That is the REAL problem, where if you come up with an idea for a $5 product that would sell millions of units, yet you need to pay $50 per unit worth of legal fees to protect yourself from lawsuits.
Exaggerations aside, your problem with this proposal is that you could come up with that $5 product and a bigger company could then copy it, make it $4, and run you out of business.
If only we had some way somebody could monopolize their own invention for a limited period of time to protect their investment and force the competition to either license it or try an alternative that could potentially be better....
What we need is small, independent, companies competing directly in the same way Linux distros compete with each other. That will encourage innovation.
I don't understand... could you give us another example, only this time make it a case where the result was success?
The weirdest issue I've seen lately is a visible increase in the use of Overrated/Underrated moderations, which to my knowledge are not subject to metamoderation.
I can tell you why I do that. I used to have another account many years ago. This was a time where Slashdot was going nuts over-sensationalizing stories about Microsoft. It reached a point where virtually ANY article involving Microsoft had several +5's to the tune of "RTFA, the summary is wrong". I modded down a few high profile comments criticizing MS that were technically wrong and not long later I wasn't getting mod points anymore. For *years* I didn't get mod points.
Eventually a criticism I made of Apple earned me the wrath of the fanboys. My posts were downmodded a LOT. (I want to say something like 30 negative mods were used against me within a couple of days.) I was banned from posting from work for weeks. When I finally did post again, it was downmodded AGAIN. So I said fuggit and changed to a new account.
I hadn't moderated ANYTHING for years and eventually with the new account I started getting mod points again. I don't want to lose them again because they take too long to get back. So I use moderations that don't get meta-modded. I don't know if it still works that way anymore, but it's a hard-earned habit.
We don't really discuss here on Slashdot, we debate. The big difference is that nobody asks questions, they just make statements. Although that, in and of itself is fun, I do think this site is a perfect illustration to me of why it's a good thing law enforcement doesn't hand a badge to random citizens so they can be cops for a day. I've seen far better behavior on message forums where they talk about Star Trek vs. Star Wars.
Superior replies don't get modded up, the repllies that line up with that randomly chosen user's biases do. People alter their behaviour to appeal to public opinion.
If slashdot really wanted to mod up 'superior' comments then they'd have full-time trained moderators instead of handing badges to everybody with an opinion of which smartphone OS to use.
Please forgive my ignorance, but I was curious about this: Would a battery problem like that really cause something to glow red? I mean, by the time it reaches glowing red, isn't it already at a point where it can ignite anything touching it?
I'm just curious if this is an obvious embellishment of the story.
If emails are "distracting and interrupting the workflow" then you are doing it wrong. The problem isn't email, it's the way people deal with it. Get away from the mindset that you have to immediately read and deal with every email the instant it arrives and you'll get a lot more work done.
Agreed. Personally I think the IT staff there just wanted more Youtube time.
No, it was "dropped" because Nokia's internal politics damaged the company enough that they stuck an ex-Microsoft executive in the CEO slot who promptly killed off the winner they managed to create in the N9 and forced Nokia on to WP7.
Uh, no. It was dropped because their marketing strategy of having three guys chime in on every Slashdot smartphone thread about how great the N900 is was insufficient to gain any traction in the US.
The problem is when we get the same situation over and over and over again.
Right, that's the sign of a communications issue.
I doubt that, I really do.
Try it.
You come in with a fucking chip on your shoulder, you're going to get it shoved back in your face.
"...because they are up to their fucking eyeballs in the unappreciated work that assholes like you heap around"
"Assholes like you, who don't care that Dropbox routinely gets hacked into...:
"...because the IT guy wouldn't (because company policy says otherwise) give install rights to three idiots who repeatedly got their systems infected with rootkits..."
"...whether whiny, bratty tantrum-throwers like you like it or not."
Niether Blu Ray or DVD are compressed for storage, they are compressed to fill their respective discs. Please keep this in mind for all future conversations involving home media theaters and internet streaming.
