Knew I should have double-checked that. Or written, "a fraction" (always safe.) I see the point, however; you can't afford to have something under-performing when you're on another planet and your life depends on it.
One really big thing they're overlooking in their challenge is the fact that lunar gravity is only 1/16 of Earth's. Doing this on Earth is ridiculously difficult by comparison.
The Konquerer developers commented on the so-called fiasco and said that there really wasn't a problem and that there really wasn't a better way to go about porting the patches, etc.
The cut-off is after the fifth year (which, coincidentally, is the average length of time people go between buying cars.) You can still keep the car after that, but the shaken costs go through the roof.
As for the electronics thing, computer devices are exempt; this only applies to electrical appliances that run at high voltage. As it is, the law is pretty lenient. The retailers will say, "Okay, whatever you say," and slap a sticker on it saying that it's fine. Since, under the law, you can "lease something and then give it away," with a loophole that large, you just lease things for a month and then "give them away" to the same person after the time has expired. Just make them sign a piece of paper saying they're cool with it and everything's legal. Since most Japanese customers expect the option to return products within a month of purchasing them, anyway, it'll be business as usual.
Except that the capitalists of America have decided that the best way to profit is to climb into bed with OPEC, which means all the rich people win and all the poor people lose.
American capitalism is just another way of saying that large corporations are allowed to do whatever they want and the government passes laws making sure they can continue to do so.
Since Docomo has a bad habit of charging users for their connect time, this is going to have almost no take-off in the Japanese cell phone market. The Japanese are so used to just emailing and calling it good. The only time you might want to do a live chat by cell phone is if you're getting ready to meet somebody, and at that point, why not just call?
The article does nothing to speculate on whether or not this is an indication that Apple made a bad decision switching away from IBM. Apple is not even mentioned once.
The article mentions that the process makes the chips run hotter, and that engineers are trying to figure out how to counter this so that the chips don't fry themselves.
Decent article, bad post. Still sounds like Apple made the right decision.
Kind of misses the point of free software. When you say, "it's free, so stop your bitching," what you're really saying is "you get what you pay for, and you're better off paying for it." How does that make open source software better again?
b) Do the changes yourself
Not everybody is a programmer. This is the first excuse that a lot of people run for, and it's weak. The whole point of an "open-source community" is the idea of people exchanging ideas to create really useful software for everybody. End users's opinions shouldn't be shot down just because they're not programmers. Even real programmers might have good opinions but just not enough spare time in their day to dive into the cruft of somebody else's buggy code and start making it better.
One of the biggest complaints of the guy who cobbled together GimpShop was that all the resources were scattered around with no rhyme or reason, making tracking things down really hard to do. If a programmer came in and fixed all that, who's to guarantee that the maintainers will buy it? There are egos involved, not to mention a "community;" one person can't fix everybody else's mistakes at one go.
c) Don't use GIMP and STFU
Yep, that's a sure-fire way to make the Gimp better. "Sure, our program sucks, but you don't have to use it." Might as well pack it in and call it quits with that kind of attitude. What's the point of creating software if people don't want to use it? Why even make it public it if you're not prepared to hear what the rest of the world hears about it?
What we're talking about is the large majority of serious Photoshop users, not just one or two malcontents. I think it would be cool if the Gimp competed. There are just a few basics that could be implemented that would make some serious waves in Gimp adoption, without turning the Gimp into some sort of bastardized Photoshop clone.
Its positive attributes: fully compliant with Section 508 accessibility requirements, requires a plugin that currently ships with a majority of browsers and is otherwise free and easily accessible, and the fact that it's easy for even a third grader to make "whole applications." Why is making something accessible for people a sin? Macromedia decided it was a good idea, and I'm willing to bet that they are now a whole lot richer than anybody currently participating in this thread.
I'm currently building a site that I'd like to have some Flash-like interactivity without having to go out and buy a copy of Flash. I can do a lot of it using CSS and DHTML, but there's a steep learning curve involved. Sure, the documentation is "all on-line and readily available" - if you know where to look. I've enlisted the help of a friend of mine who does server application development for a living, and even he was stumped a few times. Why should I have to program a script just to detect the browser window dimensions and keep track of them should they be resized? Flash does that automatically, and it's a real time-saver. Sure, the site will be smaller and leaner in the long run and also gracefully degrade, but had I done it in Flash, it would have been deployed a lot faster, too.
Programmers are also not usually good interface designers. Just visit that OSFlash from the grandparent to get a good example. Horrible content organization, awkward navigation, and no simple link to take you quickly to where you can download tools and documentation to get started. What's the point of making an open source replacement for something if it doesn't actually replace it? Should Flash developers really trade in their graphical interface and timeline for a text-based IDE? I guess you really do get what you pay for.
