Attn: Slashdotters -- this post is partly flamebait, partly offtopic, and not really funny. I just wanted to warn you, since it is a Friday evening on a holiday afternoon in the US, so there are probably not a lot of mod points left in circulation.
"I find the fact that the scenario had been modeled disturbing in light of the disorganized response"
What I find disturbing is the disorganized response in light of the fact that the scenario had been modeled.:)
The POTUS said it wasn't predicted... that makes it truth, no?
Just like no one could have foreseen you-know-what in 2001, no one could have foreseen the post-invasion instability in Iraq... I could go on.
I'm sure that I'm preaching to the choir here. But just because I can't foresee something, doesn't mean I should run around saying that no one could have foreseen it.
Ahh, but the slashdot effect is not perpetrated by slashdot. It is perpetrated (though not purposely, I would hope) by individuals -- just a lot of them acting at once. Fortunately, Slashdot is not the borg -- yet.
I don't think it compares to corporate patent abuse -- where is the benefit for people filing the reexamination apps?
I was joking around in my OP, but seriously, an organized effort to do this would be a great PR stunt for a protest against current patent policy.
Yes, it does matter. This is a civil suit, whereby AMD is attempting to collect damages from Intel.
The point of the suit is not to punish Intel (although that is often a byproduct) -- the point of the suit is for AMD to be compensated for their loss.
"So is the war in Iraq causing troop shortfalls for hurricane relief in New Orleans? In a word, no.
"
But if you think about it, yes.
Plenty of Guardsmen are still available for deployment. So why aren't there more troops in NOLA & environs, knowing that they might be able to do some good? Because it costs money. The war on Iraq is a huge drain on resources, resources which could be used elsewhere.
You can talk about troop numbers available, but the meaningful number would be deployments available. Equipment (such as helicopters, amphibious vehicles, and heavy trucks), food (for the troops), cash on hand for payment, and everything else necessary for deployment.
"It is hard to understand what more should, or realistically could have been done up to this point.
I can think of a couple things off the top of my head that could, and should, have been done:
(1) Better planning. Transportation, shelter space, medical care -- all of these things were/are woefully inadequate. Contingency plans were not done well at all.
(2) Implementation. We knew the hurricane was coming; why was the response not in full stride the day after it hit? Yes, you say 9k troops were on the ground within 24 hours. Why were they not on the ground before it hit? Why are they continuing to "trickle in" as you have pointed out, rather than there already? Why was the DOD pre-staging supplies only after Katrina hit?
The bottom line is, we need to choose, as a people, where our resources are being expended. Every military dollar spent in Iraq is a dollar not spent here -- and yes, that translates to number of troops deployed.
You want plot and quests in a Rogue-like? Try ADOM. Available from http://www.adom.de/
There are two features of Rogue-like games I'd like to see implemented in modern hack-and-slashes:
(1) The ability to die without being a moron.
Seriously, unless you try to screw up, most hack n slash games are a breeze. I haven't played a single one where there is fear of what's behind the corner, the difficulty is always tailored to the strength of your character. There's nothing quite like worrying about your Level 5 Troll Monk bumping into a Greater Moloch in "A Nondescript Cave."
(2) Variability.
The gameplay is always the same. How about some more options for character races and classes? How about race differences affecting gameplay? I like to customize my characters in more ways than just selecting from a skill tree.
"Magic users in particular fare badly, as the monsters all known the "geek the mage first" addage. "
Slashdot editors in particular fare badly, as the posters all pwn the "badmouth the editor first" subtractage.
Seriously, I do have to say that this is important for Hack n Slash games. If your magic-user is a tank, what fun is that? Without the risk of dying, hack n slash loses my interest very easily...
Would it be possible to slashdot the USPTO in meatspace? How many requests for reexamination would it take? Would this encourage them to issue patents better?
"Compete on execution, not the ideas, and if you have an idea you don't want to share, keep it secret."
To do as you suggest would stifle innovation -- not only would the small players get locked out, but the REALLY good ideas would never be made public. Look at the debate over OSS.
