Posts by Wade Burchette
200 posts • joined Thursday 5th April 2007 11:55 GMT
Re: A step in the right direction
I would like to see a use-it-or-lose-it clause in patent laws and different standards applied to individuals and businesses. What I would like to see is if I, as a person, patent something then as long as the patent is in my name than it is good for the rest of my life. But if a business patents something, it must be use that patent and the patent expires after 10 years. Then I would establish a patent court. This court would be staffed with judges educated in different fields. If a patent claim is credible enough to reach the court, then the court would look at the claim without participation from either party. If a company is found violating a patent, then the court will set a fair and reasonable royalty payment. After this judgment, a corporation can sue another corporation for knowingly violating patents and then, and only then, can a corporation seek past royalties. Nobody will be allowed to use a patent to stop a product from being produced and nobody will be able to stop someone else from using their patent. If a business was found in patent court of stonewalling a request to use a patent, then that patent is nullified.
Reminds me of a story
I read a story a long time ago, and I wish I could find the link again, about a certain neighborhood protesting a new tower by AT&T. The locals claimed that ever since the tower went up they have been getting headaches. The local news got wind of the story and investigated. What the news found out was the tower didn't have any power to it so it wasn't even operational.
It is quite common for people to read about a disease or condition and suddenly they come down with that condition. I know someone like that who, after reading a medical journal, will sometimes suddenly have the disease described in the journal. People think cellular towers can causes headaches, and suddenly their mind convinces them that they have more headaches or they notice their headaches more.
Yet another reason
Reason #1,057 as to why I hate these so-called cloud services.
I have to say this
Albert Einstein said "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong." Think of all the failed theories that the consensus said was true. Two good example were the geocentric solar system and miasma theory. The miasma theory had some good because it forced cities to have proper sanitation. But it was still wrong because it failed to recognize that correlation is not causation. Science is not by consensus. Anybody who says otherwise has ulterior motives. Religion is by consensus.
Humans have some effect on the climate, especially local climates. But to think that humans' effect on the global climate outweighs that of the oceans is ignorant.
Re: I'm shocked. Shocked!
One thing that I really hate about Windows 8, besides TIFKAM, is how Microsoft wants you to integrate the computer's log in with a Microsoft Live account. Most people I have met wisely don't use that feature.
Halfway there
What about the old Start Menu? I could care less about the Start Button, I care only about the smart, easy-to-use menu that appears when I push the Start Button in Windows 7. If it goes to that ugly "Metro" start screen, then you have not learned a thing.
We can call it the XBox 42. After all 42 is the answer to the ultimate question.
@biandewei,
It is not just liberals. And that is the problem. Both sides clearly do not see that they are closed-minded and therefore compromise becomes impossible. They become entrenched in their beliefs and attack the other side. Nobody likes to be attacked, so the result is the other side becomes more entrenched. Neither liberals nor conservatives are willing to listen, just attack. And we all lose as a result.
Re: Is there another side?
@stizzleswick
We cannot forget about the companies who patent things but have no intention or ability to produce a product with that patent. I also consider these company patent trolls too. In my opinion, only an individual should be able to patent an idea without having to produce an item with the patent. If a business owns a patent, a use-it-or-lose-it clause should be in effect.
Re: Not so much
I know people are not buying a new PC because they are expensive and because they run Windows 8. Occasionally I see a Windows 7 computer for sell, and a few days later it sold out. There is a demand for new computers that run Windows 7. Just because PC are selling less does not mean tablets are the only reason why. On HP's website now, they put their Windows 7 offerings above their Windows 8 ones. At least they did when I checked a few days ago.
Re: The saying should be...
You had me until you talked about the far right. Both political leanings are equally corrupt. President Obama did not end the overreaching powers President Bush started. This is not an exclusive "far-right" or "far-left" action.
I get tired of the argument "If you used Windows 8, you wouldn't hate it". I am using Windows 8 and my hate comes from months of firsthand experience. I hated the UI when I first started, and then when I started to play with it I hated it even more. While it has nice performance improvements, it makes tasks that were quick in Windows 7 much slower. Do this: Type "System Restore" in Windows 8 and tell me how long it takes you to find System Restore. Type "Uninstall" and Windows 8 and tell me how quick it takes to get to the Programs and Features part of the control so that you can uninstall a program. In Windows 7, just click start, type "uninstall" and in 1 second you could click on "uninstall a program" that is a short mouse distance away. Done. In Windows 8, you type "uninstall", then move your mouse to the right and click on Settings then move you mouse all the way to the left and click on Uninstall a Program. The UI is counter-intuitive with a mouse and touchpad.