As for Flash not interacting with the operating system, I think that's beside the point. Flash by itself serves an important function for delivering full applications within a browser - something that the above-mentioned languages can do, but as far as the majority of people are concerned, not always as easily and quickly as Flash. For one, the majority of those listed are all server-side, and are going to require a lot of horsepower from the server. What web-centric application would you suggest needs Assembly?
The client-side ones all require "third-party proprietary software" to run, and you can't guarantee that all versions are going to be current across all platforms, which will render your content inaccessible to some viewers. The right tool for the right job, as the saying goes. And if you really want Flash to interact with the OS, get Director; that's what it's there for.
Actually, it's $7 x 20 million XCP disks, or $140 million, plus they have to give away at least one more album for free, which is a potential additional $7.50 x 20,000,000 = $150 million in sales they're giving away for free. Sure, they have a lot more money than that, what they did is irreprehensible, and I for one wish they were forced to pay something more realistic per user, but the problem lies with the class-action lawsuit model, not the judge. If an individual could afford to sue Sony and actually win, then they'd get more as an individual.
Dell's major revenue stream is still from its low-end boxes - i.e. your average home PC. Average users are not looking for alternative OSes or alternative office suites, they just want to keep using what they've always used, what works with everybody else, and leave it at that. If it works better than before, all the better, but they want the comfort of knowing that nothing's changed ("It's still Windows, right?") For example: if you were to give them something like OpenOffice.org instead of MS Works or Office and didn't provide any sort of professional end-user support, they're going to be pretty damn pissed.
I don't think that would apply to everybody, though. There is still a distinct difference between reality and a video game. However, putting a video game in a car is definitely tempting fate, and making your car into a video game is just stupid.
Having been there, I can only agree. My girlfriend and I live in Japan, and she just went to Australia this past summer to begin a one-year work-study. However, she found it too depressing and came back early. She said we'd better shoot for Wellington instead (although Christchurch would be spot-on.)
In other words, he's complaining because he tried to use the page as a way of allowing people to collaboratively write a story, or did he post a genuine article he thought would be interesting to some? If it's the latter, he has a genuine complaint; if it's the former, then he's guilty of being a victim of his own ignorance, gilded with fancy words. Eloquent use of language still doesn't make you right.
1) Post a poll on Slashdot and watch a flamewar begin that shows that no matter how your study comes out there are going to be a lot of people who are going (probably very rudely) tell you that you're wrong no matter what the outcome.
2) Create usability criteria based on common sense and ease-of-use and attempt to apply then to the problem.
3) Be happy that somebody is paying you for being a consultant, which really is a cushy deal because you get paid regardless. It's not results that matter, it's convincing the client of how smart you are that really matters.;)
Just because a woman is in traditional Japanese kimono does not make her a geisha. If you've ever seen a real geisha, or even just a photo, or even looked the word up in a dictionary, you'd know the difference. The new Memoirs of a Geisha looks pretty bad, but will probably help a few people out in understanding the difference between a courtesan/entertainer and every other woman in Japan.
Actually, his behavior is pretty much in line for the large majority of college professors. Many people who become professors at universities couldn't really cope in the outside world. Universities are like warm, soft blankets that protect you from harsh reality.
Just because something is inconvenient for you doesn't mean it was designed specifically to pick on you. With the world's largest economy, punishing the US would be a very counter-productive thing for everyone else. Punishing the US for what? Jealousy? That would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Japan for me, and yeah, the relief is palpable. I get better stuff, better standard of living, better health care, and my girlfriend is gorgeous. Can't complain, can't complain.
You could argue that murdering people that piss you off is a personal freedom as well, but people are not likely to agree with you. Societies exist to create a balance between its individuals and the common good so that people don't over-indulge in personal freedoms at the expense of others. A lot of people believe that thinking about the well-being of others is a good thing, so it works out for everybody.
Being environmentally conscious isn't a pet theory, it's just one of those necessities life forces on you, given the option of that or driving yourself into extinction.
Driving cars isn't doing wrong, but doing things to excess harms others. Thinking that being different based on a misplaced sense of nationalism, regardless of how much it hurts yourself and others, is good for humanity is a pretty amazing pet theory, come to think of it.
Most people in Japan have tankless water heaters, which makes sense in a country with a dearth of space and great surpluses of energy. It's just about the coolest thing ever; the element is heated in just a few seconds, and after that it's warm for as long as you care to shower. Combined with the automated bathtub courtesy of Osaka Gas, that fills itself and announces when it's ready in an attractive female voice, and I can't imagine ever going back.
Slashdot Mirror
Knew I should have double-checked that. Or written, "a fraction" (always safe.) I see the point, however; you can't afford to have something under-performing when you're on another planet and your life depends on it.
