Another reason for fewer vertically integrated companies is the economic principle of specialization--a company that focuses on a single component can often be more productive than its competitors; a company that diversifies attracts competition in niche markets.
Another reason for specialization is to make capital more available--industries carry different capital structures and risk tolerances. A vertical company is more likely to be too risky for investors in one of their markets, or have a smaller return than investors in another market prefer. (e.g. Pepsi spinning off its restaurant businesses.)
The problem with that particular question (although your intent is good), is that it relies on shared cultural experience that may not be present.
Students without the same cultural experience (immigrants, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, or guys with girlfriends) wouldn't be able to answer even if they understand the difference between lossy/lossless.
Writing good questions is harder than you might think.
However, ever notice when sites like GameSpot or IGN go soft on a review for a crappy game when that same company has front page splash rights (they cover the page in their company or game logo)? Now you know.
It's not entirely about such political games. Companies know a top-notch game/movie/whatever will reap its own rewards through word of mouth and a "long tail."
I used to work in the media sales dept (movies/books/etc.) of a fairly large company (several hundred million in annual revenue). Our general rule of thumb was the worse a movie was, the more screeners we got for it. We'd rarely get a promotional copy of the A-list movies. We didn't sell nearly as much ad space for them either (although the links were prominent to capture already interested customers).
So,... I rather suspect the "front page splash rights" is partly due to the company's unspoken admission that their product could stand some improvement.
There have been several notable incidents recently of "cyber-bullying"--essentially libelous statements posted by anonymous students to MySpace et al, pretending to be classmates or school administrators. As this decision shows, posting incorrect/inflammatory profiles may have significant long-term effects.
Yes, the offended students can (and do) sue for libel, but they're suing minors. It makes it difficult to repair a reputation tarnished in this manner.
You suggest an interesting baseline (2001), considering most large-size hybrids same to market in 2005. Without spending too much time on Google, it seems large hybrids account for 10-25% of the hybrid market, so you are correct, small cars do dominate the hybrid market.
I wasn't looking for an argument. I'm simply suggesting that hybrids should be argued for on their general merits (green sensibilities, fuel economy), not on correlations (small cars have a small turning radius and greater maneuverability in traffic).
How do you avoid duplicating the navigational links on every page? For example, I often use a page layout that creates menus and popout menus from nested ul's. All of that is duplicated at the top of every single page.
I believe the GP is referring to nearly identical pages.
However, I've heard from several sources that moving the repetitive HTML from the top of your source to the bottom--and thus moving the page-specific content closer to the top of the page--will provide a slight boost in ranking. You can keep it in the same visual space with CSS.
I'm not disagreeing with you--but the type of staffer I'm referring to are much more senior than aides, and are not directly under the control of the elected official _as an individual_. Many positions fall into this category: fiscal analysts, legal council, statisticians, policy implementors, etc.
Consider a part-time governing board (which is most, in my state). The board as a whole may have direct ability to hire/fire the department head, but not the staffers below the head. Monthly agendas, staff opinions, the quality of research, legal opinions, etc. are all influenced significantly by multiple people the elected official--as an individual--has no direct control over.
Yes, the elected official could do much of the work himself, but may lack expertise (e.g. a law degree), time (elected to a part-time position, holds a full-time job), and who knows what else.
If you've ever been elected to public office, you quickly find that the power is often weilded quite strongly behind the scenes by staff members, not elected officials. I've experienced this personally in state government.
The strongest argument I've heard against term limits is quite simple: staff members don't have term limits, and are willing to stonewall. A near-permanent staff member wins over an elected official with term limits.... and before you suggest the staffer be replaced, remember two things: a) the elected official is often not the staffer's employer, and b) it is *incredibly* difficult to get someone fired in government.
I have a roomba. I've seen it do something like this. Turns out some of the dirt sensors were gummed up. After cleaning 'em off, the roomba behaved properly.
I was a bit taken back when Scoble pointed the finger at Slashdot as one of the places that tolerates misogyny. Every time a story of a female scientist or technologist gets a mention here, inappropriate comments get posted, and modded up.
Let's take a stand as a community, here on this site. Let's not up-mod such things in the future.
And, I'm sorry to others I've sat silently by as I've seen them attacked using sexual taunts.
You've touched on the problem that I think is most pressing, and will trouble any organization of size: people.
It's been my experience that those with a significant history of minor edits assume and exert editorial control in spite of conflicting opinions. A sufficient density of such "authorities" (read: egos) on a given topic renders the equally valid opinions of other "lesser" contributors moot. I found it incredibly frustrating. It's not a culture I want to be a part of.
Other posters are also correct: niche articles are missing or so brief as to be little more than a stub. Try finding reams of information on accrediting agencies for secondary schools in the Northwestern U.S. (There are some pages, but little good information.) How 'bout the effect of state constitutions on the authority of state boards of education as contrasted with legislative power? You'll find more information on stances in lightsaber combat. Paradoxically, Wikipedia needs to attract those who still don't know the difference between tubes, a truck, and the internet, because those are the people who have devoted their life to a non-techincal profession, and have useful knowledge to share.