The only three good things Windows 8 is good for is a home theater PC, a tablet, and a phone.
Re: What's Next?
The mafia already fits people for concrete shoes. So happy are the clients that you never see or hear from them again. I hear that people fitted with concrete shoes are somehow able to sleep with the fishes.
Dear Advertisers:
You just don't get it, do you? It is not ads that we dislike, it is your methods. People are tuning out ads because they are annoying and blatant and in too many places and so your solution is to make advertisements more annoying, more blatant, and in even more places. It is like a cycle that you started and don't realize that the only way to fix the problem is to stop the cycle and undo what you did to start the cycle. If you see the same thing again and again, you are desensitized to it. If you want your ads to be more effective, we need LESS of them, not MORE. Product placements need to be subtle and realistic, not blatant and everywhere. Furthermore, you need to treat your audience like people and not like subjects.
Show less advertisements, but charge more for the ones you do show. Those will be more effective because people will be more likely to pay attention. But you won't understand. You live in a world where textbooks tell you what to do. I live in the real world where the by-the-book approach tends not to work.
Reminds me of a story I read
I read this some time ago, and thus I lost the link, but I read a story about people in an upscale neighborhood complaining about headaches ever since a new cell tower was put up. When the local news investigated, it turns out the tower wasn't even on.
There is a reason why optimists are healthier.
Glad to see EA has learned nothing ...
After being voted the Worst Company in America, EA learned nothing and continues to do things the way they always done them. EA rightly deserved the Worst Company in America award for releasing an incomplete game full of DRM that will require many add-ons to be half-way as functional as Simcity 4. I was looking forward to Simcity 5, now I am going to boycott it. And it could have been avoided if EA treated like a customer and released the game with phoning-home DRM and without requiring many expansion packs.
http://consumerist.com/2012/04/04/congratulations-ea-you-are-the-worst-company-in-america-for-2012/
You better believe I am voting EA for Consumerist's 2013 Worst Company in America award and I hope you do too. Maybe winning it two years in a row will teach them; but I seriously doubt it.
Re: Promises
"Obama is much better at making promises than keeping them."
And this is different than every other politician how again?
Re: 10-20% is usually viewed as "significantly influencing" a company policy.
I get the feeling that the Microsoft investment will be the undoing of Dell. Microsoft's software decisions of later have been stupid. They are desperately trying to copy others while at the same time ignoring what made them successful. Examples: Google -> Live search/Bing; iPad -> Windows 8. You do not ignore what your customers are saying and expect to be successful: Dell lost the #1 PC crown to HP because Dell refused to sell AMD chips back when AMD really was better. If Dell is forced to listen to Microsoft who is not listening to their customers, then Dell may be in big big trouble. I foresee trouble up ahead for Dell.
Re: IT's what happens when you don't listen to your customers
Microsoft just made the common mistake many big companies make: They say "It is not our fault". People not seeing movies, it is not our fault because we know our movies are great therefore it must be piracy. People not buying new CD's, it is not our because fault because we know our music is great therefore it must be piracy. People not buying Windows 8 machines, it is not our fault because we know people like this new UI therefore it must be the OEM's fault.
Far too often today people refuse to admit they made a mistake until they have no choice but to admit. You do not need to admit a mistake publicly, but at least stop blaming others and consider you may have made a poor decision.
Icons and windows
"Spreadsheets would never be the same again and neither would the way we relate to computers. This world of icons, folders and office stationery remains to this day and likewise the impression that these places exist on the computer continues to shape our thinking as we engage daily in direct manipulation of computational tasks."
Until Microsoft decided to scrap that for an user interface that only works well on phones and tablets. And forces that user interface on everybody while at the same time ignoring people who legitimately do not like that user interface. (The people who claim that "if you don't like Windows 8 you must not have used it" are side-effect because Microsoft is to square to have a blind following.)
Posted in Cisco sued by East Carolina University
Background
I am an ECU alumnus so let me give you some background into the university.
First, it has a reputation as being a party college. The professors are actually very good and personal. But what happens is kids go there because they think it is a party college. They go and are not serious about their education. Probably only 1/3 of the students who go there are serious. After 2 years they are gone but the damage is done, the academics rating is lowered, and the cycle repeats.
