I am simply saying that pretexting is lying/fraud, but the word allows for further definition. For us, we can take it the simple terms in context and we are fine, but for non-techies, I imagine it does not hurt to attempt to be more clear. I just do not think it is a euphemism to the degree we are making it out to be.
Everything about putting together a new computer, or installing a new chip set is pretty straight-forward, except for the thermal paste. While nothing is to complicated, it is the only factor that is not clearly right or wrong depending on how you do it. Couple that with it being the hardest thing to reach in/on the computer, I am glad to see some changes are being made. It would be nice to simplify the process down to be just as easy as setting the fan on top of it.
Pretexting is the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses. Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law. Source.
Lying and Fraud are broad terms, pretexting adds clarity as to the specifics of the crime. It is the same as saying Wire Fraud or Check Fraud.
It does not need to be either or, it can be both. Your suggestion only adds a nonconstructive, ambiguous element that will only serve to confuse, not clarify.
First off, the iPhone does not even come close to being able to replace any non shuffle, mini, or nano iPod. Anyone with over 8gigs of music already on their devise is not going to be able to live under that ceiling easily. I have well over 40gigs of music on my iPod and I certainly do not see that number going down ever either.
Second, the iPhone cannot be what my iPod is. I use my iPod at the gym, when I jog, as my car stereo, and I am never without it. The same goes for my phone, it is, more or less, never to far away from me. Now it would be nice to have both together just for the fact of keeping track of one thing is easier than two, but the cons are just as bad.
My battery life is shot now. Using one device for two functions I use often would suck the battery life from the devise very quickly. If something breaks on either the phone or the music part, I lose the other function while it is fixed. If you dont have an Apple Store in your hood, you are screwed. If you rely on your smart phone to be productive, which you should if you are spending that much, then you are screwed if you need to fix something. Not enough room, not even close to being an acceptable alternative. Functionality - Can that iPhone do everything my current phone/iPod does? Nope.
Ok so he says Linux is legit if you are not a gamer. The same pretty much goes for OS X. My question is, is anyone going to be able to even challenge Windows as the computer gaming platform. Personally, I cannot see it happening within a few years. At that time, the next gen consoles will be coming out soon. The next gen consoles probably finally close the gap between console and computer. To me, that means Linux and/or OS X will not be developed for unless some uniformity can be presented in how games are designed for the platforms
While currently, I am a segmentor, I would rather be an integrator. If I could enjoy my job enough to include it as part of my "life" then I would be all about it. Till that time comes, I will continue to enjoy my clean break from work when I leave my office.
Though that is asking to much from anyone who wants to make a game and has to go that route. As if making a game is not hard enough, you need to start and manage a business in order to do so? Ouch!:)
So, let me ask you, what would you advise a high school senior has a great game idea and wants to make it. Should they go to school for game design or for business in order to see that dream realized?
There is a 99.9% chance they won't get paid while developing it. That is a different issue.
Each person in that class should have encouraged to start there own business.
They should be in business school if they want to do that now shouldn't they be?
Almost noone knows the 'ugly details' of any industry they want to go in when they enter college.
I never said ugly details, I said they dont have an understanding on what it takes to make a game. An ugly detail would be something like crunch time or something, not and understanding of the industry you want to work in.
The best way to get a job in the gaming industry is through social networking.
True
"You cannot do that unless you work for the company first and I guarantee they are not looking for a 22 year old kid to contribute to their game design outside of maybe beta feedback."
or Harvard business majors.
Want to make key decsions? be a business major.
However,, I like the start your own business approach myself. Just wish someone had taught me that 25 years ago. What the... they should be business majors then? TFA is about game design/related degrees. You are so scattered with your reply... Game design students should start their own business blah blah
You should start with a point and reinforce with details to get the point across. Ranting or whatever this was certainly did not cut it. I know it comes across negative, it probably is, but it is more of a tip for future discussions.
The problem is young kids who grow up gamers and decide they want to "make games" have no clue what it means to actually make a game.
I attended a private school with a game program and the kids enrolled were the most misguided group I have ever seen. Almost all wanted to "make games" as in, design a game based off their awesome idea. Well sorry to tell you, that is not going to happen outside of college for 99.9% of people. The other 0.01% end up adapting their idea to a mod, a flash game, or maybe even an indie project.
