And of course Supe will be needed at the end of the film. It is, after all, a story about him.
And I'm not so sure you'd want all the original actors back -- Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) has been through some rough times... "dirty, frightened, and paranoid" according to police: http://bipolar.about.com/cs/celebs/a/margotkidder. htm
If the name of the URL doesn't tip you off, well, you'd better call the Superfriends.
"These data are sent to the distributed server which determines the optimal allocation of work between all clients, while guaranteeing each client that as much or more work will be done on the project of their choice as would occur if that client worked solely on its preferred project."
**BOINC releases new project information**
Wednesday, November 23
The new Project to Optimize Distribution of Workload by Efficiency for Preferred Projects (PODWEPP) has been announced by Berkeley. The project is expected to consume 50% of BOINC computing resources, as work allocation is optimized to account for ever-changing efficiencies and availability of thousands of client contributors. The theory behind the project is sound, but testing showed that the countless cycles needed to perform the constant calculation would need more computing power than available by other means. BOINC administrators recommend dedicating 50% of your allocation to PODWEPP to ensure that the remaining 50% of your allocation is used in as efficient a manner as possible, while ensuring that your personal project preference is accounted for. In addition, BOINC contributors acknowledge that BOINC is now able to determine, without your input, what functions are performed by its distributed computing network on your CPU.
No, it's not just you. The article isn't really about anything either, just the head of a industry organization continuing to pat the industry on the back, and try to justify the existence of the organization.
It's like one of those quarterly or yearly "letter from the CEO" some companies distribute.
"Isn't the point of USB keys to make it easy to exchange files with other people? unless you're in a real hurry (like, say, you want to give photos to a friend, he's not home, you break in anyway, proceed to the computer, but your friend's rottweiler saw you and is coming at you) who really cares if it takes one more minute to transfer those files?"
When my office does blanket installs of (certain) software, it's done via USB key -- for 90+ PCs. At a minute saved per install, wouldn't you prefer more speed? It costs our company less, and makes the technician happy.
Ditto for our graphic designers, who need to share files across multiple unconnected networks.
Others have pointed out that it's easy to lose a very small item.
Another factor is ease of use. I personally have sausage-fingers, so something 1-cm square is very awkward to handle. I'm sure other slashdotters have the same problem. Throw in the fact that I enjoy the occasional adult beverage (or three) in the evening, and that teeny drive is almost impossible to use.
Also, many USB drives are recessed, it's hard to grasp something that doesn't stick out past the surface of your case at least a cm or two.
Finally, a rectangle is much better than a square, it's easier to figure out which is the business end. And since you're going rectangular, it makes sense to use a shape that's visually pleasing -- slimline, not clunky.
So, to sum up: don't wanna lose it, ergonomics, and product acceptance.
P.S. The drive reviewed has an aluminum casing, not plastic.
The review makes a big deal of the casing being made of aluminum, not plastic, and the unit having some heft to it (making it feel more solid).
I don't know why this is an advantage, however, other than cosmetically. Aluminum cases are a tiny bit more mechanically stable than plastic, especially cheap plastics... but since I'm not hitting my flash drives with a hammer, it doesn't matter to me. Proper design would prevent flexion from being a problem too, if I accidentally left it in my back pocket and sat down or something.
I'm also guessing that manufacturing costs for aluminum are less, not sure about materials cost.
Anyone out there who could shed some insight into why aluminum is preferred over well-designed plastic?
"Microsoft will keep throwing money at the problem to gain market share. And once they get rid of Sony, they will eventually out-last Nintendo as well. And when they do, do not expect Microsoft to provide any innovation."
Well, there are a lot of differences between the console market today, and the markets in which MS was able to corner. I suggest you compare those markets, and ask yourself the following questions:
Is there established competition, with deep pockets, in the market?
Is it an emerging market?
Is interoperability with other systems an issue for the product?
Is there high-demand content available only with a competitors product?
Also, I'd like to point out that the nature of gaming consoles is such that every few years, there will be an opportunity for someone else to produce a competing product. If MS chooses not to pour money into R&D for consoles, there is no way they could retain control of the market, even if they could get a monopoly.
