I suspect there may be another underlying reason, which won't occur to you unless you are involved with multinational planning and marketing.
Marketing plans are developed often more than a year before the product is released. The marketing department have to make sales predictions based on volume by nation or territory, and this then gets converted back into the manufacturer's currency.
In the past couple of years we have watched the dollar fall against the Pound, and tumble against the Euro.
However, the pricing was already determined,and that is where "Because they can" kicks in.
If a new product fails to sell in Europe, they WILL address the pricing, but if the product sells based on the predetrmined pricing there is no reason for the manufacturer to consider reducung his profitability by reducing pricing.
The manufacturer will argue that currency markets fluctuate, and he could take a beating next time around.
I absolutely endorse everything you say. We are a corporate web hosting company, and constantly receive praise for the lack of spam received.
There is, however, a downside. The solution you advocate, which is the system we use, takes time and expertise to administer, making e-mail hosting a proverbial pain.
We enforce RFC requirements, and this occassionally causes a problem, and we are forced to whitelist an IP to overcome it, but it is becoming less of a problem as mail admins are learning that the rules are there for a purpose. Anything with an X-Spam level of 10 or more is automatically rejected. Anything with an X-Spam level between 5.0 and 10 is retained for administrative sorting, and is then either delivered to the recipient as valid, dumped into a special mail folder for bayesian filter training, or plain dumped.
There are really three kinds of mail: valid mail, semi valid mail and viral/spam mail.
Using the systems Arrogant-Bastard has advocated means that valid mail passes through, semi-valid mail is held for administrator attention, and 99% of spam is rejected. Consequently your prime worry is the semi-valid mail. This is usually bulk e-mail sent by legitimate companies like Amazon or Borders. It is pure advertising, and the mail admin has to determine whether to dump it or move it along, and we make this decision based on the principle that all our mail users are corporate users who require real messages, and do not want their mailboxes cluttered with advertising from a website they once made a purchase from.
There is no simple "one-stop" fix for this problem, it does require administration, but administering 50 users is a lot easier than administering thousands of users, and, once configured, your admin effort will probably be about 1 hour per day.
This is an ADDITIONAL service to the regular BBC output.
There are many of us outside the UK who would happily pay the paltry sum you complain about to be able to receive BBC content. Consider that the BBC is deemed to be a No. 1 service throughout the world, and your annual subscription helps keep it that way.
Remember, you enjoy a service devoid of advertising (apart from the BBC plugs)whereas, if I watch a 60 minute program here, I actually get about 40 minutes of the program I want to watch. I recently watched "The Office, and was amased to find that the programs ran for 29 mins and 30 secs for a 30 minute episode.
I just wish the BBC would allow me to pay the regular licence fee to allow me to obtain their product.
This letter acknowledges receipt of your communication about internet radio.
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) recently announced new statutory royalty rates for certain digital transmissions of sound recordings for the period January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2010. Implementation of these new rates marks the expiration of a previous royalty rate agreement specifically designed to benefit "small" web casters.
I support an artist's right to be paid what they deserve for their song, book, picture, artwork, television show or movie. However, the CRB's action to move royalty payments from a percentage of revenue to a flat per song fee will threaten the further existence of internet radio. By moving to a flat fee system internet radio stations will only be allowed to play either a limited number of songs or strictly use unsigned or up and coming musicians. For a small internet radio station to survive they will need a significant increase in revenue to be able to play the variety of songs current available on-line.
I firmly believe that the way consumers view and listen to music is drastically changing. We are in an age where people can download, watch and listen to almost any show, movie or song when they want. The internet allows people to experience new music and shows and gives individuals a forum to express and share their hobbies, their work experiences and what music they enjoy. At a minimum the same rules that apply to FM/AM radio should apply to online radio stations. Finally, there is a Congressional effort led by Representative Jay Inslee to overturn the CRB's decision. I will monitor that effort closely.
Thank you for sharing your views on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you have any questions or comments. To receive additional information about issues that are facing Congress, Maryland, and the Nation that may affect you and your community, please visit my website at www.dutch.house.gov and sign up for my periodic e-mail newsletter.
As a child I loved apples, and lived in a part of England that had many orchards. The local bobby caught me "scrumping", stealing apples. He gave me a severe talking to, and sent me on my way.
A few weeks later he caught me again, and clipped me round the ear. He advised me that next time he caught me, not only would I get another clip round the ear, but he would also tell my parents.
