This is pure bullshit. In many parts of the world, HDTV is broadcast over the air, and very few people own cable boxes. America is a bit backwards in this respect - aking people to hook up TV over a cable and pay for it. I'd rather just switch on my TV and watch HDTV content for free. Which, of course I can do without worrying about any cabling or configuration.
(podcasting, for instance, has incredibly limited real-world potential,
That doesn't make a lot of sense. Podcasting is already extremely popular, and is very useful in the real world.
but by the talk you'd think we're soon going to listen to every dweeb with a microphone)
I've never heard anyone say that. Who are the people saying these things? There are many very professional Podcasts, plenty from major media organizations world-wide. Using a podcast does not mean you have to listen to "any dweeb with a microphone." It has the potential to take (another) huge bite out of live radio. Just like the internet has seriously changed the newspaper business.
Thos people are called hypocrites, not Christians..
No, they are Christians and hypocrites. You don't have to be a non-sinner to be a Christian. All you have to do is accept Christ. He died to forgive the sins of Christians. So, saying that anyone who sins is nnot a "true" Christian is not accurate, and is avoiding the issue. They call themselves Christians, everyone else calls them Christians. They are Christians. Just not very good ones.
What really bothers me is this: The movie industry is trusted to enforce their own ratings system, why isn't the video game industry? Why is there a big call for laws preventing the sales of games instead of a call for video game retailers to check IDs?
Why does it bother you? It's just a bunch of blowhards who create "rating systems" in the first place. Why not judge content for yourself, rather than relying on a bureaucracy? And it's only movies and games we are talking about - not weapons or drugs.
I'd rather ask "why the fuck do movie theatres card people," than ask that such crap has to be forced onto even more markets than it already is. The whole concept is pretty damn stupid. I'd rather live in a decent society than among a bunch of immature ID-checking assholes, whether they are over 18 or not.
What? People are going to RELIGIOUS sites? Hasn't anyone heard of the seperation of church and state? If someone wants to cyber-pray let them pay for their own access.
I think you have it backwards. The government can't restrict freedom of speech - but a private company can. Your scenario seems more likely in a 100% private system.
And why should you have to pay for idiots who build sky-scrapers right in the path of terrorist jets? Or people who build their houses anywhere in America? After all, a disaster can happen anywhere in the USA, so I guess you are on your own if you choose to live there. However, if you run a failing airline or a private security firm comprised of armed mercenaries - then you can get all the Federal dollars you like!
You make it sound as if teens have such a hard life in this modern age. Actually, kids have more 'rights' now than ever before, and are almost 'untouchable'.
But "rights" are meaningless if you don't have things like freedom, respect and self-worth. The kids never seem to get to exercise whatever rights they supposedly have, because they are on a tether. Many kids lead a constantly shut-in life by parents who don't want them to go out in the world, and they are kept in houses and in SUVs while in transit to some other room. Many aren't allowed to just go outside and ride bikes around freely.
But the bigger issue is that raised by another poster - there is little value in the work, skill or intelligence of young people. They are seen just as consumers. There is almost no "craft" or "art" or "philosophy" or anything meaningful to modern life. Scientists have gone from being daring explorers and philosophers, to techno-geeks or workers for an oil company. Artists are kept churning out lookalike commercial junk. Good design is not appreciated.
This doesn't just affect the young, but everybody. Our human works are being increasingly undervalued in a world of massive reproduction and mechanization. We worship efficiency and cheap prices - not good work or ethical thinking. For example: Why build your own balsa model plane (or spend time supervising your child making one), when you can get the GeeWhiz3000 FreedomFighter for half the price, ready made from plastic parts, including radio gear!
They used to hang horse thieves from the nearest tree.
Well, thank goodness those barbaric days are over in most parts of the world. I don't really want to return to a world of lynching, violence and vigilante justice.
These days, juvenile delinquent gang-banger wannabes can steal you auto at gun-point and wind up in the revolving door of juvenile justice, or even merely placed back into the custody of their legal guardians. Our civilization will reap what it has sown.
Well, that's good. Much better than stringing them up. We will reap what we sow. There is less violence and bigotry in most countries today, compared to the "frontier justice" days. We have come a long way from stringing up people who are black or jewish. People live longer and healthier, violent crime is declining. We all benefit from not being sadistic bastards.
The legal system is not perfect, but it's a lot better than mob justice. Yes, too many people sue each other - but in the old days things would have been settled by violent family feuds or revenge lynchings.
but take 9/11. 1 day to happen, 5 years of finger pointing to follow. Why? We can't just say, "Okay, we all screwed up, let's learn something and move on." No no no, we've got to find out exactly whose fault it was that we didn't see it coming,
Sorry, I have to nitpick. I agree with your other points, but the real question about 9/11 is: did somebody in the government deliverately allow it to happen, or were they involved in orchestrating it? The circumstantial evidence is pretty damning, and the government won't allow a full investigation. memos have been leaked talking about how a terrorist attack would be great for the President's popularity.