No, if after a rational explanation they still think you're an "obstructionist", when you have patiently explained that the person who would have to approve (or deny!) their request is not IT at all but is instead Legal, or Security, or Manager/CEO level, then they are being a whiny fucking brat who thinks that throwing a tantrum will get them what they want... *snip*
No, you're not listening, which is really illuminating for this particular topic. Usually (but not in all cases, I'll concede) when these people get into 'brat' mode, they've already been through IT hell. Maybe they tried to get help with something and it took too long. Or they have a problem they really need fixed, and IT just muttered something about Legal and then went back to watching YouTube. Or maybe it's just in how the news was delivered, maybe they were told they are "NOT FUCKING AUTHORIZED TO ENTER THE COMPANY INTO A CONTRACT" instead of saying "There are legal issues here and there's not much I can do there, but hey what's the problem you're trying to solve, maybe I've got an alternative!".
Whichever it is doesn't matter. When you start calling all your users whiny brats and you know everybody hates you, you need to look at how you interact with people or, face it, that problem's not getting solved.
Slashdot Mirror
That is the REAL problem, where if you come up with an idea for a $5 product that would sell millions of units, yet you need to pay $50 per unit worth of legal fees to protect yourself from lawsuits.
Exaggerations aside, your problem with this proposal is that you could come up with that $5 product and a bigger company could then copy it, make it $4, and run you out of business.
If only we had some way somebody could monopolize their own invention for a limited period of time to protect their investment and force the competition to either license it or try an alternative that could potentially be better....
What we need is small, independent, companies competing directly in the same way Linux distros compete with each other. That will encourage innovation.
I don't understand... could you give us another example, only this time make it a case where the result was success?
The weirdest issue I've seen lately is a visible increase in the use of Overrated/Underrated moderations, which to my knowledge are not subject to metamoderation.
I can tell you why I do that. I used to have another account many years ago. This was a time where Slashdot was going nuts over-sensationalizing stories about Microsoft. It reached a point where virtually ANY article involving Microsoft had several +5's to the tune of "RTFA, the summary is wrong". I modded down a few high profile comments criticizing MS that were technically wrong and not long later I wasn't getting mod points anymore. For *years* I didn't get mod points.
Eventually a criticism I made of Apple earned me the wrath of the fanboys. My posts were downmodded a LOT. (I want to say something like 30 negative mods were used against me within a couple of days.) I was banned from posting from work for weeks. When I finally did post again, it was downmodded AGAIN. So I said fuggit and changed to a new account.
I hadn't moderated ANYTHING for years and eventually with the new account I started getting mod points again. I don't want to lose them again because they take too long to get back. So I use moderations that don't get meta-modded. I don't know if it still works that way anymore, but it's a hard-earned habit.
We don't really discuss here on Slashdot, we debate. The big difference is that nobody asks questions, they just make statements. Although that, in and of itself is fun, I do think this site is a perfect illustration to me of why it's a good thing law enforcement doesn't hand a badge to random citizens so they can be cops for a day. I've seen far better behavior on message forums where they talk about Star Trek vs. Star Wars.
Superior replies don't get modded up, the repllies that line up with that randomly chosen user's biases do. People alter their behaviour to appeal to public opinion.
If slashdot really wanted to mod up 'superior' comments then they'd have full-time trained moderators instead of handing badges to everybody with an opinion of which smartphone OS to use.
a. No, it is not.
b. There is no chilling effect.
You're confusing censorship with supply and demand. Neither are a commonly understood topic, here.
Wouldn't it need x-ray vision to see through your nose?
Obligatory xkcd: http://xkcd.com/221/
That cartoon contains code for returning a single value, but the programmer came up with that value by rolling the dice.
Finally a reason for socially inept people to buy diamonds!
I dunno about that. Diamond video cards were okay.
Well, that link was confusing. I thought Brandon Harris's username on Slashdot was lp0.