So basically, non of these kid enter college with a solid idea or plan on how to reach their end goal of designing games. Few understand basic business practices and development processes and it shows.
The fact is that nerds/geeks who played games before college make up a vast majority of the students who enter school with the intent of working in the game industry. These same nerds/geeks spent more time with their games then understanding how the real world works, so when they are introduced to it, well lets say it is Shock and Awe. Few realize that you need to specialize yourself in some way in order to get a job in the industry.
Bottom line is, in the gaming industry today, you need to put in your time and prove your worth with a company before you start making decisions about the next game said company puts out. You cannot do that unless you work for the company first and I guarantee they are not looking for a 22 year old kid to contribute to their game design outside of maybe beta feedback.
There are currently NINE articles on the front page of the DrudgeReport related to global warming. It has been an equally popular topic for several months now too. Any coverage to this extent is going to shape the opinions of the readers through what articles are presented. Now these readers are also editors of other news organizations or even CEOs at huge corporations. They read these articles day in and out and form an opinion based on what they read. They act on that information in some cases.
Really, to ask what effect the media has is ridiculous. If Drudge dropped global warming today and replaced with with equal coverage of the doomsday scenario of an Asteroid hitting Earth, I bet world would shift its collective focus to that almost overnight. Watch how fast Global warming is not an issue when/if we find something that will strike Earth in the next 50 years.
The media can easily and does decide what is important to and for the masses.
Almost all of the skeptics or deniers only deny or are skeptical about the _cause_ of global warming, not the fact that the planet is indeed warming.
Like many others areas of the world/media,/. likes to attack these same people for not seeing things their way. It is commonplace here to attack and mod down people who present other or counter evidence, no matter how valid it may be. The media has successfully nullified the scientific process when it comes to global warming. The media and political interests are causing global warming to be such a polarizing issue that any one person, or entity looking to present evidence counter to the what the media/politicians feed us, is going to think twice. The implications of publishing an article/paper counter to what many believe to be true are far reaching and could end your career.
All I hope for is that the scientific process can be saved from the media in the future when issues like this come up. By that I mean issues that demand action based on conclusive scientific evidence of a problem. We could all certainly be wrong about global warming and if you do not at least concede that, then you too, are contributing to the fall of one of, if not the most important advancement of our modern society, the scientific process. (Sanitation puts up a good fight for #1:) )
I mail my external hard drives to different friends a few times a year. I have several, but one specifically for mailing to friends and co-workers. I thought this was somewhat of a common practice.. I have never had a fellow geek gawk at the idea, rather it seemed like the only logically way to get what we wanted to do done.
Google is doing something cool by getting and hopefully displaying the data, but the method is not really anything newsworthy is it? I mean, this is the same as using a flash drive to transfer files real quick, this is just on a much larger scale:)
Well then how do we gauge performance? Many districts do the standard sit-ins, interviews, results from class, and student reviews of their teachers. Now if we are going to base pay off reviews, this system really needs to be defined based on numbers right? Interviews and sit-ins serve as checkups more than anything, but should have a small influence on pay, sure. Now the other two are much mroe tricky, here is why:
Statistics on class progression throughout the year: The problem here is that every student and subject is different. In an English class, you have students that come in who are all over the board on there skill levels. How do you measure how that teacher did? It would have to be on a student by student basis in order to be fair, that is likely to cost more than it is worth. Every subject introduces different intricacies which would make it hard to have a concrete and accurate system for performance based pay.
Student Reviews: These are very common in college and high schools now. Problem is that a teacher knows that at the end of the year, their students will review them and their reviews are factors for their raise. That is when you have teachers who dumb down the class for better results and reviews. It is much easier to get good reviews on test scores and year-end reviews when you give the answers to all your tests to your students the day before the test and call it a "Study Guide".
I agree, in theory, but coming up with a fair way to review teachers is very complicated, but also very needed.
Creating something in an open source community/environment does not necessarily mean it will be released under the GNU/GPL license. It sounds like the OP seems to think that all open source projects either should be, or are made with release under the GPL being the end result of the program. That is not how it works. Open source projects can and often do yield a marketable product for sale in one for or another. Now other groups start out with the intent of designing a program and releasing it under a GPL - these groups then adopt the open source model in order to gain support, insight, and contributions from interested parties.
Open Source = Development Model, not a release model/plan
GPL(free) and open source can be mutually exclusive.