Maybe if more Christians took more of a stand and told people to stop swearing, drinking, screwing around or watching porn the society at large would be more courteous, have less drunk drivers, and broken marriages.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. There are probably more Christian alcoholics and broken homes than atheist ones. I find most Christians to be extremely hypocritical when it comes to sin. They love to shout in public and accuse others. But then, when in private, they often sin worse than the people they preach to.
I don't understand why it's so hard for parents to check out the games that their kids want.
What makes you think most parents give a shit? Come on, they are just games. With no sharp edges or easy-to-swallow pieces, either. The thing is, the people complaining here are not normal parents. They are professional whiners and prudes. They basically don't want anyone having fun. I think kids would be more traumatized by the "clean" indoctrinal media that members of the National Institute on Media and Family would be showing their kids.
A violent videogame is nothing compared to teaching your kid that s/he's a sinner, or teaching them that evolution doesn't exist. That will really screw them up.
If they are stealing money, then I think buying adult video games is probably the least of their problems. You know, kids can steal video games in stores that check ID, too. So I guess we should outlaw stores completely, so our kids can be 100% protected from reality at all times.
To get retailers to start carding everybody for games?
Because it's not a retail store's responsibility to raise your kids. And such stores could face lawsuits, for either denying someone a purchase, or for accidentally selling a game to an underage kid. Once the retailer takes action on this, they are also responsible for any outcomes. If they don't do anything, they are not liable. And it costs money to enforce rules and check IDs.
This is not like alcohol and tobacco, where there are actual laws that stores have to check ID, and underage smoking and drinking is actually illegal. It's not illegal for underage kids to buy a game that has been rated for older children. So, the stores should not do anything until the government changes the law.
The National Institute on Media and the Family is not some kind of credible organization or industry group. The story really should have mentioned that they are a bunch of prudish Christian wingnuts. The same kind of people who would be linking Dungeons and Dragons to satanism 20 years ago.
Why pay them any attention? It's just advertising for them. Better to ignore such people, rather than feeding the trolls.
I agree though that one is tempted to dismiss research a priori though because of funding or some vendor tie. I think a good way to reverse the trend is to open the process up to public scrutiny; that's probably the main reason I came on Slashdot.
So, he came here to make vendor ties to research more acceptable. Is it really appropriate for Slashdot to give him a platform to do this from? Has Slashdot been paid to provide this PR?
I don't see what's wrong with rejecting corporate-sponsored research, and favoring independent research that isn't sponsored by the company.
The developers pay Microsoft a portion of the money paid for each game sold, so if they're not selling games (because people aren't using the Xbox for games) neither one is making money and the game makers won't want to develop for it.
Don't they pay money up-front for development kits and licensing? Also, the more developers are attracted by Xbox sales, the more titles will be released - so enticing more people to buy games and make the platform a success.
I don't think very many people will buy and Xbox and NEVER buy a single game. the few hardcore Linux freaks who do so, are not going to make any significant impact. If one wants to support Linux - that $400 would be much better donated to the EFF, or even used to help pay for an Open Source programmer's bills, or donated to some Linux project. It simply does not make sense to waste that much money on Microsoft's crap - when you could be using the money directly to do good.
Personally, I suspect this "But Microsoft makes a loss, buy ten!" attitude is merely an excuse used by Linux people to justify buying an Xbox while still claiming moral purity. The likelihood of them never loading an Xbox game into the unit is very slim.
The X-Box 360 is a waste. Manufacturing a sophisticated high end computer that does nothing more than play games is a complete waste not only of energy and resources, but talented minds who could be working on the $100 laptop or sending a rocket to Mars.
Exactly. We live in an immature, wasteful society. i don't see how that makes my point seem "ridiculous."
Yeah, we're facing a global power crisis, but there are a lot of major things that can and should be fixed immediately and even you must know that a few people running X-Boxes 24-7 is a drop in the bucket.
So what if it is a "drop in the bucket" - every bit counts. how does this make my comment ridiculous? certainly it is still true that wasteful electricity usage wastes power?
At least SETI, Einstein etc. has practical uses that could benefit society, and since it could be run headless the power consumption would be on par with or less than other household appliances.
That's debateable. I think there are likely much more efficient machines to run these processes on. I doubt the Xbox is highly energy efficient compared to its processing power. Look at the size of the power supply! Wouldn't a laptop running off solar cells and a battery be better?
