I know I will be called a troll for asking this: but how is the SA AG's view on computer games flawed? It should be obvious to anyone that he believes that the views of his constituency (which BTW is more than just teenaged and 18-25 year old anglophone middle class computer-literate males) are not supportive of a "wider range" of content in video games. Given what he does, his decision is quite sensible.
The judicial role is to prevent tyranny of the mob. Just because most people don't like it is not reason to ban something (in theory - I know this doesn't hold well in reality). To ban something you need to prove harm to others. Banning things performed in your own home that does not harm others is against most constitutions and against the founding principles of most western democracies. It isn't the AG's role to curry favour with the electorate. It is to prevent the electorate from using superior numbers to squash the minority.
Plus grandma might decide she might like Bioshock 2. My husband and I started as casual gamers, now we play more "hardcore" stuff.
Wii Sports - the gateway drug to gaming.
ZK
Softwood lumber.
Multiple trade tribunals - finding for Canada. And still the US violates the agreements. I'm getting cynical as to why these restrictions are in place and followed.
Related to the original topic - I too find it annoying when I can't buy shows on iTunes or watch tv shows online due to not being in the US....
Oh, come on! We all know to be terrified of letting 5-year-olds onto the plane (video). If they share a name, they're bound to share ideologies. And what better place to hide explosives than in a shitty diaper?
I think this might work... the explosives in the diaper I mean. When I fly with my son we carry the diaper bag, and I've not always sanitized it for flying sufficiently. So there is often a larger bottle of sun screen or something stupid like that in it. Now, by the time we hit the airport security it isn't unusual that we will have changed DS's diaper. And we use cloth - really nice ones which I am not about to throw out. So by the time we are in security there is a wet diaper nicely wrapped in a plastic bag in the diaper bag.
Security screens the bag and sees something suspicious - like the sun screen. So they ask if it is okay to search the bag. In the interest of fairness I warn them of the other contents of the bag. You know - not once have they followed through with searching the bag.:)
I do know that Canada is a representative democracy like the US,
Actually we are technically a constitutional monarchy... not that the difference is relevant for this discussion.
Why do you think the government pointed machine guns at the union protesters back in the early 20th century? Because if the status quo were changed it would go against what the founding fathers envisioned! A representative democracy is set up to protect property rights first so that the capitalist class can maintain control, then human rights and the democratic process come second.
So, yes, the Canadian DMCA will pass if Canada is much like the USA in this regard.
I think that Canada isn't like US as much in this regard. Traditionally we have been more socialist, with more emphasis on the rights of the worker. So while corporations have an obscene amount of control... I think the individual voters have a little more say than in the US.
I agree with the analysis that this will probably die on the order paper. Harper is so spoiling for an election it isn't funny.
What is required for combat, and what we ask from kids is physical abilities, not wisdom. That's why we give them a gun AND orders to follow. We know kids are not able to take good decision, so we let someone more mature decide what to do.
After WWII we now require these 18 year olds to have the wisdom, in the face of orders, peer pressure and chaotic environment to not follow immoral orders. I think that requires considerably more wisdom than chosing between rather similar candidates.
When I was in junior high and high school I thought they should lower the voting age. And I still do (I am in my mid-30s.) I was more politically informed then. Granted a lot of the information was biased by the teachers. But now there are other factors that bias my opinions (slashdot, friends etc..) Now that I am older it is harder to keep up on the important issues. I do (mostly through the internet - which is why I found this story rather scary). And I probably vote differently now - partly due to experience. But I don't think I am getting smarter (quite the opposite in fact) and I think my 16 year old self had a valid stake in the matter... and a valid opinion.
I still have lots to learn. If we all waited until we didn't no one would ever vote or only those who think they know everything will vote. That is not a comforting thought.
While I agree that there are plenty of current privacy concerns, I don't agree we should wait until facial recognition software becomes useful. By then we will be trying to put chicken back in the egg. There will be prior art, the gradual erosion of rights, and other factors which will come into play. We need to start trying to get a handle on it now.
I'm not sure legislation is the answer. But I don't know what is. Modern society is very complex - I can find the answer to many questions in just seconds. As soon as the question crosses my head - I just flip up the lid to my computer and type a few words. Up comes the answer. I'm not sure I want people to be able to do that about ME. And what if it is wrong and malicious... an ex posts a bunch of photos (maybe photoshopped) or, my name is fairly rare and if you do a search for my name most of the results are for a writer of erotic literature. I'm an engineer - I write like an engineer - but what if my next employer were to think she were me!
