Having done most of my education in Virginia (6th grade through PhD), I think I have some idea how this is going to go. First, the teachers will receive a bare minimum amount of instruction and education into this. There will be some cookie-cutter materials that the department of education will pass out, and they'll make teachers sit through some class. But the bulk of the instruction will consist of the teacher plopping an over-produced, over-dramatic, under-budgeted, cheesy videocassette into an old VCR that the school should have replaced last century with something more modern. The teachers will then do nothing more than to facilitate some type of bogus group discussion on this whole internet thing. And, of course, the students won't take it seriously at all. Because how can some grown up know more about the facebooks and myspaces out there -- "grown ups aren't supposed to use these things." So half the students will end up practically sleeping through it, and the other half will end up cracking wise-ass jokes at the teacher and getting smart. So the overall effectiveness of this will be essentially nil.
Oh wait, I forgot! The most important benefit of this program is actually for the state legislators who passed this, because it makes them look like they're "thinking of the children" and trying to "protect the precious little snowflakes", so that some numbnut can get re-elected and steal more money from the state's coffers. Yes folks, this is how politics works in Virginia. Surprised? You shouldn't be.
This article isn't really about copyright infringement, because if it was, the case would've been closed long ago. Seriously, the only copyright infringement here is at the very end of TFA: "A less exotic copyright claim in the lawsuit alleges that Einstein's Notes also copied and reprinted hundreds of test prep questions included in the professor's text book and in his course software."
What the article really points out is how students have gotten increasingly lazy these days, and they primarily care about getting their A instead of going to class and actually learning something. the pre-med/pre-law/pre-whatever students are too engrossed in the whole rat race admissions process to really have time to sit down and actually learn something (not to mention that most of them are about as arrogant as some professors). Most students also get a bit confused and think that the more money you throw at something, the more successful the project and outcome will be. So going by this logic, it makes perfect sense to pay for things like Einstein's Notes. But seriously, the thought of these precious little snowflakes paying a "note-taking" service so they can skip class on thursday night and head to the bar is just ludicrous. Most classes that I can think of in the past several years actually put notes online, put there by the professor (or his grad student). Some professors will also put old exams up there, too. This shouldn't be seen as a substitute for going to class, because there's still a benefit you get from lectures, but it's good supplemental learning material, and good students that actually give more than a rat's behind about learning, will take advantage of this. There should be no reason to pay a "note-taking" service for copies of notes that you should've gotten in class in the first place,...
Forget about all other polls. Google knows everything. Just look at this. Accordingly, my vote is going to either Britney or Paris! Google Trends doesn't lie!:-)
I love the "ComcastCares" slashdot handle you guys thought up! That must've taken the better part of about three minutes to come up with that! And it's certainly better than what CowboyNeal came up with! I'm thinking that Slashdot polls need a new ComcastCares option,...;-)
Based on Comcast's history, I'm thinking that it's going to take a wee bit more than a couple of random posts by a stupidly-named account to regain the trust of Slashdotters. I hope your stock tanks in the next couple of months -- that's probably the only way you guys will change your ways.
After reading this Slashdot article, I posted a link to the story on my online journal. Just a few hours later, I got a response from "comcastcares" (see link), which was basically the same text from a different person at Comcrap. I'm thinking that their PR department must be working overtime today,...;-)
I did respond to the post, too. I hope somebody reads it -- this company seriously needs a wakeup call,...
My response:
Thanks for clarifying that. Although, from reading the slashdot article on this subject today, it's clear to me that your PR department is apparently in overdrive doing "damage control" on this. While you are asserting that you have "no plans" to monitor people's living rooms, the fact remains that the technology and the capability are there to do so, and it only takes a few maligned individuals (like the same people that decided to throttle customers' bittorrent traffic into oblivion, or the guys that oppose net neutrality) to implement something scary like this. If corporations want consumers to trust them, you don't accomplish this trust through your PR department posting on people's blogs on the internet. You accomplish this trust by your actions as a corporation. Consumers don't want to be ripped off by corporations that charge over $100 for cable television service, and then raise their rates every three to four months without any noticeable upgrade in service. Nor do consumers want to be accused of being thieves of "intellectual property", and have trade groups like the RIAA & MPAA spy on us daily because they think we might be stealing music or movies or something. And we certainly don't want people that are already stealing our hard-earned money on outrageously priced cable TV service accusing us of being thieves ourselves!
