I think you might also be confused. Why is the iPhone a sub-par phone? A a more accurate way to rephrase "fancy interface" would be the first intuitive and easy interface that leaves all others in the dust. If you honestly don't understand that the interface is very useful and not "fancy" then I think you might be suffering from the anti-Apple fanbois disease.
I also don't see how Apple is "restricting the hell out of it". I think you're indulging in more than just a little hyperbole with that statement. No, you can't do anything you want with it, but that hardly equates to "restricting the hell out of it."
If you hate Apple and/or the iPhone just have the balls to say it rather than hiding behind hyperbole and FUD.
Maybe this could be turned into a business opportunity. For a fee you could allow people to monitor your driving and for premium accounts they can actually talk to you and annoy you with backseat driving instructions.
I agree that it is tragic, but before we outlaw this new technology let's look at your example again. If we say that the new technology should be illegal should we also make makeup illegal in cars? I know you probably see lots of unnecessary accidents as a fireman, but the simple fact is we can't protect people from their own stupidity. Our over the top laws designed to protect the dumbest elements of society (no easy way to phrase that so I didn't try) is only breeding us towards extinction (a bit of hyperbole). Dumb people will continue to pee on electric fences, read while driving, try to mimic tv stuntmen by setting themselves on fire, etc. We need to quit limiting the rights of the 90% of responsible people just to protect the 10% of irresponsible/stupid people from themselves.
If mobile internet like this becomes prevalent I'm sure you'll see a tragic accident because of it, but the person would probably have found another way to hurt themselves anyway since they didn't apply any common sense.
Although I understand your point the simple fact is more surveillance does not mean compliance to the law, and only opens opportunities for misuse by gov't. It wouldn't be long before the gov't would be able to eavesdrop on you without a warrant under revised FISA rules. More surveillance is not the answer.
I would agree that it's a step in the right direction, but doesn't this all assume the government will abide by the laws in the first place? I don't know about you, but I don't trust them to follow any law or judgement, and if they got caught they'll just invoke the State Secrets loophole.
Nope, I am very wise. I only conduct my illegal activities in person and never put them in email. . . . DAMN! Gotta go, someone's pounding on my door and demanding I open it immediately!
While I understand the point you're trying to make it seems to me that there are several serious flaws in your argument.
1. Why does anyone have to have "respect' for someone in the military? I don't mean that as a shot to the folks serving, but we seem to have glorified this occupation (if that's the right word) to where everyone is required to genuflect when they see a soldier. I don't have disrespect for them, but I don't feel that I MUST respect them either.
2. "the majority of people in the military are fighting and dying for an ideal" - I won't get into the political side of that argument because it's pointless, but let's just remember that it's a volunteer military. They volunteered, they weren't drafted and so it's their career choice. I wish them well, I hope they all come home safely (and the sooner the better for that matter) but THEY chose it. It is not my responsibility to worship them or respect them or anything just because they made a choice to be in the military.
3. "they're some fucking barbarians that need to civilized, whether by diplomacy or by force" - Stop and think about this for a second. Your argument is that someone else is a barbarian and they had better become "civilized" (according to your definition of course) or you will KILL them? How does that opinion make you any different than the barbarian? . . . .
4. "There is no need to respect the sovereignty of an oppressive nation." - I would be VERY careful with this argument. The US is becoming dangerously close to an "oppressive nation" since the massive constitutional violations that have happened since 9/11.
5. "Respect your vets, mate. They're not idiots. " - Maybe they should respect me? Hmmmm? I mean I go to my job that I voluntarily signed up for (just like them) so I can earn money (just like them) and I pay taxes that pay their salary (note that they do not help pay my salary). So, I think they owe ME respect since everything else is equal and I'm helping pay their salary.
In short, I don't buy the "you must respect them" argument. They are no different than me. No better. No worse. They are not slaves, or indentured servants, and they were not drafted. If they aren't doing the job for their own satisfaction then they should get out. I don't dislike them in any way and I certainly don't disrespect them, but I don't think they are one bit different than anyone else who gets up in the morning and voluntarily goes to a job they chose themselves.
