Slashback: Wal-Modem, Culpability, Misquotes 470
There must be some mistake; this is what I wanted. Masem writes: "The review of the OS-less PCs sold through Wal-Mart brought out a lot of comments on the inclusion of a WinModem, effectively requiring Windows to make the computer work correctly. However, NewsForge reports that shortly after that posting, Microtel, the makers of these computers, wrote back to the reviewer and indicated that new versions of the systems will ship with Linux-friendly modems from now on. Nice to see a company that knows its target audience and how to make them happy."
Thanks, Microtel!
Next: ethernet cable manufacturers. cpt kangarooski writes: "For those tuning in late, Harlan Ellison sued AOL (among others) for having the temerity to permit users to upload copies of his copyrighted works across their networks on the Usenet. As it turns out, AOL was in the right, and got a summary judgment against Ellison.
The opinion by Judge Cooper is located here in PDF format Given his reputation, Ellison will likely appeal."
Welcome to Ix, please take off your shoes. cayle clark writes "A few months back I asked slashdot about shopping in the Akihabara, Tokyo's famous "electric town," and got lots of good advice. Well, now I been and went there, took some pictures, and posted an illustrated account here. Netting it out, it's a keen place to wander, and prices are in some (but only some) cases lower than in the USA."
Hacking at the ties that bind Following up on the new venture in wireless from the LinuxCare crew, Dave Sifry writes "802.11b Networking News wrote up a summary of the new Sputnik Gateway release today, codenamed Stagecoach. The Community Gateway code runs from CD and turns a computer with an ethernet card and Prism 802.11b card into a secure authenticating firewalled 802.11b Access Point. New features of this release include support for desktop cards, like the Linksys WMP11 PCI card, which means that you can turn your old 486 in a closet into a cheap secure wireless router."
I'd rather they save Futurama, but gift horse, teeth, etc. Remik writes "Yahoo News is carrying this story letting Simpsons creator Matt Groening set the record straight that the Simpsons isn't winding down and that it isn't on the ropes. He claims he was misquoted and misunderstood in a Financial Times of London article that came out earlier this week and that he does indeed has stories for years and years. What if Marge became a robot? Hmm..."
Has anyone detected the envelope with the winner's name yet? SoundGuy666 writes "Looks like SETI made it past that 500 million milestone - wonder who won the $500 prize..."
"Isn't on the ropes?" (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:"Isn't on the ropes?" (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"Isn't on the ropes?" (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:"Isn't on the ropes?" (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe it was one of the best this season, but you have to admit the whole "you're not in any kind of physical pain... the only kind of pain men understand" joke was really clunky and lame... as was the Marge-reads-Homer's mind bit... Neither of those would've happened in episodes past...
Re:"Isn't on the ropes?" (Score:2, Funny)
Usenet? (Score:5, Funny)
Come on man, get with it! Suing over usenet piracy is so 90's. It's all about suing p2p now!
Next thing you know, he'll start railing off on the evils of DOOM.
Re:Greater source of hot air:Bob Metcalfe ot Ellis (Score:5, Funny)
Harlan or Larry?
Re:Greater source of hot air:Bob Metcalfe ot Ellis (Score:5, Funny)
Yes.
Microtel (Score:3, Informative)
big surprise (Score:2, Funny)
Moral Dilemma. (Score:5, Funny)
Clean PC... Wal-Mart...
Clean PC... Wal-Mart... Aaaaaagh!
Re:Moral Dilemma. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Moral Dilemma. (Score:2)
Re:Moral Dilemma. (Score:2)
Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:3, Insightful)
As soon as I saw the episode where Marge is
kidnapped by a biker gang, I said "This is so
incredibly forced and predictable. They're not
trying any more. I bet this show ends soon."
I got 2 out of 3.
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:2)
Re:Martin Guerre (Score:2)
I'd imagine they got the idea from the Prince and the Pauper story, since the name and the fact that its a more common take on the plot.. who's not familar with the prince and the pauper? Who's heard of Martin Guerre?
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:4, Funny)
Don't write the show off yet.
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:2, Insightful)
becomes the voice of a new, ridiculous character
in the Itchy and Scratchy Show) falls
into your criteria, no?
sp?
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:2)
The elf jockeys (Score:2)
"And what's this? A horse abusing a jockey? Could this be the start of a terrifying Planet of the Horses? In this announcer's opinion, almost certainly yes! And away I go!"
'Behind The Laughter' (Score:2)
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:5, Interesting)
The important concept is to look at the Simpsons in phases. The Tracy Ulman shorts and season 1, and to a lesser extent season 2, was basically Groening getting his feet wet in the television medium. The plots were decent, and by the end of 2, the characters were pretty damn fleshed out. But most of the time the progress was slow, the voices (especially Azaria's) were crappy, and the jokes didn't punch.
Seasons 3 through 6,7, or 8 (depending on how much of a hardass you are) were the good years. The characters hit their prime, all the voices solidified, the animation went from "crappy" to "simple but elegant." The plots were tight, the jokes zinged. Basically every really classic episode was from this period. Flaming Moe's, Homer the Heretic, Last Temptation, Lemon of Troy... there are too many to mention.
But the seeds of crappery were also sewed during this period. Not 1 but 2 clipshows, the spinoff showcase, and guest episodes like the johny cash and X-files episodes. I bring up those last 2 for a reason: one of the central complaints about the later seasons is all the random guest voices, but those 2 above are two of my all time FAVORITES. Which brings me, I guess, to my central point: one man's meat is another's poison. Yes, the X-files episode was a pastiche attempt to gain ratings, but it was done in a freakin' hilarious way.
