I work in the IT department at a university that uses CCA. If you live on-campus you're required to use CCA to connect to the University network. IIRC, the setup here doesn't check for much: anti-virus and XP SP2 if you're on Windows, and Linux users are ignored.
Support calls from students have fallen by more than 50% since CCA was put into use. Simply requiring anti-virus and SP2 has tremendously reduced the amount of garbage infecting Windows users machines. CCA has been a real boon, even if there are a plethora of ways around it.
From that same article, for those who don't care to click the link:
Legislatures in four other states Maine, Idaho, Arkansas and Montana also have adopted measures opposing REAL ID, and lawmakers in more than 20 other states are considering similar action.
There was a time when only the richest of the rich could afford automobiles. Now everyone has them.
I look forward to the day that I can have a spacecraft up on blocks in my front yard.
Not that I want a spacecraft on blocks in my front yard, but the thought that I could have a spacecraft of my own AND a front yard big enough to hold one sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting either.
If a federal sales tax were implemented, then the IRS wouldn't have to worry about virtual gold being sold for real cash. The government would get its cut when the person recieving the money went to buy a real world good (in the US anyway).
Yes, yes, there are plenty of other arguments for and against a federal sales tax, but I felt that it should be pointed out.
some very basic things continue to confuse me - eg. setting VLC as the default video player for all video files
So now we take a task that is not basic -- configuring file associations or default applications is something that very few users attempt -- but call it "very basic" to make it seem like fundamental functionality is missing. Good job, there.
Well, there's the easy way, and there's the hard way. With XP you can click Start -> Set Program Access and Defaults, and you're presented with:
Choose a default Web Browser
Choose a default e-mail program
Choose a default media player
Choose a default instant messaging program
Choose a default virtual machine for Java
That's what I see on my machine here at work anyway. So that's an easy way. There are harder ways, to be sure, that will allow for more fine tuning.
I believe that I've seen something similar to 'Set Program Access and Defaults' on Ubuntu 7.04 beta, but that machine is unfortunately at home.
IMO, the real power of Ubuntu isn't lowering the bar for average users, but lowering the bar for average IT professionals. I know several who have tried Ubuntu, and while they're not ready to give up their jobs doing Windows administration, Ubuntu is on their radar.
Yeah, that's me. I'm the guy my buddies call when OMG WINDOWS EXPLODE. I'm kinda tired of it, and I've started using Ubuntu at home. I really like it, and aside from the plethora of Windows games it does everything I need and more. To be fair, for the amount of gaming I can get in these days, the number of native linux clients and the amount of stuff that runs well on WINE is enough. I've zero interest in WoW, and consider it a good thing that I can't get EQ2 going on WINE.;-)
Back to the point: I'm a guy comfortable with Windows. One of the lucky few who doesn't have problems with it. But I'm tired of it. And if I let my friends know that Ubuntu is a good thing, they'll believe me.
That's not terribly uncommon to hear when movies are based on books. The book forces you to use your imagination, to picture things in your mind. The movie shows you what somebody else wants you to see, no imagination necessary.
I think that text-based MUDs are somewhat comparable to 'reading the book', where the MMORPGs are similarly comparable to 'the movie.' If you're out to use your imagination, to actually role-play, then the text based game lets you really exercise your noggin. If you're just out to vegitate for a while, then the MMORPG is like watching a movie; you don't really have to think about it.
You sound like "640 KB is more than enough", "There is demand in the world for upto six computers". If you build it, they will use it.
Indeed. I remember back when my favorite game came on two 5.25" floppies. After a while, it was twelve 3.5" floppies. My current favorite game comes on two DVDs.
If the capacity is there, somebody will fill it. That somebody will likely make games.
My dad has been playing Diablo style games, RPGs, and adventure games since Diablo, Bards Tale, and Space Quest. He seems to have a new title nearly every time I visit.
Vision - Blindness, inability to distinguish colors, blurred Vision, etc.
He plays most of the games in a lower resolution on a 19" LCD, effectively magnifying them. Keeping 1024x768 (or lower) as an option on new games ensures that he'll be able to continue to see the games.
Hearing - Hard-of-hearing, deafness.