Finally, MS spends a lot on R&D, even when they are in a dominating market position. A lot of that R&D is outsourced (either directly, or buy purchasing R&D companies/technologies).
I don't know how you can claim that MS's entry is a Bad Thing(tm). Do you think Sony or Nintendo would waste millions of R&D cash if either of them had a monopoly? I understand you're ill will towards MS, I feel the same way. But I can't see the console wars playing out the way the browser wars did (and look, MS continued to spend on R&D there!).
" Why should the business model include income from online games?"
Because it's available. At this point, for a game publishing venture, the question is more like "Why doesn't your business model account for income from online games?"
"the people crunching the numbers in the first place should see how much money they can get (Best and worst case) and make their decision from there..."
Not really. If they're planning products based on revenue potential in the market, they need to know the market. The planning, and decisions, should be about how to tap the market -- which means running analyses on different scenarios and then picking the strategy that best matches their goals.
Looking at it from a min/max perspective isn't going to help them make sound business decisions.
FTParent'sLink: "Slashdot trolling is a subset and a microcosm of Internet trolling in general. Some of these behaviours are usually considered to be more offensive or insightful than others." (emphasis mine)
Umm, shouldn't that be incite-ful? Or, rather, 'more inciting'?
1. "Microsoft sooo does not belong in the game console market. They make Office software, for Christ's sake."
Lest you forget, they also make an Operating System. They also make media apps. Why are you upset about greater competition in the console market? That should benefit all of us.
2. "The first X-Box was just a PC in a box."
Ata fraction of the cost. Tons of people won't spend $1k to buy a new computer, but $300 for a console is fine.
3. "The name is stupid and personifies what I hate about this machine and its community"
What does this have to do with anything? Is the Dreamcast, or the Revolution, any better? Who cares what it's called.
4. "The game library will mostly just be PC ports and Playstation ports"
See above comment re: PC-in-a-box. Also, as a social activity, gaming on a PC with a few friends just sucks. Much easier to sit on the couch.
5. "At least with the Playstation 3, it has the appeal of being the absolute top hardware"
Hah. It's not so different from the 360. By the time the PS3 launches, it won't be near the top, compared to first-class gaming rigs.
6. "Instead of letting the product sell itself based on its own value, as other companies do (a cliched example, but see Apple and its iPod...all Steve Jobs had to do was hold up an iPod nano to the camera, and everyone was SOLD on it)"
You really crack me up. Apple spent millions and millions to market the iPod brand. "this thing is just a shareholder-driven profit grab"
Now, a profit grab would imply that MS is making a profit on these. They are building a long-term business with the 360, not grabbing profits. "not a genuinely fantastic product from a company that actually makes games and game consoles and belongs in that market
I won't claim to know if the 360 is fantastic or not, but like it or not: MS makes game consoles and they also make games. By your rationale, shouldn't Sony stick with audio equipment, and get the hell out of the game console market?
It's obvious you hate MS. That's fine. By why are you upset that they released a product YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY? Or are you just upset that it gets press?
There are tons of call centers in Utah and Idaho, since there is practically no accent there. Also, there is an oversupply of labor in a lot of areas due to the Mormon explosion, keeping wages low.
"Considering that these things can often be done by computer, a 2000 person survey means NOTHING and opening the survey to a LARGE audience wouldn't make for more work yet would increase the accuracy of any survey."
Not necessarily. If you have a random sample, then 2000 people is just fine, as long as you pay attention to the margin of error. You'll be more precise with a larger sample, yes.
But, if you get a larger sample by, say, posting the survey online, then you've just gotten yourself a severely skewed sample -- and it is less accurate.
Please don't conflate precision with accuracy.
"There is also the idea of needing to grind you way to the top without making the game good enough where the game has enough variety to make every dungeon or set encounter be a single pass only."
Hope you're willing to seriously upgrade your hardware, as well as severely reduce the number of people allowed on a server (for big changes in instances). Also, one of the reaosn people can spend 10 hours playing an MMO is because the grind is mindless. It's actually good to have repetitive action.
"Right now, the focus seems to be on boys and men age 13 to 25."
