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User: Aladrin

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  1. Re:Coercion? on Vista DRM Prevents Kernel Tampering · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It sounds to me like they've given hackers a reason to fake signing drivers, instead. They've never really had a reason to bother before.

  2. Re:lol what? on Future Eudora Based on Thunderbird · · Score: 1

    They already explained that, if you'd RTFS. They are adding their old feature set to it.

  3. Re:Coercion? on Vista DRM Prevents Kernel Tampering · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I totally disagree. You are assuming they have a commercial application in mind. What about someone who wants to write drivers for their new hardware they just built by hand? They shouldn't be required to go through this.

    It doesn't matter, though, because if you make it too hard to write software for Windows, people will stop. They'll find another platform that is more enticing to them. It won't happen immediately, of course. But it'll happen.

  4. Re:Don't expect miracles on Laser TV — the Death of Plasma? · · Score: 1

    And why exactly would anyone produce content in more colors with nothing to display it on? It sounds 'chicken or egg', but I think if you look back, the ability to do something always came before the content for that something.

  5. Re:Don't expect miracles on Laser TV — the Death of Plasma? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have to disagree. Their claim is that images will be more 'real looking' than ever before. When was the last time you went to a TV store and were walking around, and thought an image on a screen was a real person for a moment? It never happens, even from a distance or the most confusing conditions, because the colors are just slightly off.

    If they can do this and this alone, it'll sell the TVs.

    They also claim less power consumption and less depth, so it's 'more portable' as well. And cheaper.

    But then, they've made a lot of claims without a lot of proof. We'll know if it's vaporware sometime before Duke Nukem Forever is released.

  6. Re:Its silly to get a console on release on PS3 Pre-Orders Came and Went · · Score: 1

    You have a good point, but I -do- expect the Wii to have a few months of fun for me off the bat. There's like 5 or 6 launch titles that I'm interested in enough that I'll probably buy them right away. Or 'ask' for them for christmas from my family. Heh. I'm even looking forward to Elebits. Besides, it's not like I'll be only playing the Wii's games for those 3 months. There'll be plenty of games for other consoles in that time. (And I'm probably going to buy a few older GC games that I miss or never played.)

    As for the controller... Even if it was pretty bad, I'll like it. My favorite game accessory of all time was the powerglove. I've actually got scars from it because I wouldn't quit playing when it started chewing on my knuckles. (They're small, though.) It would have to be absolutely worthless for me to hate it, and the E3 event showed it was pretty good.

    As for ps3... Yeah. I'm a sucker for games, and I'll end up buying a PS3 when it finally gets a game that I can't resist... That'll be the first FF game, or Suikoden if they have another like Suik3, etc. But if there's a port of it for the 360, I'll choose the 360 first. Why? Gamerpoints. I'm a collector at heart, and the points system really draws me in. It's stupid, but it matters to me.

  7. Re:Yahoo: Now even creepier! on Yahoo Messenger Blocking youtube.com URLs? · · Score: 1

    Or just send a link to your own webserver and watch the logs. If something other than your friend accesses it immediately, you know it's checking that.

  8. Re:Uh... what? on PS3 Pre-Orders Came and Went · · Score: 1

    They are just lazy at policing it. I bought a case for my cellphone from ebay where it was fairly obvious the price was in the shipping, instead of the bid. A month later, I get a message saying the seller's products had all been removed for improper pricing.

    Why I got that message, I don't know. But it was nice to see.

  9. Re:Its silly to get a console on release on PS3 Pre-Orders Came and Went · · Score: 1

    Crap. I was hoping to never have to have that examination.

    I'm going to buy a Wii at launch. My thought is, at $250, I'll have that much fun in the first 3 months before it breaks/burns down the house/explodes/etc. And then I'll buy one that has been 'fixed' a few months later and everything will be good.

    At $600? Hell no. I didn't even buy a 360 until a month or 2 ago. And I still worry like crazy that it'll overheat and die.

  10. Re:Absurdity on Mozilla vs Debian Analyzed · · Score: 1

    Yeah, down with the GPL, too! It says 'Free unless...' also. Oh wait, you wouldn't have Linux if it weren't for the GPL.