Wow, speaking of lame, many of your criticisms were lame. How are developers getting raped by the 30% figure (one central store, publicity/advertising handled by Apple, all credit card fees included, hosting infrastructure handled by Apple)? How are people getting raped with ringtones (it's cheaper than most I've seen)? Why is app signing such a big deal? Why is the glass screen a big deal (did you want a wood screen so it's cheaper to repair? How about not breaking it so you don't need a repair?
Some of your criticism were valid, but you lost credibility with the ones I mentioned.
You can send pictures via email. If the other phones can't handle pictures via email then I guess the arguement could be made that their feature set is incomplete. And while SSH isn't part of the default OS I don't doubt that someone will create an app for it.
"A personal anecdote that you were unable to use features does not count"
-So you create an arbitrary rule to exclude someone's opinion so it does not count? It sounds more like you know he has a valid argument and rather than admit it you invalidate his opinion thereby eliminating your need to respond (or realize you can't respond).
And yes, there are things about a UI that make it hard to quantify. Why is one UI "easier" or "more enjoyable to use"? Sometimes those things are hard to quantify and put into words, but you just know it's true. That happens a lot in life. I like pizza, my favorite color is blue, I like a certain song, I can't quantify WHY I like them, but I do and that all that I need to know.
You couldn't generate any hits on your original post so you replied to yourself and you're having an argument with yourself? Pretty weenie if you ask me.
Oh, and the iPhone will siphon off a lot of game developers who see the huge earning potential in a new market. Sorry, but the fact that the Java based game market is lackluster, even though "there are lots of Java based phones", seems to indicate that people aren't really enjoying playing games on those crappy phones. The iPhone won't kill anything off, but it will erode support for the already lackluster market.
-They use them but they suck. If the only sandwich you were given for years was a shit sandwich then you probably learned to tolerate a shit sandwich. The iPhone has opened my eyes as to how crappy the other vendors offerings are and it's been the phone I've been waiting for since I started buying phones.
"Apple's touch screen is a gimmick and a horrible interface for anything other than watching videos and simple web browsing. I"
-Why is it a gimmick? It works great. It's easy to use. It's completely intuitive. That's not a gimmick, THAT is exactly what good interface design is supposed to be.
"There's a reason Blackberries, Palms, and Nokias are so much more popular than the iPhone and other touch phones."
-The iPhone has not even been out one year and you're trying to make the argument that the reason the other manufacturers sell more is because of better design?It's more likely the years of head start in getting market share. Palm is circling the drain, Blackberry is so scared shitless by the very interface design that you mock that they're scrambling to implement touch into it, and Nokia makes primarily basic phones (with a few poorly designed smart phones thrown in here and there).
"Apple didn't even pioneer the touch screen interface on phones"
-But they're the first one to do it right.
"keyboards won in the end because they are the right choice for a smartphone."
-If "the end" was a year ago then you might have a point, but the iPhone showed the keyboard is a very inflexible and limiting design. Fortunately "the end" is not here and phones are evolving into touch interfaces.
RIM got it right? The Blackberry's I've used for work are the most horrible things to use I've ever seen.
If you're saying goodbye to the iPhone based on your love for RIM then I say good riddance. You obviously wouldn't know a good phone if it smacked you in the a$$.
Standard features on phones that suck to use because of the interface so you don't end up using them. If you look at specific feature you can make the argument that Apple is catching up. If you look at the total package Apple has already leapt ahead of the competition, and they know it, which is why they are all trying to make touchscreen interfaces (and failing miserably).
It is shocking to see how much denial goes on in some people's minds too. It's their first phone, they've been on the market less than one year, and people camped out to get it when it was released. I've seen plenty of them and everyone who sees and uses one has been very impressed.
As you your comment that it is a crappy phone, how do you back that up? It works as a phone, plus it has a ton of other features that are so easy to use that most people use all of them. It's hands down the best phone I've ever seen or used.
Why didn't you just say you unreasonably hate the iPhone and make your post shorter?
If you're going to troll to get attention you at least have to make it look less obvious. Your argument doesn't even make sense from an anti-Apple point of view.
Your simple Gooogle url is easily the most relevant post on this thread. Seems to me someone is posting repetitive drivel to try and drive sympathy for their ailing business?
I don't think the original post was intended to be the definitive history of the blacksmith, but rather a statement on new technology is always replacing old technology.