My parents would have thoroughly endorsed his actions, and would have meted out even further physical punishment. Needless to say, I didn't get caught again!
In my twenties, I became a bobby, and in those days, most bobbies had a beat. It was their job to know everyone on their beat, to be a help in times of difficulty, and a controlling influence. We were expected to know who the "bad guys" were. as most crimes were easily attributed to certain offenders. We were expected to control the exuberances of youth, using similar summary justice to that which I had experienced.
Then came a time of massive change, they took away our cycles and put us in mini-cars. We no longer had the ability to walk our beat, picking up tidbits of information, we were given larger areas to cover, and it wasn't possible to know everyone in those larger areas.
Then came the outlawing of summary justice as a tool, not because it was abused, but because the EEC was looming, with different regulations.
The job changed coniderably in ten years, and a new type of recruit started joining up. They didn't have time for the development of relationships with the public, and were, furthermore, pressed into getting "collars".
Consequently, the relationship between the police and the public changed dramatically, with mistrust on both sides. Where the public used to freely offer us information, they now were very reluctant to do so.
Every bit of distance we build between the public and the police, and this includes the use of CCTV, disables the police from doing their job properly. It gets even worse when private contractors are apparently given police powers.
As you correctly point out, there is a tremendous amount of scare mongering related to merury, and it's the form of mercury that's important.
As a child, I had an uncle who was a dentist, and he used mecury for fillings. He used to give my brother and I phials of the stuff to play with. We would roll it around until it eventually broke up, and there was nothing left
Strangely, we are both still alive, and my brother, who is nerely seventy, tells me he ain't planning on departing just yet.
I also did both. So far this year Dell have lost out on $37,000 of sales, and I'm not going back in a hurry.
The attitude of the people at Dell when I complained was arrogant and rude. They are now snowing me with e-mails offering larger discounts, more support (I have never used thair support), and, frankly they are pissing me off.
HP are now supplying their needs, at a lower price, and no nagware installed.
I think there is another reason that this will not happen for a while.
Many businesses are using proprietary software that was written to run on XP, and will not work on Vista. Examples of this can be found in the medical world, the insurance industry, the stockbroking industry, to name just three.
Much of this software is highly expensive - I have a client, a doctor, who employs four people but has just invested over $60,000 in a system that will only run on XP.
I'm sure the software company are busy at this moment recoding for Vista, but will my client fork out several thousands to upgrade a system that he has only had for less than a year? Probably not, but his business expansion model is severly damaged until he can afford to upgrade ALL his systems, plus the proprietory software upgrade.
I nearly got nailed by a tanker leaving Charlestown harbor at about 2:00 am.
The tanker came out of Charlestown roads and immediately altered course straight in my direction.
I had no engine and was totally reliant on sail, so my ability to get out of his way was restricted. I used flashlamps focussed on the bridge of the tanker, but nothing changed.
In the end I had to use a distress flare, and the tanker missed me by about 20 feet.
What many people don't realize is that modern ships are comouter driven, thereby only requiring one person on watch when under voyage. That person could have been taking a leak, studying a chart, whatever.
When a tanker bears down on you at 15 knots, you don't have much time to react, and if you panic, what you DO do could be considered as counter productive, to say the least!
For a little over 2 years Verizon has provided a phone service for about $39 per month that allows you to connect to USA, Canada, Mexico and a few other countries with no call charges.
Last year we purchased in excess of $60,000 of systems from Dell. This year, so far, $800
This is simply because Dell are refusing to ship to business clients with Vista installed. No problem, we are now selling HP, and Dell have already lost over $20,000 of our business to date.
There is no way that we can supply Vista systems to our clients when their highly expensive proprietary software cannot work with Vista.
Dell have absolutely shot themselves in the foot on this one.
I can't help but reply to this. I have live in
the USA for eighteen years, I was born in England, and have lived in Belgium,
The Netherlands, France and Tanzania, so I have experienced a few "cultures".
I recall, the first time I came to the USA my
horror and bewilderment at the behavior of the Customs and Immigration
people at JFK, and that was in 1985. I was traveling on a UK passport, and
stood, just like everyone else, at the yellow line awaiting my turn. One guy had
his to over the line - he got threatened with a handgun. For many years I
continued to travel, weekly, to the USA, and found that some destinations were
easier than others, for example BWI airport was much more civilized, but still
draconian in many ways.
If you travel on a US passport, you are not
subjected to the misery experienced by visitors, the checks made on you are
usually cursory.