What I liked about the teachers is they knew who were the serious ones and they took an active interest in them. I even had one stop me while I walking to another class to give me some advice about how to do better. You do have your douchebags. I had one professor accusing me of cheating because I turned in a project that was, in his words, "an A student's work and you are not an A student". After 10 minutes of grilling me, he said "I know you did this project" but still grilled me for another 10 minutes. At least I got an A in that class.
ECU can claim Sandra Bullock as an alumnus too. So it is not all bad. It would be a decent university if it could somehow shake the party college identity it has. They don't try to be one, in fact there really isn't much to do there. (Maybe that is why they drink all day, out of boredom.) But it is caught in a vicious cycle. I think this lawsuit is stupid and a waste of money. The best thing the university can spend money on is to keep the lazy kids who only want to let loose away from mommy and daddy away from the university.
Re: !!!
I hate W8 for a few reasons:
(1) Tasks that were a 2 steps are now 3 or 4. For example: In W8 type "uninstall". Do you get "Uninstall a program"? No. Now you have to move your mouse a long way to click another menu to get to "Uninstall a program". In Windows 7, type "uninstall" and soon after that you'll see "Uninstall a program". Two steps in W7, three in W8. The same for System Restore.
(2) I love Aero. The rounded corners just look and feel refined. W8's design looks like it was designed by a child. Something about the square corners of W8 just bother me. This is subjective, but the design of the GUI just bothers me.
In short, Windows 8 violates a basic principle: a hammer is not a screwdriver. Do not make a hammer try to put in a screw. A tablet is not a laptop or desktop. Stop trying to make a desktop or laptop something it will never be. The idea to integrate operate systems across platforms is solid; The idea to standardize GUI's is not.
Re: Filmic thoughts....
M Night Shyalaman would be the perfect director because both he and McAfee AV become progressively worse as time went on.
Uh-oh
Too bad I named my kid after the last good Windows product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRUdaWZ4FN0
Re: Sweden...
I hear the Guantanamo Bay resort is sunny and warm.
Re: Old rags
I used to get Computer Shopper quite often. I can still remember the issue about the Pentium. The turning point for me was when I found anandtech.com. Then I found other enthusiasts websites. Soon enough, I never read Computer Shopper again. Why pay for last month's reviews? Plus I finally got tired of looking at all the stuff in Computer Shopper I could never afford.
Re: Microsoft doesn't have a history of great innovation...
"Go ahead - try and objectively show me what takes more mouse movement and clicks to accomplish on Win8 than on Win7."
Try this on Windows 8: type "system restore" and tell me if "System Restore" appears in the search results. Type "uninstall" and tell me if you get "Uninstall a program" in the search results. I also tried typing "programs and features". That is two right there.
However, I will admit this, my copy of Windows 8 is the TechNet copy which is actually a crippled version of Windows 8. Try it for yourself and let me know if your version brings up these things. I'm willing to admit that my TechNet crippled Windows 8 might be souring my opinion of it.
Posted in Word wonks insist GIFs are really JIFs
I always pronounced "jif" because g before i has a j sound. Giraffe, gin, give. Oh wait, ignore that last one.
Maybe we should just say GEE-EYE-EFF and be done with it.
Re: no surprise here
@peter 45: In her defense, anybody can miss Greenland, all tucked away down there.
Re: Oh dear
Why is that every time someone says "I hate Windows 8", there has to be someone who comes along and says "I see you don't use Windows 8."
Uh, WRONG! I installed Windows 8. I played with it. My hatred for it comes from personal experience. For example: in Windows 7 type "uninstall". You will get "uninstall a program" on the start menu. Do the same in Windows 8. The only thing that will appear are shortcuts with uninstall in the title. So now instead of just typing "uninstall" and clicking on the first icon that appears, now I have to type "control panel" and look for "programs and features". What was once one step is now 2 longer steps. I spent 5 minutes trying to figure out how to close IE10 in Metro (or whatever it is called) mode; never did. And I have more. Type "system restore" in Windows 8 and tell me what comes up. My hatred for Windows 8 comes from using Windows 8. By the way, I tried typing "uninstall" and "system restore" on both retail Windows 8 Pro and TechNet Windows 8 Enterprise.
Windows 8 is not all bad. I like the performance improvements. But now the time saved booting is more than wasted by the time to do anything meaningful. Microsoft just forgot than a hammer is not a screwdriver. You don't make a hammer something it is not so you don't put a screw in with a hammer. A desktop or laptop is not a tablet. You don't make a desktop something it is not. Different tools have different purposes.
