on my laptop for a couple hundred dollars, claiming that was the only way to reset a BIOS password.
I did once come across a website that claimed they could do it for a small fee. It's at: www.ja.axxs.net/unlock. I've never tried their service though.
Um, no. You are fine if you buy a computer from an authorized reseller. Dell is authorized by Microsoft to sell OEM licensed systems. Want to resell Microsoft software? Check out oem.microsoft.com. Selling used computers has been grey market for years because of Microsoft's OEM license.
MS actively discourages manufacturers sending out CDs.
Um, no. Just the opposite in fact. Only the largest resellers are allowed to resell Microsoft software without a holographic CD. The only reason they can is because they leverage their sales numbers.
Basically, the COA, the receipt, and the ELUA are just measures to help restrict illegal trading. None of them are proof of license. Why? Because it is against the license to resell the software without authorization from Microsoft. An illegally sold piece of software is still illegal, even with COA, CD, and receipt.
If you don't like Microsoft's restrictive licenses, don't buy Microsoft. It's one of the reasons Linux has so much support from large corporations.
I really don't know where to draw the line, but it certainly seems the pendulum has swung in the direction of treating all students as potential Columbinites.
Several years ago I started working for an Internet startup. The people were close-knit and it was common to pass around Internet jokes in e-mail. The company is now a large corporation. Sending jokes via email is expressly forbidden. You get fired for it. Why this hard-line stance? To avoid harassment lawsuits. I'm sure this applies to schools as well. The pendulum has swung, but for everyone, not just students.
Looks like an interesting project. It's a shame that running the games still requires the use of an emulator. I was hoping that, in remaking them, they would be porting them to modern platforms. Oh well, there are many good DOS emulators out there.
There's this thing that became quite popular more than 50 years ago, and it was given away free! No price whatsoever. It was called television, and a lot of people saw value in it. It had so much value that many people use this service far too much. About 50 years before that the scientists invented something we now radio. It was also, and continues to be free, and many people seem to love it and see value in it.
I've read the replies below your message. They point out things like taxes, advertising, paid TV/radio (cable/satellite), etc. However, one thing I don't see is the fact that television and radio also require that you purchase a receiver. It's common to judge the value of television and radio on the quality of picture and/or sound presented. Quality receivers are not free.