They won't get sued because they offer a braille version of the magazine. Didn't you watch "Sneakers"?
OK that was Playboy but I know for a fact they have or had braille versions of Penthouse (at least the Penthouse Letters one). I knew a young lady who really enjoyed them.
What I'd like to see is a tool that lets these guys see just how many of their ads are blocked via automatic tools and how many are closed mid-transmission. There has to be a way to do this; since the ad doesn't continue to be served once you've closed the window [though it may trigger a few dozen other ads even if you've ALT-F4'ed it].
Like many of you have said; don't alienate your potential customers but don't shove your ad down their left nostril either.
I imagine a surprising result (at least for advertisers who feel they do no wrong) from a study like this; proving that users refuse material like this and deliberately avoid it. And if they deliberately avoid it then you must be doing something wrong - not that advertisers will feel it is wrong but a different approach should at least then be in order.
Then again, those "different" approaches often then involve true thievery and scams such as long distance dialer theft and credit card fraud - which is real thievery and [I feel] should [still] be punished Old Testament style with missing fingers and hot irons and the like. {When did herding criminals like these ones together in pens and letting them feed off tax-provided welfare ever provide greater than 30% reform rates?}
A new space exploration game from Electronic Arts Inc. called Earth & Beyond, for example, specifies as its minimum processor a 500MHz Intel Pentium III or equivalent AMD processor. Even the cheapest computer available from discount computer maker eMachines offers more than three times that horsepower on its most basic configuration, which goes for $399. (Many games do require more powerful graphics cards, but they can be added to older systems much easier than processor upgrades.)
Gamers are going to consoles because they are tired of needing the newest $200 graphics card is one reason. Second, most parents are probably tired of updating their kids' computer for the most recent high-end game too. I know several people that get wowed at superb graphics and sound; then toss the game when it crashes their GeForce 2 (?) a dozen times or they have to constantly update their game software or hardware drivers to keep up at the next LANparty/geekfest. Businesses are getting the same way about their workstations -- unless it wears out or breaks it should not be replaced every three years.
And further, there are many, many of us out here who chose between the electronic gadget or the computer and choose gadget; or cannot afford either thanks to current economic trends [to borrow a cliche and NOT to say this is just a tech sector thing. My first wife's boyfriend was recently laid off and he does nothing IT. It's hurting us all].
Also; I live where a lot of these places get built without the locals being involved - there are FWS, OPM, ATF, IRS, Coast Guard and other facilities around here and several more I will never know about because they keep hush hush and I'm the first to not approve - partly because they never bring in anyone locally they bring people from the DC metro area in to widen the economic gap between the average worker here and the Lexus (c'mon... Lexus!?!?) SUV driving types - and these aren't all IT people you have to realize. I am no fan of Big Brother-style behavior; but I also contradict myself because I do believe in our government and military -- if they do what we want them to do and that is serve and protect.
I apologize too. It was late; and I was in the mood for a scrap [which is why I *did* go and play a MMORPG game until my wife and boxer dog came to get me a little after midnight]. You are probably a bit older than me and I made a wrong assumption too (not that I'm 20, mind you; and I don't hold anything negative for being older). I shouldn't have spouted off either. I do get peeved when people think it is ego, not satisfaction at a job well done.
*Some* of us younger generation do have concerns for those less fortunate than us; and have a lot of respect and admiration for those that have come before us. Not that everyone believes me all the time because I try and spoil my [second, even] wife and kids.
And I said information security, not collection, dimwit. You have no clue what conditions I work and live under and any silver I may be handing over to my wife was harder earned than any gold you may have hanging from your ear.
And one more thing you fanatic freak... if you don't like your government DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Don't just sit their and whine about your 'privacy' or your 'freedoms' if you won't affect POSITIVE CHANGE in your community and your state first; then vote for your Federal officials or take their damn office from them by running yourself. I don't like privacy violations any more than you may -- or are you just upset that *whiny voice* big brother */whiny voice* is stepping on your toesie-woesies some more? Put that PlayStation controller down, brush the cheese doodles off your haX0r t-shirt and participate in society instead of trying to come at right angles to it.