I hate to be the voice of common sense here, but since these "chav's" (not familiar with the term, but I expect it's Aussie for dumba$$) seem to respect the law so much that they'd be detered by the ban, why not just pass a law that bans shining lasers in someone's eyes?
I'm sorry about your experience, but do you really think the new law would have prevented this? The kids probably don't give a d*** about the law or common sense anyway, so you're not really accomplishing your goal, are you?
This poster has a valid point. I mean once the new law is passed against laser pointers I'm sure the law abiding citizens who currently shine lasers in a pilots eyes on approach will see the new government directive and comply.
Did you dig the Aussie Flight Instructor poo out of your brain before you wrote this post? Whoever is currently painting you with a laser is probably not part of the demographic who will obey the new law, thus you have solved nothing.
"If the original submitter is the entrepreneurial type, then this could be partly good advice. But how can you be so goofy as to suggest he pick something so unrelated to what are his apparent interests? If he wanted to be in construction, plumbing, or electrical work, then he would already be in it. While those trades can result in a good living, they are also freaking hard work."
-I understand what you mean by this, but I'll use my own experience in answering your questions. When I was in high school there were a lot of things I was interested in and would have been happy doing simply because I actually enjoyed it. The problem occurs when you factor in society and peer pressure. If I was happy doing woodworking then construction may have been interesting to me, but even taking woodworking classes in high school was looked at as a druggie/loser type of class. The people who took metalworking, woodworking, etc. were looked down on by the "cool" people who were going to go to college and DO something with their lives. While the impression at the time was the "losers" were the sheep, and I was cool and independent for striving for college, it turns out that the people drifting off to college were the sheep in this scenario, and the "losers" were the people who really had the guts to do what they WANTED to do rather than conform.
Hopefully that wasn't too long winded or confusing, but my point is that I believe that many people go to college because they think that is their path to success or it is a badge of being higher in society, and that doing something menial like construction is a step down in life. I'm not against college, but I don't think some people really go to college because they love soemthing, they do it because it's expected and they are under the mistaken impression that it's the ticket to success in life. It can be, but if you don't have a passion for your field/major then you'll just be mediocre, college or not. I think many folks would be more successful if they just followed their passion and found a way to build a business around it.
Don't worry about the psychoanalyzing thing. I don't have a chip on my shoulder, but I'm 41 and I look around me at work (in IT) and I don't see anyone who is happy. Most people are working only for the money and they hate management, the outsourcing, the offshoring, and the mindless executive decisions that remind me of the movie Office Space (Firing people so Lundberg's stock goes up a quarter of a point). I look back and wish I'd have taken my previous advice when I was 18 and didn't have a family to support. I have too many responsibilities now to change gears overnight, but I'm slowly reversing my course as I work a full time job during the day and build my own business on my own time.
Not everyone hates his job in IT, I wouldn't hate it if I was working for myself, but I don't enjoy working for a corporation anymore. If you or the original poster will be happy in that life then I am really happy for you. I wish I was too, but I'm not. But I've finally realized what I should be doing and I'm changing course. I just tossed my previous advice out because I think the poster should think about what he REALLY loves and wants to do. Then find a way to do it and make money for himself rather than going to college and making money for someone else.
I see your point about the financing. I was lucky enough to be able to get my business up without financing because of the relatively low ($10k) financing needed. Maybe we take the same college experience and apply it to my advice. Since a person going to college will be dirt poor and living on Ramen noodles for 4/5 years, they need to apply the same mindset to their first few years of learning their "trade". Save as much money as possible while living below their means, and then you should have some seed money for a new business.
I did the same as you, online school for my IT degree (at an accredited school) and although I'm glad I finally beat my demons and got the degree (I'm 41 now), it isn't worth the paper it's printed on and I'm heavily in debt. I think college is over-rated in general, and IT is a dead career path now. I wish you luck in your quest, but I'm banking on myself as much as I can now because corps. will slash your throat and offshore your job in a second if they can. Good luck.
PS: I don't have the name InTheShelter for no reason. The paranoia grows each year!
Slashdot Mirror
I think you might also be confused. Why is the iPhone a sub-par phone? A a more accurate way to rephrase "fancy interface" would be the first intuitive and easy interface that leaves all others in the dust. If you honestly don't understand that the interface is very useful and not "fancy" then I think you might be suffering from the anti-Apple fanbois disease.