If Comcast wants my business (no, I am not a current Comcast subscriber), they need to demonstrate to me with their actions that they have integrity, and offer services that I am interested in at reasonable rates. I would also recommend a major overhaul in your corporate management. Why not start with the CEO? Methinks you also have a few too many lawyers -- you could probably get rid of a couple,... But these are just suggestions.
Dark Helmet: What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the movie?
Colonel Sandurz: Now. You're looking at now sir. Everything that happens now, is happening now.
Dark Helmet: What happened to then?
Colonel Sandurz: We passed then.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now. We're at now, now.
Dark Helmet: Go back to then!
Colonel Sandurz: When?
Dark Helmet: Now.
Colonel Sandurz: Now?
Dark Helmet: Now!
Colonel Sandurz: I can't.
Dark Helmet: Why?
Colonel Sandurz: We missed it.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now.
Dark Helmet: When will then be now?
Colonel Sandurz: Soon.
Dark Helmet: How soon?
Video Operator: Sir!
[Dark Helmet has becomed far too confused and everyone now ignores him even though he's center screen]
Dark Helmet: What?
Video Operator: We've identified their location.
Dark Helmet: Where?
Video Operator: It's the moon of Vega.
Colonel Sandurz: Good work. Set a course and prepare for our arrival.
Dark Helmet: When?
Video Operator: At 1900 hours, sir.
Colonel Sandurz: By high noon tomorrow they will be our prisoners.
Dark Helmet: Who?
Don't worry, Hillary is coming. She doesn't have to spy on you, or get a warrant to search on you. She can just get 2 of her "supporters" and STEAL your passport records...
As much as I despise Hillary, the passport thing wasn't her fault. CNN is now reporting that all three remaining candidates have had their passport files breached. So, in other words, it's Bush's fault.
Definitely one of the great sci-fi authors of all time! I actually finally got a chance to read the 2001/2010/2061/3001 series just this past fall, and it was quite good. At least he finished that series before he died, instead of leaving us hanging in 2010. His style of writing definitely set the standard for sci-fi for many years to come, and he will be missed.
Still, I wished he was a bit better at predicting the future,... I wish we had donut-shaped space stations by now, and HAL 9000,... though I am kind of glad we won't have to deal with the Soviets in 2010,...:-)
I've got to call shenanigans on this so-called study! It's quite obvious that the sample size is so puny that any relationship you could possibly get out of this is virtually insignificant and meaningless! If the only scientists you surveyed were Czech ornithologists -- bird watchers -- so much for the rest of the world!!!! Next time, try surveying a few chemists from other countries -- your results may differ. I happen to know a few biochemists with quite respectable publication lists (and grants, too:-) that could quite easily drink the authors of the study under the table any day of the week,...
Sorry to break it to you, but he's not the only major candidate running this year to have his own brand of beer. A brewery in Kenya, home of Barack Obama's father, is brewing Obama Beer.
Drew Curtis actually sums up the net's overall effect on journalism quite well in his book. Say what you will about Fark, and admittedly I originally wrote this book off as sophomoric and self-promoting drivel, but then I discovered it in the University of Pittsburgh Library, of all places!!!! Apparently, somebody in academic circles must've actually taken this seriously. And, to be honest, he actually makes a lot of very good points.
Well, I watched the last three episodes of Heroes on NBC's own site online, and watched Knight Rider via bittorrent from TPB; both are legally available on NBC's website online via streaming. While I'm all for NBC being able to put advertisements in their videos so that they can make a buck and the writers and actors can get paid, the issues I have with the NBC "legal" streams are (a) not really "full screen" (it's close, but it's still 'boxed-in' enough that it shrinks the size of the show enough to be annoying) and (b) the advertisements show, while still shorter than what you get over the air, is the SAME FREAKIN' AD OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Let's have a little variety at least,... So if NBC can fix these two issues, that would be excellent! And these are definitely totally "fixable" issues within their control! I actually WANT to give them the advertising dollars that they deserve, especially since I can't get NBC over-the-air due to the location of the building I live in combined with Pittsburgh's ridiculously variable terrain. Not to mention I don't want to give those thieves at Comcrap any money, either.