Where are you pulling this from? I can find no supporting evidence of this. Seems to me that the male 25-49 demo is being targeted pretty hard. Or were you just referring to consoles and handhelds? Furthermore, there's been a ton of press about hitting the non-traditional videogame demographic classes recently.
Well, to be fair, "we will leverage" is a loaded search term. You're looking almost exclusively for the type of press release, etc, in which it will be used incorrectly.
"To leverage" would be a better search, and there are a couple correct usages within the first 10 results there.
I do agree that it is used incorrectly, and without real purpose, far too much.
I agree totally that the expense is justified... and sorry about the feet/metres mistake -- hadn't finished my first cup of coffee yet.
Of course, I get the funny feeling that I'm not the only one who has made a metric/non-metric unit error when dealing with a space program:)
Re: cost overruns, no surprise there. That's how project budgeting in the federal govt works in general, IMO... especially with the present & past couple administrations.
Well, my dictionary was printed in 1975, so it depends on your definition of recent.
Sure, middle-managers use it as a buzzword -- but upper-level management, and financial analysts, etc, use it as a meaningful verb. Sometimes even middle-managers use it correctly.;)
Another possibility is that the public (myself included) is paying more attention to financial matters, and so are becoming more exposed to financial terms.
"1,000 staff x $100,000/year (generous) = $100 million/year."
That's not generous at all, since this is a one-off try... NASA needs to spend top dollar to get the best minds working on priority projects like this.
Also, you've costs other than payroll to deal with -- health insurance, recruitment, training, etc. Plus admin and support staff (which will be cheaper no doubt), as well as PMs (which will be more expensive, no doubt).
Throw in the fact that there is almost zero margin for error in terms of manufacturing tolerances, and that many of the parts are not regular production-line parts, and so cost a bunch more to have made... Plus, the mirror itself is being made of Beryllium, which is both expensive and toxic (so working with it is much more expensive).
"I hate to be cheeky, but if I could pay 1,000 people $100k/year, I could build you a seriously awesome space telescope for a lot less than $2.5 billion.I hate to be cheeky, but if I could pay 1,000 people $100k/year, I could build you a seriously awesome space telescope for a lot less than $2.5 billion."
I'm sure there are a bunch of things I'm not thinking of, but my point is that pulling numbers out of a hat to say that we're overpaying is a little ridiculous. Admittedly, the overruns are a serious problem, though.
Original cost was to be 800 million, with an 8-foot mirror; cost was doubled and mirror diameter was reduced to 6 feet -- and this was with the EC contributing an additional 300 million.
from Random House College Dictionary (closest one at hand): lev-er-age...v.t. 5. to provide (an investment or equity) with operating or financial leverage.
And of course it's an advert, it's based on a press release. You can be pretty sure they're looking for capital to bring this to market.
The question (FTFA): "Is Microsoft purposefully holding back on shipments, trying to create an artificial appearance of extraordinary demand?"
The answer: No.
The other question: "Is Microsoft purposefully holding back on production, trying to create an artificial appearance of extraordinary demand?"
The answer: Maybe.
There's no way MS would hold on to extra inventory, it's too traceable, and also not a good idea financially. Instead, claim production insufficiencies -- you still getting reduced supply at release, without tying up cash in inventory, while having a believable justification.
Slashdot Mirror
Christopher Reed? Surely you don't mean 'Pete' from this movie:
. htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/
And of course Supe will be needed at the end of the film. It is, after all, a story about him.
And I'm not so sure you'd want all the original actors back -- Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) has been through some rough times... "dirty, frightened, and paranoid" according to police: http://bipolar.about.com/cs/celebs/a/margotkidder
If the name of the URL doesn't tip you off, well, you'd better call the Superfriends.
"These data are sent to the distributed server which determines the optimal allocation of work between all clients, while guaranteeing each client that as much or more work will be done on the project of their choice as would occur if that client worked solely on its preferred project."