Please forgive my ignorance, but I was curious about this: Would a battery problem like that really cause something to glow red? I mean, by the time it reaches glowing red, isn't it already at a point where it can ignite anything touching it?
I'm just curious if this is an obvious embellishment of the story.
It'd be more whoosh-worthy if this was several years ago before non-removable batteries became ubiquitous.
Posted from my Galaxy Tab
If the battery manufacturer screwed the pooch, its Apple's fault?
They would be accountable, yes.
If emails are "distracting and interrupting the workflow" then you are doing it wrong. The problem isn't email, it's the way people deal with it.
Get away from the mindset that you have to immediately read and deal with every email the instant it arrives and you'll get a lot more work done.
Agreed. Personally I think the IT staff there just wanted more Youtube time.
Nonsense. Self censorship isn't when it only happens because of inevitable government intervention otherwise. That is simple censorship.
Which has nothing to do with this topic.
The N900 was unsuccessful before Nokia was flirting with Windows.
That'd be great rebuttal if we were talking about trademark law.
No, it was "dropped" because Nokia's internal politics damaged the company enough that they stuck an ex-Microsoft executive in the CEO slot who promptly killed off the winner they managed to create in the N9 and forced Nokia on to WP7.
Uh, no. It was dropped because their marketing strategy of having three guys chime in on every Slashdot smartphone thread about how great the N900 is was insufficient to gain any traction in the US.
Right. It wouldn't be banned.
Instead it would be rated AO, and no one would sell it.
Yay freedom of speech!
Video game ratings are not government mandated.
Your beef is with the retailers, not the gov't.
The problem is when we get the same situation over and over and over again.
Right, that's the sign of a communications issue.
I doubt that, I really do.
Try it.
You come in with a fucking chip on your shoulder, you're going to get it shoved back in your face.
"...because they are up to their fucking eyeballs in the unappreciated work that assholes like you heap around"
"Assholes like you, who don't care that Dropbox routinely gets hacked into...:
"...because the IT guy wouldn't (because company policy says otherwise) give install rights to three idiots who repeatedly got their systems infected with rootkits..."
"...whether whiny, bratty tantrum-throwers like you like it or not."
"And it's YOUR FUCKING FAULT, not the IT guys."
Your problems at work are crystal clear.
That law isn't kicking in until you give those files (or discs) to someone else.
However, I don't blame you for not wanting to be seen downloading the tools to do it.
Niether Blu Ray or DVD are compressed for storage, they are compressed to fill their respective discs. Please keep this in mind for all future conversations involving home media theaters and internet streaming.
No, if after a rational explanation they still think you're an "obstructionist", when you have patiently explained that the person who would have to approve (or deny!) their request is not IT at all but is instead Legal, or Security, or Manager/CEO level, then they are being a whiny fucking brat who thinks that throwing a tantrum will get them what they want... *snip*
No, you're not listening, which is really illuminating for this particular topic. Usually (but not in all cases, I'll concede) when these people get into 'brat' mode, they've already been through IT hell. Maybe they tried to get help with something and it took too long. Or they have a problem they really need fixed, and IT just muttered something about Legal and then went back to watching YouTube. Or maybe it's just in how the news was delivered, maybe they were told they are "NOT FUCKING AUTHORIZED TO ENTER THE COMPANY INTO A CONTRACT" instead of saying "There are legal issues here and there's not much I can do there, but hey what's the problem you're trying to solve, maybe I've got an alternative!".
Whichever it is doesn't matter. When you start calling all your users whiny brats and you know everybody hates you, you need to look at how you interact with people or, face it, that problem's not getting solved.
No kiddin. They *still* haven't finished that bridge over Eastwood Ravine. Maybe by 2015.
Heh. Thank you for illustrating my point.
And I'm pretty sure system administrators can learn to do any other office job you can think of....
Your false assumption here is also why they hate you.