Most of the seasons after 9 typify this later approach: garish, sometimes slapdash, and always ridiculous ratings-fodder. Bart's a Jockey! Britney spears reads 2 lines! "It's N-Synch!" I would basically agree that the show had said everything meaningful it was going to say by the end of season 8 or so. And so it turned its energies outward: the long-loved and well-developed characters took on archtypal roles in critiques of pop culture.
Homer devolved from a dumb but lovable working class chump, to an archie bunker/fred flintstone obnoxious bastard. Lisa went from vulnerable geek to elitist snob. The thing is, these changes had a point: it's the way everyone ELSE was being, and now we're commenting on that, see? In fact, I would argue that the original Homer was a counterpoint to optimistic fans of "reaganomics" in the 80s, and the later Lisa similarly responded to the 90s' rising tide of "tree-hugging liberals" aloof from traditional democratic issues. The characters simply tracked what was going on in life and responded as necessary.
The Simpsons always had a healthy dose of biting critique, but in the end it had nothing but that. Even if it took the form of doing a totally asinine show and saying, "but you're still watching, eh?" Like the poochy episode or this most recent clip show. Basically, I commend the show for having the audacity, over the last few years, to flaunt and mock its own devolution. The fact that even this "smart" show is ultimately all about profit, and transitively, so must the rest of TV be. Not that we didn't know that, but... we're still watching, right? Granted, it's a different point than they started off trying to make in 1990, but their original idea got done to death. So they moved on. Let's, too.
Re:Simpsons jumped the shark long ago (Score:2)
Furthermore: It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it jumping the shark. - from Jump the Shark.com [jumptheshark.com].
Ok, what is so difficult about this? Jumping the Shark is not, "when the show is clearly bad." JTS is that moment that stands as the pinnacle of the show such that all following episodes are lesser in comparison. Now, the Simpsons may get really bad but it's probably that it will never Jump the Shark because it has (so far) always hit on moments of genius even in this last season.
But if it did Jump the Shark, it's definitely already happened and my favorite contender is the first episode of "Who Shot Mister Burns?".
Bart on the Chalkboard... (Score:4, Informative)
Gotta love finding out like that!
Now, that said,
I WANT MY GOD DAMNED FUTURAMA BACK YOU BASTARDS!!!
keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:3, Insightful)
Walmart is pretty big, and if they said that you need a linux driver if you wanted your modems sold at wal-mart, then companies would do it, regardless of the size of the linux market.
Re:keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:2)
you want to integrate all the PPP stuff the hardware should do into linux? then release LINMODEMS.
this is NOT insightful.
Re:keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:3, Informative)
Just a quick summary of the types of modems (This probably has some errors, but I am sure I will be corrected :-) ):
Re:keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:2)
Blockquoth the poster:
They are leaning on the manufacturer. Microtel has just sent a message to Lucent saying: "Your products are unsuitable for this product line, so we're not going to buy any more of them." And the message came not from a spattering of random individuals, but a fellow company. At the very least, that'll get Lucent's attention. Now I suggest we all dig out the manuals that came with those Lucent modems we can't use, find the support number, and call 'em up to make sure they get the message. (Be polite!)
Re:keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:2)
You're not going to get rid of software modems. They're cheap. The best you can do is push for open source drivers (or publically published specs) and then adapt that code for the OS of your choice.
Re:keep the modem, lean on them for linux drivers (Score:2)
Either they have the drivers already (Windows) or they show use serious hardware (*BSD) or they should talk to their software vendors (QNX, Solaris).
It's a bit hypocritical to complain about MS promoting Win-modems, and then say everythings ok if they turn them into Lin-modems.
It's a bit wrong to accuse an "average slashdotter" of hypocrisy without taking time to find a single person that would support both points of view.
Anyways, I think that cheap hardware is good because it gives you more choice - you don't have to buy an expensive modem for your surfing needs. On the other hand, promoting Winmodems with only Windows drivers limits my choice - I can buy them only if I'm going to use Windows. I think it's a consistent point of view and it's not hypocritical at all.
Modem necessary to boot? (Score:2, Insightful)
a.) Isn't just about everybody going to want 10/100 Ethernet cards?
b.) Wouldn't a decent modem be dirt cheap or laying around the house anyway?
It's nice to point it out and all, but the way it was worded in the article kind of made it sound like it was some evil plot to make the machines run Windows. In reality, it was pretty benign.
Re:Modem necessary to boot? (Score:4, Insightful)
b.) Wouldn't a decent modem be dirt cheap or laying around the house anyway?
Those may be true about the average
Re:Modem necessary to boot? (Score:2)
I had the average Linux user in mind when I said 'everybody', but I failed to make that clear. I apologize to anybody I offended. It was meant as a question really.
Re:Modem necessary to boot? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Modem necessary to boot? (Score:2)
No. "Just about everybody" is on a dialup connection.
"Wouldn't a decent modem be dirt cheap or laying around the house anyway?"
The computer purports to have a modem in it. When "just about everybody" tries to use it with Linux and it fails they will conclude that either Linux or the computer is broken.
"In reality, it was pretty benign."
In reality, it was a stupid design error.
My apologies. No harm intended. (Score:2)
Again, sorry about that.