**BOINC releases new project information**
Wednesday, November 23
The new Project to Optimize Distribution of Workload by Efficiency for Preferred Projects (PODWEPP) has been announced by Berkeley. The project is expected to consume 50% of BOINC computing resources, as work allocation is optimized to account for ever-changing efficiencies and availability of thousands of client contributors. The theory behind the project is sound, but testing showed that the countless cycles needed to perform the constant calculation would need more computing power than available by other means. BOINC administrators recommend dedicating 50% of your allocation to PODWEPP to ensure that the remaining 50% of your allocation is used in as efficient a manner as possible, while ensuring that your personal project preference is accounted for. In addition, BOINC contributors acknowledge that BOINC is now able to determine, without your input, what functions are performed by its distributed computing network on your CPU.
Not sure if the cost savings for plastics is in materials cost or production costs, but it's pretty obviously cheaper.
:)
Re: flexion, sorry for applying my physiology vocab to mechanics... what I mean is 'bendyness,' dunno the ME term.
And my point is that I'm not going to hit it with a hammer, which is why I don't need ultra-tough casings.
No, it's not just you. The article isn't really about anything either, just the head of a industry organization continuing to pat the industry on the back, and try to justify the existence of the organization.
It's like one of those quarterly or yearly "letter from the CEO" some companies distribute.
"Sure it's faster than most thumb drives but that's like bragging about being the world's tallest midget."
I'm a shortness-challenged little person, you insensitive clod!
"Isn't the point of USB keys to make it easy to exchange files with other people? unless you're in a real hurry (like, say, you want to give photos to a friend, he's not home, you break in anyway, proceed to the computer, but your friend's rottweiler saw you and is coming at you) who really cares if it takes one more minute to transfer those files?"
When my office does blanket installs of (certain) software, it's done via USB key -- for 90+ PCs. At a minute saved per install, wouldn't you prefer more speed? It costs our company less, and makes the technician happy.
Ditto for our graphic designers, who need to share files across multiple unconnected networks.
Others have pointed out that it's easy to lose a very small item.
Another factor is ease of use. I personally have sausage-fingers, so something 1-cm square is very awkward to handle. I'm sure other slashdotters have the same problem. Throw in the fact that I enjoy the occasional adult beverage (or three) in the evening, and that teeny drive is almost impossible to use.
Also, many USB drives are recessed, it's hard to grasp something that doesn't stick out past the surface of your case at least a cm or two.
Finally, a rectangle is much better than a square, it's easier to figure out which is the business end. And since you're going rectangular, it makes sense to use a shape that's visually pleasing -- slimline, not clunky.
So, to sum up: don't wanna lose it, ergonomics, and product acceptance.
P.S. The drive reviewed has an aluminum casing, not plastic.
The review makes a big deal of the casing being made of aluminum, not plastic, and the unit having some heft to it (making it feel more solid).
I don't know why this is an advantage, however, other than cosmetically. Aluminum cases are a tiny bit more mechanically stable than plastic, especially cheap plastics... but since I'm not hitting my flash drives with a hammer, it doesn't matter to me. Proper design would prevent flexion from being a problem too, if I accidentally left it in my back pocket and sat down or something.
I'm also guessing that manufacturing costs for aluminum are less, not sure about materials cost.
Anyone out there who could shed some insight into why aluminum is preferred over well-designed plastic?
"Microsoft will keep throwing money at the problem to gain market share. And once they get rid of Sony, they will eventually out-last Nintendo as well. And when they do, do not expect Microsoft to provide any innovation."
Well, there are a lot of differences between the console market today, and the markets in which MS was able to corner. I suggest you compare those markets, and ask yourself the following questions:
Is there established competition, with deep pockets, in the market?
Is it an emerging market?
Is interoperability with other systems an issue for the product?
Is there high-demand content available only with a competitors product?
Also, I'd like to point out that the nature of gaming consoles is such that every few years, there will be an opportunity for someone else to produce a competing product. If MS chooses not to pour money into R&D for consoles, there is no way they could retain control of the market, even if they could get a monopoly.
Finally, MS spends a lot on R&D, even when they are in a dominating market position. A lot of that R&D is outsourced (either directly, or buy purchasing R&D companies/technologies).
I don't know how you can claim that MS's entry is a Bad Thing(tm). Do you think Sony or Nintendo would waste millions of R&D cash if either of them had a monopoly? I understand you're ill will towards MS, I feel the same way. But I can't see the console wars playing out the way the browser wars did (and look, MS continued to spend on R&D there!).