You can blame that barrage on Dr. Laura; but if you want to be a biznatch I'll bring the bitch slap.
Actually you sir, don't know what the hell you are talking about. It's the Veteran's Administration and like Abrix, and Kaiser-Permanente, and other medical recordkeeping organizations, they have a moral and now legal obligation to keep their patients' information private and protected but still allow access to the patients themselves. There was one group allowing web access to records so that people could work from home; and you know what platform it was being run on so it was full of gaping holes until they moved it to a proprietary [electronic] document repository.
You, sir, need to read more carefully before spouting off like an ignorant fuck. I was just trying to maintain some meager semblance of anonymity. No wonder people complain about the blatant negative attitudes prevalent in society as of late.
Abolute, superclapping kudos to the guys that had a backup and were able to restore operations so quickly.
Can you imagine how devastating it must have been when the ENTIRE NOC WAS WIPED OUT? Can you imagine how many unemployed people there would be right now if this ever happened to a company and there was no such plan? I hope none of you ever find out, for all your jokes and goofiness.
My personal agenda is ocean and space exploration [not exploitation] but I don't want to start a thread about feasibility; what we should spend it on something like this, and so forth. Please do not reply to this post about research for space funding.
I have noticed an increase in spending for infrastructure and information security; not just airport and other physical security. Note a recent 109 million dollar contract awarded for a security team by the agency with the "second largest" computer network in the government.
Employed or unemployed, many of you IT folks that would like to get in on the ground floor of an info security project may want to look around at this. I know I may have just shot myself out of a job opportunity very close to home [and if you read my journal you'll see I'm working very FAR from home right now but still count myself lucky to have a job - at least until January]. If you pay attention to where government money is going (listen to NPR, watch some national news and read! read! read!) and don't mind working for them as a contractor, there's some opportunities out there.
At least I tried to answer your question instead of insulting you. I asked an EE guy I know and he said that generally OEMs flash the chips in a factory on mass-burn equipment, test a sample of them and then pass them on to the next stage in the motherboard manufacturing process. He thinks. Testing is done at each phase but the real testing is done before and after the computer is assembled altogether; but only baseline stuff - when you make thousands a day that's what they have warranties for.
So there, maybe that will be more helpful and hopefully I got a right answer from him.
and are not uberadmins or crack coders like the rest of you. So though the question is a little confusing; it is still valid.
My suggestion would be to locate the specific chip vendors and ask yourself; or go the the sites for Phoenix BIOS and the like. If you need to roll out hardware-specific settings for your ports and so forth; like some folks who attach radiation monitors and other devices to dedicated portables may do; and you don't have the necessary experience or can't just flash the BIOS with a specific settings disk or image you've created or had passed to you; the people that provide the original stuff should be able to help you out. I haven't done any BIOS/CMOS configuration or troubleshooting [and yes, sometimes you have to and sometimes you have specified CMOS stuff for dedicated devices like those radiation or radon gas monitors] for a few years so your best bet will be to look for a contact address for your particular vendor. They may just be burning them on some kind of multi-chip rack and plugging them onto the boards; I'm sure it is a manufacturing process for mass configuration rather than some kind of tool but then again I have never been in that industry so I could be talking out of my left nostril right now.
I'd agree with you; but these are Star Wars fans we are talking about; and very likely hardcore SW and MMORPG players. They are cashing their unemployment check first thing in the morning, buying what amounts to groceries, and playing the heck out of this beta. If there are 80-120 hours per player per week instead of 20-40 hours per player per week, then they are getting a lot more data. The dev team and pre-release folks, etc. etc. are probably working double-overtime, maybe even on a pro bono until the release basis, in order to get this out in time so that it will be bought up by the masses for Christmas.
Once the pre-orders start; what do you bet the lines at stores that take pre-orders for it will be out the door and around the corner of the next major corridor of the mall?