The whole point is that everyone can see the idea and work off of it, while protecting the inventor.
Currently, if you want to dispute a patent, it goes to the court system... have fun paying for that!
The patent bill that is currently pending (HR2795) includes a provision for public review after a patent has been granted -- anyone can dispute a patent (although there are punishments for abusing this). The challenge is mediated by the PTO, not by the court.
One of the interesting provisions in the HR2795 is that if you are aware of possible prior art, and do not disclose it in your application, you can be fined, and the patent can be rejected out-of-hand -- even if the patent has already been granted.
The only way I could see them releasing Diablo III in the near future is if they set up a subcription service for all their online content. I see it operating similar to cable TV pricing structures:
$15 a month for all the "basic" games.
$10 a month for each "premium" game account.
$ALOT for all premium games.
Can't get the premium games without paying for the basic games.
When subscriptions for a premium game drop off, relegate the game to "basic" status.
If they provide good enough content, people will pay -- especially if they team up with other, non-competing, developers to offer diversified content.
"It's a sure thing that eventually, some players are gonna want to try something else wheter or not Blizzard makes another MMORPG
Which is why Blizzard needs to continue to release novel content -- keep them on WoW for as long as possible.
Do WoW players know there are other MMORPGs out there? Sure. But do they want to spend months leveling a character in that game, to get to where they are in WoW?
If Blizzard keeps producing novel content for WoW endgamers, their subscribers have less incentive to switch to a new game. Blizzard will retain its market share.
This is very similar to the cell phone industry. Much cheaper to retain subscribers than it is to find new ones.
They would still be competing with themselves, just to a smaller extent.
I would love to play a MMORTS if it was done properly, I'd probably not play MMORPGs anymore. I just wouldn't have enough time to advance a character/civilization in both.
This would be a good move for Blizzard when WoW slows down.
Not in principle. But if a candidate's beliefs are too far out of line with the Party's policies, they aren't likely to make it onto the ticket. They won't get favorable news coverage in the primary race, and they won't get the endorsements they need from the Powers That Be.
The GOP (and the Democratic Party) won't bite the hands that feed them. Until we get rid of the corporate patronage system of government, we're stuck with more of the same.
"I'll definitely agree with meeting the user partway, but while Blizzard may have done so in China, it would be nice if they would do something similar over here...
They don't need to do that here, they have better copyright protection. You can bet your bottom dollar that they would sic the dogs on any large-scale piracy operation in the US.
FTA: "The gaming grapevine has it that "Diablo 3" was (and may still be) under development - though Blizzard will not confirm that. But given the success and profit of "World of Warcraft," it's not out of the realm of possibility that the company may create persistent world games revolving around its other flagships."
Except, of course, that they'd be competing with themselves.
I could see Blizzard publishing another MMORPG in a different genre, but it would be idiotic of them to publish another fantasy MMORPG until WoW has become a lot less profitable.
Any dilution of their subscriber base will hurt them in the long run... if MMORPG players explore a different product by Blizzard, they are more likely to try a product from a competitor.
IMO, Blizzard's best course of action (in the MMORPG market) is to continue strong support of WoW, publishing new content to keep the subscribers happy.
Slashdot Mirror
Attn: Slashdotters -- this post is partly flamebait, partly offtopic, and not really funny. I just wanted to warn you, since it is a Friday evening on a holiday afternoon in the US, so there are probably not a lot of mod points left in circulation.
:)
"I find the fact that the scenario had been modeled disturbing in light of the disorganized response"
What I find disturbing is the disorganized response in light of the fact that the scenario had been modeled.
The POTUS said it wasn't predicted... that makes it truth, no?
Just like no one could have foreseen you-know-what in 2001, no one could have foreseen the post-invasion instability in Iraq... I could go on.
I'm sure that I'm preaching to the choir here. But just because I can't foresee something, doesn't mean I should run around saying that no one could have foreseen it.
Ahh, but the slashdot effect is not perpetrated by slashdot. It is perpetrated (though not purposely, I would hope) by individuals -- just a lot of them acting at once. Fortunately, Slashdot is not the borg -- yet.