The extension is designed to catch one very specific type of leak (chrome/extension leaks). There are many ways to leak memory, and this extension won't catch most of 'em.
You're suggesting the Irish, Portuguese, and Italians (to name only a few) all had similar cultures? That's a rather daft summary American immigration.
Even in the years before the U.S.A., the religious difference among the otherwise similar people from the British Isles were significant.
Put aside your hatred for a moment and realize culture != race.
Why stop at different times of the day? The effect of light on an object, or it's perceived color under different colors/intensities of light would be a nice addition.
Even better, integrate time stamps and see the long-term effects of time (e.g. erosion, rust) on an object from any angle.
Most books are good--if they weren't, they wouldn't be published.
Sorry to burst your bubble. I used to sit next to the book buyer for a major online retailer. The movie buyer was on the other side of her. Publishers rely on "the long tail." Most books (and movies) are junk, you just may never see them all in a virtual store. Brick and mortars only stock things that will actually sell because space is a paramount.
Here in Utah some of the lawmakers felt similarly about the teachers' union. They passed the "Voluntary Contributions Act" -- a law banning government employees' payroll deductions for PACs (it's tied up in the courts). It took the balance of the UEA lobby from more than $600,000 to just under $300,000 in three years.
A few years ago as I was entering the state's political/education scene, I would ask teachers at the schools I was visiting what they though of the UEA, whether they were members, etc. More often than not, those who were members joined for a single reason: malpractice insurance and a team of lawyers on their side if they were ever sued. For many of these teachers, the actions of the NEA (which sap a significant portion of dues), was an unfortunate but unavoidale side effect.
The only other part was instructions to the EPA to study "the rapid growth and energy consumption of computer data centers by the Federal Government and private enterprise."
What's so hard about that? If Google's traffic is bogging your network, raise the price on your contract with Google.
Except it doesn't work that way. Consider this (not too far-fetched) hypothetical: Google's ISP is "West Coast Foo Bell," but their traffic is "clogging the pipes" at your ISP, Bell South. Bell South has no contract with Google; there is no way for them to charge Google more. If Bell South were to start blocking Google traffic, their customers won't be able to receive "internets" from Google.
Google's traffic on the Bell South "tubes" is already covered under a share-alike policy between ISPs. Without that, internet access would be little more than a really large intranet. If wished to charge Google, they'd have to do the same to Ebay, Yahoo, Microsoft, Reuters, BBC, and every other company outside of Bell South's fiefdom, possibly denying access to cash-strapped small businesses or content they wish to censor.
Bell South would need to charge their own customers more--customers who, for the most part, have few other alternatives.
Slashdot Mirror
Another reason for fewer vertically integrated companies is the economic principle of specialization--a company that focuses on a single component can often be more productive than its competitors; a company that diversifies attracts competition in niche markets.
Another reason for specialization is to make capital more available--industries carry different capital structures and risk tolerances. A vertical company is more likely to be too risky for investors in one of their markets, or have a smaller return than investors in another market prefer. (e.g. Pepsi spinning off its restaurant businesses.)
The problem with that particular question (although your intent is good), is that it relies on shared cultural experience that may not be present.
Students without the same cultural experience (immigrants, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, or guys with girlfriends) wouldn't be able to answer even if they understand the difference between lossy/lossless.
Writing good questions is harder than you might think.
It's not entirely about such political games. Companies know a top-notch game/movie/whatever will reap its own rewards through word of mouth and a "long tail."
I used to work in the media sales dept (movies/books/etc.) of a fairly large company (several hundred million in annual revenue). Our general rule of thumb was the worse a movie was, the more screeners we got for it. We'd rarely get a promotional copy of the A-list movies. We didn't sell nearly as much ad space for them either (although the links were prominent to capture already interested customers).
So,... I rather suspect the "front page splash rights" is partly due to the company's unspoken admission that their product could stand some improvement.
Mostly true.
There have been several notable incidents recently of "cyber-bullying"--essentially libelous statements posted by anonymous students to MySpace et al, pretending to be classmates or school administrators. As this decision shows, posting incorrect/inflammatory profiles may have significant long-term effects.
Yes, the offended students can (and do) sue for libel, but they're suing minors. It makes it difficult to repair a reputation tarnished in this manner.
You suggest an interesting baseline (2001), considering most large-size hybrids same to market in 2005. Without spending too much time on Google, it seems large hybrids account for 10-25% of the hybrid market, so you are correct, small cars do dominate the hybrid market.
I wasn't looking for an argument. I'm simply suggesting that hybrids should be argued for on their general merits (green sensibilities, fuel economy), not on correlations (small cars have a small turning radius and greater maneuverability in traffic).
I believe the GP is referring to nearly identical pages.
However, I've heard from several sources that moving the repetitive HTML from the top of your source to the bottom--and thus moving the page-specific content closer to the top of the page--will provide a slight boost in ranking. You can keep it in the same visual space with CSS.