Re:Good and Better (Score:2)
Sounds like somebody who'd buy it for that would really be better off with Windows. Please don't take that as an anti-Linux poke, it's not. It's just the way I see it.
I figured most Linux users buying this PC would either a.) Have modems lying around or b.) Have a network set up with some sort of net connection going.
Obviously I made a mistake and I apologize for that.
Just to be clear tho *glares at the moderators* I wasn't trying to start a flame war!
Simpsons (Score:2)
Yeah, that's true, unfortunately. As they mentioned on that lame song on that lame 'yet another clips show' (aka Gump Roast) 2 Sundays ago:
Have no fears we've got stories for years
Re:Simpsons (Score:2)
Mixed Feelings (Score:2)
I wish Mr Ellison would just realize the futility and injustice of doing what he is doing and fight his fine cause elsewhere.
Re:Mixed Feelings (Score:3, Insightful)
That's nothing. Last year he was ranting about how it should be illegal to write software like gnutella. Not "use for illegal purposes". Write.
I think Ellison is gradually transitioning from his traditional role as the "outspoken grumpy curmudgeon" of the SF world, to being the "crazy homeless man shouting at the parking meter" of the SF world.
Re:Mixed Feelings (Score:2)
Because when the copier sells the copies, he is making money without compensating the writer. This is copyright law. COPYRIGHT LAW IS ABOUT CONTROL, not profits. It is presumed that control over the distribution would allow the writer to determine how much profit he makes. But the writer's motivations need not be profit - don't assume this is so. (For example, what if the author feels the work is unfinished and is embarrased about it?)
And along comes the internet and destroys the idea that writers have control over who distributes or does not distribute his works. So even if the guys
who distribute it pay up, you have undermined this simple right of the author.
So the choice is clear - we as a society seem to value interconnectivity and convenience, and all that it implies, more than respect for each other.
That $500 prize (Score:2)
So no one won the $500 prize...
Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:3)
What is his copyrighted work for which he sued AOL?
Re:Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:2)
Re:Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:2)
Re:Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:3, Informative)
Well, strictly speaking, he wrote a script that contained the nucleus of "City...", but had creative differences. The script was extensively reworked into what appeared on film. And despite what Ellison screams, loudly, the script also massively improved once he was no longer part... I had the opportunity to read his script (in a book published, what, five years ago, I think), and it stank. IMHO and YMMV but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Re:Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:3, Interesting)
I've been waiting for Last Dangerous Visions for over 25 years, but Harlan has never released it, for reasons that he has never explained.
Ellison's has insisted for over 25 years that it will be completed, but it remains one of the most famous ever not-published books. Christopher Priest wrote about it amusingly in The Last Deadloss Visions, but, at Christopher's request, that e-text has been withdrawn from the Internet.
And, no, it wasn't withdrawn due to censorship or Harlan's bullying, but for more commercial reasons: you can now order it in book form from Amazon as The Book on the Edge of Forever : An Enquiry into the Non-Appearance of Harlan Ellison's the Last Dangerous Visions.
Sadly, I haven't read it for years, so I can't recount the details here.
Re:Who is Harlan Ellison? (Score:2)
Had some fun with some friends once sitting around making up fake Ellison story titles and interspersing them with real ones, with people trying to guess which was which. (Not as much fun as doing the same thing with Piers Anthony titles, but it was a less disturbing fun. Gutbucket Quest, forsooth!)
Jeez Guys, give him a link already! (Score:4, Informative)
Is Walmart's PC a sell for Advanced Users? (Score:3, Interesting)
Despite this, I feel Walmart & Microtel are doing a good job at showing that Windows isnt the only way to compute. The Microtel SYSMAR506 - Athlon 1.4 [walmart.com] seems a good deal at around $500 for budget consious families who want to expose technology affordably to their children or for geeks who need a computer fast and cheap. It would be nice if they included both Windows and Linux drivers, but i know that 1.) Just the fact that it includes windows drivers is a much better improvement than Compaq's "recovery cd" that doesn't have drivers, and 2.) a lot of hardware is automatically detected under Linux, so it may not be necessary
Nobody reads articles... (Score:5, Informative)
If you actually read Ellison's original rant, he sued AOL because the infringing postings were "received as part of his subscription to AOL."
That's right kids, Ellison was connecting through AOL. The alleged infringer's ISP (Tehama County Online) rolled over immediately, and was thus spared inclusion in the lawsuit. AOL got sued because they carried the infringing bits to him at his request.
At worst, they failed to proactively remove the posts from their news spools.
Scientologists helped us win this one! (Score:5, Interesting)
In that case, the court said this: "The court does not find workable a theory of direct infringement that would hold the entire Internet liable for actions that cannot reasonably be deterred." The worst possible outcome from a Scientologist's perspective.
Judge Cooper upheld this precedent with her current summary judgement. Way cool.
Yet again, the Scientologists shoot themselves in the foot [xenu.net]!
Clambaiting (Score:2)
winmodem FUD (Score:4, Redundant)
A major type of winmodem chipset is happily supported by linux.. Maybe the one in the walmart computer is a el-cheapo version of a winmodem that isnt supported, I dont know what chipset it is.
but saying that winmodems are unsupported by linux is pure FUD and has no place on slashdot.
Re:winmodem FUD (Score:4, Funny)
Re:winmodem FUD (Score:2, Funny)
You mean "an el-cheapo version of an el-cheapo version"?
Re:winmodem FUD (Score:3, Funny)
... pure FUD and has no place on slashdot.