Volume up! When it's an option, he usually has the "bubble speak" enabled so it's not just audio. A comfortable set of lightweight headphones can't hurt either.
Mobility - Wrist, arm, leg, and hand impairments.
He saves early, and saves often. He's not as quick as he was, but being able to save games as often as he'd like means that he isn't set back hours at a time if something surprises him and he doesn't react fast.
It seems to me that keeping existing features instead of dropping them will help with at least some forms of accessability.
I'd contend that a 'story' in an MMO consists of related events occurring outside the actions of the player, that in turn affect the play experience.
Asherons Call 2, for all its faults, did an excellent job of that.
Everquest 2 is doing this now. The large game updates include preludes to upcoming expansions months before the expansion is released, and zones from the original game are altered to show the expanding influence of the two major cities.
The story and lore of Warcraft are two of the reasons I'm not interested in WoW, where the opposite is true for EQ2. While I don't think story or lore matter much or at all to most MMO players though, but they do matter to some.
I sent a link of the Slashdot article to my brother, with the requisite Duff joke. He responded by saying that DUF1220 is more common in rabbits, elephants, and some other stuff than it is in humans.
Personally, I like having a close button on each tab. Enough so that I stopped using Firefox for IE7. When I discovered that Opera does also, I switched from IE7 to Opera.
My wife, and a number of other women in my EQ2 guild, are a mix of Power gamer and Social gamer. They raid 3-4 times a week, but they're mostly in it for the social aspect.
If there isn't a raid scheduled, or the people she'd like to chat with aren't around, or she doesn't feel like mucking around in her in-game appartment, then she'll log out and jump into the puzzle games. Or a romance novel.
My dad just retired, and he's been playing and loving Diablo-style games since, well, Diablo. He has played any number of knockoffs, and seems to have found a new one every time I visit. In addition to those, he spends a fair amount of time playing RPGs and adventure games. He saves early, and saves often.
He also really takes his time. It's no race for him, and he doesn't have a problem returning to old saves. He's played Guid Wars with my brother and I, but he doesn't chat because he can't type that fast (I haven't got him set up on Ventrilo yet, bad son). He tried DAoC and EQ2, but he just doesn't like grouping with people because he'd rather take his time.
I'm guessing that as I/we get older, we'll look for games where we can take our time too.
They also claim to increase your FPS by offloading other apps onto the NIC, namely a music player but apparently also file sharing. With a mic jack one would think it could also run voice communication software.
Being at work, I'm not in a position to check FPS while running just the game vs the game, music, and chat.:-(
I'm placing this one in close proximity to the "Snake oil" bin.
Slashdot Mirror
I work in the IT department at a university that uses CCA. If you live on-campus you're required to use CCA to connect to the University network. IIRC, the setup here doesn't check for much: anti-virus and XP SP2 if you're on Windows, and Linux users are ignored.
Support calls from students have fallen by more than 50% since CCA was put into use. Simply requiring anti-virus and SP2 has tremendously reduced the amount of garbage infecting Windows users machines. CCA has been a real boon, even if there are a plethora of ways around it.
Not sure I'd say that those seven tips are essential, because two of them are mutually exclusive (5 & 6).
Assuming they get the non-profit discount, the island cost at least US$980 up front with a recurring fee of US$150 each month.
Second Life | Land: Islands.
Too much? Good deal?
Not that I want a spacecraft on blocks in my front yard, but the thought that I could have a spacecraft of my own AND a front yard big enough to hold one sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting either.
I might be a smidge jealous too.
If a federal sales tax were implemented, then the IRS wouldn't have to worry about virtual gold being sold for real cash. The government would get its cut when the person recieving the money went to buy a real world good (in the US anyway).
Yes, yes, there are plenty of other arguments for and against a federal sales tax, but I felt that it should be pointed out.
Choose a default Web Browser
Choose a default e-mail program
Choose a default media player
Choose a default instant messaging program
Choose a default virtual machine for Java
That's what I see on my machine here at work anyway. So that's an easy way. There are harder ways, to be sure, that will allow for more fine tuning.
I believe that I've seen something similar to 'Set Program Access and Defaults' on Ubuntu 7.04 beta, but that machine is unfortunately at home.