On another note, I've noticed that they've put the original Battlestar Galactica series on NBC.com in the past month or two. Let's hope they put the new shows online when they come out in another month, too,...;-)
How about Consumer Espionage Engineer. That's what that **AA is into these days. They probably pay pretty good money for individuals with low enough morals to spy on their friends,...;-)
You don't have to go to Fancast, although they do have a pretty good selection. But most of the current content on television is already put out the day after it "airs" by all of the big four networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox). Not all the shows are online yet, but a good number of the popular ones are. And if they aren't, there's always the Pirate Bay, or TVU Networks,...
The big problem with Fancast right now is that you can't watch the content there at full screen size, you have to watch it in your browser. But, it is a service provided by Comcast, so I'm not surprised by the crappy quality,...
I can think of a few people that I wouldn't mind sending there, just to get them off this planet,... Plus, if we sell the idea to them the right way, most of the people involved are dumb enough that they'd actually enjoy the trip!;-)
If Hillary Clinton was declared "dead" and she was automatically removed from all the ballots before Tuesday? Oh wait,... on second thought, being dead hasn't stopped candidates from running from office before,... sorry, my bad!:-)
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, I was thinking that the title Semen Flows White on the Information Superhighway had a better ring to it,... ;-)
How about a course in basic economics for our own President! Forget the students! I just wish Bush knew this shiat,... ;-)
Oh wait, I forgot! The most important benefit of this program is actually for the state legislators who passed this, because it makes them look like they're "thinking of the children" and trying to "protect the precious little snowflakes", so that some numbnut can get re-elected and steal more money from the state's coffers. Yes folks, this is how politics works in Virginia. Surprised? You shouldn't be.
What the article really points out is how students have gotten increasingly lazy these days, and they primarily care about getting their A instead of going to class and actually learning something. the pre-med/pre-law/pre-whatever students are too engrossed in the whole rat race admissions process to really have time to sit down and actually learn something (not to mention that most of them are about as arrogant as some professors). Most students also get a bit confused and think that the more money you throw at something, the more successful the project and outcome will be. So going by this logic, it makes perfect sense to pay for things like Einstein's Notes. But seriously, the thought of these precious little snowflakes paying a "note-taking" service so they can skip class on thursday night and head to the bar is just ludicrous. Most classes that I can think of in the past several years actually put notes online, put there by the professor (or his grad student). Some professors will also put old exams up there, too. This shouldn't be seen as a substitute for going to class, because there's still a benefit you get from lectures, but it's good supplemental learning material, and good students that actually give more than a rat's behind about learning, will take advantage of this. There should be no reason to pay a "note-taking" service for copies of notes that you should've gotten in class in the first place,...
Great. Another remake. Too many more of these and Hollywood is going to have as many dupes as Slashdot,... Whatever happened to originality, people?
Yeah,... where is the OMG PONIES!!!!!!!1
... to connect to my PC to play Duke Nukem 3D! Which do you think will come out first? The projector, or Duke? ;-)
Based on Comcast's history, I'm thinking that it's going to take a wee bit more than a couple of random posts by a stupidly-named account to regain the trust of Slashdotters. I hope your stock tanks in the next couple of months -- that's probably the only way you guys will change your ways.
I did respond to the post, too. I hope somebody reads it -- this company seriously needs a wakeup call,...
My response:
Thanks for clarifying that. Although, from reading the slashdot article on this subject today, it's clear to me that your PR department is apparently in overdrive doing "damage control" on this. While you are asserting that you have "no plans" to monitor people's living rooms, the fact remains that the technology and the capability are there to do so, and it only takes a few maligned individuals (like the same people that decided to throttle customers' bittorrent traffic into oblivion, or the guys that oppose net neutrality) to implement something scary like this. If corporations want consumers to trust them, you don't accomplish this trust through your PR department posting on people's blogs on the internet. You accomplish this trust by your actions as a corporation. Consumers don't want to be ripped off by corporations that charge over $100 for cable television service, and then raise their rates every three to four months without any noticeable upgrade in service. Nor do consumers want to be accused of being thieves of "intellectual property", and have trade groups like the RIAA & MPAA spy on us daily because they think we might be stealing music or movies or something. And we certainly don't want people that are already stealing our hard-earned money on outrageously priced cable TV service accusing us of being thieves ourselves!