" Why should the business model include income from online games?"
Because it's available. At this point, for a game publishing venture, the question is more like "Why doesn't your business model account for income from online games?"
"the people crunching the numbers in the first place should see how much money they can get (Best and worst case) and make their decision from there..."
Not really. If they're planning products based on revenue potential in the market, they need to know the market. The planning, and decisions, should be about how to tap the market -- which means running analyses on different scenarios and then picking the strategy that best matches their goals.
Looking at it from a min/max perspective isn't going to help them make sound business decisions.
"How often can a company realisticly release top-shelf games? Probably not as long as it takes me to get through a reasonably lengthy game."
Sure, but they can release crap sequels and expansions galore, which you won't buy if the original gameplay is good enough.
FTParent'sLink:
"Slashdot trolling is a subset and a microcosm of Internet trolling in general. Some of these behaviours are usually considered to be more offensive or insightful than others." (emphasis mine)
Umm, shouldn't that be incite-ful? Or, rather, 'more inciting'?
1. "Microsoft sooo does not belong in the game console market. They make Office software, for Christ's sake."
Lest you forget, they also make an Operating System. They also make media apps. Why are you upset about greater competition in the console market? That should benefit all of us.
2. "The first X-Box was just a PC in a box."
Ata fraction of the cost. Tons of people won't spend $1k to buy a new computer, but $300 for a console is fine.
3. "The name is stupid and personifies what I hate about this machine and its community"
What does this have to do with anything? Is the Dreamcast, or the Revolution, any better? Who cares what it's called.
4. "The game library will mostly just be PC ports and Playstation ports"
See above comment re: PC-in-a-box. Also, as a social activity, gaming on a PC with a few friends just sucks. Much easier to sit on the couch.
5. "At least with the Playstation 3, it has the appeal of being the absolute top hardware"
Hah. It's not so different from the 360. By the time the PS3 launches, it won't be near the top, compared to first-class gaming rigs.
6. "Instead of letting the product sell itself based on its own value, as other companies do (a cliched example, but see Apple and its iPod...all Steve Jobs had to do was hold up an iPod nano to the camera, and everyone was SOLD on it)"
You really crack me up. Apple spent millions and millions to market the iPod brand.
"this thing is just a shareholder-driven profit grab"
Now, a profit grab would imply that MS is making a profit on these. They are building a long-term business with the 360, not grabbing profits.
"not a genuinely fantastic product from a company that actually makes games and game consoles and belongs in that market
I won't claim to know if the 360 is fantastic or not, but like it or not: MS makes game consoles and they also make games. By your rationale, shouldn't Sony stick with audio equipment, and get the hell out of the game console market?
It's obvious you hate MS. That's fine. By why are you upset that they released a product YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY? Or are you just upset that it gets press?
There are tons of call centers in Utah and Idaho, since there is practically no accent there. Also, there is an oversupply of labor in a lot of areas due to the Mormon explosion, keeping wages low.
"Considering that these things can often be done by computer, a 2000 person survey means NOTHING and opening the survey to a LARGE audience wouldn't make for more work yet would increase the accuracy of any survey."
Not necessarily. If you have a random sample, then 2000 people is just fine, as long as you pay attention to the margin of error. You'll be more precise with a larger sample, yes.
But, if you get a larger sample by, say, posting the survey online, then you've just gotten yourself a severely skewed sample -- and it is less accurate.
Please don't conflate precision with accuracy.
"There is also the idea of needing to grind you way to the top without making the game good enough where the game has enough variety to make every dungeon or set encounter be a single pass only."
Hope you're willing to seriously upgrade your hardware, as well as severely reduce the number of people allowed on a server (for big changes in instances). Also, one of the reaosn people can spend 10 hours playing an MMO is because the grind is mindless. It's actually good to have repetitive action.
"Right now, the focus seems to be on boys and men age 13 to 25."
Where are you pulling this from? I can find no supporting evidence of this. Seems to me that the male 25-49 demo is being targeted pretty hard. Or were you just referring to consoles and handhelds? Furthermore, there's been a ton of press about hitting the non-traditional videogame demographic classes recently.
