I love music, and I also love the conveinence of digital music. I can listen to Internet radio from around the world, share Mp3's with my friends via email, make mix CD's, and so forth. However, I still have a rather large vinyl collection, and my turntable cost more than my reciever and DVD player combined.
Of course, records cannot match the ease of digital tunes. I can't listen to my records while driving or running. It can be somewhat annoying to have to get up and flip the record every 30 minutes. That said, I still think analog sound offers a depth and richness which simply can not be matched digitally.
A lot of this depends on who produced the album, and when. For example, a lot of music in the early 90's (the early days of digital) are mixed so poorly that there isn't much hope in ever getting a good sound out of it. But classic rock fans, compare Pink Floyd's DSOTM on SACD and vinyl. Yes, the SACD offers a wonderful sound, but on my setup, with my eyes closed, I csn feel as if the band is reunited and visiting my living room. Take good care of your records (like I do) and the "pop and hiss" is left to an absolute minimum.
I'm sure a lot of my fellow "music snobs" have already made this point ad naseum, but in my opinion, there is a world of sound that exists between 1 and 0, and therefore, I doubt analog will ever die.
Being a bit of a cheapo myself, I can underdstand becoming a "friend" of the King in order to get coupons and what have you, but take a look at those comments. Yikes. Not only have these people "fallen for it", they are literally singing a chorous of praises to a corporate mascot.
Who should I hate more: brilliant marketing execs or the consumer whores who empower them?
Anyone over the age of 40 who "knows computers" tends to know far more than I do (born 1980). Anyone over the age of 40 who has purchased a first computer sometime within the past decade tends to get locked into the "Microsoft Way"(tm) of doing things, and can be extremely frusterating to work with.
And don't feel bad about my ageism crack- it's only a matter of time until some jackass born in 1996 pulls the same stunt with me (and video games already make me feel old and out-of-touch).
From DOS 6.22 through Win XP; I was a M$ junkie. I even went so far as to become MCSE cert. and to attend various M$ propaganda shows here and there. I was one of those guys who justified my addiction by saying "everyone has it" or "I know how to use M$ stuff- I'm too set in my ways to change".
But it wasn't OSX, *Nix or even the delays of Vista that turned me off to Heir Gates- it was the Internet. As soon as I realized that 90% of my "mission critical" activities were all web-based (email, research, development) I realized that it really didn't matter which desktop I used- they all connected to the same Internet.
Once I got past that hurdle, I found the courage to play with various linux distros and ended up on a Mac running OSX. In retrospect, I can see perfectly well that all of these options are superior to windows (for my needs, perhaps not yours). However, I was unwilling to even explore my other options because I had trapped myself into a proprietary mindset- something even more dangerous than a proprietary format.
Having played with these various OSes, I can see that each of them has "borrowed" from each other; features that prove popular in one almost inevitably find themselves to the others. Just like a favorite make/model of car, there is no "wrong" answer, only preferences and favorites. I think the "masses" are begining to understand this, just as they understand a choice between pickup truck or sports car (good for different things).
And this is why Vista is "doomed"- the dreaded Microsoft Monopoly preys on the ignorance and confusion of the masses. And yes, most people over the age of 40 are mildly retarded in terms of computers. But these dinosaurs are quickly being replaced by a new generation, the first generation "raised on the Internet", the first generation of which 90% are proficient and experienced with a home PC. The confusion factor shrinks more every day, directly proportionate to the decline in M$ market share.
I'm not sure I would pay (as an advertiser) for a quick glimpse at my logo. However, what if the screen was setup like those horrible cable news channels: content above a small "strip" of ads at the bottom. Would that be a fair compromise?
Buy product X...Go to this new website...Scam Co needs your money...
Unlike the TV, if one of the ad headlines grabbed me, I could "take action" (click) right away, whereas with TV I tend to just surf away from commercials as soon as I realize it is a commercial (those buggers are tricky sometimes).
Using Flash, these "border ads" would work fine no matter where I viewed the video...be it YouTube's site, embedded in a blog, etc.
With 1,000+ comments already down, I doubt anyone will see this. However, I have an on-topic anecdote I think is worth sharing.
The gf and I were walking on the beach yesterday when we came across a crab. We both noticed that it looked and moved like a spider, and so, wondered aloud if they (crabs and spiders) are related.