(Usually, I can hush her by reminding her last Louis Vuitton handbag... damn, those things are expensive...)
I'm not fashion concious (I'm an engineer - I think they screen for that and lack of spelling skills) but couldn't you justify a PS3 for the price of one those!
The way you put that almost makes me feel sorry for them. *sigh* I'll probably get one eventually. I'm not as rabidly anti-Sony as some people around here. I'm more rabidly anti-Microsoft. I don't see how someone can get excited about playing online games with a bunch of snot-faced thirteen year olds on what is little more than a stripped down gaming PC in an ugly box.
That is how I feel too. When the Wii came out my husband said he wanted one - and much to his surprise I said yes. But then we couldn't get one. Well PS2's were cheap and there were lots of good games (we weren't gamers until recently). So we got one of those. My husband threatened to videotape me playing God of War and send it too my brother. Apparently the sight of this mild mannered (okay maybe not mild mannered) mother of one yelling at the screen was pretty funny. Eventually we got a Wii - which I prefer, because the D controller and I do not get along. (Which button is that again?)
But as to the topic at hand. I've already said that I would consider a PS3 when there are more games and the prices come down (and we get through our current backlog). We do not have a HD TV so we are not in a rush. And it does have a D controller... which is a problem if you are like me. But still... the graphics are beautiful.
For now though - money in my pocket and a controller that I can operate trumps pretty graphics... but later maybe I can have it all!!!
ZK
Ok DS is asleep - I should go work my way through the backlog.:)
Try Quebec brews. They are great. I like McAuslan brewery - their oatmeal stout is divine and they make an apricot wheat which is WAY better than it sounds. I agree on the mass produced crap. I used to think I didn't like beer - turns out I just don't like bad beer (I don't the corn and rice additives - strange taste to it).
My husband's family always serves Labatts, Molson and Coors lite at weddings. I volunteer to drive. Which leaves my poor husband stuck with driving when we go to friend's parties where they serve microbrews!
ZK
There are other purposes besides scientific though. Is history a totally invalid field? How about art? I'm studying history of science - yet I have not intention of giving up my engineering career. The two are complementary and allow me to develop different aspects of my character and interests. Also by studying the history of science and technology I become more aware of the hidden agendas that are physically embodied in our everyday life and technology and I learn that such things do not HAVE to be that way. I found reading "The Measure of All Things" (a pop sci book - but quite good) very informative for examining different political aspects of measurements (both historically and in general) and that there are valid and good reasons for using non standard (as in varying) measurements.
ZK
Some of us are studying just that. I just finished a graduate course on Newton - my paper will use sources in latin (unfortunately I don't read latin - but the math, which is what I will be writing on,I can follow). I need to learn the latin obviously though. Having sources online is a big help. I was thrilled to find that Bernoulli's, Huygen's and Leibniz's solution to a particular problem have all been scanned in. I am doing this degree while working full time and having a young son - so if I can get the sources in my house without heading into campus (a multi-modal transportation trip for me) then so much the better. Going to the library is fun. But online scans allow researchers all over the world to examine documents. Not everyone who uses the 'net use it solely to read/. and view porn. Some people also use it as an active tool to do serious research and they do have the expertise to use the information. And they can put it into a format that you can use - if you are interested.
ZK (who really should be reading Acta Euridium and Euler's Opera Omnia - but is instead reading/. - probably won't bother with the porn though:) )
I seen a presentation on this a few months ago. (but did not RTFM)
They are working on that - but some gears are missing. As well the case it was in is gone too and it appears that a lot of the documentation and text was on the case (I think there were some traces of the case that they could figure this out from). From previous work a model was made - but the new information showed a different gear configuration. I image that someone will build a new one soon though.
Also, say for example I load/. while I'm waiting for a task to complete, read a bit during the next task, etc... through out the day - would that be 8+ hours of wasted time, since my computer shows me displaying/. during that time?
Democracy means 'rule of the people'.
Not 'rule of the scientists'.
True, but one would at least prefer an informed electorate. And that means at least listening to the the experts. They do not have to agree with them, there is nothing wrong with informed dissent. But if one is voting one should at least pay some attention to the issues. And that includes learning a little about the background. Granted experts can be found to say most anything. But if a voter pays some attention to both sides, maybe the a voter could make up his or her own mind intelligently.
Ok I admit I'm a dreamer. A person is quite capable of making up his or her own mind without letting little things like facts, and informed opinion getting in the way, I know.