I also don't see how Apple is "restricting the hell out of it". I think you're indulging in more than just a little hyperbole with that statement. No, you can't do anything you want with it, but that hardly equates to "restricting the hell out of it."
If you hate Apple and/or the iPhone just have the balls to say it rather than hiding behind hyperbole and FUD.
Maybe this could be turned into a business opportunity. For a fee you could allow people to monitor your driving and for premium accounts they can actually talk to you and annoy you with backseat driving instructions.
I agree that it is tragic, but before we outlaw this new technology let's look at your example again. If we say that the new technology should be illegal should we also make makeup illegal in cars? I know you probably see lots of unnecessary accidents as a fireman, but the simple fact is we can't protect people from their own stupidity. Our over the top laws designed to protect the dumbest elements of society (no easy way to phrase that so I didn't try) is only breeding us towards extinction (a bit of hyperbole). Dumb people will continue to pee on electric fences, read while driving, try to mimic tv stuntmen by setting themselves on fire, etc. We need to quit limiting the rights of the 90% of responsible people just to protect the 10% of irresponsible/stupid people from themselves.
If mobile internet like this becomes prevalent I'm sure you'll see a tragic accident because of it, but the person would probably have found another way to hurt themselves anyway since they didn't apply any common sense.
Although I understand your point the simple fact is more surveillance does not mean compliance to the law, and only opens opportunities for misuse by gov't. It wouldn't be long before the gov't would be able to eavesdrop on you without a warrant under revised FISA rules. More surveillance is not the answer.
I would agree that it's a step in the right direction, but doesn't this all assume the government will abide by the laws in the first place? I don't know about you, but I don't trust them to follow any law or judgement, and if they got caught they'll just invoke the State Secrets loophole.
Nope, I am very wise. I only conduct my illegal activities in person and never put them in email. . . . DAMN! Gotta go, someone's pounding on my door and demanding I open it immediately!
While I understand the point you're trying to make it seems to me that there are several serious flaws in your argument.
1. Why does anyone have to have "respect' for someone in the military? I don't mean that as a shot to the folks serving, but we seem to have glorified this occupation (if that's the right word) to where everyone is required to genuflect when they see a soldier. I don't have disrespect for them, but I don't feel that I MUST respect them either.
2. "the majority of people in the military are fighting and dying for an ideal" - I won't get into the political side of that argument because it's pointless, but let's just remember that it's a volunteer military. They volunteered, they weren't drafted and so it's their career choice. I wish them well, I hope they all come home safely (and the sooner the better for that matter) but THEY chose it. It is not my responsibility to worship them or respect them or anything just because they made a choice to be in the military.
3. "they're some fucking barbarians that need to civilized, whether by diplomacy or by force" - Stop and think about this for a second. Your argument is that someone else is a barbarian and they had better become "civilized" (according to your definition of course) or you will KILL them? How does that opinion make you any different than the barbarian? . . . .
4. "There is no need to respect the sovereignty of an oppressive nation." - I would be VERY careful with this argument. The US is becoming dangerously close to an "oppressive nation" since the massive constitutional violations that have happened since 9/11.
5. "Respect your vets, mate. They're not idiots. " - Maybe they should respect me? Hmmmm? I mean I go to my job that I voluntarily signed up for (just like them) so I can earn money (just like them) and I pay taxes that pay their salary (note that they do not help pay my salary). So, I think they owe ME respect since everything else is equal and I'm helping pay their salary.
In short, I don't buy the "you must respect them" argument. They are no different than me. No better. No worse. They are not slaves, or indentured servants, and they were not drafted. If they aren't doing the job for their own satisfaction then they should get out. I don't dislike them in any way and I certainly don't disrespect them, but I don't think they are one bit different than anyone else who gets up in the morning and voluntarily goes to a job they chose themselves.
LET THE FLAMING BEGIN!!
Wow, speaking of lame, many of your criticisms were lame. How are developers getting raped by the 30% figure (one central store, publicity/advertising handled by Apple, all credit card fees included, hosting infrastructure handled by Apple)? How are people getting raped with ringtones (it's cheaper than most I've seen)? Why is app signing such a big deal? Why is the glass screen a big deal (did you want a wood screen so it's cheaper to repair? How about not breaking it so you don't need a repair?
