I agree as well...I can remember well my CS classes. There were probably 2-3 other people in the room who actually understood the material or even seemed to grasp the problem solving aspects of programming.
Honestly, I'm pretty much self-taught. I just read the text book in about two days, messed around with stuff and taught myself. Early on, I had a tendency to try and bite off more than I could chew. I would try and use the fanciest concepts that I could dream up, stumbling upon capsulization pretty much just from learning about functions (man, I thought function pointers in C/C++ were the most amazing things ever for a while...I still think so, but I like the abstraction placed on them in some higher-level languages). I always would get hung up trying to debug my program because of those 100,000 extra lines of code that I was writing where I was just over the horizon of grasping the concepts.
Experience has helped me get over that, but I still look back and wonder how many of my classmates actually have become good programmers...some of them couldn't code unless, as BillDivX mentioned, someone tells them what to do. I have a co-worker like that. He's good enough after that, but he's not gonna figure out anything on his own.
Personally, I feel that I'm gifted at algorithms, but I have a job as a code-monkey for now. I kinda hate the idea, but it's definitely changed my coding habits for good and given me more discipline. Breaking into a graphics algorithms field will have to come with time. Besides, landing a job your Senior year in college is hard enough. I'd say that I was really lucky to get anything (Nebraska is not really a technological epicenter of the world - it's the corn-husker state...what can you expect? I guess I could move back home to Texas).
My point is that I do agree with BillDivX, but I think that the ranks get quite mixed in the real-world...I think plenty of those "untalented" people end up in the jobs that others of us have (or at least, think we have) the talent for and would love to have ourselves. O well, time and patience may remedy that...or at least help ease the pain of it all.
For all the crap you give Weird Harold, I must admit, I respect the guy because he has enough sense to ignore your petty comments and jabs.
So, if you see this, Weird Harold (I'm guessing you probably read SOME of these comments), I just want to commend your character in the matter in at least appropriately addressing the topics discussed, even if I disagree with your opinions most extremely.
My handle is identifiable...Anonymous Coward is kinda not...
You know about as much about me as I do about you...Sean tells me nothing...just like my handle tells you nothing...except that the comment belongs to me...the only difference between an internet handle and a name is that the internet handle can be impersonated easily...so don't give me that Bull-shit...
the only gun I was pulling was the smoking gun he had already pointed anonymously at Mike...I just found it curious that he could make such an accusation that showed the fact that he obviously doesn't read the posts (or doesn't comprehend what he reads)...and had the audacity on top of that to be unidentifiable...
The difference between him and you and I is that every time I see a post signed with Sean, I assume it must be you (I can't do anything else but...)...and when a post comes in signed kirillian, you have to assume its from me...because names involve a level of trust...anonymous coward does not convey anything of the kind because we assume its some random person out in some vague sea of people...
And if you had the guts to at least put your name up here, we might take your own ranting a little more seriously, but until you get some commenter's discipline (does this kind of BS even exist?!?!?), we can't help but think that you really don't understand.
O, btw...stop fudging the issue yourself. If yall are so mentally handicapped that you can't READ some previous articles on your own and need Mike and the rest of the readers here to take you by the hand and walk you through the thinking process so that you understand what is going on here, then why the heck do you come here?!!? Get a grip on reality people. You have permission to think for yourself (and read for yourself).
Don't get your panties in a wad just cuz Mike didn't spell out years of blogging, comments, and thinking for you in a few sentences...dang...
He's making a conclusive statement that MAKES SENSE in light of recent posts and discussions...
~ Some days I roll out of bed and want to shoot all the stupid people in the world...then I realize that was probably me yesterday.
I think the point that Mike kinda is heading toward is the fact that some group of anti-gaming fanatics are going to take Sony's "persecution" of their ideals as a sign that games really ARE EVIL...and that they are heading down the right path in their zeal to destroy the evil ones...they may even view Sony as being representative of some sort of "Axis of Evil" (sorry 'W'...couldn't resist) because of their prosecution...so...ya...I think, more than anything, it's just a stupid move on Sony's part...whether or not they have the RIGHT to prosecute is completely pointless...of course they have the right...they bought it when they hired litigation lawyers and when they supported their corrupt politicians years ago...of course they have the RIGHT...but only an idiot would exercise it in this particular case...
Tech Support: "Hello, how can I help you today?"
Guy: "What the F*** @#!$!@#$%%^$%^ is up with my @#$@#!$ tv?!?!?"
Tech Support: "What seems to be the trouble..."
Guy: "It doesn't work."
...
Tech Support: "You shot a HOLE in your TV?!?!? I'm sorry sir, but we can't support damaged equipment. You're gonna need to buy a new one."
- 'Click'
So...instead of addressing the issue at hand...again...you resort to attacking Mike himself:
"This is a shame, because Mike is not stupid but he is blind to the truth."
Even if I blindly just assumed that the rest of your statements are true (no, you did NOT make any effort to support your comments...you just declared that you were in the right), I am completely turned off by the fact that you ignored the argument altogether and just blurted out a bunch of crap.