You obviously do not talk to many 16-22 year olds, some of the views they espouse are frightening. I chalk it up to going through school systems where surveillance, random searches, and cops in the halls are normal things. They have been desensitized to the tools of the police state, and it is starting to show.
I never thought of that... That is probably the scariest thing I've read in quite a while.
When the USA started measuring itself against the worst in the world instead of the best is when Al-Queda won.
I agree. I was never a huge fan of the US but at least they stood for something. They believed they were the best in the world and that their freedoms and rights were what set them apart and above. They instituted the Nuremburg trials... Rather than summarily detaining and shooting Nazis (sorry) they gave them the right of an open trial. (Or at least apparently open). That is civilization and justice.
They aren't a great country because of their size, or economy, but because they truely believed in the power of the individual, and the rights of the individual. And now they are destroying their biggest asset and what made them great. It is sad. They need to remember that they are better than torture, better than imprisonment without trial, better than all that. They shouldn't be comparing themselves to other countries and saying well they do it.... the US used to lead the way. And I hope they remember that soon.
What the hell are they supposed to say? "Damn! sucks to be us! I guess we can kiss that market goodbye, cause there is no way we can compete with that price."
Thought comes to mind they should just be quiet then. If they can't compete then why bring attention to it.
or, as my grandmother always said: "if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all".
I can see the market for it too. I use my home machine for nethack, email, web surfing, wordprocessing, IMing my family and, when I'm good, keeping the budget up todate. This is not heavy duty computing. (At work I need a heavy duty machine - but work pays for that).
And I use my home computer more than most people I know. My family doesn't need high end functionality, just useability (where is chat, email, and the web browser?). And if programmers concentrated on the functionality and memory issues of these machines, they should be more than powerful enough for most applications that most people care about.
There is a lot of software bloat that is simply not desired by most people. This is particularly true, if you end up using your computer as a communication tool, instead of a data processor and many people do.
Slashdot Mirror
It wasn't just any company. It was the school system. I'm undecided as to whether that makes the actions better or worse
I know I will be called a troll for asking this: but how is the SA AG's view on computer games flawed? It should be obvious to anyone that he believes that the views of his constituency (which BTW is more than just teenaged and 18-25 year old anglophone middle class computer-literate males) are not supportive of a "wider range" of content in video games. Given what he does, his decision is quite sensible.
The judicial role is to prevent tyranny of the mob. Just because most people don't like it is not reason to ban something (in theory - I know this doesn't hold well in reality). To ban something you need to prove harm to others. Banning things performed in your own home that does not harm others is against most constitutions and against the founding principles of most western democracies. It isn't the AG's role to curry favour with the electorate. It is to prevent the electorate from using superior numbers to squash the minority.
Plus grandma might decide she might like Bioshock 2. My husband and I started as casual gamers, now we play more "hardcore" stuff. Wii Sports - the gateway drug to gaming. ZK
Softwood lumber.
Multiple trade tribunals - finding for Canada. And still the US violates the agreements. I'm getting cynical as to why these restrictions are in place and followed.
Related to the original topic - I too find it annoying when I can't buy shows on iTunes or watch tv shows online due to not being in the US....
Oh, come on! We all know to be terrified of letting 5-year-olds onto the plane (video). If they share a name, they're bound to share ideologies. And what better place to hide explosives than in a shitty diaper?
I think this might work... the explosives in the diaper I mean. When I fly with my son we carry the diaper bag, and I've not always sanitized it for flying sufficiently. So there is often a larger bottle of sun screen or something stupid like that in it. Now, by the time we hit the airport security it isn't unusual that we will have changed DS's diaper. And we use cloth - really nice ones which I am not about to throw out. So by the time we are in security there is a wet diaper nicely wrapped in a plastic bag in the diaper bag.
Security screens the bag and sees something suspicious - like the sun screen. So they ask if it is okay to search the bag. In the interest of fairness I warn them of the other contents of the bag. You know - not once have they followed through with searching the bag. :)
ZK
I do know that Canada is a representative democracy like the US,
Actually we are technically a constitutional monarchy... not that the difference is relevant for this discussion.
Why do you think the government pointed machine guns at the union protesters back in the early 20th century? Because if the status quo were changed it would go against what the founding fathers envisioned! A representative democracy is set up to protect property rights first so that the capitalist class can maintain control, then human rights and the democratic process come second.
So, yes, the Canadian DMCA will pass if Canada is much like the USA in this regard.