You must be new here. :)
Re:winmodem FUD (Score:3, Interesting)
Read the article. They talk about how some winmodems are supported, but not this one.
And, like the other people said, I'd rather see an open-source driver.
Akihabara -- Japanese Keyboards (Score:2, Informative)
I'm typing on a Japanese computer right now. The keyboard is just fine for typing in English. I don't understand the problem with getting a Japanese keyboard. There are a few extra keys and Japanese letters (hiragana) in addition to the usual letters, but I'd say it's way cooler, not a problem.
Japanese Windows, of course, requires you to be able to read, but all good geeks can install an English operating system on their computers.
Re:Akihabara -- Japanese Keyboards (Score:2)
And lest anyone be tempted to descend into racist genital-comparison jokes I should point out that the reason for this is that Japanese text does not have spaces in it, so it is only used when typing phrases in English.
On my recent trip to Tokyo what most impressed me was the new Vaio, model PCG-U1. You can check it out here. [www.sony.jp]
Basically it's even smaller than the last series of Picturebooks (C1-XX series), but has even better stats- e.g. Transmeta over 800Mhz, 20G, 256MB etc- and the screen is finally the right aspect ratio.
Trust me, when you see it in the flesh you will fall in love... (I nearly broke down when I discovered I couldn't afford it despite the fact it cost only 750 UKP, which is probably less than half what it will cost me if it ever gets to the UK).
graspee
Akihabara (Score:4, Informative)
The Akihabara district of Tokyo is world-famous as a shopping district specializing in electrical and electronic equipment. I had the chance to visit the Akihabara while on an Elderhostel tour of Japan in April, 2002. (The name is pronounced ah-kee-ha-ba-rah, with no stress on any syllable. It is not, as English speakers want to say, aki-HAbara or akiha-BAra. The syllables just roll out all at the same level.)
Not really. Spoken Japanese does not use stress as a marker, but rather pitch. 'Akihabara' declines in pitch towards the end of the word.
Akihabara is a station on the Japan Railways line and on the Tokyo subway. The railway station is a bit more convenient. This is what you see as you start down from the station platform.
A bit more convenient, if you happen to be using a JR line - if you're on a subway line, the subway exit is the way to go.
There are lots of people on the street (but that's true everywhere in Tokyo). This was Sunday morning at 11AM.
Akihabara's main street is closed to traffic on most Sundays.
The district is roughly 6 city blocks square. Some of the streets are wide, as above, and some are narrow and have that "oriental bazaar" feel to them.
It's quite considerably larger than that - certainly, most of the larger stores are toward the station, but if you head down the road in the direction of the Suehirocho station, there's many smaller shops in the back streets.
This place also sold a variety of CPU and memory chips. Here is the price list. Multiply Yen by 0.008 to get dollars (as of 4/02). Thus the 2.4Ghz P4 was selling for about $575. These prices, as with most prices in the Akihabara, did not strike me as wonderful bargains. Good prices, but not good enough to cover the airfare to Tokyo!
Gee, I'm so sorry... strange as it may seem, shops in Akihabara don't take your plane fare into account when setting their prices.
Notice the number of clerks. Like every Japanese retail store, there are many, many clerks, all eager to be helpful. Japanese retail stores are grossly overstaffed by American standards.
...which could easily be rewritten to say, "American stores are grossly understaffed by Japanese standards." How often have I seen people complaining that they can't find a clerk in a US Fry's?
The prices for Apple stuff seemed to be about the same as US prices.
That's because Apple engages in price-fixing in Japan (they were actually convicted of it once, but it's obvious that it still goes on).
Many stores sold games. This one is advertising the Nintendo for about $200. There were also Sega and Sony game stores. I don't know what the game is that is featured in the window display. The box was all Japanese except for the line "The voices of a distant star."
It's called 'Hoshi no Koe' ('The Voice of the Stars' is close enough).
When I looked closely at these PDAs I found the screen display was all in Japanese.
OH MY GOD!!! You're KIDDING!!!! Japanese PDAs in Japan... who would have thought it?!?
Most of the larger stores devoted much floor space to items of interest to local people, especially appliances: washing machines, microwaves, rice cookers and the like. And some absolutely gorgeous, 16:9-format TVs, which, or course, would be useless in the US.
Obviously, these stores should immediately devote a minimum of 70% of their floor space to items that are of interest to Americans.
There were lots of laptops to be seen, but alas, almost all had Japanese keyboards and the Japanese version of Windows. The prices for most laptops seemed to be pretty close to US prices for comparable models. The only bargains were on closeouts (clearly marked in English, "last one").
...I don't need to hammer the point any more, do I? (BTW, the reason you didn't find any 'bargains' was because you were looking in the wrong place - if you want a cheap laptop, the best way to find one is either online or check some of the smaller shops for weekend specials).
The only place you find English keyboards is in the big stores, in what are advertised as "Duty Free" departments. "Duty Free" is a misnomer -- all the goods were made in Japan, so there is no question of avoiding an import duty.
The 'Duty Free' in this case refers to the lack of the 5% consumption tax on items (which he does mention later on, although he doesn't link the two facts).
All in all, about what I'd expect from a tourist on a quick spin through the larger shops...
Re:Akihabara (Score:3, Informative)
Yes folks, most of the shops/shopping in Akihabara is in fact aimed at local Japanese (shock, horror!)