But if enough people buy them, they will probably stop losing money on them. Also, what evidence is there that this "Microsoft loses money" meme is true? If the system is popular, they make more money from developers who pay to license the rights to develop.
So, every Xbox sold is an incentive for a developer to pay Microsoft and promote Microsoft's platform.
I and many others apparently think it's worth the power; if you don't, that's your business, nobody makes you leave your system on.
So, you're selfish. Some people realize that their actions have an effect on other people, even the small actions. Wasting power is irresponsible and hurts everybody. You might just think it's your business, but it's not - it's all of our business.
Sweet machine theoretically if all the hardware is made to work, and a dollar loss to MS.
Even if they make a dollar loss - it is much more important for Microsoft at this stage to win mond-share and market-share. So, you may think you are costing them, but you are helping them achieve a psychological and market victory. And supporting a company that hates Linux and campaigns against it.
I don't understand all this "port Linux to a console" stuff. Isn't it just feeding Microsoft and proprietary devices to add features to their hardware? Why encourage sales of their products?
Slashdot Mirror
This is pure bullshit. In many parts of the world, HDTV is broadcast over the air, and very few people own cable boxes. America is a bit backwards in this respect - aking people to hook up TV over a cable and pay for it. I'd rather just switch on my TV and watch HDTV content for free. Which, of course I can do without worrying about any cabling or configuration.
Shit, you can get a documentary about the covered bridges of Iowa?? I would watch that at least 10 times if I had access to it.
That doesn't make a lot of sense. Podcasting is already extremely popular, and is very useful in the real world.
but by the talk you'd think we're soon going to listen to every dweeb with a microphone)
I've never heard anyone say that. Who are the people saying these things? There are many very professional Podcasts, plenty from major media organizations world-wide. Using a podcast does not mean you have to listen to "any dweeb with a microphone." It has the potential to take (another) huge bite out of live radio. Just like the internet has seriously changed the newspaper business.
No, they are Christians and hypocrites. You don't have to be a non-sinner to be a Christian. All you have to do is accept Christ. He died to forgive the sins of Christians. So, saying that anyone who sins is nnot a "true" Christian is not accurate, and is avoiding the issue. They call themselves Christians, everyone else calls them Christians. They are Christians. Just not very good ones.
Why does it bother you? It's just a bunch of blowhards who create "rating systems" in the first place. Why not judge content for yourself, rather than relying on a bureaucracy? And it's only movies and games we are talking about - not weapons or drugs.
I'd rather ask "why the fuck do movie theatres card people," than ask that such crap has to be forced onto even more markets than it already is. The whole concept is pretty damn stupid. I'd rather live in a decent society than among a bunch of immature ID-checking assholes, whether they are over 18 or not.
I think you have it backwards. The government can't restrict freedom of speech - but a private company can. Your scenario seems more likely in a 100% private system.
And why should you have to pay for idiots who build sky-scrapers right in the path of terrorist jets? Or people who build their houses anywhere in America? After all, a disaster can happen anywhere in the USA, so I guess you are on your own if you choose to live there. However, if you run a failing airline or a private security firm comprised of armed mercenaries - then you can get all the Federal dollars you like!
But "rights" are meaningless if you don't have things like freedom, respect and self-worth. The kids never seem to get to exercise whatever rights they supposedly have, because they are on a tether. Many kids lead a constantly shut-in life by parents who don't want them to go out in the world, and they are kept in houses and in SUVs while in transit to some other room. Many aren't allowed to just go outside and ride bikes around freely.
But the bigger issue is that raised by another poster - there is little value in the work, skill or intelligence of young people. They are seen just as consumers. There is almost no "craft" or "art" or "philosophy" or anything meaningful to modern life. Scientists have gone from being daring explorers and philosophers, to techno-geeks or workers for an oil company. Artists are kept churning out lookalike commercial junk. Good design is not appreciated.
This doesn't just affect the young, but everybody. Our human works are being increasingly undervalued in a world of massive reproduction and mechanization. We worship efficiency and cheap prices - not good work or ethical thinking. For example: Why build your own balsa model plane (or spend time supervising your child making one), when you can get the GeeWhiz3000 FreedomFighter for half the price, ready made from plastic parts, including radio gear!
Well, thank goodness those barbaric days are over in most parts of the world. I don't really want to return to a world of lynching, violence and vigilante justice.
These days, juvenile delinquent gang-banger wannabes can steal you auto at gun-point and wind up in the revolving door of juvenile justice, or even merely placed back into the custody of their legal guardians. Our civilization will reap what it has sown.
Well, that's good. Much better than stringing them up. We will reap what we sow. There is less violence and bigotry in most countries today, compared to the "frontier justice" days. We have come a long way from stringing up people who are black or jewish. People live longer and healthier, violent crime is declining. We all benefit from not being sadistic bastards.