Then we sat on the beach and watched the sky turn pink as the sun set. Somewhere in the sky I saw the face of God. Of course, it wasn't a literal face, but rather, some sort of symbology that was picked up and processed somewhere in my primordial brain.
I felt loved.
I accept that God is my creator, and I accept that [S]He might have used a methodology such as evolution to create me. If God is "intelligent", it might be argued that mine is an "intelligent design"- but that is an issue for Philosophy class, not Biology class; I know of no way to objectively test this hypothesis.
But Godless science? What unmitigated nonsense! Einstein was godless? Newton was godless? It hurts my soul to see a force as powerful as God being whored to win elections. If Jesus does exist, and if he keeps a watchful eye on us (as his fanatics declare), I have to assume he is very disappointed in us right now.
A thought just occured to me- if I was running a site dealing with, say, Google Maps, I might have reason to include JavaScripts, but only if I wanted to "broadcast" the maps via XML. But would this feed work with FeedGator, Netvibes, etc, etc? In other words, even if I was to setup my XML in this manner, would any of my readers be able to benefit from it?
Say I wanted to create a simple program to check/.'s RSS feeds every 15 minutes. I might design something web-based, using XmlHttpRequest. However, this function is part of my aggregator- I still see no valid reason to include this script within the XML document itself.
Isn't the whole point of XML to provide the raw content in a simple format? Seems to me "less is more".
...but why would anyone *want* to include JavaScript in an RSS feed? Other than showing ads or annoying viewers, what possible purpose would it serve?
And, as someone above suggested, what the hell is a "Web 2.0" RSS feed? Even if I used AJAX to make a nice-n-pretty UI for my blog, that still wouldn't explain why I would use JavaScript for my RSS feed.
I think you nailed it. I think *I* am the target consumer for the Wii.
I stopped buying video games around the SNES days, but still have (and play) my NES. If I can buy this thing and play the old SNES "Monopoly" with my buddies around the country- w00t - my money is already as good as theirs.
I appreciate your response. It is good to see that rational, critical thinking can trump party allegiance.
In a way, I'm very glad George W. Bush has acted the way he has. I think it has forced the average American to become for politically aware. I also think it has increased the common man's understanding of the U.S. Constitution 10-fold.
America is a goofy place, and it seems to have been suffering from a severe identity crisis for at least 30 or so years now. That said, I believe that there *is* a very solid, common understanding of what America is, and what it stands for; it's just burried under a mountain of lies and propaganda.
Case in point: 9/11, the response was clear- you mess with us, you mess with ALL of us.
Case in point: Presidential authority, the repsonse is equally clear- start trampling our Constitution, and you will make more enemies than friends.
This whole thing stinks of tyranny to me. I know! I'll make my next vacation a roadtrip, and skip the airports altogether. Wait a minute...nope, that won't work.
Ok, how about this: I'll stay home, and just catch up with my friends via phone calls. No, that's no good either.
Ok guys, help me out. I know I'm just a wacky conspiracy theorist, but I'm willing to change. How do I go about a summer vacation without subjecting myself to Government inspection?
Let us say your system is in place. You can monitor my every move, and I can do the same to you. You are a rational person, with better things to do. I am a delusional lunatic who has decided you are the true mastermind behind an international conspiracy to flouridate my drinking water.
Slashdot Mirror
18% of defense spending goes to procurement!?!
Somehow I don't think the word "ironic" is going to cut it. How about "asinironic-ific"?
I for one...am sick and tired of these motherfucking SOAP jokes on this motherfucking website!
They killed Santa!
You bastards!
I love music, and I also love the conveinence of digital music. I can listen to Internet radio from around the world, share Mp3's with my friends via email, make mix CD's, and so forth. However, I still have a rather large vinyl collection, and my turntable cost more than my reciever and DVD player combined.
Of course, records cannot match the ease of digital tunes. I can't listen to my records while driving or running. It can be somewhat annoying to have to get up and flip the record every 30 minutes. That said, I still think analog sound offers a depth and richness which simply can not be matched digitally.