One really big thing they're overlooking in their challenge is the fact that lunar gravity is only 1/16 of Earth's. Doing this on Earth is ridiculously difficult by comparison.
The Konquerer developers commented on the so-called fiasco and said that there really wasn't a problem and that there really wasn't a better way to go about porting the patches, etc.
The cut-off is after the fifth year (which, coincidentally, is the average length of time people go between buying cars.) You can still keep the car after that, but the shaken costs go through the roof.
As for the electronics thing, computer devices are exempt; this only applies to electrical appliances that run at high voltage. As it is, the law is pretty lenient. The retailers will say, "Okay, whatever you say," and slap a sticker on it saying that it's fine. Since, under the law, you can "lease something and then give it away," with a loophole that large, you just lease things for a month and then "give them away" to the same person after the time has expired. Just make them sign a piece of paper saying they're cool with it and everything's legal. Since most Japanese customers expect the option to return products within a month of purchasing them, anyway, it'll be business as usual.
Except that the capitalists of America have decided that the best way to profit is to climb into bed with OPEC, which means all the rich people win and all the poor people lose.
American capitalism is just another way of saying that large corporations are allowed to do whatever they want and the government passes laws making sure they can continue to do so.
Since Docomo has a bad habit of charging users for their connect time, this is going to have almost no take-off in the Japanese cell phone market. The Japanese are so used to just emailing and calling it good. The only time you might want to do a live chat by cell phone is if you're getting ready to meet somebody, and at that point, why not just call?
The article does nothing to speculate on whether or not this is an indication that Apple made a bad decision switching away from IBM. Apple is not even mentioned once.
The article mentions that the process makes the chips run hotter, and that engineers are trying to figure out how to counter this so that the chips don't fry themselves.
Decent article, bad post. Still sounds like Apple made the right decision.
a) Pay someone to do the changes
Kind of misses the point of free software. When you say, "it's free, so stop your bitching," what you're really saying is "you get what you pay for, and you're better off paying for it." How does that make open source software better again?
b) Do the changes yourself
Not everybody is a programmer. This is the first excuse that a lot of people run for, and it's weak. The whole point of an "open-source community" is the idea of people exchanging ideas to create really useful software for everybody. End users's opinions shouldn't be shot down just because they're not programmers. Even real programmers might have good opinions but just not enough spare time in their day to dive into the cruft of somebody else's buggy code and start making it better.
One of the biggest complaints of the guy who cobbled together GimpShop was that all the resources were scattered around with no rhyme or reason, making tracking things down really hard to do. If a programmer came in and fixed all that, who's to guarantee that the maintainers will buy it? There are egos involved, not to mention a "community;" one person can't fix everybody else's mistakes at one go.
c) Don't use GIMP and STFU
Yep, that's a sure-fire way to make the Gimp better. "Sure, our program sucks, but you don't have to use it." Might as well pack it in and call it quits with that kind of attitude. What's the point of creating software if people don't want to use it? Why even make it public it if you're not prepared to hear what the rest of the world hears about it?
What we're talking about is the large majority of serious Photoshop users, not just one or two malcontents. I think it would be cool if the Gimp competed. There are just a few basics that could be implemented that would make some serious waves in Gimp adoption, without turning the Gimp into some sort of bastardized Photoshop clone.
Its positive attributes: fully compliant with Section 508 accessibility requirements, requires a plugin that currently ships with a majority of browsers and is otherwise free and easily accessible, and the fact that it's easy for even a third grader to make "whole applications." Why is making something accessible for people a sin? Macromedia decided it was a good idea, and I'm willing to bet that they are now a whole lot richer than anybody currently participating in this thread.
I'm currently building a site that I'd like to have some Flash-like interactivity without having to go out and buy a copy of Flash. I can do a lot of it using CSS and DHTML, but there's a steep learning curve involved. Sure, the documentation is "all on-line and readily available" - if you know where to look. I've enlisted the help of a friend of mine who does server application development for a living, and even he was stumped a few times. Why should I have to program a script just to detect the browser window dimensions and keep track of them should they be resized? Flash does that automatically, and it's a real time-saver. Sure, the site will be smaller and leaner in the long run and also gracefully degrade, but had I done it in Flash, it would have been deployed a lot faster, too.
Programmers are also not usually good interface designers. Just visit that OSFlash from the grandparent to get a good example. Horrible content organization, awkward navigation, and no simple link to take you quickly to where you can download tools and documentation to get started. What's the point of making an open source replacement for something if it doesn't actually replace it? Should Flash developers really trade in their graphical interface and timeline for a text-based IDE? I guess you really do get what you pay for.