And I'm sure it's just coincidence that you happen to belong to a bunch of pro-IP and patent companies/organizations? You're probably not biased at all...
Man...this conversation got off-topic really fast.
I think that Mike's whole point was that Pioneer was blaming the customers for not buying enough stuff rather than realizing that they just weren't providing the product that people wanted to buy. That's called a mistake - something that happens in real life. It's not a failure on the part of the consumer. Neither you, nor I have the "responsibility" to buy anything from anyone...it's Pioneer's responsibility and job (their livelihood depends on it) to make me WANT to buy their stuff so that I am willing to give them my money in exchange for their goods.
Doesn't anyone actually understand economics??!?!? Supply and Demand and all that is derived from them don't mean anything if the original premises aren't followed - Goods are scarce. People want goods. People are willing to pay for goods only if they want them AND HAVE AVAILABLE INCOME!!
My guess is that Pioneers execs needed something to tell their stockholders that didn't paint them in their true colors. Rather, they were trying to paint the "victim" picture. That is just a sad, sad situation.
I'm a U.S. citizen. That being said. You're comment amounts to some seriously bigoted bull-shit...assuming you're not an RIAA/MPAA/big-corporation shill.
Referring to The Pirate Bay's attitude, I support the way they deal with the RIAA. I can't say it's the best way to deal with anyone, but it certainly does feel good when SOMEONE sticks up to the bully.
Concerning your thoguhts that the Pirate Bay will be hauled into court...No one has the "right" to hold another to some moral standard except if mutually agreed upon (we elect a government...and we pledge our loyalty to that government. In turn, the government upholds a moral standard that is, in its turn, the mutual morality we have agreed upon). Anything beyond such is a road to complete and utter chaos...
Personally, I think that stupid comments made by people like you who apparently talk before thinking (that's giving you the benefit of the doubt and saying that you might be capable of thinking at all) are half of the reason that Americans have such a bad rap.
I have no problems respecting your thinking. But this is just you spitting out someone else's propaganda...there's no room in intelligent discussion for regurgitation.
I may not be a huge fan of IE, but I agree that this lawsuit is completely out of hand...and Firefox's approval of it just makes them seem like a company begging for a government handout.
@db0 - I think you really need to look at the history of software a little harder...Microsoft never really has been a monopolizer...they just compete better than anyone else...kinda like Tiger Woods in golf...he doesn't cheat...he's just been heads and tails above EVERYONE...so of course he wins all the time. Same thing with Microsoft...ya...sometimes they get lazy, but really, when you sit back and look at it, they're just trying to do what any business would do - make money...
That being said, it's nice to see a push in the browser market again from the efforts of google and firefox...
Does such a creature really exist? I thought that the basement-dweller was a more leftist-leaning being...fearful of daylight because that was the realm of the right-wing predator...
I'm a native Southerner...and man, I never really met racism until I moved up farther North (I guess Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota really aren't North, but they are close enough). I grew up in Texas...and damn you if you EVER called a black person an African-American...but up here, the white people seem to thinnk that calling someone black is just as offensive as 'nigger' (pardon my use in the academic sense here...) or such-like. Heck, my mom's side of the family is all hick...and they could care less what color you were...
I don't think you can lump the South into a big group of racists like that. Just like I don't think that all Northerners are racists either (though I swear that about 60% of them have never seen a black person that was not named Obama...).
I think no matter where you go, there's gonna be a little lack of understanding on anyone's part...we used to make fun of Arkansas-ans for being the inbreds...
Actually, I think y'all missed an even worse problem
Let's say we actually implemented this campaign...what's to stop spammers from doing the same thing? After the news media gets in a buzz about how the government is trying to educate people about spam by spamming, just think how easily the spammers could convert some of their operation to setting up FAKE education sites that provided drive-by viruses that created new bot-nets or something. I'm sure that actual spammers could think up even more malicious things than that, but surely you have to realize that "educating" people through the use of spam really opens up new angles of attack for the spammers...and we don't really need to be giving them any help...they're already good enough at finding new methods as it is.
As much as I love Blizzard for their committment to providing good games and service, I have to admit that this is a VERY dangerous precedent that CANNOT be tolerated. Hegemon13 and :Lobo Santo are 100% correct when they speak of the fact that rights are being slowly taken away because we aren't willing to fight for them. I understand the sentiment that we feel like we should fight such things as cheating, but NEVER at the cost of rights that can come back to bite EVERYONE in the butt.
You know this from experience? Obviously you or your buddies got the wrong pirated copy. I have a friend who is having no such issue (I called him just to check...).
Plenty of people would like better internet access
I work for a company that provides an internet service to many people who live in rural areas. Probably about half of our customer base uses satellite internet to connect to our service because they do not have access to anything other than dial-up otherwise. They know that satellite internet has problems with streaming, but they don't really have much choice. Then there is a group of people that have just a dial-up connection trying to figure out why the video and audio won't work. Many of them would love to have a faster connection.