A lot of this depends on who produced the album, and when. For example, a lot of music in the early 90's (the early days of digital) are mixed so poorly that there isn't much hope in ever getting a good sound out of it. But classic rock fans, compare Pink Floyd's DSOTM on SACD and vinyl. Yes, the SACD offers a wonderful sound, but on my setup, with my eyes closed, I csn feel as if the band is reunited and visiting my living room. Take good care of your records (like I do) and the "pop and hiss" is left to an absolute minimum.
I'm sure a lot of my fellow "music snobs" have already made this point ad naseum, but in my opinion, there is a world of sound that exists between 1 and 0, and therefore, I doubt analog will ever die.
Give it a try. The difference might suprise you.
I propose an addition to the /. mod system: +5, it had to be said
Keep fighting the good fight, brother.
Being a bit of a cheapo myself, I can underdstand becoming a "friend" of the King in order to get coupons and what have you, but take a look at those comments. Yikes. Not only have these people "fallen for it", they are literally singing a chorous of praises to a corporate mascot.
Who should I hate more: brilliant marketing execs or the consumer whores who empower them?
Anyone over the age of 40 who "knows computers" tends to know far more than I do (born 1980). Anyone over the age of 40 who has purchased a first computer sometime within the past decade tends to get locked into the "Microsoft Way"(tm) of doing things, and can be extremely frusterating to work with.
And don't feel bad about my ageism crack- it's only a matter of time until some jackass born in 1996 pulls the same stunt with me (and video games already make me feel old and out-of-touch).
I was going to say "30" in my first draft... :p
"most" != "all"
From DOS 6.22 through Win XP; I was a M$ junkie. I even went so far as to become MCSE cert. and to attend various M$ propaganda shows here and there. I was one of those guys who justified my addiction by saying "everyone has it" or "I know how to use M$ stuff- I'm too set in my ways to change".
But it wasn't OSX, *Nix or even the delays of Vista that turned me off to Heir Gates- it was the Internet. As soon as I realized that 90% of my "mission critical" activities were all web-based (email, research, development) I realized that it really didn't matter which desktop I used- they all connected to the same Internet.
Once I got past that hurdle, I found the courage to play with various linux distros and ended up on a Mac running OSX. In retrospect, I can see perfectly well that all of these options are superior to windows (for my needs, perhaps not yours). However, I was unwilling to even explore my other options because I had trapped myself into a proprietary mindset- something even more dangerous than a proprietary format.
Having played with these various OSes, I can see that each of them has "borrowed" from each other; features that prove popular in one almost inevitably find themselves to the others. Just like a favorite make/model of car, there is no "wrong" answer, only preferences and favorites. I think the "masses" are begining to understand this, just as they understand a choice between pickup truck or sports car (good for different things).
And this is why Vista is "doomed"- the dreaded Microsoft Monopoly preys on the ignorance and confusion of the masses. And yes, most people over the age of 40 are mildly retarded in terms of computers. But these dinosaurs are quickly being replaced by a new generation, the first generation "raised on the Internet", the first generation of which 90% are proficient and experienced with a home PC. The confusion factor shrinks more every day, directly proportionate to the decline in M$ market share.
I'm not sure I would pay (as an advertiser) for a quick glimpse at my logo. However, what if the screen was setup like those horrible cable news channels: content above a small "strip" of ads at the bottom. Would that be a fair compromise?
Buy product X...Go to this new website...Scam Co needs your money...
Unlike the TV, if one of the ad headlines grabbed me, I could "take action" (click) right away, whereas with TV I tend to just surf away from commercials as soon as I realize it is a commercial (those buggers are tricky sometimes).
Using Flash, these "border ads" would work fine no matter where I viewed the video...be it YouTube's site, embedded in a blog, etc.
With 1,000+ comments already down, I doubt anyone will see this. However, I have an on-topic anecdote I think is worth sharing.
The gf and I were walking on the beach yesterday when we came across a crab. We both noticed that it looked and moved like a spider, and so, wondered aloud if they (crabs and spiders) are related.
They are.
Then we sat on the beach and watched the sky turn pink as the sun set. Somewhere in the sky I saw the face of God. Of course, it wasn't a literal face, but rather, some sort of symbology that was picked up and processed somewhere in my primordial brain.
I felt loved.