Except for a couple of people that I know are really hooked on E&B, several folks are planning on shutting down all their other MM games and going to SW: Galaxies. Lots of folks I know quit EQ for Dark Age then went back; but are planning on retiring when this game arrives. Of course, I think EQ is also provided by Sony so the revenue stream so they'll just be retaining customers; but I'm even guessing that there will be a special rate to subscribe to both games if this is the case - 18.95 instead of 12/14 whatever it is.
I quit bothering since there was little chance I'd get in on the beta and I decided there were other games I'd rather play like Earth and Beyond especially since it is a refreshing if not entirely original concept (and non-game things I'd rather be doing like playing with my toddler, hanging out with my wife and working on a Cisco certification).
However, the last time I read the website there were building a module or separte boxed game at the same time as the main MMORPG that would facilitate more detailed space combat and transport - apparently in the main game at early levels you can't have your own ship because of cost and skill anyway; so you take space buses and the like; but at higher points you have to purchase and maintain your ship and this is where the experience in space will be. I foresee some people taking to staying in space a lot; and others staying on their planet or on a series of planets in a given area.
I don't count it out yet because it looks like the environments are going to be gorgeous; but I also feel like I have a lot of other things to do right now. That's just my opinion(!) and yes I am basing some of my opinion on not seeing the beta.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for that post. I so remember 'Discs of Tron' and the other console that let you pick from the various games - they were in my local 7-11 in Texas at one point. I would buy those if I had a basement (and were making another 10-15K a year).
**Were** intimidating?
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Electronic Life
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I know several 'non-technical' people, and dozens more technical and not with computers on their desks and they are still intimidated by them. That is one of the prime reasons [desktop] tech support people have some job security; and why most of the industry rag's "job market predictions" claim that tech support is the way to go if you want to keep feeding your kids with an IT-related salary.
On the other hand, this book reminded me of the video game display I saw in the Baltimore Science Center (Museum?) at the Inner Harbor [my wife and I used to frequently trek there for weekend mini-vacations if we didn't have time for AC with her parents]. They had all sorts of old cabinets beginning with a copy of the original Pong; and of course history and some video on how a lot of these were developed, and a few transparent ones so that you could see the boards and ROM and so forth. I wish I remembered the name or they had a book to go with that.
You can't tell me than any reasonably experienced IT professional will pitch solutions to clients; unless he is a "pre-sales engineer" or similar position whose job consists 30% installation, 20% short-term (make sure things were implemented correctly) support, and 50% marketing/sales. Most of that sort has a small staff of support techies at the home office that they can call when they can't figure out the diagram for the cabinet they're plugging in to their client's existing network.
Ninety out of 100 techs I know do not want to talk to the customer; and are glad for someone else to do the introductions and teach the software. Except in a few cases, how many instructors do you know also code or work in network operations at the same time? It's my opinion...!!! I know a lot of folks that work all day and teach a college or certification class at night.
This is one my marketing assistant buddy - not sales he will adamantly tell you, marketing. Our semi-weekly chat will have to go over this one.
Does anyone care to pipe in about the distrust bit starting with Watergate? I think it happened right around that time; but I think the government's bullet to the foot that was trust started a little before that - maybe a little post-WWII, maybe a little right before Watergate - but I don't have my whole US history timeline right in my head. Wasn't Vietnam right in that set of years? I think a lot of mistrust in our government has simmered since the Civil War; pointing to some of the reasons we had one in the first place.
I know someone out there has done some comparisons with ads from the 50s and 60s up to ads from today, and I think like you that the question of "is it because their jingle is cooler?" often enters into the equation.
BUT - I think it enters into the equation for the masses; those of us that run from cost-consicious to feature/price/durability conscious, etc. may not get deterred by said marketing assault and obviously many are turned off by it. Look at those who go out of their way to avoid buying anything they see advertised. However; this doesn't factor in that you shop for a new car differently than you shop for trash bags - unless you have some kind of thing about the way you close them or have trouble with breakage, etc. but I'm off on a tangent now.