I think that Canada isn't like US as much in this regard. Traditionally we have been more socialist, with more emphasis on the rights of the worker. So while corporations have an obscene amount of control... I think the individual voters have a little more say than in the US.
I agree with the analysis that this will probably die on the order paper. Harper is so spoiling for an election it isn't funny.
ZK
What is required for combat, and what we ask from kids is physical abilities, not wisdom. That's why we give them a gun AND orders to follow. We know kids are not able to take good decision, so we let someone more mature decide what to do.
After WWII we now require these 18 year olds to have the wisdom, in the face of orders, peer pressure and chaotic environment to not follow immoral orders. I think that requires considerably more wisdom than chosing between rather similar candidates.
ZK
When I was in junior high and high school I thought they should lower the voting age. And I still do (I am in my mid-30s.) I was more politically informed then. Granted a lot of the information was biased by the teachers. But now there are other factors that bias my opinions (slashdot, friends etc..) Now that I am older it is harder to keep up on the important issues. I do (mostly through the internet - which is why I found this story rather scary). And I probably vote differently now - partly due to experience. But I don't think I am getting smarter (quite the opposite in fact) and I think my 16 year old self had a valid stake in the matter... and a valid opinion. I still have lots to learn. If we all waited until we didn't no one would ever vote or only those who think they know everything will vote. That is not a comforting thought.
While I agree that there are plenty of current privacy concerns, I don't agree we should wait until facial recognition software becomes useful. By then we will be trying to put chicken back in the egg. There will be prior art, the gradual erosion of rights, and other factors which will come into play. We need to start trying to get a handle on it now.
I'm not sure legislation is the answer. But I don't know what is. Modern society is very complex - I can find the answer to many questions in just seconds. As soon as the question crosses my head - I just flip up the lid to my computer and type a few words. Up comes the answer. I'm not sure I want people to be able to do that about ME. And what if it is wrong and malicious... an ex posts a bunch of photos (maybe photoshopped) or, my name is fairly rare and if you do a search for my name most of the results are for a writer of erotic literature. I'm an engineer - I write like an engineer - but what if my next employer were to think she were me!
ZK
No mod points. Bummer. I must have a weird sense of humour but I can't believe this has not be modded funny
(Usually, I can hush her by reminding her last Louis Vuitton handbag... damn, those things are expensive...)
I'm not fashion concious (I'm an engineer - I think they screen for that and lack of spelling skills) but couldn't you justify a PS3 for the price of one those!
ZK (who's purse is a $5 MEC travel wallet)The way you put that almost makes me feel sorry for them. *sigh* I'll probably get one eventually. I'm not as rabidly anti-Sony as some people around here. I'm more rabidly anti-Microsoft. I don't see how someone can get excited about playing online games with a bunch of snot-faced thirteen year olds on what is little more than a stripped down gaming PC in an ugly box.
That is how I feel too. When the Wii came out my husband said he wanted one - and much to his surprise I said yes. But then we couldn't get one. Well PS2's were cheap and there were lots of good games (we weren't gamers until recently). So we got one of those. My husband threatened to videotape me playing God of War and send it too my brother. Apparently the sight of this mild mannered (okay maybe not mild mannered) mother of one yelling at the screen was pretty funny. Eventually we got a Wii - which I prefer, because the D controller and I do not get along. (Which button is that again?)
But as to the topic at hand. I've already said that I would consider a PS3 when there are more games and the prices come down (and we get through our current backlog). We do not have a HD TV so we are not in a rush. And it does have a D controller... which is a problem if you are like me. But still... the graphics are beautiful.
For now though - money in my pocket and a controller that I can operate trumps pretty graphics... but later maybe I can have it all!!!