I'm not disagreeing with you--but the type of staffer I'm referring to are much more senior than aides, and are not directly under the control of the elected official _as an individual_. Many positions fall into this category: fiscal analysts, legal council, statisticians, policy implementors, etc.
Consider a part-time governing board (which is most, in my state). The board as a whole may have direct ability to hire/fire the department head, but not the staffers below the head. Monthly agendas, staff opinions, the quality of research, legal opinions, etc. are all influenced significantly by multiple people the elected official--as an individual--has no direct control over.
Yes, the elected official could do much of the work himself, but may lack expertise (e.g. a law degree), time (elected to a part-time position, holds a full-time job), and who knows what else.
Parent is correct. (GIYF)
t e2004/countymap.htm
See maps here:
http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vo
http://homepage.mac.com/tcp/PurpleAmerica/
If you've ever been elected to public office, you quickly find that the power is often weilded quite strongly behind the scenes by staff members, not elected officials. I've experienced this personally in state government.
... and before you suggest the staffer be replaced, remember two things: a) the elected official is often not the staffer's employer, and b) it is *incredibly* difficult to get someone fired in government.
The strongest argument I've heard against term limits is quite simple: staff members don't have term limits, and are willing to stonewall. A near-permanent staff member wins over an elected official with term limits.
I have a roomba. I've seen it do something like this. Turns out some of the dirt sensors were gummed up. After cleaning 'em off, the roomba behaved properly.
I was a bit taken back when Scoble pointed the finger at Slashdot as one of the places that tolerates misogyny. Every time a story of a female scientist or technologist gets a mention here, inappropriate comments get posted, and modded up.
Let's take a stand as a community, here on this site. Let's not up-mod such things in the future.
You've touched on the problem that I think is most pressing, and will trouble any organization of size: people.
It's been my experience that those with a significant history of minor edits assume and exert editorial control in spite of conflicting opinions. A sufficient density of such "authorities" (read: egos) on a given topic renders the equally valid opinions of other "lesser" contributors moot. I found it incredibly frustrating. It's not a culture I want to be a part of.
Other posters are also correct: niche articles are missing or so brief as to be little more than a stub. Try finding reams of information on accrediting agencies for secondary schools in the Northwestern U.S. (There are some pages, but little good information.) How 'bout the effect of state constitutions on the authority of state boards of education as contrasted with legislative power? You'll find more information on stances in lightsaber combat. Paradoxically, Wikipedia needs to attract those who still don't know the difference between tubes, a truck, and the internet, because those are the people who have devoted their life to a non-techincal profession, and have useful knowledge to share.
The extension is designed to catch one very specific type of leak (chrome/extension leaks). There are many ways to leak memory, and this extension won't catch most of 'em.
(I have the same problem as the parent, btw).
You may be right, but one data point does not make a trend. Even on Slashdot.
I don't know whether it's a state or federal law, but I believe that's illegal where I live.
Too close to voter intimidation, etc.
You're suggesting the Irish, Portuguese, and Italians (to name only a few) all had similar cultures? That's a rather daft summary American immigration.
Even in the years before the U.S.A., the religious difference among the otherwise similar people from the British Isles were significant.
Put aside your hatred for a moment and realize culture != race.
Why stop at different times of the day? The effect of light on an object, or it's perceived color under different colors/intensities of light would be a nice addition.
Even better, integrate time stamps and see the long-term effects of time (e.g. erosion, rust) on an object from any angle.
Here in Utah some of the lawmakers felt similarly about the teachers' union. They passed the "Voluntary Contributions Act" -- a law banning government employees' payroll deductions for PACs (it's tied up in the courts). It took the balance of the UEA lobby from more than $600,000 to just under $300,000 in three years.
A few years ago as I was entering the state's political/education scene, I would ask teachers at the schools I was visiting what they though of the UEA, whether they were members, etc. More often than not, those who were members joined for a single reason: malpractice insurance and a team of lawyers on their side if they were ever sued. For many of these teachers, the actions of the NEA (which sap a significant portion of dues), was an unfortunate but unavoidale side effect.
The only other part was instructions to the EPA to study "the rapid growth and energy consumption of computer data centers by the Federal Government and private enterprise."
Except it doesn't work that way. Consider this (not too far-fetched) hypothetical: Google's ISP is "West Coast Foo Bell," but their traffic is "clogging the pipes" at your ISP, Bell South. Bell South has no contract with Google; there is no way for them to charge Google more. If Bell South were to start blocking Google traffic, their customers won't be able to receive "internets" from Google.
Google's traffic on the Bell South "tubes" is already covered under a share-alike policy between ISPs. Without that, internet access would be little more than a really large intranet. If wished to charge Google, they'd have to do the same to Ebay, Yahoo, Microsoft, Reuters, BBC, and every other company outside of Bell South's fiefdom, possibly denying access to cash-strapped small businesses or content they wish to censor.
Bell South would need to charge their own customers more--customers who, for the most part, have few other alternatives.