3 hours in Akihabara will just scratch the surface - there are heaps of small shops, many further away from the main train station where rent is cheaper, with more interesting bargains.
Anyway, Akihabara has variety but not necessarily the best prices - because it is 'Akihabara', rent is high, and shops price stuff accordingly.
I'm still laughing that this guy was actually surprised/disappointed to find lots of Japanese PDAs and PCs with Japanese keyboards in Japan of all places...
Re:Akihabara (Score:5, Funny)
Why does that bother you? Were YOUR far far superior submissions to slashdot on this subject rejected or something, giving you the right to bitch?
Gee, I'm so sorry... strange as it may seem, shops in Akihabara don't take your plane fare into account when setting their prices.
Holy shit, talk about getting defensive about your adopted homeland. If the guy thought he was in for some life-changing bargains, then he was obviously wrong. He's just pointing that fact out, and really, was his statement wrong? Chill out, I don't think the guy was trying to offend anyone...a good idea for non-trolls.
Again with the "how dare you" attitude. By American standards (note, he implies nothing about superiority), many Japanese stores ARE overstaffed - in my experience, as well as the article author's, PLEASANTLY so.
OH MY GOD!!! You're KIDDING!!!! Japanese PDAs in Japan... who would have thought it?!?
See, now this was almost funny. Just lose all that extraneous punctuation, and you're halfway down the road to clown school.
Obviously, these stores should immediately devote a minimum of 70% of their floor space to items that are of interest to Americans.
Obviously, slashdot posters should devote 100% of their posts to inferring offense from an "outsider's" analysis. Do I have to say it? HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH, those Japanese TVs are not ideal for use outside of Japan.
All in all, about what I'd expect from a tourist on a quick spin through the larger shops...
All in all, about what I'd expect from a fanatical Western-raised Japan fanboy on a quick spin through slashdot.
Now, I have things to do Tuesday.
1. Insult a Japanese man
2. Fuck his wife, girlfriend, and daughters
Ellison: I have no case and I must scream (Score:2)
I loved Alone Against Tomorrow and his [imho] groundbreaking novella The Region Between. He was my undisputed king of unapologetically weird 70's-era sci fi.
I would say "love" but it's impossible to pick them up again without thinking of his trite rants on the [old] Sci Fi Channel. Now he's suing AOL for serving up content he explicitly asked for.
Harlan, Harlan. Feh.
On Ellison (Score:5, Interesting)
Lest Slashdot readers be tempted to dismiss Harlan Ellison as a technophobic crank, be aware that he is one of the most financially successful writers working in Hollywood today. He got that way by fighting the studios who tried to rip him off.
Hollywood operates in large part on reputation fraud and misappropriation of other people's work, particularly screenwriters. Plot ideas and outlines are co-opted left and right. Writers in Hollywood do indeed work like dogs and end up getting treated about as well. Ellison stepped into these shark-infested waters many decades ago and has consistently and resolutely refused to allow himself to be fscked by the studios.
Ellison is widely recognized as one of the most litigious writers out there, suing studios when they misappropriate his work. What's more, Harlan wins these suits almost all the time. Writing is his vocation and his passion, and he stands among some of the first names in science fiction. But he has seen too many of his friends and colleagues screwed by the studio system, doing lame knock-offs of their work and making millions while the writer goes hungry. Most creative types -- me included -- would just roll over and go, "Oh, well, what can I do about it?"
Not Harlan. He bitch-slaps these creeps up Sunset Blvd. and back until they get the clue: You don't take a writer's work without paying for it.
Where Harlan has gone wrong, IMHO, is that he has misconceptualized the nature of the "wrong" against him. Ellison's entire experience of having his work copied has been in the context of Hollywood studios and publishers. Studios copy Harlan's work, and make money off it. So Harlan sues the studio. Then he sees copies of his work are, "all over AOL," and AOL's making money off it. Ergo, the same solution applies.
Except it doesn't.
I hope someone can explain this to Ellison. His stock and trade is science fiction. We need the imaginations of men like him to provide the ideas and invent a future where copying is ubiquitous and unconstrained, and artists still get handsomely remunerated.
Schwab
Hardware modems -- legal protection (Score:3, Insightful)
All true, and it also occurred to me that changing to a Linux-friendly modem is a very, very smart move on the part of Microtel.
If Microsoft were to sue Microtel and Walmart under some theory of contributory copyright infringement -- inducing people to buy computers for the purpose of pirating Windows, it would be difficult for Microtel or Walmart to make the argument that those computers were intended for Linux use, if they contained hardware that is designed to only work under Windows.
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
... excuse me???
Their globalisation tactics? Errr... like selling to people?
Or maybe you mean allowing people to buy - say - mangos, or bananas?
There are many reasons not to buy from Wal-Mart. But 'their globalisation tactics', whatever they may be - and they seem hardly different from anyone that either sells into different countries, or sells to different countries - hardly seems one of them.
*r
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
Go into any small town in the American South. Look at the amount of competition both before and after Wal-Mart moved in. Look at what Wal-Mart does to their old buildings after they move into a "Super Wal-Mart" (sometimes less than 1/2 mile away).
Wal-Mart drives all of the smaller competitors out of business. Now they are driving K-Mart out. They refuse to lease their old buildings, preferring to leave them empty.