My next impression was the over-policing of the
country, and generally the ignorance and bad attitude of the police. As an ex
British Bobby, I was appalled to see overweight and obviously unfit police
officers, some of whom had little ability with the basic English language. I was
further appalled to see police smoking, eating and drinking in public. That's a
punishable offense in most of Europe.
However, I will agree that life in the US isn't
as bad as it might appear, but the conception a visitor might gain af a Nazi
state isn't unreasonable when you look at what they have to go through just to
enter this country.
I would venture to suggest that unlike many industries, this market has very little time to recover development costs, and therefore the initial pricing is likely to be high.
Unlike the drug industry, for example, the likely research, design and tooling cost will have to be recouped in the first 18 months of the product's life. The drug industry has years to be able to recoup these costs.
There are far more worthy causes to take up than this. Why can't the "investigators" get a grip, and go for the things that are patently price fixed, like broadband, cable TV, etc?
It sure as hell isn't random, but it cuts a
couple of ways. I am a 60 year old Englishman, and I frequently do
international yacht deliveries. I usually travel with a crew mate who is a 60
year old American.
Naturally, many of our flights are one way, so
that obviously raises a flag. Often, we also only pack hand baggage. However, in
about ten instances, my partner gets waved through, but I get the whole
treatment. That's just because I'm not American.
As soon as we get to Central America, however,
the tables are turned - he gets the business, and even has to pay $10.00 for a
visa, while I walk straight through and don't need a visa.
In Europe, we both get equal treatment, no hassle
at all.
When XYZ Corporation decided to invest in laying fiber, they did so using a business plan that included "Net Neutrality". They also benefited from government grants and were allowed, via easements, to run their fiber over federal land - OUR land.
If they wish to continue their demand for tiered service, perhaps we require rent for the use of our land, to offset the cost increases.
I live in the United States, but for the first forty years of my life I enjoyed the British National Health System, which was lucky because I had a couple of serious illnesses, including one that had me in hospital for over a year.
Now I live in the United States and run my own small business. The is NO WAY that I can afford health insurance (I'm 60 years old) and pay over $300 per month just for prescription medicines.
I'm not alone - as has already been stated, 30% of Americans are without health coverage, and it isn't just the poor or the unemployed - there are many people like me. I belong to a small business association - over 70% of us cannot afford health cover.
Because GuloGulo is emplyed, he is only paying a percentage of his health insurance premiums, and he is totally reliant on the generosity of his company for this to continue.
"What did people do before email?"
When I first started work only the very largest corporations had computers, and even these didn't have any mailing system.
Accounting was done manually using pens, ledgers and the trial balance method. Communication was by post or by telephone. There were some advantages to that system that most of you will never know: you actually developed good working relationships with people you dealt with regularly. It was more common to travel to meet people you worked with regularly.
Eventually I started my own business, one guy in am office, which flourished into a multinational. Even at that stage we were just negotiating with IBM for our first system, I think it cost us about $750,000 and all it really did was basic inventory, job costing and accounting. Apart from regular mail we used telex.
The facsimile message had not been invented yet. As soon as it was, we had machines installed in all our global offices. They were about the size of a desk, and transmitted at 9,600 bps.
Moving on into the 1980's we had apple systems on everyone's desks, but these were used mainly for word processing and had no interaction with the mainframe. It wasn't until mid to late 80's that we began to acquire IBM desktops that could talk to the mainframe. E-mail was still nearly a decade away.
The point of this all is: the need to communicate with people directly built a much stronger working relationship with customers and suppliers, and sadly, because of the pressure of today's world, that social interaction is being lost.
In fact you do have a responsibility here - you are guilty of contributory negligence. If you attempted to make a claim from your insurance company you would soon find this out.
I suspect, if any of you had bothered to visit the hyperlink, you might have found some very interesting data that wasn't provided in the previous article.
OK, perhaps the editor should have mentioned that, but/. is more than an arena for rants, trolls and flamebait, it provides some of us with information we would never otherwise receive.
Not necassarily:
The term "Jury Rig" has been used at sea for centuries to describe recreating a rig from various components, usually when the main rig was lost in a storm or battle.
Slashdot Mirror
I suspect there may be another underlying reason, which won't occur to you unless you are involved with multinational planning and marketing.
Marketing plans are developed often more than a year before the product is released. The marketing department have to make sales predictions based on volume by nation or territory, and this then gets converted back into the manufacturer's currency.