I don't think it compares to corporate patent abuse -- where is the benefit for people filing the reexamination apps?
I was joking around in my OP, but seriously, an organized effort to do this would be a great PR stunt for a protest against current patent policy.
Yes, it does matter. This is a civil suit, whereby AMD is attempting to collect damages from Intel.
The point of the suit is not to punish Intel (although that is often a byproduct) -- the point of the suit is for AMD to be compensated for their loss.
"So is the war in Iraq causing troop shortfalls for hurricane relief in New Orleans? In a word, no. "
But if you think about it, yes.
Plenty of Guardsmen are still available for deployment. So why aren't there more troops in NOLA & environs, knowing that they might be able to do some good? Because it costs money. The war on Iraq is a huge drain on resources, resources which could be used elsewhere.
You can talk about troop numbers available, but the meaningful number would be deployments available. Equipment (such as helicopters, amphibious vehicles, and heavy trucks), food (for the troops), cash on hand for payment, and everything else necessary for deployment.
"It is hard to understand what more should, or realistically could have been done up to this point.
I can think of a couple things off the top of my head that could, and should, have been done:
(1) Better planning. Transportation, shelter space, medical care -- all of these things were/are woefully inadequate. Contingency plans were not done well at all.
(2) Implementation. We knew the hurricane was coming; why was the response not in full stride the day after it hit? Yes, you say 9k troops were on the ground within 24 hours. Why were they not on the ground before it hit? Why are they continuing to "trickle in" as you have pointed out, rather than there already? Why was the DOD pre-staging supplies only after Katrina hit?
The bottom line is, we need to choose, as a people, where our resources are being expended. Every military dollar spent in Iraq is a dollar not spent here -- and yes, that translates to number of troops deployed.
Even if they do establish a preponderance of evidence, what do they win?
Unless they can demonstrate damages, not much at all. The amount awarded is dependent upon the damages they suffered.
Any punitive damages awarded will likely depend upon how preponderant their evidence is, among other factors.
"ID isn't a guess or conjecture either: it's apologetics for big-tent creationism."
And is not creationism a guess or conjecture?
Besides, ID is definitely conjecture -- "an opinion without sufficient evidence for proof".
No matter what the motivations for, and methods of, promulgating ID are, it is still conjecture.
You want plot and quests in a Rogue-like? Try ADOM. Available from http://www.adom.de/
There are two features of Rogue-like games I'd like to see implemented in modern hack-and-slashes:
(1) The ability to die without being a moron.
Seriously, unless you try to screw up, most hack n slash games are a breeze. I haven't played a single one where there is fear of what's behind the corner, the difficulty is always tailored to the strength of your character. There's nothing quite like worrying about your Level 5 Troll Monk bumping into a Greater Moloch in "A Nondescript Cave."
(2) Variability.
The gameplay is always the same. How about some more options for character races and classes? How about race differences affecting gameplay? I like to customize my characters in more ways than just selecting from a skill tree.
"Magic users in particular fare badly, as the monsters all known the "geek the mage first" addage. "
Slashdot editors in particular fare badly, as the posters all pwn the "badmouth the editor first" subtractage.
Seriously, I do have to say that this is important for Hack n Slash games. If your magic-user is a tank, what fun is that? Without the risk of dying, hack n slash loses my interest very easily...
Excellent.
Would it be possible to slashdot the USPTO in meatspace? How many requests for reexamination would it take? Would this encourage them to issue patents better?
"Compete on execution, not the ideas, and if you have an idea you don't want to share, keep it secret."
To do as you suggest would stifle innovation -- not only would the small players get locked out, but the REALLY good ideas would never be made public. Look at the debate over OSS.
The whole point is that everyone can see the idea and work off of it, while protecting the inventor.
My only problem with that approach is that the other genre game would feel too much like WoW.
If Blizzard publishes another MMORPG, the gameplay needs to be innovative -- otherwise subscribers will still leave.
Currently, if you want to dispute a patent, it goes to the court system... have fun paying for that!