If Comcast wants my business (no, I am not a current Comcast subscriber), they need to demonstrate to me with their actions that they have integrity, and offer services that I am interested in at reasonable rates. I would also recommend a major overhaul in your corporate management. Why not start with the CEO? Methinks you also have a few too many lawyers -- you could probably get rid of a couple,... But these are just suggestions.
Colonel Sandurz: Now. You're looking at now sir. Everything that happens now, is happening now.
Dark Helmet: What happened to then?
Colonel Sandurz: We passed then.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now. We're at now, now.
Dark Helmet: Go back to then!
Colonel Sandurz: When?
Dark Helmet: Now.
Colonel Sandurz: Now?
Dark Helmet: Now!
Colonel Sandurz: I can't.
Dark Helmet: Why?
Colonel Sandurz: We missed it.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now.
Dark Helmet: When will then be now?
Colonel Sandurz: Soon.
Dark Helmet: How soon?
Video Operator: Sir!
[Dark Helmet has becomed far too confused and everyone now ignores him even though he's center screen]
Dark Helmet: What?
Video Operator: We've identified their location.
Dark Helmet: Where?
Video Operator: It's the moon of Vega.
Colonel Sandurz: Good work. Set a course and prepare for our arrival.
Dark Helmet: When?
Video Operator: At 1900 hours, sir.
Colonel Sandurz: By high noon tomorrow they will be our prisoners.
Dark Helmet: Who?
As much as I despise Hillary, the passport thing wasn't her fault. CNN is now reporting that all three remaining candidates have had their passport files breached. So, in other words, it's Bush's fault.
Still, I wished he was a bit better at predicting the future,... I wish we had donut-shaped space stations by now, and HAL 9000,... though I am kind of glad we won't have to deal with the Soviets in 2010,... :-)
I've got to call shenanigans on this so-called study! It's quite obvious that the sample size is so puny that any relationship you could possibly get out of this is virtually insignificant and meaningless! If the only scientists you surveyed were Czech ornithologists -- bird watchers -- so much for the rest of the world!!!! Next time, try surveying a few chemists from other countries -- your results may differ. I happen to know a few biochemists with quite respectable publication lists (and grants, too :-) that could quite easily drink the authors of the study under the table any day of the week,...
Sorry to break it to you, but he's not the only major candidate running this year to have his own brand of beer. A brewery in Kenya, home of Barack Obama's father, is brewing Obama Beer.
Drew Curtis actually sums up the net's overall effect on journalism quite well in his book. Say what you will about Fark, and admittedly I originally wrote this book off as sophomoric and self-promoting drivel, but then I discovered it in the University of Pittsburgh Library, of all places!!!! Apparently, somebody in academic circles must've actually taken this seriously. And, to be honest, he actually makes a lot of very good points.
On another note, I've noticed that they've put the original Battlestar Galactica series on NBC.com in the past month or two. Let's hope they put the new shows online when they come out in another month, too,... ;-)
How about Consumer Espionage Engineer . That's what that **AA is into these days. They probably pay pretty good money for individuals with low enough morals to spy on their friends,... ;-)
This is Kentucky we're talking about. Of course he can find some "religious reason" to deny anonymous postings!
The big problem with Fancast right now is that you can't watch the content there at full screen size, you have to watch it in your browser. But, it is a service provided by Comcast, so I'm not surprised by the crappy quality,...
I can think of a few people that I wouldn't mind sending there, just to get them off this planet,... Plus, if we sell the idea to them the right way, most of the people involved are dumb enough that they'd actually enjoy the trip! ;-)
Oh, wait,... sorry. I forgot that I was posting to slashdot,... ;-)
"Mormon" != "born-again Christian"
If Hillary Clinton was declared "dead" and she was automatically removed from all the ballots before Tuesday? Oh wait,... on second thought, being dead hasn't stopped candidates from running from office before,... sorry, my bad! :-)
I think TVU Networks is doing this as well.