One would hope that Valve could create an extra setting with three options for each match: Console only, keyboard + mouse only, and mixed.
Back to the point: I'm a guy comfortable with Windows. One of the lucky few who doesn't have problems with it. But I'm tired of it. And if I let my friends know that Ubuntu is a good thing, they'll believe me.
NBC also actively posts thier own stuff on YouTube.
Me: "Let me tell you how IPv6 will work: I'll keep on making sure your stuff works, you call me if something happens."
Friend: "Ok."
Arizona State University is moving around 65,000 students to Google Apps for Education.
2GB of mail storage, chat, calendar, colaboration, and not locked into Windows.
Sun Ray Clients.
"The book was better than the movie."
That's not terribly uncommon to hear when movies are based on books. The book forces you to use your imagination, to picture things in your mind. The movie shows you what somebody else wants you to see, no imagination necessary.
I think that text-based MUDs are somewhat comparable to 'reading the book', where the MMORPGs are similarly comparable to 'the movie.' If you're out to use your imagination, to actually role-play, then the text based game lets you really exercise your noggin. If you're just out to vegitate for a while, then the MMORPG is like watching a movie; you don't really have to think about it.
Indeed. I remember back when my favorite game came on two 5.25" floppies. After a while, it was twelve 3.5" floppies. My current favorite game comes on two DVDs.
If the capacity is there, somebody will fill it. That somebody will likely make games.
He plays most of the games in a lower resolution on a 19" LCD, effectively magnifying them. Keeping 1024x768 (or lower) as an option on new games ensures that he'll be able to continue to see the games.
Volume up! When it's an option, he usually has the "bubble speak" enabled so it's not just audio. A comfortable set of lightweight headphones can't hurt either.
He saves early, and saves often. He's not as quick as he was, but being able to save games as often as he'd like means that he isn't set back hours at a time if something surprises him and he doesn't react fast.
It seems to me that keeping existing features instead of dropping them will help with at least some forms of accessability.
Asherons Call 2, for all its faults, did an excellent job of that.
Everquest 2 is doing this now. The large game updates include preludes to upcoming expansions months before the expansion is released, and zones from the original game are altered to show the expanding influence of the two major cities.
The story and lore of Warcraft are two of the reasons I'm not interested in WoW, where the opposite is true for EQ2. While I don't think story or lore matter much or at all to most MMO players though, but they do matter to some.
I sent a link of the Slashdot article to my brother, with the requisite Duff joke. He responded by saying that DUF1220 is more common in rabbits, elephants, and some other stuff than it is in humans.
3 1393&hgt.out2=+3x+&position=chr1%3A142191957-14219 9015
I for one welcome our new armadillo overlords.
http://genome.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgTracks?hgsid=770
Personally, I like having a close button on each tab. Enough so that I stopped using Firefox for IE7. When I discovered that Opera does also, I switched from IE7 to Opera.
Madness, I know.
They didn't.
My wife, and a number of other women in my EQ2 guild, are a mix of Power gamer and Social gamer. They raid 3-4 times a week, but they're mostly in it for the social aspect.
If there isn't a raid scheduled, or the people she'd like to chat with aren't around, or she doesn't feel like mucking around in her in-game appartment, then she'll log out and jump into the puzzle games. Or a romance novel.
My dad just retired, and he's been playing and loving Diablo-style games since, well, Diablo. He has played any number of knockoffs, and seems to have found a new one every time I visit. In addition to those, he spends a fair amount of time playing RPGs and adventure games. He saves early, and saves often.
He also really takes his time. It's no race for him, and he doesn't have a problem returning to old saves. He's played Guid Wars with my brother and I, but he doesn't chat because he can't type that fast (I haven't got him set up on Ventrilo yet, bad son). He tried DAoC and EQ2, but he just doesn't like grouping with people because he'd rather take his time.
I'm guessing that as I/we get older, we'll look for games where we can take our time too.
They also claim to increase your FPS by offloading other apps onto the NIC, namely a music player but apparently also file sharing. With a mic jack one would think it could also run voice communication software.
:-(
Being at work, I'm not in a position to check FPS while running just the game vs the game, music, and chat.
I'm placing this one in close proximity to the "Snake oil" bin.