Some of your criticism were valid, but you lost credibility with the ones I mentioned.
You can send pictures via email. If the other phones can't handle pictures via email then I guess the arguement could be made that their feature set is incomplete. And while SSH isn't part of the default OS I don't doubt that someone will create an app for it.
I think your logic doesn't work.
There, now I've invalidated your argument so YOUR opinion doesn't matter. Seems a bit silly when someone does it to you, doesn't it?
"A personal anecdote that you were unable to use features does not count"
-So you create an arbitrary rule to exclude someone's opinion so it does not count? It sounds more like you know he has a valid argument and rather than admit it you invalidate his opinion thereby eliminating your need to respond (or realize you can't respond).
And yes, there are things about a UI that make it hard to quantify. Why is one UI "easier" or "more enjoyable to use"? Sometimes those things are hard to quantify and put into words, but you just know it's true. That happens a lot in life. I like pizza, my favorite color is blue, I like a certain song, I can't quantify WHY I like them, but I do and that all that I need to know.
You couldn't generate any hits on your original post so you replied to yourself and you're having an argument with yourself? Pretty weenie if you ask me.
Oh, and the iPhone will siphon off a lot of game developers who see the huge earning potential in a new market. Sorry, but the fact that the Java based game market is lackluster, even though "there are lots of Java based phones", seems to indicate that people aren't really enjoying playing games on those crappy phones. The iPhone won't kill anything off, but it will erode support for the already lackluster market.
"Except... people do use them."
-They use them but they suck. If the only sandwich you were given for years was a shit sandwich then you probably learned to tolerate a shit sandwich. The iPhone has opened my eyes as to how crappy the other vendors offerings are and it's been the phone I've been waiting for since I started buying phones.
"Apple's touch screen is a gimmick and a horrible interface for anything other than watching videos and simple web browsing. I"
-Why is it a gimmick? It works great. It's easy to use. It's completely intuitive. That's not a gimmick, THAT is exactly what good interface design is supposed to be.
"There's a reason Blackberries, Palms, and Nokias are so much more popular than the iPhone and other touch phones."
-The iPhone has not even been out one year and you're trying to make the argument that the reason the other manufacturers sell more is because of better design?It's more likely the years of head start in getting market share. Palm is circling the drain, Blackberry is so scared shitless by the very interface design that you mock that they're scrambling to implement touch into it, and Nokia makes primarily basic phones (with a few poorly designed smart phones thrown in here and there).
"Apple didn't even pioneer the touch screen interface on phones"
-But they're the first one to do it right.
"keyboards won in the end because they are the right choice for a smartphone."
-If "the end" was a year ago then you might have a point, but the iPhone showed the keyboard is a very inflexible and limiting design. Fortunately "the end" is not here and phones are evolving into touch interfaces.
RIM got it right? The Blackberry's I've used for work are the most horrible things to use I've ever seen.
If you're saying goodbye to the iPhone based on your love for RIM then I say good riddance. You obviously wouldn't know a good phone if it smacked you in the a$$.
Standard features on phones that suck to use because of the interface so you don't end up using them. If you look at specific feature you can make the argument that Apple is catching up. If you look at the total package Apple has already leapt ahead of the competition, and they know it, which is why they are all trying to make touchscreen interfaces (and failing miserably).
It is shocking to see how much denial goes on in some people's minds too. It's their first phone, they've been on the market less than one year, and people camped out to get it when it was released. I've seen plenty of them and everyone who sees and uses one has been very impressed.
As you your comment that it is a crappy phone, how do you back that up? It works as a phone, plus it has a ton of other features that are so easy to use that most people use all of them. It's hands down the best phone I've ever seen or used.
Why didn't you just say you unreasonably hate the iPhone and make your post shorter?
Except for the fact that they did try to get Verizon your post is 100% accurate. Verizon was too dumb to take the iPhone and insure their dominance.
Genius, I tell you. Genius.
How is it crippled because I just don't see that?
If you're going to troll to get attention you at least have to make it look less obvious. Your argument doesn't even make sense from an anti-Apple point of view.
Your simple Gooogle url is easily the most relevant post on this thread. Seems to me someone is posting repetitive drivel to try and drive sympathy for their ailing business?