In the past couple of years we have watched the dollar fall against the Pound, and tumble against the Euro.
However, the pricing was already determined,and that is where "Because they can" kicks in.
If a new product fails to sell in Europe, they WILL address the pricing, but if the product sells based on the predetrmined pricing there is no reason for the manufacturer to consider reducung his profitability by reducing pricing.
The manufacturer will argue that currency markets fluctuate, and he could take a beating next time around.
I absolutely endorse everything you say. We are a corporate web hosting company, and constantly receive praise for the lack of spam received.
There is, however, a downside. The solution you advocate, which is the system we use, takes time and expertise to administer, making e-mail hosting a proverbial pain.
We enforce RFC requirements, and this occassionally causes a problem, and we are forced to whitelist an IP to overcome it, but it is becoming less of a problem as mail admins are learning that the rules are there for a purpose. Anything with an X-Spam level of 10 or more is automatically rejected. Anything with an X-Spam level between 5.0 and 10 is retained for administrative sorting, and is then either delivered to the recipient as valid, dumped into a special mail folder for bayesian filter training, or plain dumped.
There are really three kinds of mail: valid mail, semi valid mail and viral/spam mail.
Using the systems Arrogant-Bastard has advocated means that valid mail passes through, semi-valid mail is held for administrator attention, and 99% of spam is rejected. Consequently your prime worry is the semi-valid mail. This is usually bulk e-mail sent by legitimate companies like Amazon or Borders. It is pure advertising, and the mail admin has to determine whether to dump it or move it along, and we make this decision based on the principle that all our mail users are corporate users who require real messages, and do not want their mailboxes cluttered with advertising from a website they once made a purchase from.
There is no simple "one-stop" fix for this problem, it does require administration, but administering 50 users is a lot easier than administering thousands of users, and, once configured, your admin effort will probably be about 1 hour per day.
Somehow I think you are missing the point.
This is an ADDITIONAL service to the regular BBC output.
There are many of us outside the UK who would happily pay the paltry sum you complain about to be able to receive BBC content. Consider that the BBC is deemed to be a No. 1 service throughout the world, and your annual subscription helps keep it that way.
Remember, you enjoy a service devoid of advertising (apart from the BBC plugs)whereas, if I watch a 60 minute program here, I actually get about 40 minutes of the program I want to watch. I recently watched "The Office, and was amased to find that the programs ran for 29 mins and 30 secs for a 30 minute episode.
I just wish the BBC would allow me to pay the regular licence fee to allow me to obtain their product.
I received this yesterday:
"Dear Dr. XXXX:
This letter acknowledges receipt of your communication about internet radio.
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) recently announced new statutory royalty rates for certain digital transmissions of sound recordings for the period January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2010. Implementation of these new rates marks the expiration of a previous royalty rate agreement specifically designed to benefit "small" web casters.
I support an artist's right to be paid what they deserve for their song, book, picture, artwork, television show or movie. However, the CRB's action to move royalty payments from a percentage of revenue to a flat per song fee will threaten the further existence of internet radio. By moving to a flat fee system internet radio stations will only be allowed to play either a limited number of songs or strictly use unsigned or up and coming musicians. For a small internet radio station to survive they will need a significant increase in revenue to be able to play the variety of songs current available on-line.
I firmly believe that the way consumers view and listen to music is drastically changing. We are in an age where people can download, watch and listen to almost any show, movie or song when they want. The internet allows people to experience new music and shows and gives individuals a forum to express and share their hobbies, their work experiences and what music they enjoy. At a minimum the same rules that apply to FM/AM radio should apply to online radio stations. Finally, there is a Congressional effort led by Representative Jay Inslee to overturn the CRB's decision. I will monitor that effort closely.
Thank you for sharing your views on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you have any questions or comments. To receive additional information about issues that are facing Congress, Maryland, and the Nation that may affect you and your community, please visit my website at www.dutch.house.gov and sign up for my periodic e-mail newsletter.
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Member of Congress"
As a child I loved apples, and lived in a part of England that had many orchards. The local bobby caught me "scrumping", stealing apples. He gave me a severe talking to, and sent me on my way.
A few weeks later he caught me again, and clipped me round the ear. He advised me that next time he caught me, not only would I get another clip round the ear, but he would also tell my parents.
My parents would have thoroughly endorsed his actions, and would have meted out even further physical punishment. Needless to say, I didn't get caught again!