    While I agree that it's seems silly to have this argument over a name and some artwork, artwork is not code. It doesn't fall under the GPL. The code is still totally free. It's the art and name that aren't. If you had a project called XYZ, and someone wanted to take your work and distribute it, but change things in it... Would you still want them calling it 'XYZ'? No, you'd want to make sure people knew it wasn't the official distribution, and that the other person was responsible for maintaining the changes. That is what's happening here.

    Debian has not been told 'you cannot distribute Firefox'. They've been told 'You can distribute it under a different license, if you agree to our terms.' There's nothing new there. That's done ALL the time.

  11. Re:Apples vs. Oranges: 640x480 movie file != DVD s on Retailers Pressure Studios on Web Deals · · Score: 1

    Not if you can get your parents to bring the mail to you.

  12. Re:Operating system far from dead on The Relevance of Windows · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Oversimplified, but not necessarily as 'nonprogrammer'. Each OS has its own strengths. Mac is obviously a great desktop. Windows is a good desktop with a TON of software that just doesn't exist anywhere else, including games. Linux makes an excellent server.

    I tried to make Linux (Slackware, then Kubuntu) be my desktop. I love Yakuake, Katapult and K3B. I wish they existed on Windows. But I'm a gamer at heart, and the offering for Linux is sad at best. Even with Wine and Cedega, I couldn't play any games reliably. But I've used Linux as a server environment for even longer, and love it. I would never considering trying to use Windows as a server again.

    I don't yet own a Mac OSX system, but they have it for the CSRs at work, and my mac-user friends all say it's the way to go.

    So yes, it's the apps that make the computer useful. But most of them only run well under a certain OS. Many, many bugs are OS-dependant. That's why they'd run better on 1 than another. Sadly, Firefox runs much better on Windows for me than Linux, for example.

  13. Re:Damage is what USA does best on One Last Spamhaus Warning Before The End · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So, if someone from Australia sues you for violating their daughter, you'd fly to Australia to defend yourself, even though you've never been there?

    Of course you wouldn't. It's obviously so stupid as to not bear considering.

    So why should a business in the UK worry about complaints from a company in the US that is ITSELF committing acts that are against the law. (In both countries.)

    And what portion of the spammer's argument holds up in court? 'We are trying to send millions of emails to people that don't want them, and that company is providing a service that allows those customers not to get them.' ... WTF? The judge fell for that? NO! Our screwed up legal system just awards the case without hearing a single shred of evidence.

    But okay, let's say the judge DID make a good decision. How the hell does the US get the right to make a world-wide judgement like that without talking to any other country? Shouldn't there be a decision making body for things like this? We could call it the 'United Nations.'

  14. Re:Again, Steam on Life Behind The Counter · · Score: 1

    Not -every- game, but a good portion of them. And it's definitely an awesome feature. I would never have even rented Prey without the demo. Now I'm considering buying it. (I beat the normal single player on a rental.)

  15. Re:Sales on Life Behind The Counter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's very true. There are several EBGames stores near me. There was originally only 1 at the mall, 40 minutes away. The manager, Denise, was always great about answering questions truthfully and suggesting games that are like the one I was looking for. (I'm -bad- with names, too, so she impressed me enough that I know her name now.) She kept everyone in that store in line.

    Well Denise went to the new store that opened up, that happened to be within miles of where I live. It is also a wonderful store and the workers have a great attitude. Every once in a while, I go back to that mall store... It was horrid. The people didn't know what they were talking about and you could barely get them to ring up your sale. Another opened within miles of that one, and it was nearly as bad. Eventually they got another new manager and it's a nice, helpful store again, but Denise's store is still WAY better.

    Due to their being helpful and honest (they've given me info that stopped me from buying more than a couple games that I would have regretted) I listen to their advice more. It's gotten them sales on things they wouldn't have gotten before, and I'm more loyal to them. Even if it's out of my way, I prefer to buy there over anywhere else.

    It's also nice that due to my loyal-customer status, they've been willing to bend store rules a few times. Like if I'm buying something (Nintnedo DS) that is going to go down in price next week, they often tell me I can bring my receipt back and get the difference, despite the store's rules to the contrary.

    That's the kind of service I expect these days. I could buy it online from the comfort of my home and never have to move except to answer the door for the UPS guy. But they add so much value to the shopping experience that it's worth the drive to go see them. I wish all stores would understand this concept.

