The cards were never going to be issued for free; they were going to be forced on us and we would have had to pay for them (in fact the 15,000ish who had purchased the cards before the election have been told they will not get refunds but, instead, will have a souvenir of "historical" note).
The purchase price of the cards was meant to cover the operating costs of the scheme; government don't pay - we do. They take our taxes, then want more stealth taxes.
While Flash may be a closed-sourced development platform as many others are, I find the idea of limiting a hardware platform to only being able to run apps developed within a far too-tight environment much more annoying.
I have several applications that I have created over the years that serve my purposes far better than any paid-for products; if I wish to use them on a piece of hardware that I have bought then I would have to probably re-write them in another development suite that I would need to buy and submit to a "store" for "approval".
Jobs can go throw a ballmer for all I care as I will stick with hardware that will enable already written and fully tested software to run with no-one trying to be my "Big Brother" and act as coding and moral arbiter.
I'm not trying to troll or flame as I feel this situation has bigger implications than many realise.
I find it so hard to believe that all these entities "will investigate" when these claims are made; are they so oblivious of the facts of employment in the areas in hich they choose to have their products made, or are they just downright lying scum, trying to reduce cost margins and increase sales?
Yes, call me naive, but I cannot believe the bastards when profits, share-holders and bottom-lines get in the way of ethics. We in the technology sector have such a powerful presence that we can force change and improve the lives of hundreds of millions around the planet - we should be doing that as a matter of first instance, not retro-actively.
If the climate of politics needs to change in this country then it has to start with anyone assuming they have a right or need to represent the population - if you are willing to butt in here and negate questions prior to them being asked of the interviewee then you are no better than the incumbents.
Surely being an indy would set you apart from being a member of a group?
There was once a Bristolian politician, a member of the Whigs, that after being voted in to parliament he continuously went against the party whip and voted for what his constituents wanted; this man, Edmund Burke, broke with so many party political traditions he became a hero to many in Bristol (which also happens to be my birth and home town).
I don't know what makes you think I'm Tory - I'm just completely fed-up with the pillocks we currently have "representing" us. We have seen so many of our rights eroded since 1997 that almost any change would be better than allowing Brown et al to continue for another term.
I will support whoever gets in if they restore public confidence in parliament, drop the fascist ID card idea, return the NHS to the fantastic organisation it once was, stop lying in public inquiries and committees and realise that we are not still a empire and adjust foreign policy accordingly.
Given that we have issues of such national and international importance do you not feel that another party, campaigning on such a narrow platform will only dilute the real change that is needed which is the ousting of labour and the restoration of faith in the institution of parliament and the fact that it should be working for the whole population of the UK and not the vested interests of politicians?
I have to pay for my intertubes and I do not wish advertising to slurp off of my paid-for bandwidth. If the "sites" want us to view their ads then one of two things should happen, either:
a) I have free broadband access and then I would be happy for (malware-less and flash-less) ads from proven (certified) ad pimps, or
b) I get a share of the ad revenue as they are using what "I" pay for to deliver their dross to me
As an aside, there are no ad's or companies that advertise that get my business, when I wish to buy something I will do my own research and talk to friends and family to decide which product is suitable for me and meets my needs; I do not respond to anything that is shoved wholesale down my throat - that is the best way for them to lose sales not generate them.
TDyl
I don't really go in for early adoption of anything so I found my perfect game distributor in the shape of gog.com. Since I've been a member I've picked up DRM free versions of:
Tex Murphy - Mean Streets, Martian Memorandum, Under A Killing Moon, The Pandora Directive and Overseer.
Myst Masterpiece Edition, Riven, RealMyst and Uru Chronicles:Complete Collection.
The Manhole: Masterpiece Edition (for the tripped-out stoner kid in me)
and three freebies, the latter two I downloaded just for the hell of it - Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress and Teenagent.
All this for about $40.
Sometimes I do splash out though; I've bought all the Neverwinter Nights games and add-ons on release.
MW2? What's that?
I can see my love of FRPG games taking a nose dive if this ever is enabled; I'd never even be able to kill a goblin in real life let alone in, I don't know, Neverwinter Nights, so does that mean my game experience stops after 10 minutes of play and I've wasted my money? I play games to excise the real world not continue to react with it.
Additionally the thought of a private business, let alone the farking gubbermint, having access to my health data is an anathema to me; this patent is patently stupid and M$ employees must be overpaid and incredibly bored to think this will generate precious revenue for the Ballmerites.
Disclaimer: English, living in England, slim, mid-40's and, at the moment, an avid RPGer.
as soon as the LHC was powered up I passed an Higgs-Boson (or many trillions upon trillions) from my arse; at least that's what I tell the better half about the brown stain on my shorts.
I see the new movie now:
"How To Ruin Almost Anything" starring Rupert Murdoch as Kim Jong-Il; the Newscorp IT department as 'the Politburo' and Steve Ballmer as, well, Steve Ballmer.
Slashdot Mirror
"and issue the cards for free."
The cards were never going to be issued for free; they were going to be forced on us and we would have had to pay for them (in fact the 15,000ish who had purchased the cards before the election have been told they will not get refunds but, instead, will have a souvenir of "historical" note).
The purchase price of the cards was meant to cover the operating costs of the scheme; government don't pay - we do. They take our taxes, then want more stealth taxes.
Bloody stupid old fossils.
If they ever dare bring this into tic-tac-toe on my EDSAC then I shall be rather angry and I may growl once or twice.
Yes.