OK capitalism should not be equated with advertising bombardments, rampant commercialization of every aspect of life; etc. Maybe anti-capitalism was the wrong word but I am often concerned that there is a deep-seated hatred in or near my generation for anything considered "Corporate" or "government". By all means; emphasize the individual but stop hammering down on everyone for trying to make money. [I didn't say steal I said earn].
Since its double coupon day, I'd say that this is my $0.04.
It is always double coupon day at my local Martin's.
Seriously, I suspect - and I'm making a HUGE generalization here about/.ers - that we embrace the tech itself - wi-fi/802.11b tablets connected to shopping carts are a cool idea. In fact; haven't there been tiny video screens or something like those "shifting picture" ads been attached to carts before?
I believe the negative reaction is the commericialism - the feeding of ads to you - and the data collection this sort of device may provide to 'corporate overlords'. There is a strong anti-capitalism trend (did I say that?) - and that is ONLY my opinion - and it manifests itself against anything that could remotely be seen as government or corporate meddling in privacy or personal data.
I can't fault anyone for that at all.
BUT -- I want coupons for my favorite foods and I elect to have these things provided to me - just like I tell the clerk in the electronics section that I'll come get them when I'm ready to ask questions; pester me before then and I'll leave. If I don't want to be bothered; I don't use the card or I don't click to get the free sample. If you can elect to use the device or not; then I see no problem with it - if you must use it to shop then I see the store adopting them closing down very quickly because even people that want such 'amenties' don't often want them shoved down their throats.
I hope I got all that right and no one sanctimoniously corrects me this time.
The software is *like* this... but maybe not. The software is to let you make your shopping list but the grocer can take your shopping list and put it on his device and help you or ring up just what you have on the list, etc. At least that is what I last read. It is PalmBasket http://www.palmbasket.com IIRC.
Anyhow the point of this exercise is that even that hasn't taken off yet if I recall. There are too many people out there with little yellow notepads and Ziplocs or accordion coupon holders yet; and they won't "migrate" any easier than your users do when you give them automation.
and I haven't heard it take off yet except from people that buy the regular software to make their grocery lists. *However* - if I could take my list on disk to the grocery store; or do the same with my coupons; maybe even scan everything myself as I put it into my cart; I think I'd like something like this.
If the whole thing were non-intrusive; regardless of the gimmicks - by this I mean ads didn't ring you or start flashing [and making your eyes and stomach hurt] then this might be a good thing. The trick to the cards is that even though they track your purchases and offer you a string of coupons based on competing products or your buy 3 get 1 free of the one you regularly buy; they are a one swipe thing. My wife already does a lot of the non basic foodstuff shopping - that is, for meal kits and such not produce/sugar/bread - entirely based on her coupons/SmartSource/ StartSampling.com, etc.; why not make it a little easier for her?
Perhaps you should print or otherwise capture the postings - even the entire thread - so that you have some kind of evidence should you need or want to present it in the future. I am not sure you are likely to get any 'source addresses', etc. from the provider of the forums. The next thing you do is work hard to counteract said negative image; hopefully without starting a flame war that makes you come across as even more negative.
Seriously, guys and girls, the sheer cynicism and negative reaction in all these posts appall me. I can't believe how harsh you can be to one of your own. I've never seen someone who is the victim of flaming get bashed so horribly.
Earth has made it this long w/out our intervention
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Stopping Killer Asteroids
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I wonder if this is something we should really be focusing time and energy on. You know, there are, at a minimum, eight other planets in this solar system that we should investigate - maybe not colonize, maybe not exploit for mineral or chemical (gas or liquid) resources; but we should look at with humans - not robots. I think we'd gain considerable real insight if we looked beyond our terrestrial sphere.
But then again; don't we have a few major telescopes in orbit; and thousands more both professional and personal (like mine) on the surface? Shouldn't we be able to note anything on an obvious trajectory here and consider our options at that point? Maybe not; I have no experience in that sort of 'ballistics' thinking and perhaps there are far too many objects in our sky to track any that might cause us serious damage.