  16. Re:No biggie, still over a month left! on PS3 OS Wasn't Final at TGS · · Score: 2
  17. Re:"from the also-salt-tastes-salty dept." on Different Social Networks Are... Different · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You know, I don't usually like troll-y comments, but that was spot on. (And humorous, too.)

    I don't even mind the karma I'm going to lose from this post.

  18. Re:special software on Big Challenges for Vista Bug Hunters · · Score: 1

    No, that 'program' is called Internet Explorer maybe, but that 'special software' is an automatic testing application, probably developed internally and woefully incomplete.

  19. Re:Yeah, I Phrased That Badly on Wii Will Have an Updatable Linux OS · · Score: 1

    The only way to only distribute the source to Wii owners is to include a copy of the entire source on some media WITH the distribution of the binary. That means including a CD with every Wii that has the source code for the entire GPL'd project.

    The relevant portion of the GPL:

    3) a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

    The only other commercial option is to provide access to the source to "any third party" that requests it.

    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

  20. Re:Yeah, I Phrased That Badly on Wii Will Have an Updatable Linux OS · · Score: 1

    Not just 'Wii owners'. Everyone. That's the whole point of the GPL. It gives you the freedom to run it and distribute it as much as you want, but if you change ANYTHING you must provide those changes to EVERYONE.

    So as long as they don't actually modify the kernel, and ship it with a custom GUI (under any license), they are fine.

    I'm sure if Nintendo finds the need to fix/modify the kernel, or any other GPL'd software they use, they'll release the changes.

  21. Re:I have to sew a small seed here.. on Analysts Split Over Vista Launch Date · · Score: 1

    Not only that, but how many people still fall for that 'It's his fault!' fingerpointing bullshit? And how many of the few that are left would actually believe Microsoft if they tried it?

    Not enough to make a difference, and definitely not enough to counter all the people pissed off about the delay and fingerpointing.

    No, delays are not convenient for companies no matter what.

  22. Re:No (but yes), and no. on What Certifications are Valuable in Today's IT? · · Score: 1

    Well, isn't that like saying 'Would I learn more in 4 years or 3 months?' Of course the 4 yr degree is going to hold more clout and you'll learn more.

    I think the real question is 'Can I get away with just certs, or do I -need- a college degree?'

    I definitely agree that colleges don't teach people to think like a geek. But then, they couldn't teach me to think like an artist either, so it's all relative. 'How to solve problems' and 'How to be creative/artistic' have got to be the hardest things to teach, ever. And people usually are either good at one and bad at the other, or mediocre at both. Jack of all trades, master of none, and all that.

    I think it's early childhood, and possibly genetics, that have the largest effect here. Once your brain is wired, that's who you are.

    I would love to be artistic, but I would never give up my logic to do it.

    So back on subject... I think the degree is still the way to go. Certs don't mean much in the 'good jobs'. If all you want is your foot in the door at a really crappy company, go for the cert and apply to anything and everything. If you want a good job that you'll love, get the degree.

  23. Re:More Sprint Billing on What Inept Billing Software Have You Encountered? · · Score: 1

    Brighthouse does the same thing, but with snailmail. I get a 'bill' every month, even though my credit card is in their computer and auto-billed. Idiots.

  24. Re:AT&T is the devil on What Inept Billing Software Have You Encountered? · · Score: 1

    Um, seriously. That's the right answer. They didn't. And contract you signed had no 'move out of the area' clause. If you could break contracts with just anything that inconveniences you, they wouldn't be contracts.

    And I'm willing to bet you got free or discounted phones with that contract, as well. They should just eat the cost of those phones because you decided to move?

    Sure, they probably could have said it nicer, but they're correct. You broke the contract, not them.

  25. Re:Oh the irony on More In-Game Advertising on the Way · · Score: 1

    Why, do you expect they wouldn't sponsor that sport in real life if it was cheap enough? Of course they would. There's simply other sponsors willing to pay more in real life.

    The target audience is what matters, not the subject matter. Do you think real boxers often stop and pick up a gamepad and play Mike Tyson's Punchout? I doubt it. Advertising boxing gear in the game doesn't make sense, because the audience isn't there. The entire audience for this game is ... gamers! Wow! And amazingly, gamers eat food. And often eat fast food. Seems like a perfect match.