In my twenties, I became a bobby, and in those days, most bobbies had a beat. It was their job to know everyone on their beat, to be a help in times of difficulty, and a controlling influence. We were expected to know who the "bad guys" were. as most crimes were easily attributed to certain offenders. We were expected to control the exuberances of youth, using similar summary justice to that which I had experienced.
Then came a time of massive change, they took away our cycles and put us in mini-cars. We no longer had the ability to walk our beat, picking up tidbits of information, we were given larger areas to cover, and it wasn't possible to know everyone in those larger areas.
Then came the outlawing of summary justice as a tool, not because it was abused, but because the EEC was looming, with different regulations.
The job changed coniderably in ten years, and a new type of recruit started joining up. They didn't have time for the development of relationships with the public, and were, furthermore, pressed into getting "collars".
Consequently, the relationship between the police and the public changed dramatically, with mistrust on both sides. Where the public used to freely offer us information, they now were very reluctant to do so.
Every bit of distance we build between the public and the police, and this includes the use of CCTV, disables the police from doing their job properly. It gets even worse when private contractors are apparently given police powers.
Rhyming slang:
China Plate = Mate
As you correctly point out, there is a tremendous amount of scare mongering related to merury, and it's the form of mercury that's important.
As a child, I had an uncle who was a dentist, and he used mecury for fillings. He used to give my brother and I phials of the stuff to play with. We would roll it around until it eventually broke up, and there was nothing left
Strangely, we are both still alive, and my brother, who is nerely seventy, tells me he ain't planning on departing just yet.
I absolutely agree with you
I live in the USA, don't have cable, but would willingly pay the licence fee to receive BBC product.
I also did both. So far this year Dell have lost out on $37,000 of sales, and I'm not going back in a hurry.
The attitude of the people at Dell when I complained was arrogant and rude. They are now snowing me with e-mails offering larger discounts, more support (I have never used thair support), and, frankly they are pissing me off.
HP are now supplying their needs, at a lower price, and no nagware installed.
I think there is another reason that this will not happen for a while.
Many businesses are using proprietary software that was written to run on XP, and will not work on Vista. Examples of this can be found in the medical world, the insurance industry, the stockbroking industry, to name just three.
Much of this software is highly expensive - I have a client, a doctor, who employs four people but has just invested over $60,000 in a system that will only run on XP.
I'm sure the software company are busy at this moment recoding for Vista, but will my client fork out several thousands to upgrade a system that he has only had for less than a year? Probably not, but his business expansion model is severly damaged until he can afford to upgrade ALL his systems, plus the proprietory software upgrade.
You are so wrong!
I nearly got nailed by a tanker leaving Charlestown harbor at about 2:00 am.
The tanker came out of Charlestown roads and immediately altered course straight in my direction.
I had no engine and was totally reliant on sail, so my ability to get out of his way was restricted. I used flashlamps focussed on the bridge of the tanker, but nothing changed.
In the end I had to use a distress flare, and the tanker missed me by about 20 feet.
What many people don't realize is that modern ships are comouter driven, thereby only requiring one person on watch when under voyage. That person could have been taking a leak, studying a chart, whatever.
When a tanker bears down on you at 15 knots, you don't have much time to react, and if you panic, what you DO do could be considered as counter productive, to say the least!
For a little over 2 years Verizon has provided a phone service for about $39 per month that allows you to connect to USA, Canada, Mexico and a few other countries with no call charges.
Last year we purchased in excess of $60,000 of systems from Dell. This year, so far, $800
This is simply because Dell are refusing to ship to business clients with Vista installed. No problem, we are now selling HP, and Dell have already lost over $20,000 of our business to date.
There is no way that we can supply Vista systems to our clients when their highly expensive proprietary software cannot work with Vista.
Dell have absolutely shot themselves in the foot on this one.
Can we, once and for all, determine the meaning of the word theft?
In English law it is defined as "The unlawful taking and removing of personal property with intent to permanently deprive the rightful owner".
I believe in American law it is: "The felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it."
Consequently, this cannot be deemed as theft as the owner still has the property.
"Crapped" has two P's!
I can't help but reply to this. I have live in the USA for eighteen years, I was born in England, and have lived in Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Tanzania, so I have experienced a few "cultures".
I recall, the first time I came to the USA my horror and bewilderment at the behavior of the Customs and Immigration people at JFK, and that was in 1985. I was traveling on a UK passport, and stood, just like everyone else, at the yellow line awaiting my turn. One guy had his to over the line - he got threatened with a handgun. For many years I continued to travel, weekly, to the USA, and found that some destinations were easier than others, for example BWI airport was much more civilized, but still draconian in many ways.