Slashdot Mirror
They won't get sued because they offer a braille version of the magazine. Didn't you watch "Sneakers"?
OK that was Playboy but I know for a fact they have or had braille versions of Penthouse (at least the Penthouse Letters one). I knew a young lady who really enjoyed them.
What I'd like to see is a tool that lets these guys see just how many of their ads are blocked via automatic tools and how many are closed mid-transmission. There has to be a way to do this; since the ad doesn't continue to be served once you've closed the window [though it may trigger a few dozen other ads even if you've ALT-F4'ed it].
Like many of you have said; don't alienate your potential customers but don't shove your ad down their left nostril either.
I imagine a surprising result (at least for advertisers who feel they do no wrong) from a study like this; proving that users refuse material like this and deliberately avoid it. And if they deliberately avoid it then you must be doing something wrong - not that advertisers will feel it is wrong but a different approach should at least then be in order.
Then again, those "different" approaches often then involve true thievery and scams such as long distance dialer theft and credit card fraud - which is real thievery and [I feel] should [still] be punished Old Testament style with missing fingers and hot irons and the like. {When did herding criminals like these ones together in pens and letting them feed off tax-provided welfare ever provide greater than 30% reform rates?}
A new space exploration game from Electronic Arts Inc. called Earth & Beyond, for example, specifies as its minimum processor a 500MHz Intel Pentium III or equivalent AMD processor. Even the cheapest computer available from discount computer maker eMachines offers more than three times that horsepower on its most basic configuration, which goes for $399. (Many games do require more powerful graphics cards, but they can be added to older systems much easier than processor upgrades.)
Gamers are going to consoles because they are tired of needing the newest $200 graphics card is one reason. Second, most parents are probably tired of updating their kids' computer for the most recent high-end game too. I know several people that get wowed at superb graphics and sound; then toss the game when it crashes their GeForce 2 (?) a dozen times or they have to constantly update their game software or hardware drivers to keep up at the next LANparty/geekfest. Businesses are getting the same way about their workstations -- unless it wears out or breaks it should not be replaced every three years.
And further, there are many, many of us out here who chose between the electronic gadget or the computer and choose gadget; or cannot afford either thanks to current economic trends [to borrow a cliche and NOT to say this is just a tech sector thing. My first wife's boyfriend was recently laid off and he does nothing IT. It's hurting us all].
Also; I live where a lot of these places get built without the locals being involved - there are FWS, OPM, ATF, IRS, Coast Guard and other facilities around here and several more I will never know about because they keep hush hush and I'm the first to not approve - partly because they never bring in anyone locally they bring people from the DC metro area in to widen the economic gap between the average worker here and the Lexus (c'mon... Lexus!?!?) SUV driving types - and these aren't all IT people you have to realize. I am no fan of Big Brother-style behavior; but I also contradict myself because I do believe in our government and military -- if they do what we want them to do and that is serve and protect.
I apologize too. It was late; and I was in the mood for a scrap [which is why I *did* go and play a MMORPG game until my wife and boxer dog came to get me a little after midnight]. You are probably a bit older than me and I made a wrong assumption too (not that I'm 20, mind you; and I don't hold anything negative for being older). I shouldn't have spouted off either. I do get peeved when people think it is ego, not satisfaction at a job well done.
*Some* of us younger generation do have concerns for those less fortunate than us; and have a lot of respect and admiration for those that have come before us. Not that everyone believes me all the time because I try and spoil my [second, even] wife and kids.
And I said information security, not collection, dimwit. You have no clue what conditions I work and live under and any silver I may be handing over to my wife was harder earned than any gold you may have hanging from your ear.
And one more thing you fanatic freak... if you don't like your government DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Don't just sit their and whine about your 'privacy' or your 'freedoms' if you won't affect POSITIVE CHANGE in your community and your state first; then vote for your Federal officials or take their damn office from them by running yourself. I don't like privacy violations any more than you may -- or are you just upset that *whiny voice* big brother */whiny voice* is stepping on your toesie-woesies some more? Put that PlayStation controller down, brush the cheese doodles off your haX0r t-shirt and participate in society instead of trying to come at right angles to it.