While Flash may be a closed-sourced development platform as many others are, I find the idea of limiting a hardware platform to only being able to run apps developed within a far too-tight environment much more annoying.
I have several applications that I have created over the years that serve my purposes far better than any paid-for products; if I wish to use them on a piece of hardware that I have bought then I would have to probably re-write them in another development suite that I would need to buy and submit to a "store" for "approval".
Jobs can go throw a ballmer for all I care as I will stick with hardware that will enable already written and fully tested software to run with no-one trying to be my "Big Brother" and act as coding and moral arbiter.
I'm not trying to troll or flame as I feel this situation has bigger implications than many realise.
Please tell me Jack Thompson isn't still alive and now trying to "Bacon" Canada; God help me if I ever meet that sorry excuse for a disbarred lawyer.
Being a pendant, I'll probably swing for this and you'll hang for that 'n'.
I find it so hard to believe that all these entities "will investigate" when these claims are made; are they so oblivious of the facts of employment in the areas in hich they choose to have their products made, or are they just downright lying scum, trying to reduce cost margins and increase sales?
Yes, call me naive, but I cannot believe the bastards when profits, share-holders and bottom-lines get in the way of ethics. We in the technology sector have such a powerful presence that we can force change and improve the lives of hundreds of millions around the planet - we should be doing that as a matter of first instance, not retro-actively.
Trying not to troll or initiate a flame, but when I saw the tea.state.tx.us url I immediately thought that was an official Texas State teaparty group.
I hope he is no relation to Jack
I've heard there's a Boston law firm waiting to sue any /.'er that oversteps the shat
Nicely put, thank you.
;)
Is that comment copyright because I'd love to be able to use it in some other fora in which I comment
Of course this is an issue.
If the climate of politics needs to change in this country then it has to start with anyone assuming they have a right or need to represent the population - if you are willing to butt in here and negate questions prior to them being asked of the interviewee then you are no better than the incumbents.
How enlightening and eminently sensible!
Surely being an indy would set you apart from being a member of a group?
There was once a Bristolian politician, a member of the Whigs, that after being voted in to parliament he continuously went against the party whip and voted for what his constituents wanted; this man, Edmund Burke, broke with so many party political traditions he became a hero to many in Bristol (which also happens to be my birth and home town).
Why don't you stand as an indy? If enough of us did we could make one hell of a difference.
I don't know what makes you think I'm Tory - I'm just completely fed-up with the pillocks we currently have "representing" us. We have seen so many of our rights eroded since 1997 that almost any change would be better than allowing Brown et al to continue for another term. I will support whoever gets in if they restore public confidence in parliament, drop the fascist ID card idea, return the NHS to the fantastic organisation it once was, stop lying in public inquiries and committees and realise that we are not still a empire and adjust foreign policy accordingly.
Given that we have issues of such national and international importance do you not feel that another party, campaigning on such a narrow platform will only dilute the real change that is needed which is the ousting of labour and the restoration of faith in the institution of parliament and the fact that it should be working for the whole population of the UK and not the vested interests of politicians?
No and definately NO again.
I have to pay for my intertubes and I do not wish advertising to slurp off of my paid-for bandwidth. If the "sites" want us to view their ads then one of two things should happen, either:
a) I have free broadband access and then I would be happy for (malware-less and flash-less) ads from proven (certified) ad pimps, or
b) I get a share of the ad revenue as they are using what "I" pay for to deliver their dross to me
As an aside, there are no ad's or companies that advertise that get my business, when I wish to buy something I will do my own research and talk to friends and family to decide which product is suitable for me and meets my needs; I do not respond to anything that is shoved wholesale down my throat - that is the best way for them to lose sales not generate them. TDyl
About as much as having your brain smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large tarnished gold win server 2k3 box.
I almost poohed and peed myself.
Oh well, I guess big businessis doing well this hour.
And what good is an MBA?
The ability to screw-up the world financial services industry and put many people on the streets?
I don't really go in for early adoption of anything so I found my perfect game distributor in the shape of gog.com. Since I've been a member I've picked up DRM free versions of: Tex Murphy - Mean Streets, Martian Memorandum, Under A Killing Moon, The Pandora Directive and Overseer. Myst Masterpiece Edition, Riven, RealMyst and Uru Chronicles:Complete Collection. The Manhole: Masterpiece Edition (for the tripped-out stoner kid in me) and three freebies, the latter two I downloaded just for the hell of it - Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress and Teenagent. All this for about $40. Sometimes I do splash out though; I've bought all the Neverwinter Nights games and add-ons on release. MW2? What's that?
I can see my love of FRPG games taking a nose dive if this ever is enabled; I'd never even be able to kill a goblin in real life let alone in, I don't know, Neverwinter Nights, so does that mean my game experience stops after 10 minutes of play and I've wasted my money? I play games to excise the real world not continue to react with it. Additionally the thought of a private business, let alone the farking gubbermint, having access to my health data is an anathema to me; this patent is patently stupid and M$ employees must be overpaid and incredibly bored to think this will generate precious revenue for the Ballmerites. Disclaimer: English, living in England, slim, mid-40's and, at the moment, an avid RPGer.
as soon as the LHC was powered up I passed an Higgs-Boson (or many trillions upon trillions) from my arse; at least that's what I tell the better half about the brown stain on my shorts.
I see the new movie now: "How To Ruin Almost Anything" starring Rupert Murdoch as Kim Jong-Il; the Newscorp IT department as 'the Politburo' and Steve Ballmer as, well, Steve Ballmer.
Oh yeah, I forgot: different categories of product attract different rates of VAT.