If you travel on a US passport, you are not subjected to the misery experienced by visitors, the checks made on you are usually cursory.
My next impression was the over-policing of the country, and generally the ignorance and bad attitude of the police. As an ex British Bobby, I was appalled to see overweight and obviously unfit police officers, some of whom had little ability with the basic English language. I was further appalled to see police smoking, eating and drinking in public. That's a punishable offense in most of Europe.
However, I will agree that life in the US isn't as bad as it might appear, but the conception a visitor might gain af a Nazi state isn't unreasonable when you look at what they have to go through just to enter this country.
I would venture to suggest that unlike many industries, this market has very little time to recover development costs, and therefore the initial pricing is likely to be high.
Unlike the drug industry, for example, the likely research, design and tooling cost will have to be recouped in the first 18 months of the product's life. The drug industry has years to be able to recoup these costs.
There are far more worthy causes to take up than this. Why can't the "investigators" get a grip, and go for the things that are patently price fixed, like broadband, cable TV, etc?
Dump Norton: Tht's causing your problems.
It sure as hell isn't random, but it cuts a couple of ways. I am a 60 year old Englishman, and I frequently do international yacht deliveries. I usually travel with a crew mate who is a 60 year old American.
Naturally, many of our flights are one way, so that obviously raises a flag. Often, we also only pack hand baggage. However, in about ten instances, my partner gets waved through, but I get the whole treatment. That's just because I'm not American.
As soon as we get to Central America, however, the tables are turned - he gets the business, and even has to pay $10.00 for a visa, while I walk straight through and don't need a visa.
In Europe, we both get equal treatment, no hassle at all.
Yes, it isn't random, and yes, it IS profiling.
When XYZ Corporation decided to invest in laying fiber, they did so using a business plan that included "Net Neutrality". They also benefited from government grants and were allowed, via easements, to run their fiber over federal land - OUR land.
If they wish to continue their demand for tiered service, perhaps we require rent for the use of our land, to offset the cost increases.
I live in the United States, but for the first forty years of my life I enjoyed the British National Health System, which was lucky because I had a couple of serious illnesses, including one that had me in hospital for over a year. Now I live in the United States and run my own small business. The is NO WAY that I can afford health insurance (I'm 60 years old) and pay over $300 per month just for prescription medicines. I'm not alone - as has already been stated, 30% of Americans are without health coverage, and it isn't just the poor or the unemployed - there are many people like me. I belong to a small business association - over 70% of us cannot afford health cover. Because GuloGulo is emplyed, he is only paying a percentage of his health insurance premiums, and he is totally reliant on the generosity of his company for this to continue.
"What did people do before email?" When I first started work only the very largest corporations had computers, and even these didn't have any mailing system. Accounting was done manually using pens, ledgers and the trial balance method. Communication was by post or by telephone. There were some advantages to that system that most of you will never know: you actually developed good working relationships with people you dealt with regularly. It was more common to travel to meet people you worked with regularly. Eventually I started my own business, one guy in am office, which flourished into a multinational. Even at that stage we were just negotiating with IBM for our first system, I think it cost us about $750,000 and all it really did was basic inventory, job costing and accounting. Apart from regular mail we used telex. The facsimile message had not been invented yet. As soon as it was, we had machines installed in all our global offices. They were about the size of a desk, and transmitted at 9,600 bps. Moving on into the 1980's we had apple systems on everyone's desks, but these were used mainly for word processing and had no interaction with the mainframe. It wasn't until mid to late 80's that we began to acquire IBM desktops that could talk to the mainframe. E-mail was still nearly a decade away. The point of this all is: the need to communicate with people directly built a much stronger working relationship with customers and suppliers, and sadly, because of the pressure of today's world, that social interaction is being lost.
In fact you do have a responsibility here - you are guilty of contributory negligence. If you attempted to make a claim from your insurance company you would soon find this out.
I suspect, if any of you had bothered to visit the hyperlink, you might have found some very interesting data that wasn't provided in the previous article. OK, perhaps the editor should have mentioned that, but /. is more than an arena for rants, trolls and flamebait, it provides some of us with information we would never otherwise receive.
Not necassarily: The term "Jury Rig" has been used at sea for centuries to describe recreating a rig from various components, usually when the main rig was lost in a storm or battle.