I don't see the problem. It's not like it were about letting the government censor instead of apple, it's about exactly the opposite: The government preventing censorship, for a change.
No, this would be the government restricting freedom of speech (if it were actually a government doing anything, and not just a publishers' trade group whining). Do you want the government forcing you to say something?
A porn video game? It can't be done. Look, history's greatest perverts have tried; Walt Disney, Larry Flynt, the Japanese; but they can't do it because of the Uncanny Valley.
Easily solved though force the platform to use open and non DRM content that can easily read by any device and most importantly downloaded from any source.
Seeing as that is already allowed on the iPhone/iPad platform, how is it an issue?
I can't say for sure, but this may as well be about Apple controlling the market for applications on their devices.
Why would that be an issue? Are they investigating Sony for controlling the market for PS3 applications, or Microsoft for controlling Xbox applications?
This would be more on the line of Microsofts trouble about bundling IE with Windows and using a monopolist position to prevent small companies from competition.
But Microsoft did not control just Microsoft computers. In fact Microsoft doesn't even make PCs. They controlled a whole constellation of third-party companies, who probably would not survive without Windows installed on their hardware.
What other inference is to be taken from your statement other than Apple fully supported DRM until such time as popular opinion and Amazon's entry into downloadable music *FORCED* them to move to a non-DRM format.
Are you completely insane? Apple offered DRM-free tracks before Amazon did. So, how is it logically possible that apple offering DRM-free tracks was caused by Amazon?
Nutters, or people who are parodied by the big media because they say the things that are not in the interests of the incumbent commercial-political cartel?
No, just straight up nutters. These people spam my physical, snail-mailbox with insane theories and weird ideology. There is no grip on reality with these people.
The move draws attention to growing concerns about freedom of the press when a single unelected commercial entity has worldwide control over what gets published for iPhone and, especially, iPad.
I wasn't aware that an elected government body was responsible for the iPhone and iPad. I thought they were made by Apple. Are iDevices now some kind of "public good" equivalent to the airwaves?
How is freedom of the press affected by Apple's decisions? Surely, newspapers and other media outlets have other avenues to publish besides the iPad? The device has only been on sale for a few weeks, how can it have any real effect on journalism, when the number of people who own one are such a miniscule portion of the media-consuming public that it doesn't even count as a rounding error?
A team encourages specialisation because a team of diverse specialists will have the strengths of all those specialists without each indavidual needing to be good at everything.
But that won't work unless you have at least one generalist to unify them, because all the specialists will be talking past one another.
If I was French I'd be really insulted by the US for that,
You don't need to be French to be offended by that, most Americans are too. Although, on the other hand, doesn't it imply that France is actually the land of freedom?
No. "French Fries" derive their name from julienning, the French term for cutting into thin strips. British chips are not thinly julienned, they are more thickly sliced, though not as thickly as "wedges."
French Fries and English Chips are not the same thing.
By your criteria, the cashier at McDonald's is an IT professional
I never said "IT Professional," but yes, they are involved in IT. Nearly everybody is, it permeates all of our lives. Which is why we should use more meaningful terms like "programmer" or "software developer" or "database administrator." The term "IT" is malformed and useless.
When Apple came out with iTunes, it was like a breath of hope. This guy's actual words were, "iTunes saved the music industry."
Actually, iTunes was released with the "Rip, Mix, Burn" campaign, and much hostility from the music industry, including threats of legal action. It wasn't until the later iPod that the industry started to get interested.
Apple didn't use USB when the iPod was first released because USB 1 was inferior to Firewire for large transfers.
Yes, I know. I'm not sure what your point is. That's why Firewire was used, because it was fast. But even several years later, most Windows PCs didn't come equipped with Firewire, while all Macs did.
My point about being "unprecedented" was Apple catering to the Windows platform, something that the company had not done before.
yes everybody's surprise. To this day I don't understand how the ipod/itunes bonanza occurred, given the prevalence of mp3s and availability of generic portable mp3 players
You really need to think about it more. The iPod was introduced in 2001. Generic portable MP3 players were not widely available. Most people didn't even know what an MP3 player was. None of them were cheap.
Every USB stick can double as a portable music library FFS!