You can blame that barrage on Dr. Laura; but if you want to be a biznatch I'll bring the bitch slap.
Actually you sir, don't know what the hell you are talking about. It's the Veteran's Administration and like Abrix, and Kaiser-Permanente, and other medical recordkeeping organizations, they have a moral and now legal obligation to keep their patients' information private and protected but still allow access to the patients themselves. There was one group allowing web access to records so that people could work from home; and you know what platform it was being run on so it was full of gaping holes until they moved it to a proprietary [electronic] document repository.
You, sir, need to read more carefully before spouting off like an ignorant fuck. I was just trying to maintain some meager semblance of anonymity. No wonder people complain about the blatant negative attitudes prevalent in society as of late.
Abolute, superclapping kudos to the guys that had a backup and were able to restore operations so quickly.
Can you imagine how devastating it must have been when the ENTIRE NOC WAS WIPED OUT? Can you imagine how many unemployed people there would be right now if this ever happened to a company and there was no such plan? I hope none of you ever find out, for all your jokes and goofiness.
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL DISASTER RECOVERY.
My personal agenda is ocean and space exploration [not exploitation] but I don't want to start a thread about feasibility; what we should spend it on something like this, and so forth. Please do not reply to this post about research for space funding.
I have noticed an increase in spending for infrastructure and information security; not just airport and other physical security. Note a recent 109 million dollar contract awarded for a security team by the agency with the "second largest" computer network in the government.
Employed or unemployed, many of you IT folks that would like to get in on the ground floor of an info security project may want to look around at this. I know I may have just shot myself out of a job opportunity very close to home [and if you read my journal you'll see I'm working very FAR from home right now but still count myself lucky to have a job - at least until January]. If you pay attention to where government money is going (listen to NPR, watch some national news and read! read! read!) and don't mind working for them as a contractor, there's some opportunities out there.
At least I tried to answer your question instead of insulting you. I asked an EE guy I know and he said that generally OEMs flash the chips in a factory on mass-burn equipment, test a sample of them and then pass them on to the next stage in the motherboard manufacturing process. He thinks. Testing is done at each phase but the real testing is done before and after the computer is assembled altogether; but only baseline stuff - when you make thousands a day that's what they have warranties for. So there, maybe that will be more helpful and hopefully I got a right answer from him.
and are not uberadmins or crack coders like the rest of you. So though the question is a little confusing; it is still valid.
My suggestion would be to locate the specific chip vendors and ask yourself; or go the the sites for Phoenix BIOS and the like. If you need to roll out hardware-specific settings for your ports and so forth; like some folks who attach radiation monitors and other devices to dedicated portables may do; and you don't have the necessary experience or can't just flash the BIOS with a specific settings disk or image you've created or had passed to you; the people that provide the original stuff should be able to help you out. I haven't done any BIOS/CMOS configuration or troubleshooting [and yes, sometimes you have to and sometimes you have specified CMOS stuff for dedicated devices like those radiation or radon gas monitors] for a few years so your best bet will be to look for a contact address for your particular vendor. They may just be burning them on some kind of multi-chip rack and plugging them onto the boards; I'm sure it is a manufacturing process for mass configuration rather than some kind of tool but then again I have never been in that industry so I could be talking out of my left nostril right now.
I'd agree with you; but these are Star Wars fans we are talking about; and very likely hardcore SW and MMORPG players. They are cashing their unemployment check first thing in the morning, buying what amounts to groceries, and playing the heck out of this beta. If there are 80-120 hours per player per week instead of 20-40 hours per player per week, then they are getting a lot more data. The dev team and pre-release folks, etc. etc. are probably working double-overtime, maybe even on a pro bono until the release basis, in order to get this out in time so that it will be bought up by the masses for Christmas.
Once the pre-orders start; what do you bet the lines at stores that take pre-orders for it will be out the door and around the corner of the next major corridor of the mall?