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
Not so much a fan of WalMart, but... Do you have evidence that they have? I think it's pretty clear that the burden of proof is on those charging misdeeds. Crying "monopolist!" while getting whupped in the marketplace is almost as easy as crying "witch!" when getting whupped farming. It's entirely possible that Wal-Mart has legitimately leveraged their volume -- plus their documented operational efficiency -- into lower prices. I sympathize with people who bemoan the loss of the small American downtown... but those people seem to shop at the ole Box'N'Shop as well.
Oooohhhh...nasty nasty! (Score:3, Insightful)
Gosh break out the moral dilemna rags!
Good grief. Globalization itself is not evil, no more than capitalism or socialism is evil.
And what the heck is wrong with employing third world labor? You mean they should go without jobs?
Hey buddy, my truck was built in Indiana and North Carolina by a Japanese company. Should I refuse to buy any truck not built within 50 miles of where I live, and not built by locals?
Get a grip. Nothing is local any more. Any Wal Mart driving out inefficient mom-and-pop stores, well, too bad, but that's how progress works. The downside is the newly unemployed have to find a new job. The upside is costs drop, and society finds other uses for previously inefficient workers. They have been fred upt o do something NEW. Got a problem with that?
Yeh, let's all go back so damn far that everyone is employed locally, say, all the way back to when everyone had their own garden, made their own clothes, and so on.
I personally dislike Wal-Mart for their extreme penny puinching attitude, I always feel like they are squeezing the last penny out of every thing, and like I should go shower after leaving the place. I don't shop there much. But they have done a hell of a lot of good in keeping prices low for the great unwashed majority. I say Go Wal-Mart!
Re:Oooohhhh...nasty nasty! (Score:2)
Of course, lower price means increased business, and that means longer lines.
Reminds of AOL, sell unlimited for cheap, everyone joins, busy signals. But the high priced ISPs had the best connections and never a busy signal.
Globalization *is* actually evil (Score:2)
Globalization often means that products are produced in one part of the world and shipped to another part of the world. This requires energy, often through the use of fossil fuels, which when used produce gases that harms the atmosphere.
This fact is often sadly neglected.
Mats
Re:Globalization *is* actually evil (Score:2)
Yes, instead of piles of inefficient cottage industries making every conceivable consumer good in every location there are a few much more efficient factories and a bulk transportation system to move the goods around. In the end the more efficient (read cheaper) process wins.
I hate to rain on your parade, but there is almost certainly a net decrease in energy usage due to globalization. The real drawback to globalization is that it creates jobs in developing nations and it allows them to waste money on cheap consumer goods as well. The increased pollution is mostly due to the fact that more people want to live in the 21st century. If we left these folks out of the global economy they probably would be happy with a new homemade spear and a freshly-sharpened wooden plow. Instead, they want a car, a Big Mac, and an XBox.
Re:Globalization *is* actually evil (Score:5, Insightful)
Cry me a river. I myself have spent some time living in the Peruvian Andes in a village that didn't have running water or electricity and that relied on human (and to a small extent animal) power for everything, and I wouldn't wish that existence on anyone. Even the worst sweatshops in Lima have better living conditions than those of the typical Andean subsistance farmer. Not too mention the fact that the workers in Lima are far less likely to be harrassed by terrorists, drug-lords, or government soldiers.
The low end of the technology ladder is a crappy place to be. I don't see you giving up your car, your computer, and all the other trappings of civilized life to go live in the bush. Why should it surprise you that third world folk want to live like you do?
Re:Globalization *is* actually evil (Score:2)
As opposed to posting on slashdot, which is powered by Magic Pixie Dust and hence uses no energy and causes no pollution...
Carry that thought to its conclusion (Score:2)
Where do you draw the line?
Here's a thought. Money is the great equalizer. If someone can build something halfway around the world and ship it to me cheaper than I could make it myself, that's a win.
Here's another thought. If that ship / train / truck / plane carries cargo to me from halfway around the world, it probably carries something back in the other direction.
Re:Oooohhhh...nasty nasty! (Score:2)
Well, to be fair, many trade barriers were in effect before Bretton Woods. It's more the case of an old system being allowed to persist, than some new nefarious one being constructed.
Globailization is neither good nor evil. A lot of the practices of global corporations are evil, as well as short-sighted and fundamentally flawed.
Re:"Third world" is all about the conditions (Score:5, Insightful)
Amen to that. Ironically, however, the path to that happy state almost certainly lies in increased involvement in the world economy, and that at first is going to come through Western companies. So it's OK to pressure Wal-Mart, Nike, or whomever, but recognize the irony... Here in the industrial West, we reached more human working conditions through strife and struggle; it's unlikely to happen smoothly anywhere else. The worst thing is, the transnationals seemed to have learned a lot of lessons about stopping the process, but we are not transmitting the right lessons about moving it forward.
That's better than the alternative (Score:2)
Nice stretch there (Score:2)
Next time you post, try interspersing some facts or at least reasoning in amongst the rants.
For instance, one benefit of globalization is more competition, such as third world steel mills. They can make steel a whole heck of a lot cheaper than the first world. Look up some facts on how much overcapacity there is among steel mills. Half could go out of business -- the inefficient half, mind you -- and the world would be better off because (1) those workers would find something more productive to do, and (2) the crappy inefficient mills would go out of business and stop polluting.
Isn't that something! More and better work, less pollution -- bingo! Competition!
Now what was it you liked so much about localization?
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:3, Funny)
It is a well known fact that AMD Duron processors are made in a sweatshop in Maylasia.