As for Flash not interacting with the operating system, I think that's beside the point. Flash by itself serves an important function for delivering full applications within a browser - something that the above-mentioned languages can do, but as far as the majority of people are concerned, not always as easily and quickly as Flash. For one, the majority of those listed are all server-side, and are going to require a lot of horsepower from the server. What web-centric application would you suggest needs Assembly?
The client-side ones all require "third-party proprietary software" to run, and you can't guarantee that all versions are going to be current across all platforms, which will render your content inaccessible to some viewers. The right tool for the right job, as the saying goes. And if you really want Flash to interact with the OS, get Director; that's what it's there for.
Oops! They also have to pay shipping to and from each customer wanting to exchange their CD, which is going to add another few million to the bill.
Actually, it's $7 x 20 million XCP disks, or $140 million, plus they have to give away at least one more album for free, which is a potential additional $7.50 x 20,000,000 = $150 million in sales they're giving away for free. Sure, they have a lot more money than that, what they did is irreprehensible, and I for one wish they were forced to pay something more realistic per user, but the problem lies with the class-action lawsuit model, not the judge. If an individual could afford to sue Sony and actually win, then they'd get more as an individual.
Dell's major revenue stream is still from its low-end boxes - i.e. your average home PC. Average users are not looking for alternative OSes or alternative office suites, they just want to keep using what they've always used, what works with everybody else, and leave it at that. If it works better than before, all the better, but they want the comfort of knowing that nothing's changed ("It's still Windows, right?") For example: if you were to give them something like OpenOffice.org instead of MS Works or Office and didn't provide any sort of professional end-user support, they're going to be pretty damn pissed.
I don't think that would apply to everybody, though. There is still a distinct difference between reality and a video game. However, putting a video game in a car is definitely tempting fate, and making your car into a video game is just stupid.
Having been there, I can only agree. My girlfriend and I live in Japan, and she just went to Australia this past summer to begin a one-year work-study. However, she found it too depressing and came back early. She said we'd better shoot for Wellington instead (although Christchurch would be spot-on.)
Now the question is, why is it Australia has one of the world's highest counts of clinical depression? Because they're so damn good?
In other words, he's complaining because he tried to use the page as a way of allowing people to collaboratively write a story, or did he post a genuine article he thought would be interesting to some? If it's the latter, he has a genuine complaint; if it's the former, then he's guilty of being a victim of his own ignorance, gilded with fancy words. Eloquent use of language still doesn't make you right.
1) Post a poll on Slashdot and watch a flamewar begin that shows that no matter how your study comes out there are going to be a lot of people who are going (probably very rudely) tell you that you're wrong no matter what the outcome.
;)
2) Create usability criteria based on common sense and ease-of-use and attempt to apply then to the problem.
3) Be happy that somebody is paying you for being a consultant, which really is a cushy deal because you get paid regardless. It's not results that matter, it's convincing the client of how smart you are that really matters.
Just because a woman is in traditional Japanese kimono does not make her a geisha. If you've ever seen a real geisha, or even just a photo, or even looked the word up in a dictionary, you'd know the difference. The new Memoirs of a Geisha looks pretty bad, but will probably help a few people out in understanding the difference between a courtesan/entertainer and every other woman in Japan.
Actually, his behavior is pretty much in line for the large majority of college professors. Many people who become professors at universities couldn't really cope in the outside world. Universities are like warm, soft blankets that protect you from harsh reality.
Just because something is inconvenient for you doesn't mean it was designed specifically to pick on you. With the world's largest economy, punishing the US would be a very counter-productive thing for everyone else. Punishing the US for what? Jealousy? That would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
They might be not-for-profit, but individuals usuall are for-profit. That's where we get things like personal interest and corruption.
Japan for me, and yeah, the relief is palpable. I get better stuff, better standard of living, better health care, and my girlfriend is gorgeous. Can't complain, can't complain.
You could argue that murdering people that piss you off is a personal freedom as well, but people are not likely to agree with you. Societies exist to create a balance between its individuals and the common good so that people don't over-indulge in personal freedoms at the expense of others. A lot of people believe that thinking about the well-being of others is a good thing, so it works out for everybody.
Being environmentally conscious isn't a pet theory, it's just one of those necessities life forces on you, given the option of that or driving yourself into extinction.
Driving cars isn't doing wrong, but doing things to excess harms others. Thinking that being different based on a misplaced sense of nationalism, regardless of how much it hurts yourself and others, is good for humanity is a pretty amazing pet theory, come to think of it.
Most people in Japan have tankless water heaters, which makes sense in a country with a dearth of space and great surpluses of energy. It's just about the coolest thing ever; the element is heated in just a few seconds, and after that it's warm for as long as you care to shower. Combined with the automated bathtub courtesy of Osaka Gas, that fills itself and announces when it's ready in an attractive female voice, and I can't imagine ever going back.