"Will it be remembered as an XP or a Vista?"
I think it will be remember as something far worse. I think it will be remember as an Edsel. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel ) That is to say, this will be a product clearly designed by people who look at trends but who have no experience in those trends and who completely ignore the wants of the target audience. Then these same disconnected people will wonder why something so awkward never was accepted despite spending so much money on it.
Personally, I think we will in the future refer to software failures as "eights". Lets have a hypothetical situation: "Apple attempts to revolutionize the calendar app in iOS 7 but it turned out to be another eight." "Amazon introduced a specialized UI for its new Kindle Fire but it really was nothing more than an eight." "Microsoft laid a big fat eight on us with the new Outlook PST file revisions."
I wonder how long before Microsoft deep-six's the Eight? And blames all the problems on everybody but the decision makers.
Re: Inquiring minds...
"I have never seen an actual double-blind test done. I know that a lot of people have offered to organise one, but so far, no one with the 'sensitivity problem' has been willing to participate."
Reminds me of a story I read about where a new mobile phone tower was put up and people in the community where complaining about headaches. The local news investigated and found out the tower didn't have the electricity connected yet.
Re: Let's make everyone happy
@Tom 38:
I was thinking of that too. Because of the radio telescope at Green Bank, the FCC prohibits all radio signals in the area. No TV, no radio, nothing. I've been there. It is a beautiful and fascinating place. But it does have the problems common in Appalachia of poverty and long drives for life's basics. As a bonus, there is a small ski resort not too far away.
Re: That pretty much screws people who build their own PCs.
@Monty Burns:
How many people have a touchscreen monitor? Not many. If you like it, fine. I've used it and I hate it with a passion. The new "modern" design is just plain ugly and annoying and not meant for people who use a mouse. I don't have a touchscreen, I don't want a touchscreen, and I want my desktop with my start button small and in the corner.
Leave metric to the scientists
You can have the imperial system when you pry it from my cold dead hands! The English language just sounds right with imperial. "I walked miles and miles" sounds right; "I walked kilometers and kilometers" doesn't flow off the tongue. I'll admit that starting at 32 degree for freezing is weird for Fahrenheit. But there are 180 degree between freezing and boiling in Fahrenheit, making it a more precise measurement than Celsius which has only 100 degrees between the two.
Posted in Why is solid-state storage so flimsy?
If you are using Windows
I have three words for you: Windows Home Server. These three words make the backup process easy. What I do, in addition to the standard daily backup Windows Home Server does, is to use SyncToy to copy the most important files -- pictures and documents -- to Windows Home Server. It is my opinion that WHS is Microsoft's second best OS, just behind Windows 7.
Re: Microsoft: Windows users at high risk of malware infection
Yeah, and London is more secure from terrorists than New York City because London has never had a plane crashed into one of its buildings. Essentially this is what you are saying: The system that is targeted more because more people use it is less safe than the system that is targeted less. Every complex system has its weaknesses. If Mac was the dominant PC, then it would have the same problems with malware as Windows. The same with Linux. If Linux truly was secure, there would be no need to antivirus programs for my Android phone.
Re: Only
"Only a crazy loon alien is about the only thing that would upgrade their Win 7 computer to Win 8."
That should have been a dead giveaway right there. The only way Win8 is being put on my computer is if you pay me and even then it stays on only until the money is in the bank. Accusing someone of pirating Windows 8 is like accusing someone of pirating a Zamfir album
Re: Woah, hold on there...
@AC #1. "At least the phone can't be cropped over to factory reset remotely unlike some other major manufactuer of the robotic type."
You missed the point. Apple likes to pretend their product are perfect and just "work". Apple works hard to maintain that persona and the iSheep believe every word Apple says like God talking to Moses. Of course I realize not everyone who uses Apple products is an iSheep because they do make a good product. The ones I'm laughing at are the ones who actually believe Apple is perfect and can do no wrong and that owning their products somehow makes you better.
Posted in iPhone 5 adaptors goldrush begins
This cartoon is more appropriate than ever
What it is like to own an Apple product
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
Re: Climate-change sceptics
Do you actually know where the "97% of climate scientists" claim came from? In short, from a survey where 3000 responded but only 77 of those 3000 were used and of those 77, 75 said man-made global warming is real. Don't take my word for it, please verify this. Do your own research into the matter.