The legal system is not perfect, but it's a lot better than mob justice. Yes, too many people sue each other - but in the old days things would have been settled by violent family feuds or revenge lynchings.
Sorry, I have to nitpick. I agree with your other points, but the real question about 9/11 is: did somebody in the government deliverately allow it to happen, or were they involved in orchestrating it? The circumstantial evidence is pretty damning, and the government won't allow a full investigation. memos have been leaked talking about how a terrorist attack would be great for the President's popularity.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. There are probably more Christian alcoholics and broken homes than atheist ones. I find most Christians to be extremely hypocritical when it comes to sin. They love to shout in public and accuse others. But then, when in private, they often sin worse than the people they preach to.
What makes you think most parents give a shit? Come on, they are just games. With no sharp edges or easy-to-swallow pieces, either. The thing is, the people complaining here are not normal parents. They are professional whiners and prudes. They basically don't want anyone having fun. I think kids would be more traumatized by the "clean" indoctrinal media that members of the National Institute on Media and Family would be showing their kids.
A violent videogame is nothing compared to teaching your kid that s/he's a sinner, or teaching them that evolution doesn't exist. That will really screw them up.
If they are stealing money, then I think buying adult video games is probably the least of their problems. You know, kids can steal video games in stores that check ID, too. So I guess we should outlaw stores completely, so our kids can be 100% protected from reality at all times.
Because it's not a retail store's responsibility to raise your kids. And such stores could face lawsuits, for either denying someone a purchase, or for accidentally selling a game to an underage kid. Once the retailer takes action on this, they are also responsible for any outcomes. If they don't do anything, they are not liable. And it costs money to enforce rules and check IDs.
This is not like alcohol and tobacco, where there are actual laws that stores have to check ID, and underage smoking and drinking is actually illegal. It's not illegal for underage kids to buy a game that has been rated for older children. So, the stores should not do anything until the government changes the law.
Why pay them any attention? It's just advertising for them. Better to ignore such people, rather than feeding the trolls.
Dude, this bottomless well of cash is, like, so gnarly!
Not only that, the 5.25" refers to the size of an old floppy disk - not the size of the enclosure.
So, he came here to make vendor ties to research more acceptable. Is it really appropriate for Slashdot to give him a platform to do this from? Has Slashdot been paid to provide this PR?
I don't see what's wrong with rejecting corporate-sponsored research, and favoring independent research that isn't sponsored by the company.
Open Source is "corresponsing" a threat? What the hell is that supposed to mean? What does it correspond to?
Don't they pay money up-front for development kits and licensing? Also, the more developers are attracted by Xbox sales, the more titles will be released - so enticing more people to buy games and make the platform a success.
I don't think very many people will buy and Xbox and NEVER buy a single game. the few hardcore Linux freaks who do so, are not going to make any significant impact. If one wants to support Linux - that $400 would be much better donated to the EFF, or even used to help pay for an Open Source programmer's bills, or donated to some Linux project. It simply does not make sense to waste that much money on Microsoft's crap - when you could be using the money directly to do good.
Personally, I suspect this "But Microsoft makes a loss, buy ten!" attitude is merely an excuse used by Linux people to justify buying an Xbox while still claiming moral purity. The likelihood of them never loading an Xbox game into the unit is very slim.
Exactly. We live in an immature, wasteful society. i don't see how that makes my point seem "ridiculous."
Yeah, we're facing a global power crisis, but there are a lot of major things that can and should be fixed immediately and even you must know that a few people running X-Boxes 24-7 is a drop in the bucket.
So what if it is a "drop in the bucket" - every bit counts. how does this make my comment ridiculous? certainly it is still true that wasteful electricity usage wastes power?
At least SETI, Einstein etc. has practical uses that could benefit society, and since it could be run headless the power consumption would be on par with or less than other household appliances.
That's debateable. I think there are likely much more efficient machines to run these processes on. I doubt the Xbox is highly energy efficient compared to its processing power. Look at the size of the power supply! Wouldn't a laptop running off solar cells and a battery be better?
So, every Xbox sold is an incentive for a developer to pay Microsoft and promote Microsoft's platform.
So, you're selfish. Some people realize that their actions have an effect on other people, even the small actions. Wasting power is irresponsible and hurts everybody. You might just think it's your business, but it's not - it's all of our business.
Even if they make a dollar loss - it is much more important for Microsoft at this stage to win mond-share and market-share. So, you may think you are costing them, but you are helping them achieve a psychological and market victory. And supporting a company that hates Linux and campaigns against it.
I don't understand all this "port Linux to a console" stuff. Isn't it just feeding Microsoft and proprietary devices to add features to their hardware? Why encourage sales of their products?