I led a very large and successful guild for a year or so too. We raided for progression nearly every day with extensive schedules and requirements. I was employed for about half of that time, though my hours were flexible. I was in my young 20's, was not financed by my parents, and I am very social. I, however; was not Asian:) - Exceptions exist, especially at the top of large guilds, since that is a leadership position which would not appeal to someone anti-social. Im looking at the rest of the group when I make my observations. The "average" hardcore player.
Internet addiction really boils down to needing to fill a need. People are often drawn to a certain area of the internet for whatever reason(most likely a personal interest in something), and then become connected to the community that they found there(anonymity makes it easy). If it were not for the social networks and communities online, what would people really have to do to consume that much time a day? Sure, exceptions are around where people do just that, but as for your everyday John Doe, he would not be able to fill that time without the online communities.
The social aspect found online is the root of most internet addiction. Once people are able to fill the need to social interaction online, they are much more prone to addiction. Think of all the WOW addicts out there - They are almost all addicted to the social community, not the game itself.
To curb this addiction, you need to present alternative to the addicted person which would fill the void being created by unplugging. These people will have to get that social interaction offline, but that is easier said than done for many. They may be shy, sheltered, socially inept, or any combinations of things which yield a socially awkward person. If an alternative cannot be presented to fulfill the need for social contact which is inviting and easily available, these people trying to cure an internet addiction are doomed to relapse over and over again.
It is not just the question of making profits though. They want and need to be able to _maximize profit_ for their company and shareholders. When they can say that DRM free media is the avenue which will yield the most profit, they will go that route. Again, it is not enough to just make money, they need to make the most they can with the product they sell. Right now, DRM'ed media appears to hold the promise of maximized profit.
EMI is trying to connect the dots between no DRM for online sales and profit, but it is hard to see for a large corporation. It is easier to visualize how everything could (but wont) come together with a DRM scheme than without one. While EMI says they are willing, they, along with everyone else, are unlikely to embrace DRM free media until the idea of DRM free and profit being mutually exclusive is out of there heads. Once the day comes when a company can connect the dots and forecast long term profit off a DRM free scheme, it will be so. Right now the market is changing quickly and companies are sticking to their guns right now. While we all know it is the right direction to head, it is hard to convince a large corporation with huge amounts of money and jobs at stake. Would you want your employer to venture down an uncharted route when your job is at stake if it fails? Probably not.
Technology is making great leaps in availability and penetration into our society. As a result, more and more people are knowledgeable and interested in the different fields that make up the industry. It takes time for these 14 year old MySpace kids to nurture those interests and attend college for a degree. Now that kids are much more involved with the internet beyond just IM and chat, the industry will gain a whole new group of people interested in technology in one area or another.
Once the penetration of the internet and broadband reach a certain threshold (I dont know it), a more predictable market should exist. At that point, the demand for skilled professionals will be met a couple years later when the MySpace kids who have been waiting to graduate college finally do.
There has been a "possible price war" for the better part of a year with these two companies. AMD has cut prices a couple times now and Intel has responded similar moves and with new chip technology that proved to be a large, significant advancement. I am not sure what we are looking for to confirm a price war, but as far as I can tell, these companies have been going at it for some time now. With the industry changing every year it seems, it might be difficult to classify this as a price war. Is this simply strong competition in a large market that effects both business and individual consumers?
For those looking for a "price war" you do not need a confirmation. It has been going on for over 7 years now. This article dated Feb 28, 2000 details price cuts by AMD in response to Intel cuts. Then, look who is still at it 6 years later - Price Wars Intensify as Intel Slashes Chip Prices. It is a seesaw game that, hopefully, will not end any time soon. The more they go at it, the more the consumer stands to gain.
Now a related question... Do you think consumer demand or competition with each other is causing the rapid advancement in chip design and architecture.
Sounds to me like Google just made their product/service better is all. Of course Google can control what goes to the top of the search engine - that is what they do. They are "doing no evil" by upgrading and refining their algorithms if anything.
Just because people cannot ghost and bomb their pages to get quick boosts in pagerank does not mean that Google is doing evil, it just means they were never good at their jobs to begin with.
It wasn't. It was not even the first game I played online with others (War2 on kali). StarCraft, for me, never caught hold till the expansion when the game was much more complete from an online/competitive point.