Do you want to know why I believe man-made global warming is a hoax? (1) If the science behind it is real, then why do the scientists refuse to follow the scientific method and make their data available and results reproducible? (2) If the science behind it is real, then why do the scientists who promote refuse to have an open, honest debate with those scientists who do not believe? If you are right, what do you have to lose? Science isn't the legal system where you have the right to remain silent. (3) If the science behind it is real, then why do the scientists work hard to avoid Freedom of Information laws.
I will conclude with this: Why is that these scientists ONLY talk about the Arctic and never talk about the Antarctic? Did you know that the Antarctic has had unusually high ice extent for years? Did you know that most of the melting in the Arctic is unrelated to temperature but to ocean currents and wind? Did you know that a strong polar storm caused the Arctic ice to sink a record low? Did you know the measurable ice records we have only go back to the 1970's?
I keep reading about people who say that those who haven't used Metro are the ones who hate it. Well, I'm here to tell you that ain't true. I tried Metro, I gave it an honest go, and I hate it. The fact is just because it is new and well-researched doesn't mean it is better. You do not replace something that is well-known, works well and will work well for a long time, and is easy to use with something new. I will admit adding the desktop button on the latest release candidate was a good touch. But the Metro UI idea, while good on a phone or tablet, is not good on a desktop or laptop.
Posted in Disable Gadgets NOW says Redmond
I do
I have a clock, a CPU meter, my daily Dilbert cartoon, the current moon phase, and where the sun is currently shining on the earth.
Re: Your over confidence astounds me!
Blitterbug: "Many of us Win8 haters are devoted MS fans who feel let down by the steaming turd Microsoft have just crimped off."
I feel like Microsoft is trying to blur the line between tablets and desktops/laptops but forgetting that the two have different purposes and should be designed as such. Personally, I am not touching Windows 8 with a 2,500 ft pole.
Leprechauns have a sordid history
We already know they told Ralph Wiggum to burn things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHwnuQIPNF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dJznTAwLSY
Now they are beating up innocent civilians! When will it end! Won't somebody think of the children!
Re: Oh sweet jesus...
"I guess it might be finger friendly"
Can you guess which finger I will be using with Windows 8? Since Microsoft seems to be soft in the head lately, I will give them a hint. It is the finger between my index finger and ring finger.
Re: Sea level rise, what sea level rise?
Just to drive the point home.
http://sealevel.colorado.edu/files/2011_rel4/sl_ns_global.png
If we assume the 3.2 +/- 0.4 mm rise per year holds true (and looking at the latest graph, that will have to be lowered some time), that still won't give you 3 feet. 3.2 mm per year x 100 years = 320 mm = about 1 ft and 1/2 inch (if my math is correct).
Posted in Headmaster freezes schoolkids for Gaia
Too hot is just as bad
Here in the States, specifically in North Carolina where I live, our school always had heat. But we didn't always have air conditioning. It matters here because highs in 90's and 100's (Fahrenheit of course) are common. The cold and the heat each bring their own problems. Our schools weren't designed to let the heat out either. You try listening to the teacher when you are covered in sweat. And then knowing you have to put up with that heat the next day. Given a choice between the two, I rather put up with near freezing temps than being too hot.
And then, the year I graduated, our school was installing air conditioning.
(no title)
Those who do everything do nothing well. I tried using Bing when its name was first changed from Live search. But I found it couldn't find water in the middle of the ocean. I had more success searching Microsoft's website using Google than Bing! Microsoft should stick to what they do best.
However, I disagree with you regarding "Winblows". Apparently you've never used Windows 7. And also, apparently you've never used Office. Those products are anything but crappy, and many people want to use them. Only people who cannot afford Office or fanboys want to use the alternatives to Office.
The core Microsoft products, the ones that have been around a long time such as Windows, Office, and SQL Server, are really good. The problem with Microsoft is they want to branch out too much.
This is how malware beats Windows too
On Windows Vista and later versions, any change that affects all users requires the UAC prompt, unless it exploits a security weakness. Most malware does not exploit weaknesses. Instead, what malware now does is to install in a folder specific to the user. In Windows Vista, this is usually the %localappdata% folder (c:\users\<my name>\appdata\local\). If it installs there, there is no UAC prompt, but the appdata folder is also hidden so most people don't know to search there. So now the malware creators have discovered that the same trick to avoid prompting for a password in Windows now works on Macs. If the file installs in a location specific to the user and not the system, it beats the password.