Of course they are! You ever been in a bunny suit? No matter how cold the room is--you sweat, period. The human body just gets hot when surrounded on all sides by millimeter-thick plastic.
Even so, I hope this post was a joke. I saw it was modded funny...
Revoke this MENSA membership... (Score:2)
- i have never read anything about AMD making their processors in sweatshops...do you have any information to back that up? even if they are, does that mean we should stay away from all stores that sell AMD processors...jeez, i dunno where i'm gonna shop for electronics anymore...
A large portion of Wal-Mart's merchandise is produced in third-world countries under sweatshop conditions
- i dunno about your Wal-Mart, but in my Wal-Mart they sell tons of brand name merchandise...the same brand name merchandise that you can find in any mall, toy store, electronics store, etc...if you have a problem with the business practices of a particular brand of merchandise (e.g. Nike), then i suggest you protest their company in particular, rather then make a dangerous blanket statement like you did...
-if you were gonna slam Wal-Mart for anything, you could've slammed them from not hiring union workers (atleast i don't think they still do)...that would be a legitimate complaint (although, i don't have a problem with it)...that is one of the ways they keep their prices down, in fact...but instead, you came in with unsubstantiated claims about AMD, and a bunch of "evil" talk about Wal-Mart...nice try...
here's a link to the MENSA comment form [mensa.org], i think we should send them a copy of your post, and protest your membership...
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, it is a well known fact that the Duron is manufactured in AMD's Fab 25 in Austin, Texas. I'm sure the residents of Austin will be suprised to know that they are now citizens of "Maylasia". Or did you perhaps mean Malaysia?
But hey, smart folks like you have no need for verifiable facts, right? So much for that "no toleranse for stupidity" thing. I guess Mensa'll hand out a card to any retard willing to take their asinine brain teaser test...
Oh and, by the way, it's spelled "tolerance". You might want to fix that one of these days. But then again, since I already pointed that out to you several months ago, maybe you enjoy looking like an idiot?
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2, Interesting)
Addressed in the previous post.
their use of third-world labor,
There are very few industries that can be said not to use "third-world" [his term, I don't use it myself] labor. If you wear clothing, use gasoline, shop at a grocery store, or make less than $100K a year I have no doubt that you have patronised such an industry. But please don't feel guilty about that. The man, woman, or teenager who is hired for $1 a day to sew shoes might be able to support a family that otherwise might have to scavenge for much less. I don't doubt that abuse occurs, and it should be stopped where it is identified. I'd love to see Wal-Mart institute a program to do just that. But I can't agree with an ignorant, blanket statement that would have us deal a staggering blow to the economies of nations like Malaysia, Peru, Thailand, Mexico, India, Nigeria, etc. Maybe you imagine a world in which we could snap our fingers and all countries would be "modernised" at once. We don't live in that world. Maybe you think that they should all just go back to picking bananas and pulling rickshaws. That sort of thinking would be an insult to all the rational adults who just happen not to have been born in the developed world. They do have problems, but the solutions to them lie far more in jobs and economic development than in aid and the exploitation of natural resources.
Even if you a leg to stand on in the above, Wal-Mart is more strongly identified in the minds of most people with "buy american" than most other large retailers.
and their opression of competition in small-towns
Just what do you understand the word "competition" to mean? Wal-Mart closes down mom-and-pop stores because they can't compete. Wal-Mart typically brings an orders of magnitude greater selection of products to a town, and then offers significantly lower prices for those products. Monopolistic behavior would then dictate a raising of prices after local competition had left, but I challenge you to cite a study that has found this. In the small towns in which I've lived most of my life, we were happy if we could reap the benefits of capitalism by driving 30 miles to a Wal-Mart. Our communities appreciate a large employer for the uneducated for whom we struggle to find jobs. Gone is the time when we would "just wait" for an item that we wanted or needed. Wal-Mart is a healthy phenomenon for the general public. In most cases I've seen, efficient retailers like auto parts stores, farm supplies, hardware stores, pharmacies, and the like have survived. It's nineteenth-century dinosaurs like general stores or clothing stores that have gone by the wayside. Or maybe we should just go back to picking peas like the bumpkins you know we are?
A large portion of Wal-Mart's merchandise is produced in third-world countries under sweatshop conditions. This immoral and unethical business practice may save you a few pennies at the checkout but it exploits children and exaggerates the distance between socioeconomic classes.
Please cite any source at all for these statements. Please quantify "large portion".
Even the processor in the "linux-friendly PC" sold at Wal-Mart is manufactured from child labor in third-world countries. It is a well known fact that AMD Duron processors are made in a sweatshop in Maylasia. [sic]
Is it actually well known that the AMD plants in Malaysia that manufacture Durons use child labor? I've spent some time in Malaysia, and while it certainly isn't the U.S. [nor would I expect it to be], it is a rapidly modernising nation with a strong tradition of caring for its population, and a growing concern for the education of all young people. Malays appreciate the benefits of modern life as well as taking pride in their distinction as a culture and a nation.
I would urge everyone concerned with the exploitation of the poor children to purchase only American-made genuine Intel processors. Furthermore, using third-world labor for manufacturing causes significant harm to the American economy because of the tens of thousands of blue collar manufacturing jobs which have been moved overseas.