Firstly, in 2001, USB2 wasn't even on the market yet, and USB flash drives were expensive and had very low storage capacity. Secondly - "every USB stick can double as a portable music player"?? Where do you plug your headphones into the typical USB flash drive?
A company going from small marketshare to moderate marketshare makes it no more monopoly-like than putting a small rock with another small rock makes them more blackhole-like.
You've just re-stated my point in different words. Notice how I primarily focused on the nature of the business, rather than just the size of it?
Sure, you could claim a scenario where Apple sudddenly has 90%+ of some market segment, but that doesn't seem likely.
Just as I alluded to in my post, marketshare is not the only measure of monopoly behavior.
Making the two OSs compete directly should only help reduce any monopoly effect either company has.
Not necessarily. If one eviscerates the other in the market and abuses its resulting monopoly, that doesn't reduce any monopoly effects.
A librarian is not in IT, they are just librarians. They have lots of information not much technology.
They have heaps of technology. Their entire world is based around the printed word, which is one of the most revolutionary technologies ever invented. They know algorithms, like the Dewey decimal system. They know databases.
Data entry is to IT like fry cook at mcdonalds is to the culinary industry.
Right. A fry cook at McDonalds is definitely a part of the culinary industry.
You seem to be conflating "chef" with "member of the culinary industry." The problem is that "IT" is such a useless term, particularly these days, when nearly every job involves some level of IT.
Without teamwork, the majority of the team would have to do its own work.
But with a team, you find a bunch of people with different abilities, so you are able to do a wide range of things. Pretty much the opposite of specialization.
Think of a sports team. You don't want the whole team to be specialists in the same thing, you want a team of people with different skills who can work together.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't see the problem. It's not like it were about letting the government censor instead of apple, it's about exactly the opposite: The government preventing censorship, for a change.
No, this would be the government restricting freedom of speech (if it were actually a government doing anything, and not just a publishers' trade group whining). Do you want the government forcing you to say something?
play porn games on his iPad.
A porn video game? It can't be done. Look, history's greatest perverts have tried; Walt Disney, Larry Flynt, the Japanese; but they can't do it because of the Uncanny Valley.
Easily solved though force the platform to use open and non DRM content that can easily read by any device and most importantly downloaded from any source.
Seeing as that is already allowed on the iPhone/iPad platform, how is it an issue?
I can't say for sure, but this may as well be about Apple controlling the market for applications on their devices.
Why would that be an issue? Are they investigating Sony for controlling the market for PS3 applications, or Microsoft for controlling Xbox applications?
This would be more on the line of Microsofts trouble about bundling IE with Windows and using a monopolist position to prevent small companies from competition.
But Microsoft did not control just Microsoft computers. In fact Microsoft doesn't even make PCs. They controlled a whole constellation of third-party companies, who probably would not survive without Windows installed on their hardware.
What other inference is to be taken from your statement other than Apple fully supported DRM until such time as popular opinion and Amazon's entry into downloadable music *FORCED* them to move to a non-DRM format.
Are you completely insane? Apple offered DRM-free tracks before Amazon did. So, how is it logically possible that apple offering DRM-free tracks was caused by Amazon?
Nutters, or people who are parodied by the big media because they say the things that are not in the interests of the incumbent commercial-political cartel?
No, just straight up nutters. These people spam my physical, snail-mailbox with insane theories and weird ideology. There is no grip on reality with these people.
The move draws attention to growing concerns about freedom of the press when a single unelected commercial entity has worldwide control over what gets published for iPhone and, especially, iPad.
I wasn't aware that an elected government body was responsible for the iPhone and iPad. I thought they were made by Apple. Are iDevices now some kind of "public good" equivalent to the airwaves?
How is freedom of the press affected by Apple's decisions? Surely, newspapers and other media outlets have other avenues to publish besides the iPad? The device has only been on sale for a few weeks, how can it have any real effect on journalism, when the number of people who own one are such a miniscule portion of the media-consuming public that it doesn't even count as a rounding error?
the good people at larouchepac
LaRouche and "good people" in the one sentence? Mutually exclusive.
I get dead-tree Wired for $10 a year;
Why?? That makes no sense whatsoever.