Slashdot Mirror
I am simply saying that pretexting is lying/fraud, but the word allows for further definition. For us, we can take it the simple terms in context and we are fine, but for non-techies, I imagine it does not hurt to attempt to be more clear. I just do not think it is a euphemism to the degree we are making it out to be.
Everything about putting together a new computer, or installing a new chip set is pretty straight-forward, except for the thermal paste. While nothing is to complicated, it is the only factor that is not clearly right or wrong depending on how you do it. Couple that with it being the hardest thing to reach in/on the computer, I am glad to see some changes are being made. It would be nice to simplify the process down to be just as easy as setting the fan on top of it.
Pretexting is the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses. Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law. Source.
Lying and Fraud are broad terms, pretexting adds clarity as to the specifics of the crime. It is the same as saying Wire Fraud or Check Fraud.
It does not need to be either or, it can be both. Your suggestion only adds a nonconstructive, ambiguous element that will only serve to confuse, not clarify.
First off, the iPhone does not even come close to being able to replace any non shuffle, mini, or nano iPod. Anyone with over 8gigs of music already on their devise is not going to be able to live under that ceiling easily. I have well over 40gigs of music on my iPod and I certainly do not see that number going down ever either.
Second, the iPhone cannot be what my iPod is. I use my iPod at the gym, when I jog, as my car stereo, and I am never without it. The same goes for my phone, it is, more or less, never to far away from me. Now it would be nice to have both together just for the fact of keeping track of one thing is easier than two, but the cons are just as bad.
My battery life is shot now. Using one device for two functions I use often would suck the battery life from the devise very quickly. If something breaks on either the phone or the music part, I lose the other function while it is fixed. If you dont have an Apple Store in your hood, you are screwed. If you rely on your smart phone to be productive, which you should if you are spending that much, then you are screwed if you need to fix something. Not enough room, not even close to being an acceptable alternative. Functionality - Can that iPhone do everything my current phone/iPod does? Nope.
Ok so he says Linux is legit if you are not a gamer. The same pretty much goes for OS X. My question is, is anyone going to be able to even challenge Windows as the computer gaming platform. Personally, I cannot see it happening within a few years. At that time, the next gen consoles will be coming out soon. The next gen consoles probably finally close the gap between console and computer. To me, that means Linux and/or OS X will not be developed for unless some uniformity can be presented in how games are designed for the platforms
While currently, I am a segmentor, I would rather be an integrator. If I could enjoy my job enough to include it as part of my "life" then I would be all about it. Till that time comes, I will continue to enjoy my clean break from work when I leave my office.
I see, that registers much better, thanks.
:)
Though that is asking to much from anyone who wants to make a game and has to go that route. As if making a game is not hard enough, you need to start and manage a business in order to do so? Ouch!
So, let me ask you, what would you advise a high school senior has a great game idea and wants to make it. Should they go to school for game design or for business in order to see that dream realized?
Each person in that class should have encouraged to start there own business.
They should be in business school if they want to do that now shouldn't they be?
Almost noone knows the 'ugly details' of any industry they want to go in when they enter college.
I never said ugly details, I said they dont have an understanding on what it takes to make a game. An ugly detail would be something like crunch time or something, not and understanding of the industry you want to work in.
The best way to get a job in the gaming industry is through social networking.
True
"You cannot do that unless you work for the company first and I guarantee they are not looking for a 22 year old kid to contribute to their game design outside of maybe beta feedback."
or Harvard business majors.
Want to make key decsions? be a business major.
However,, I like the start your own business approach myself. Just wish someone had taught me that 25 years ago. What the... they should be business majors then? TFA is about game design/related degrees. You are so scattered with your reply... Game design students should start their own business blah blah
You should start with a point and reinforce with details to get the point across. Ranting or whatever this was certainly did not cut it. I know it comes across negative, it probably is, but it is more of a tip for future discussions.
The problem is young kids who grow up gamers and decide they want to "make games" have no clue what it means to actually make a game.
I attended a private school with a game program and the kids enrolled were the most misguided group I have ever seen. Almost all wanted to "make games" as in, design a game based off their awesome idea. Well sorry to tell you, that is not going to happen outside of college for 99.9% of people. The other 0.01% end up adapting their idea to a mod, a flash game, or maybe even an indie project.
So basically, non of these kid enter college with a solid idea or plan on how to reach their end goal of designing games. Few understand basic business practices and development processes and it shows.