Ah, finally. Here it is. You, sir, are a protectionist. First, do you consider the manufacture of computers to be a traditional blue collar industry? How many jobs existed in this industry in the U.S. 20 years ago that have since moved overseas? Then, please realize that the productivity gains, which are the only drivers of sustained economic growth, over those 20 years have come about as a combination of the use of cheap overseas labor and information technology. Would you really like to trade in our economy for that of the early 1980s, even if we could? Do you imagine that any other components of your "genuine Intel" PCs are manufactured in the U.S.? As a side comment, I would much rather have my current job as an IT consultant than any manufacturing job.
Wal-Mart portrays a patriotic image in its advertising campaigns, but in reality is an evil corporate monster who exploits children for the sake of its own bottom line.
Like most companies not directly involved in the manufacture of chemicals, Wal-Mart is amoral. I would love to see it implement a program to find and eliminate child labor, but its effect in developing nations is overall positive. It is one of the strengths of capitalism that for the most part it encourages amoral individuals and organizations to improve the lives of real people, in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The best way to fight this is with our dollars. Don't spend any money at Wal-Mart and support their evil globalised empire. If we all band together, we can stop this evil menace.
This is funny, and makes me wonder if I've been trolled. Ah well, too late. I'm sure others have had these thoughts, even if you haven't.
later,
Jess
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:3, Insightful)
It would be exploiting a worker in the United States or other simarlly industrialized nation where the standard of living was high to pay a very low wage. So what happens? Ideally, the price of the imported goods are cheaper than they would be if they were made domestically. The aggregate savings that society relizes can be used to reeducate the workforce that would have been manufacturing the imported good to perform work that requires more education or skills and then the standard of living for ALL Americans can increase. At the same time, underdeveloped countries will develop more and increase the standard of living in those countries.
So, while globalization might force change, it is a change for the better. We get cheaper goods and a better standard of living. The foreign countries get meaningful jobs, the workforce and economy develops, and their standard of living increases. Global society as a whole is better off then it was before.
I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of their illegal actions towards the attempted organization of their employees, among other reasons. But the fact that they sell foreign-made goods is not one of them.
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2, Informative)
In fact, some of their merchandise has been shown to be manufactured in first-world countries under sweatshop conditions -- and by children, no less (i.e., the Kathie Lee thing). And of course, there's always the Wal-Mart practice of enforcing their own moralist values on their inventory/ services (e.g., their decision not to carry the morning-after pill).
An MS-free PC is a very good thing...but the cost outweighs the...cost, or whatever it is I'm trying to say.
Re:Stay away from Wal-Mart (Score:2)
I was of the opinion that about 1% of the population (of anywhere) had an IQ of above 120. I tested mine at 117 I think. Phhhhht. Even if I tested as 5000 points I would still say that intelligence can't be measured- there are too many biases and even tests that have supposedly been carefully controlled rely too much on knowledge rather than intelligence.
Whatever.
graspee
Re:Usenet? (Score:2, Funny)
--MonMotha
Re:Usenet? (Score:2)
Re:Usenet? (Score:3, Funny)
Ahhh... it was the September that never ended. It was like the rolled the rock from in front of the cave and all the loonies ran out and onto the net.
Q: How many AOLers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: One.
>And me too!
>>ME toO!
>>>Mee too!
>>>> AND ME TOO!
If you were there you'll get it...
=tkk
Re:Wal-mart, umm ok.. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Antenna Hookup (Score:2)
I use a decent $67 8db omnidirectional [pcmall.com] at my base station, although, if you need longer range you might want to look at this $109 24 db directional [buy.com].
Remember, you can increase the range by putting an antenna at both the base station, and the remote station. You might want to consider using an omnidirectional at the base, and a directional at the remote if you really need to push the limits.
It means there's no double occupancy discount (Score:2)
I mean, isn't it obvious that, if it's $400 for one person, it will be $800 for a couple?
It's not as obvious as you might think. In the travel business, there's often a substantial discount on per-person rates for double occupancy, meaning that if it costs $X for one person, it'll cost less than $2*X for a couple.
Re:"Financial Times of London" (Score:2)
Depends on your background and context. As a born-and-bred New Yorker, I will always think of the New York Times when hearing "The Times". Logically enough, someone from the UK would be probably think of the "The Times of London". I don't think there's a "right" way, anymore than there's a "right" assumed area code for a phone number like xxx-1212.
Re:People should stay away from Walmart (Score:5, Funny)
Re:linux is dying (Score:2)
Oh no! What does that say about the US government? Followed by, You haven't been reading /. very long, have you?
And, since I've been roused to post yet again, I suppose I should address everything in this /back that concerns me.
1. Harlan Ellison has a right to defend his copyrights, but he's an idiot to go after what a powerful ISP that is becoming more and more like a common carrier. Wasn't there a move at one point to make ISPs CCs?
2. The Simpsons is definitely on the way out. I can't say exactly when it started on the way out... it's rather like the onset of cold weather. At some point, you start wearing a hat but it doesn't usually jump from 90 to 40 all in one day, and there are plenty of 80s mixed in with the 50s. Every once in a while I still get a good belly laugh from the Simpson's, but it's been a while. Last Sunday's Apu affair just sort of sat there. How old are the octuplets? They ought to age them correctly. That would yield a good shot where Maggie meets one and then looks at Marge as if to say "why not me?"... Actually, I've seen lots of suggestions from fans that are better than the real scripts. That's a certain sign the show is dying. Like Saturday Night Live jumped the shark when GE Smith started playing. Even George Foreman smashing Smith's guitar hasn't saved it. I can still think of better scripts than they can, but I can't pinpoint the moment of failure for the Simpons... sorry.