I accept that God is my creator, and I accept that [S]He might have used a methodology such as evolution to create me. If God is "intelligent", it might be argued that mine is an "intelligent design"- but that is an issue for Philosophy class, not Biology class; I know of no way to objectively test this hypothesis.
But Godless science? What unmitigated nonsense! Einstein was godless? Newton was godless? It hurts my soul to see a force as powerful as God being whored to win elections. If Jesus does exist, and if he keeps a watchful eye on us (as his fanatics declare), I have to assume he is very disappointed in us right now.
George Carlin, Brain Droppings.
Great book.
Most of us already know these answers.
The rest will not be swayed by data, logic or facts.
A thought just occured to me- if I was running a site dealing with, say, Google Maps, I might have reason to include JavaScripts, but only if I wanted to "broadcast" the maps via XML. But would this feed work with FeedGator, Netvibes, etc, etc? In other words, even if I was to setup my XML in this manner, would any of my readers be able to benefit from it?
Instinct says no.
Say I wanted to create a simple program to check /.'s RSS feeds every 15 minutes. I might design something web-based, using XmlHttpRequest. However, this function is part of my aggregator- I still see no valid reason to include this script within the XML document itself.
Isn't the whole point of XML to provide the raw content in a simple format? Seems to me "less is more".
...but why would anyone *want* to include JavaScript in an RSS feed? Other than showing ads or annoying viewers, what possible purpose would it serve?
And, as someone above suggested, what the hell is a "Web 2.0" RSS feed? Even if I used AJAX to make a nice-n-pretty UI for my blog, that still wouldn't explain why I would use JavaScript for my RSS feed.
Or this
P.S. I *just* found out about Google Trends from you (thanks). This is a cool service.
I think you nailed it. I think *I* am the target consumer for the Wii.
I stopped buying video games around the SNES days, but still have (and play) my NES. If I can buy this thing and play the old SNES "Monopoly" with my buddies around the country- w00t - my money is already as good as theirs.
Unless you're some kind of Zen master you're going to run into this sooner or later.
Well, he is apparently a Zend master!!
Was. Apperently he was a Zend master.
</bad joke>
I appreciate your response. It is good to see that rational, critical thinking can trump party allegiance.
In a way, I'm very glad George W. Bush has acted the way he has. I think it has forced the average American to become for politically aware. I also think it has increased the common man's understanding of the U.S. Constitution 10-fold.
America is a goofy place, and it seems to have been suffering from a severe identity crisis for at least 30 or so years now. That said, I believe that there *is* a very solid, common understanding of what America is, and what it stands for; it's just burried under a mountain of lies and propaganda.
Case in point: 9/11, the response was clear- you mess with us, you mess with ALL of us.
Case in point: Presidential authority, the repsonse is equally clear- start trampling our Constitution, and you will make more enemies than friends.
I am also an ex-Bush supporter. There I said it.
(this is why I use an alias, btw)
Bush lost me in '03 when he invaded Iraq. Out of curiosity, at which point did he lose you?
Not trolling, not picking a fight, just trying to understand "my party".
Bonus question: which source(s) do you trust for the daily newz?
How is Google diferent that the big "E"?
Branding. For example, Google's famous motto is: "don't be evil". If memory serves, Enron's less-famous motto was: "Ken Lay needs a new boat".
This whole thing stinks of tyranny to me. I know! I'll make my next vacation a roadtrip, and skip the airports altogether. Wait a minute...nope, that won't work.
Ok, how about this: I'll stay home, and just catch up with my friends via phone calls. No, that's no good either.
Ok guys, help me out. I know I'm just a wacky conspiracy theorist, but I'm willing to change. How do I go about a summer vacation without subjecting myself to Government inspection?
Henceforth, all U.S. Presidents shall be decided by Slashdot Poll.
Constitution, shmusion; it's "just a piece of paper".
I for one welcome Cowboy Neal, 44th President of the United States.
(If Neal is unavailable, can we pick Sir Francis Drake instead? Just *imagine* his response to the **AA and their endless allegations of "piracy")
Zero sum + motive = danger.
Let us say your system is in place. You can monitor my every move, and I can do the same to you. You are a rational person, with better things to do. I am a delusional lunatic who has decided you are the true mastermind behind an international conspiracy to flouridate my drinking water.
Still think its a good idea?