The fact is that nerds/geeks who played games before college make up a vast majority of the students who enter school with the intent of working in the game industry. These same nerds/geeks spent more time with their games then understanding how the real world works, so when they are introduced to it, well lets say it is Shock and Awe. Few realize that you need to specialize yourself in some way in order to get a job in the industry.
Bottom line is, in the gaming industry today, you need to put in your time and prove your worth with a company before you start making decisions about the next game said company puts out. You cannot do that unless you work for the company first and I guarantee they are not looking for a 22 year old kid to contribute to their game design outside of maybe beta feedback.
I am happy to see that they recognize WarCraft as the basis for which the success of StarCraft was built upon.
There are currently NINE articles on the front page of the DrudgeReport related to global warming. It has been an equally popular topic for several months now too. Any coverage to this extent is going to shape the opinions of the readers through what articles are presented. Now these readers are also editors of other news organizations or even CEOs at huge corporations. They read these articles day in and out and form an opinion based on what they read. They act on that information in some cases.
Really, to ask what effect the media has is ridiculous. If Drudge dropped global warming today and replaced with with equal coverage of the doomsday scenario of an Asteroid hitting Earth, I bet world would shift its collective focus to that almost overnight. Watch how fast Global warming is not an issue when/if we find something that will strike Earth in the next 50 years.
The media can easily and does decide what is important to and for the masses.
Almost all of the skeptics or deniers only deny or are skeptical about the _cause_ of global warming, not the fact that the planet is indeed warming.
/. likes to attack these same people for not seeing things their way. It is commonplace here to attack and mod down people who present other or counter evidence, no matter how valid it may be. The media has successfully nullified the scientific process when it comes to global warming. The media and political interests are causing global warming to be such a polarizing issue that any one person, or entity looking to present evidence counter to the what the media/politicians feed us, is going to think twice. The implications of publishing an article/paper counter to what many believe to be true are far reaching and could end your career.
:) )
Like many others areas of the world/media,
All I hope for is that the scientific process can be saved from the media in the future when issues like this come up. By that I mean issues that demand action based on conclusive scientific evidence of a problem. We could all certainly be wrong about global warming and if you do not at least concede that, then you too, are contributing to the fall of one of, if not the most important advancement of our modern society, the scientific process. (Sanitation puts up a good fight for #1
I mail my external hard drives to different friends a few times a year. I have several, but one specifically for mailing to friends and co-workers. I thought this was somewhat of a common practice.. I have never had a fellow geek gawk at the idea, rather it seemed like the only logically way to get what we wanted to do done.
:)
Google is doing something cool by getting and hopefully displaying the data, but the method is not really anything newsworthy is it? I mean, this is the same as using a flash drive to transfer files real quick, this is just on a much larger scale
Well then how do we gauge performance? Many districts do the standard sit-ins, interviews, results from class, and student reviews of their teachers. Now if we are going to base pay off reviews, this system really needs to be defined based on numbers right? Interviews and sit-ins serve as checkups more than anything, but should have a small influence on pay, sure. Now the other two are much mroe tricky, here is why:
Statistics on class progression throughout the year: The problem here is that every student and subject is different. In an English class, you have students that come in who are all over the board on there skill levels. How do you measure how that teacher did? It would have to be on a student by student basis in order to be fair, that is likely to cost more than it is worth. Every subject introduces different intricacies which would make it hard to have a concrete and accurate system for performance based pay.
Student Reviews: These are very common in college and high schools now. Problem is that a teacher knows that at the end of the year, their students will review them and their reviews are factors for their raise. That is when you have teachers who dumb down the class for better results and reviews. It is much easier to get good reviews on test scores and year-end reviews when you give the answers to all your tests to your students the day before the test and call it a "Study Guide".
I agree, in theory, but coming up with a fair way to review teachers is very complicated, but also very needed.
Creating something in an open source community/environment does not necessarily mean it will be released under the GNU/GPL license. It sounds like the OP seems to think that all open source projects either should be, or are made with release under the GPL being the end result of the program. That is not how it works. Open source projects can and often do yield a marketable product for sale in one for or another. Now other groups start out with the intent of designing a program and releasing it under a GPL - these groups then adopt the open source model in order to gain support, insight, and contributions from interested parties.
Open Source = Development Model, not a release model/plan
GPL(free) and open source can be mutually exclusive.