Except for a couple of people that I know are really hooked on E&B, several folks are planning on shutting down all their other MM games and going to SW: Galaxies. Lots of folks I know quit EQ for Dark Age then went back; but are planning on retiring when this game arrives. Of course, I think EQ is also provided by Sony so the revenue stream so they'll just be retaining customers; but I'm even guessing that there will be a special rate to subscribe to both games if this is the case - 18.95 instead of 12/14 whatever it is.
I quit bothering since there was little chance I'd get in on the beta and I decided there were other games I'd rather play like Earth and Beyond especially since it is a refreshing if not entirely original concept (and non-game things I'd rather be doing like playing with my toddler, hanging out with my wife and working on a Cisco certification).
However, the last time I read the website there were building a module or separte boxed game at the same time as the main MMORPG that would facilitate more detailed space combat and transport - apparently in the main game at early levels you can't have your own ship because of cost and skill anyway; so you take space buses and the like; but at higher points you have to purchase and maintain your ship and this is where the experience in space will be. I foresee some people taking to staying in space a lot; and others staying on their planet or on a series of planets in a given area.
I don't count it out yet because it looks like the environments are going to be gorgeous; but I also feel like I have a lot of other things to do right now. That's just my opinion(!) and yes I am basing some of my opinion on not seeing the beta.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for that post. I so remember 'Discs of Tron' and the other console that let you pick from the various games - they were in my local 7-11 in Texas at one point. I would buy those if I had a basement (and were making another 10-15K a year).
I know several 'non-technical' people, and dozens more technical and not with computers on their desks and they are still intimidated by them. That is one of the prime reasons [desktop] tech support people have some job security; and why most of the industry rag's "job market predictions" claim that tech support is the way to go if you want to keep feeding your kids with an IT-related salary. On the other hand, this book reminded me of the video game display I saw in the Baltimore Science Center (Museum?) at the Inner Harbor [my wife and I used to frequently trek there for weekend mini-vacations if we didn't have time for AC with her parents]. They had all sorts of old cabinets beginning with a copy of the original Pong; and of course history and some video on how a lot of these were developed, and a few transparent ones so that you could see the boards and ROM and so forth. I wish I remembered the name or they had a book to go with that.
You can't tell me than any reasonably experienced IT professional will pitch solutions to clients; unless he is a "pre-sales engineer" or similar position whose job consists 30% installation, 20% short-term (make sure things were implemented correctly) support, and 50% marketing/sales. Most of that sort has a small staff of support techies at the home office that they can call when they can't figure out the diagram for the cabinet they're plugging in to their client's existing network.
Ninety out of 100 techs I know do not want to talk to the customer; and are glad for someone else to do the introductions and teach the software. Except in a few cases, how many instructors do you know also code or work in network operations at the same time? It's my opinion...!!! I know a lot of folks that work all day and teach a college or certification class at night.
This is one my marketing assistant buddy - not sales he will adamantly tell you, marketing. Our semi-weekly chat will have to go over this one.
Does anyone care to pipe in about the distrust bit starting with Watergate? I think it happened right around that time; but I think the government's bullet to the foot that was trust started a little before that - maybe a little post-WWII, maybe a little right before Watergate - but I don't have my whole US history timeline right in my head. Wasn't Vietnam right in that set of years? I think a lot of mistrust in our government has simmered since the Civil War; pointing to some of the reasons we had one in the first place.
I know someone out there has done some comparisons with ads from the 50s and 60s up to ads from today, and I think like you that the question of "is it because their jingle is cooler?" often enters into the equation.
BUT - I think it enters into the equation for the masses; those of us that run from cost-consicious to feature/price/durability conscious, etc. may not get deterred by said marketing assault and obviously many are turned off by it. Look at those who go out of their way to avoid buying anything they see advertised. However; this doesn't factor in that you shop for a new car differently than you shop for trash bags - unless you have some kind of thing about the way you close them or have trouble with breakage, etc. but I'm off on a tangent now.