ZK
Ok DS is asleep - I should go work my way through the backlog. :)
Try Quebec brews. They are great. I like McAuslan brewery - their oatmeal stout is divine and they make an apricot wheat which is WAY better than it sounds. I agree on the mass produced crap. I used to think I didn't like beer - turns out I just don't like bad beer (I don't the corn and rice additives - strange taste to it). My husband's family always serves Labatts, Molson and Coors lite at weddings. I volunteer to drive. Which leaves my poor husband stuck with driving when we go to friend's parties where they serve microbrews! ZK
There are other purposes besides scientific though. Is history a totally invalid field? How about art? I'm studying history of science - yet I have not intention of giving up my engineering career. The two are complementary and allow me to develop different aspects of my character and interests. Also by studying the history of science and technology I become more aware of the hidden agendas that are physically embodied in our everyday life and technology and I learn that such things do not HAVE to be that way. I found reading "The Measure of All Things" (a pop sci book - but quite good) very informative for examining different political aspects of measurements (both historically and in general) and that there are valid and good reasons for using non standard (as in varying) measurements. ZK
Some of us are studying just that. I just finished a graduate course on Newton - my paper will use sources in latin (unfortunately I don't read latin - but the math, which is what I will be writing on,I can follow). I need to learn the latin obviously though. Having sources online is a big help. I was thrilled to find that Bernoulli's, Huygen's and Leibniz's solution to a particular problem have all been scanned in. I am doing this degree while working full time and having a young son - so if I can get the sources in my house without heading into campus (a multi-modal transportation trip for me) then so much the better. Going to the library is fun. But online scans allow researchers all over the world to examine documents. Not everyone who uses the 'net use it solely to read /. and view porn. Some people also use it as an active tool to do serious research and they do have the expertise to use the information. And they can put it into a format that you can use - if you are interested.
/. - probably won't bother with the porn though :) )
ZK (who really should be reading Acta Euridium and Euler's Opera Omnia - but is instead reading
I seen a presentation on this a few months ago. (but did not RTFM)
They are working on that - but some gears are missing. As well the case it was in is gone too and it appears that a lot of the documentation and text was on the case (I think there were some traces of the case that they could figure this out from). From previous work a model was made - but the new information showed a different gear configuration. I image that someone will build a new one soon though.
ZK
Also, say for example I load /. while I'm waiting for a task to complete, read a bit during the next task, etc... through out the day - would that be 8+ hours of wasted time, since my computer shows me displaying /. during that time?
Just wondering
ZK
Democracy means 'rule of the people'. Not 'rule of the scientists'.
True, but one would at least prefer an informed electorate. And that means at least listening to the the experts. They do not have to agree with them, there is nothing wrong with informed dissent. But if one is voting one should at least pay some attention to the issues. And that includes learning a little about the background. Granted experts can be found to say most anything. But if a voter pays some attention to both sides, maybe the a voter could make up his or her own mind intelligently.
Ok I admit I'm a dreamer. A person is quite capable of making up his or her own mind without letting little things like facts, and informed opinion getting in the way, I know.
ZKYea, but then you'd get complaints from ACLU or NAACP that stupid people were being denied the right to vote.
Flamebait!?! I thought it was quite funny. (and I'm left leaning)
ZKYou obviously do not talk to many 16-22 year olds, some of the views they espouse are frightening. I chalk it up to going through school systems where surveillance, random searches, and cops in the halls are normal things. They have been desensitized to the tools of the police state, and it is starting to show.
I never thought of that... That is probably the scariest thing I've read in quite a while.
ZKThe road transport system = the new ebay. People could club together to sell things and you could call them -- Oh I don't know -- Markets or Shops....
:) .
Yes but this caters to a very niche market - those who leave the house to buy things
ZK
I agree. I was never a huge fan of the US but at least they stood for something. They believed they were the best in the world and that their freedoms and rights were what set them apart and above. They instituted the Nuremburg trials... Rather than summarily detaining and shooting Nazis (sorry) they gave them the right of an open trial. (Or at least apparently open). That is civilization and justice.
They aren't a great country because of their size, or economy, but because they truely believed in the power of the individual, and the rights of the individual. And now they are destroying their biggest asset and what made them great. It is sad. They need to remember that they are better than torture, better than imprisonment without trial, better than all that. They shouldn't be comparing themselves to other countries and saying well they do it.... the US used to lead the way. And I hope they remember that soon.
ZKFirefox has spellchecker plugins -- and runs on you-know-what.
Linux?
:^)
ZKThought comes to mind they should just be quiet then. If they can't compete then why bring attention to it.
or, as my grandmother always said: "if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all".
ZKI can see the market for it too. I use my home machine for nethack, email, web surfing, wordprocessing, IMing my family and, when I'm good, keeping the budget up todate. This is not heavy duty computing. (At work I need a heavy duty machine - but work pays for that).
And I use my home computer more than most people I know. My family doesn't need high end functionality, just useability (where is chat, email, and the web browser?). And if programmers concentrated on the functionality and memory issues of these machines, they should be more than powerful enough for most applications that most people care about.
There is a lot of software bloat that is simply not desired by most people. This is particularly true, if you end up using your computer as a communication tool, instead of a data processor and many people do.