I led a very large and successful guild for a year or so too. We raided for progression nearly every day with extensive schedules and requirements. I was employed for about half of that time, though my hours were flexible. I was in my young 20's, was not financed by my parents, and I am very social. I, however; was not Asian :) - Exceptions exist, especially at the top of large guilds, since that is a leadership position which would not appeal to someone anti-social. Im looking at the rest of the group when I make my observations. The "average" hardcore player.
Internet addiction really boils down to needing to fill a need. People are often drawn to a certain area of the internet for whatever reason(most likely a personal interest in something), and then become connected to the community that they found there(anonymity makes it easy). If it were not for the social networks and communities online, what would people really have to do to consume that much time a day? Sure, exceptions are around where people do just that, but as for your everyday John Doe, he would not be able to fill that time without the online communities.
The social aspect found online is the root of most internet addiction. Once people are able to fill the need to social interaction online, they are much more prone to addiction. Think of all the WOW addicts out there - They are almost all addicted to the social community, not the game itself.
To curb this addiction, you need to present alternative to the addicted person which would fill the void being created by unplugging. These people will have to get that social interaction offline, but that is easier said than done for many. They may be shy, sheltered, socially inept, or any combinations of things which yield a socially awkward person. If an alternative cannot be presented to fulfill the need for social contact which is inviting and easily available, these people trying to cure an internet addiction are doomed to relapse over and over again.
It is not just the question of making profits though. They want and need to be able to _maximize profit_ for their company and shareholders. When they can say that DRM free media is the avenue which will yield the most profit, they will go that route. Again, it is not enough to just make money, they need to make the most they can with the product they sell. Right now, DRM'ed media appears to hold the promise of maximized profit.
EMI is trying to connect the dots between no DRM for online sales and profit, but it is hard to see for a large corporation. It is easier to visualize how everything could (but wont) come together with a DRM scheme than without one. While EMI says they are willing, they, along with everyone else, are unlikely to embrace DRM free media until the idea of DRM free and profit being mutually exclusive is out of there heads. Once the day comes when a company can connect the dots and forecast long term profit off a DRM free scheme, it will be so. Right now the market is changing quickly and companies are sticking to their guns right now. While we all know it is the right direction to head, it is hard to convince a large corporation with huge amounts of money and jobs at stake. Would you want your employer to venture down an uncharted route when your job is at stake if it fails? Probably not.
Technology is making great leaps in availability and penetration into our society. As a result, more and more people are knowledgeable and interested in the different fields that make up the industry. It takes time for these 14 year old MySpace kids to nurture those interests and attend college for a degree. Now that kids are much more involved with the internet beyond just IM and chat, the industry will gain a whole new group of people interested in technology in one area or another.
Once the penetration of the internet and broadband reach a certain threshold (I dont know it), a more predictable market should exist. At that point, the demand for skilled professionals will be met a couple years later when the MySpace kids who have been waiting to graduate college finally do.
There has been a "possible price war" for the better part of a year with these two companies. AMD has cut prices a couple times now and Intel has responded similar moves and with new chip technology that proved to be a large, significant advancement. I am not sure what we are looking for to confirm a price war, but as far as I can tell, these companies have been going at it for some time now. With the industry changing every year it seems, it might be difficult to classify this as a price war. Is this simply strong competition in a large market that effects both business and individual consumers?
For those looking for a "price war" you do not need a confirmation. It has been going on for over 7 years now. This article dated Feb 28, 2000 details price cuts by AMD in response to Intel cuts. Then, look who is still at it 6 years later - Price Wars Intensify as Intel Slashes Chip Prices. It is a seesaw game that, hopefully, will not end any time soon. The more they go at it, the more the consumer stands to gain.
Now a related question... Do you think consumer demand or competition with each other is causing the rapid advancement in chip design and architecture.
That would be the people who dont buy it through Steam then. Some people collect things while others prefer a physical copy.
Sounds to me like Google just made their product/service better is all. Of course Google can control what goes to the top of the search engine - that is what they do. They are "doing no evil" by upgrading and refining their algorithms if anything.
Just because people cannot ghost and bomb their pages to get quick boosts in pagerank does not mean that Google is doing evil, it just means they were never good at their jobs to begin with.
And let us not forget about that whole WarCraft 3 thing either...
It wasn't. It was not even the first game I played online with others (War2 on kali). StarCraft, for me, never caught hold till the expansion when the game was much more complete from an online/competitive point.