Nice job pointing that out.
Wow, I was reading your post and I blacked out.
I don't think the original post was intended to be the definitive history of the blacksmith, but rather a statement on new technology is always replacing old technology.
I hate to be the voice of common sense here, but since these "chav's" (not familiar with the term, but I expect it's Aussie for dumba$$) seem to respect the law so much that they'd be detered by the ban, why not just pass a law that bans shining lasers in someone's eyes?
I'm sorry about your experience, but do you really think the new law would have prevented this? The kids probably don't give a d*** about the law or common sense anyway, so you're not really accomplishing your goal, are you?
This poster has a valid point. I mean once the new law is passed against laser pointers I'm sure the law abiding citizens who currently shine lasers in a pilots eyes on approach will see the new government directive and comply.
Did you dig the Aussie Flight Instructor poo out of your brain before you wrote this post? Whoever is currently painting you with a laser is probably not part of the demographic who will obey the new law, thus you have solved nothing.
"If the original submitter is the entrepreneurial type, then this could be partly good advice. But how can you be so goofy as to suggest he pick something so unrelated to what are his apparent interests? If he wanted to be in construction, plumbing, or electrical work, then he would already be in it. While those trades can result in a good living, they are also freaking hard work."
-I understand what you mean by this, but I'll use my own experience in answering your questions. When I was in high school there were a lot of things I was interested in and would have been happy doing simply because I actually enjoyed it. The problem occurs when you factor in society and peer pressure. If I was happy doing woodworking then construction may have been interesting to me, but even taking woodworking classes in high school was looked at as a druggie/loser type of class. The people who took metalworking, woodworking, etc. were looked down on by the "cool" people who were going to go to college and DO something with their lives. While the impression at the time was the "losers" were the sheep, and I was cool and independent for striving for college, it turns out that the people drifting off to college were the sheep in this scenario, and the "losers" were the people who really had the guts to do what they WANTED to do rather than conform.
Hopefully that wasn't too long winded or confusing, but my point is that I believe that many people go to college because they think that is their path to success or it is a badge of being higher in society, and that doing something menial like construction is a step down in life. I'm not against college, but I don't think some people really go to college because they love soemthing, they do it because it's expected and they are under the mistaken impression that it's the ticket to success in life. It can be, but if you don't have a passion for your field/major then you'll just be mediocre, college or not. I think many folks would be more successful if they just followed their passion and found a way to build a business around it.
Don't worry about the psychoanalyzing thing. I don't have a chip on my shoulder, but I'm 41 and I look around me at work (in IT) and I don't see anyone who is happy. Most people are working only for the money and they hate management, the outsourcing, the offshoring, and the mindless executive decisions that remind me of the movie Office Space (Firing people so Lundberg's stock goes up a quarter of a point). I look back and wish I'd have taken my previous advice when I was 18 and didn't have a family to support. I have too many responsibilities now to change gears overnight, but I'm slowly reversing my course as I work a full time job during the day and build my own business on my own time.
Not everyone hates his job in IT, I wouldn't hate it if I was working for myself, but I don't enjoy working for a corporation anymore. If you or the original poster will be happy in that life then I am really happy for you. I wish I was too, but I'm not. But I've finally realized what I should be doing and I'm changing course. I just tossed my previous advice out because I think the poster should think about what he REALLY loves and wants to do. Then find a way to do it and make money for himself rather than going to college and making money for someone else.
I see your point about the financing. I was lucky enough to be able to get my business up without financing because of the relatively low ($10k) financing needed. Maybe we take the same college experience and apply it to my advice. Since a person going to college will be dirt poor and living on Ramen noodles for 4/5 years, they need to apply the same mindset to their first few years of learning their "trade". Save as much money as possible while living below their means, and then you should have some seed money for a new business.
I did the same as you, online school for my IT degree (at an accredited school) and although I'm glad I finally beat my demons and got the degree (I'm 41 now), it isn't worth the paper it's printed on and I'm heavily in debt. I think college is over-rated in general, and IT is a dead career path now. I wish you luck in your quest, but I'm banking on myself as much as I can now because corps. will slash your throat and offshore your job in a second if they can. Good luck.
PS: I don't have the name InTheShelter for no reason. The paranoia grows each year!