Grandma Utz's are fried in lard. Old school, sinful, delicious lard. Where does that fit in his analogy?
In the special, extra-wide seats?
A team encourages specialisation because a team of diverse specialists will have the strengths of all those specialists without each indavidual needing to be good at everything.
But that won't work unless you have at least one generalist to unify them, because all the specialists will be talking past one another.
Development of a anti-pirating, anti-pirating technology, so the watcher's can watch the watcher's.
So, who watches the Coast Guard?
Map makers include fake streets.
I live on Fake Street, you insensitive clod!
If I was French I'd be really insulted by the US for that,
You don't need to be French to be offended by that, most Americans are too. Although, on the other hand, doesn't it imply that France is actually the land of freedom?
Yes... chips are what they call french fries.
No. "French Fries" derive their name from julienning, the French term for cutting into thin strips. British chips are not thinly julienned, they are more thickly sliced, though not as thickly as "wedges."
French Fries and English Chips are not the same thing.
By your criteria, the cashier at McDonald's is an IT professional
I never said "IT Professional," but yes, they are involved in IT. Nearly everybody is, it permeates all of our lives. Which is why we should use more meaningful terms like "programmer" or "software developer" or "database administrator." The term "IT" is malformed and useless.
just because it's data and you use a computer doesn't make it IT,
Why not? It involves information and technology. Perhaps they should have called the field something different if they meant something more specific?
When Apple came out with iTunes, it was like a breath of hope. This guy's actual words were, "iTunes saved the music industry."
Actually, iTunes was released with the "Rip, Mix, Burn" campaign, and much hostility from the music industry, including threats of legal action. It wasn't until the later iPod that the industry started to get interested.
Apple didn't use USB when the iPod was first released because USB 1 was inferior to Firewire for large transfers.
Yes, I know. I'm not sure what your point is. That's why Firewire was used, because it was fast. But even several years later, most Windows PCs didn't come equipped with Firewire, while all Macs did.
My point about being "unprecedented" was Apple catering to the Windows platform, something that the company had not done before.
And yet they all fall under the umbrella of IT. Who would have thunk it? A profession can fall under more than one category! Amazing, I know.
Microsoft is big because it is a computer company.
Microsoft makes computers??
yes everybody's surprise. To this day I don't understand how the ipod/itunes bonanza occurred, given the prevalence of mp3s and availability of generic portable mp3 players
You really need to think about it more. The iPod was introduced in 2001. Generic portable MP3 players were not widely available. Most people didn't even know what an MP3 player was. None of them were cheap.
Every USB stick can double as a portable music library FFS!
Firstly, in 2001, USB2 wasn't even on the market yet, and USB flash drives were expensive and had very low storage capacity. Secondly - "every USB stick can double as a portable music player"?? Where do you plug your headphones into the typical USB flash drive?
A company going from small marketshare to moderate marketshare makes it no more monopoly-like than putting a small rock with another small rock makes them more blackhole-like.
You've just re-stated my point in different words. Notice how I primarily focused on the nature of the business, rather than just the size of it?
Sure, you could claim a scenario where Apple sudddenly has 90%+ of some market segment, but that doesn't seem likely.
Just as I alluded to in my post, marketshare is not the only measure of monopoly behavior.
Making the two OSs compete directly should only help reduce any monopoly effect either company has.
Not necessarily. If one eviscerates the other in the market and abuses its resulting monopoly, that doesn't reduce any monopoly effects.
A librarian is not in IT, they are just librarians. They have lots of information not much technology.
They have heaps of technology. Their entire world is based around the printed word, which is one of the most revolutionary technologies ever invented. They know algorithms, like the Dewey decimal system. They know databases.
Data entry is to IT like fry cook at mcdonalds is to the culinary industry.
Right. A fry cook at McDonalds is definitely a part of the culinary industry.
You seem to be conflating "chef" with "member of the culinary industry." The problem is that "IT" is such a useless term, particularly these days, when nearly every job involves some level of IT.
Without teamwork, the majority of the team would have to do its own work.
But with a team, you find a bunch of people with different abilities, so you are able to do a wide range of things. Pretty much the opposite of specialization.
Think of a sports team. You don't want the whole team to be specialists in the same thing, you want a team of people with different skills who can work together.