"Strategies to Leverage Research Funding" is also correct usage.
Well, to be fair, "we will leverage" is a loaded search term. You're looking almost exclusively for the type of press release, etc, in which it will be used incorrectly.
"To leverage" would be a better search, and there are a couple correct usages within the first 10 results there.
I do agree that it is used incorrectly, and without real purpose, far too much.
I agree totally that the expense is justified... and sorry about the feet/metres mistake -- hadn't finished my first cup of coffee yet.
:)
Of course, I get the funny feeling that I'm not the only one who has made a metric/non-metric unit error when dealing with a space program
Re: cost overruns, no surprise there. That's how project budgeting in the federal govt works in general, IMO... especially with the present & past couple administrations.
Well, my dictionary was printed in 1975, so it depends on your definition of recent.
;)
Sure, middle-managers use it as a buzzword -- but upper-level management, and financial analysts, etc, use it as a meaningful verb. Sometimes even middle-managers use it correctly.
Another possibility is that the public (myself included) is paying more attention to financial matters, and so are becoming more exposed to financial terms.
"1,000 staff x $100,000/year (generous) = $100 million/year."
e arch_031703.html
That's not generous at all, since this is a one-off try... NASA needs to spend top dollar to get the best minds working on priority projects like this.
Also, you've costs other than payroll to deal with -- health insurance, recruitment, training, etc. Plus admin and support staff (which will be cheaper no doubt), as well as PMs (which will be more expensive, no doubt).
Throw in the fact that there is almost zero margin for error in terms of manufacturing tolerances, and that many of the parts are not regular production-line parts, and so cost a bunch more to have made... Plus, the mirror itself is being made of Beryllium, which is both expensive and toxic (so working with it is much more expensive).
"I hate to be cheeky, but if I could pay 1,000 people $100k/year, I could build you a seriously awesome space telescope for a lot less than $2.5 billion.I hate to be cheeky, but if I could pay 1,000 people $100k/year, I could build you a seriously awesome space telescope for a lot less than $2.5 billion."
I'm sure there are a bunch of things I'm not thinking of, but my point is that pulling numbers out of a hat to say that we're overpaying is a little ridiculous. Admittedly, the overruns are a serious problem, though.
Finally, this is not the first time that they've announced cost overruns for the JWST... see this link from 2003: http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive03/telescop
Original cost was to be 800 million, with an 8-foot mirror; cost was doubled and mirror diameter was reduced to 6 feet -- and this was with the EC contributing an additional 300 million.
"(it also uses 'leverage' as a verb.)"
...v.t. 5. to provide (an investment or equity) with operating or financial leverage.
from Random House College Dictionary (closest one at hand):
lev-er-age
And of course it's an advert, it's based on a press release. You can be pretty sure they're looking for capital to bring this to market.
"So it looks like we might soon have near immortal, fearless mice."
/. old stories results page for mice:
http://slashdot.org/search.pl?tid=&query=mice&auth or=&sort=1&op=stories
I think you meant immortal, fearless, singing, regenerating, plague-infected mice.
Can't be bothered pasting all the links, here's the link to the
"I tend to not put too much faith in the summaries when it comes to the finer points, though, you know?"
:)
Good idea. Come to think of it, I should probably not put too much faith in the articles either.
FFS, now it's not just /.ers, but also bloggers/columnists who are giving inflated prices for the XBox:
"The Xbox 360 Core System, without a hard drive, will cost $300, while the full-fledged Xbox 360, with hard drive, will cost $400."
Damn it, just stop!
Everyone should know by now that the prices will be $299 and $399, respectively.
The question (FTFA): "Is Microsoft purposefully holding back on shipments, trying to create an artificial appearance of extraordinary demand?"
The answer: No.
The other question: "Is Microsoft purposefully holding back on production, trying to create an artificial appearance of extraordinary demand?"
The answer: Maybe.
There's no way MS would hold on to extra inventory, it's too traceable, and also not a good idea financially. Instead, claim production insufficiencies -- you still getting reduced supply at release, without tying up cash in inventory, while having a believable justification.