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The patent bill that is currently pending (HR2795) includes a provision for public review after a patent has been granted -- anyone can dispute a patent (although there are punishments for abusing this). The challenge is mediated by the PTO, not by the court.
One of the interesting provisions in the HR2795 is that if you are aware of possible prior art, and do not disclose it in your application, you can be fined, and the patent can be rejected out-of-hand -- even if the patent has already been granted.
See previous discussion: http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/2
They've got to start somewhere. I'm sure they'll open it up worldwide eventually, there's a big market to reach.
Submitter just didn't do a great job with the headline.
"Imagine a huge database with creative works from every culture in whatever language available to anyone who desires in their native tongue."
I fantasize in German. Do people who desire in a foreign tongue not get access?
You've hit the nail on the head.
The only way I could see them releasing Diablo III in the near future is if they set up a subcription service for all their online content. I see it operating similar to cable TV pricing structures:
$15 a month for all the "basic" games.
$10 a month for each "premium" game account.
$ALOT for all premium games.
Can't get the premium games without paying for the basic games.
When subscriptions for a premium game drop off, relegate the game to "basic" status.
If they provide good enough content, people will pay -- especially if they team up with other, non-competing, developers to offer diversified content.
"Make them know that if they want to persue a claim, they're going to have to front a heluva lot of money for it.
So then the small organizations or individuals that have their ideas ripped off have no recompense?
The patent system is broken, but breaking it worse won't help.
Yes, they could say that, and it's likely true -- but could they prove it? The onus is on them to prove the damages.
"It's a sure thing that eventually, some players are gonna want to try something else wheter or not Blizzard makes another MMORPG
Which is why Blizzard needs to continue to release novel content -- keep them on WoW for as long as possible.
Do WoW players know there are other MMORPGs out there? Sure. But do they want to spend months leveling a character in that game, to get to where they are in WoW?
If Blizzard keeps producing novel content for WoW endgamers, their subscribers have less incentive to switch to a new game. Blizzard will retain its market share.
This is very similar to the cell phone industry. Much cheaper to retain subscribers than it is to find new ones.
They would still be competing with themselves, just to a smaller extent.
I would love to play a MMORTS if it was done properly, I'd probably not play MMORPGs anymore. I just wouldn't have enough time to advance a character/civilization in both.
This would be a good move for Blizzard when WoW slows down.
Not in principle. But if a candidate's beliefs are too far out of line with the Party's policies, they aren't likely to make it onto the ticket. They won't get favorable news coverage in the primary race, and they won't get the endorsements they need from the Powers That Be.
The GOP (and the Democratic Party) won't bite the hands that feed them. Until we get rid of the corporate patronage system of government, we're stuck with more of the same.
"I'll definitely agree with meeting the user partway, but while Blizzard may have done so in China, it would be nice if they would do something similar over here...
They don't need to do that here, they have better copyright protection. You can bet your bottom dollar that they would sic the dogs on any large-scale piracy operation in the US.
FTA: "The gaming grapevine has it that "Diablo 3" was (and may still be) under development - though Blizzard will not confirm that. But given the success and profit of "World of Warcraft," it's not out of the realm of possibility that the company may create persistent world games revolving around its other flagships."
Except, of course, that they'd be competing with themselves.
I could see Blizzard publishing another MMORPG in a different genre, but it would be idiotic of them to publish another fantasy MMORPG until WoW has become a lot less profitable.
Any dilution of their subscriber base will hurt them in the long run... if MMORPG players explore a different product by Blizzard, they are more likely to try a product from a competitor.
IMO, Blizzard's best course of action (in the MMORPG market) is to continue strong support of WoW, publishing new content to keep the subscribers happy.
Although, that would explain the quality of
jk... I think it works quite well in general.
I admire the way Intel's going about this. They know they're caught, so they use their response to badmouth AMD.
Hey, everyone, lookit here! AMD has crap management! They can't meet demand for their product! Their production is teh suxx0r!
Intel is also trying to limit their liability by disproving any claims for damages.
But, if AMD was not competitive due to internal problems, why would Intel need to bother strong-arming their clients?