OK capitalism should not be equated with advertising bombardments, rampant commercialization of every aspect of life; etc. Maybe anti-capitalism was the wrong word but I am often concerned that there is a deep-seated hatred in or near my generation for anything considered "Corporate" or "government". By all means; emphasize the individual but stop hammering down on everyone for trying to make money. [I didn't say steal I said earn].
Since its double coupon day, I'd say that this is my $0.04.
/.ers - that we embrace the tech itself - wi-fi/802.11b tablets connected to shopping carts are a cool idea. In fact; haven't there been tiny video screens or something like those "shifting picture" ads been attached to carts before?
It is always double coupon day at my local Martin's.
Seriously, I suspect - and I'm making a HUGE generalization here about
I believe the negative reaction is the commericialism - the feeding of ads to you - and the data collection this sort of device may provide to 'corporate overlords'. There is a strong anti-capitalism trend (did I say that?) - and that is ONLY my opinion - and it manifests itself against anything that could remotely be seen as government or corporate meddling in privacy or personal data.
I can't fault anyone for that at all.
BUT -- I want coupons for my favorite foods and I elect to have these things provided to me - just like I tell the clerk in the electronics section that I'll come get them when I'm ready to ask questions; pester me before then and I'll leave. If I don't want to be bothered; I don't use the card or I don't click to get the free sample. If you can elect to use the device or not; then I see no problem with it - if you must use it to shop then I see the store adopting them closing down very quickly because even people that want such 'amenties' don't often want them shoved down their throats.
I hope I got all that right and no one sanctimoniously corrects me this time.
The software is *like* this... but maybe not. The software is to let you make your shopping list but the grocer can take your shopping list and put it on his device and help you or ring up just what you have on the list, etc. At least that is what I last read. It is PalmBasket http://www.palmbasket.com IIRC.
Anyhow the point of this exercise is that even that hasn't taken off yet if I recall. There are too many people out there with little yellow notepads and Ziplocs or accordion coupon holders yet; and they won't "migrate" any easier than your users do when you give them automation.
and I haven't heard it take off yet except from people that buy the regular software to make their grocery lists. *However* - if I could take my list on disk to the grocery store; or do the same with my coupons; maybe even scan everything myself as I put it into my cart; I think I'd like something like this.
If the whole thing were non-intrusive; regardless of the gimmicks - by this I mean ads didn't ring you or start flashing [and making your eyes and stomach hurt] then this might be a good thing. The trick to the cards is that even though they track your purchases and offer you a string of coupons based on competing products or your buy 3 get 1 free of the one you regularly buy; they are a one swipe thing. My wife already does a lot of the non basic foodstuff shopping - that is, for meal kits and such not produce/sugar/bread - entirely based on her coupons/SmartSource/ StartSampling.com, etc.; why not make it a little easier for her?
After all, who better to determine the fate of the great promise that is Linux more than a forum of its most stalwart defenders and evangelists?
Perhaps you should print or otherwise capture the postings - even the entire thread - so that you have some kind of evidence should you need or want to present it in the future. I am not sure you are likely to get any 'source addresses', etc. from the provider of the forums. The next thing you do is work hard to counteract said negative image; hopefully without starting a flame war that makes you come across as even more negative.
Seriously, guys and girls, the sheer cynicism and negative reaction in all these posts appall me. I can't believe how harsh you can be to one of your own. I've never seen someone who is the victim of flaming get bashed so horribly.
I wonder if this is something we should really be focusing time and energy on. You know, there are, at a minimum, eight other planets in this solar system that we should investigate - maybe not colonize, maybe not exploit for mineral or chemical (gas or liquid) resources; but we should look at with humans - not robots. I think we'd gain considerable real insight if we looked beyond our terrestrial sphere.
But then again; don't we have a few major telescopes in orbit; and thousands more both professional and personal (like mine) on the surface? Shouldn't we be able to note anything on an obvious trajectory here and consider our options at that point? Maybe not; I have no experience in that sort of 'ballistics' thinking and perhaps there are far too many objects in our sky to track any that might cause us serious damage.