These people actually want better connections, but they don't have much choice in the matter. They pay exhorbitant prices for crappy internet connections and think that's normal. Then they get terrible service from their ISP diagnosing their problems. This is quite a turnoff for them - they are used to people waiting hand and foot for them and the horridly rude reps and terrible service they provide is just ridiculous.
I know that there's a little bias from the sense that anyone who is trying to use our service already has something for an internet connection or is at least familiar with it, but...I've never had a phone call where someone had dial-up and found out that our service required broadband...and then said anything to the effect that they didn't want it...if anything it was, "Well, we can't get anything else out here..."
I definitely agree that the media has spoonfed information to the American public for a great many years. However, the media are also our balance against government propaganda. Whether or not any of us believe that Obama will abuse the system, we ALL have to realize that someone who WILL abuse the system inevitably finds a way to do so. While we can't protect against every loophole, I do think it important that we be careful of setting dangerous precedents.
I definitely have been impressed so far with Obama's attitude and attempts to be transparent. However, I am a little concerned that the press is being removed too far from the picture. While placing information up on the internet where the public can find it will, I think, help the transparency issue AND help to curb the media's own propaganda, I think it becomes extremely dangerous if the media is prevented from having any sort of access as it creates a new media in essence - a government controlled media. Surely each of you can see the slippery slope this is headed down - government control over the media is a dangerous thing.
No matter that I support Obama's actions. This scares the living daylights out of me! Even if Obama doesn't abuse it, what's to say that the next guy doesn't?
This is a problem. A grave one. I agree that Obama's attempts to make change are great, but I can't help but worry that the precedents that may be set in the coming years may be worse than we can imagine.
I suggest that the administration continue to provide public access to information through the internet, but I also suggest that the administration allow the media access to a good bit more in government for the purpose of balance of power.
It is dangerous when the government which is elected by the choices and opinions of its people has the ability to greatly influence the choices and opinions of its people...
On the post: Is It A Good Thing That Computer Science Is 'Cool Again'?
Re: Agreed...
Honestly, I'm pretty much self-taught. I just read the text book in about two days, messed around with stuff and taught myself. Early on, I had a tendency to try and bite off more than I could chew. I would try and use the fanciest concepts that I could dream up, stumbling upon capsulization pretty much just from learning about functions (man, I thought function pointers in C/C++ were the most amazing things ever for a while...I still think so, but I like the abstraction placed on them in some higher-level languages). I always would get hung up trying to debug my program because of those 100,000 extra lines of code that I was writing where I was just over the horizon of grasping the concepts.
Experience has helped me get over that, but I still look back and wonder how many of my classmates actually have become good programmers...some of them couldn't code unless, as BillDivX mentioned, someone tells them what to do. I have a co-worker like that. He's good enough after that, but he's not gonna figure out anything on his own.
Personally, I feel that I'm gifted at algorithms, but I have a job as a code-monkey for now. I kinda hate the idea, but it's definitely changed my coding habits for good and given me more discipline. Breaking into a graphics algorithms field will have to come with time. Besides, landing a job your Senior year in college is hard enough. I'd say that I was really lucky to get anything (Nebraska is not really a technological epicenter of the world - it's the corn-husker state...what can you expect? I guess I could move back home to Texas).
My point is that I do agree with BillDivX, but I think that the ranks get quite mixed in the real-world...I think plenty of those "untalented" people end up in the jobs that others of us have (or at least, think we have) the talent for and would love to have ourselves. O well, time and patience may remedy that...or at least help ease the pain of it all.
On the post: Kids Involved In Murder Plot? Blame The Internet And Mobile Phones!
Re: SCUMBAGS!!!
So, if you see this, Weird Harold (I'm guessing you probably read SOME of these comments), I just want to commend your character in the matter in at least appropriately addressing the topics discussed, even if I disagree with your opinions most extremely.
On the post: Yet Another 'Savior For The Music Industry' Shuts Down
Re: from-the-well-duh-department
Nice...
On the post: If Your Business Model Revolves Around Taking Some Feature Away From People, You're Doing It Wrong
Re: Re: Re:
You know about as much about me as I do about you...Sean tells me nothing...just like my handle tells you nothing...except that the comment belongs to me...the only difference between an internet handle and a name is that the internet handle can be impersonated easily...so don't give me that Bull-shit...
the only gun I was pulling was the smoking gun he had already pointed anonymously at Mike...I just found it curious that he could make such an accusation that showed the fact that he obviously doesn't read the posts (or doesn't comprehend what he reads)...and had the audacity on top of that to be unidentifiable...
The difference between him and you and I is that every time I see a post signed with Sean, I assume it must be you (I can't do anything else but...)...and when a post comes in signed kirillian, you have to assume its from me...because names involve a level of trust...anonymous coward does not convey anything of the kind because we assume its some random person out in some vague sea of people...
On the post: If Your Business Model Revolves Around Taking Some Feature Away From People, You're Doing It Wrong
Re:
O, btw...stop fudging the issue yourself. If yall are so mentally handicapped that you can't READ some previous articles on your own and need Mike and the rest of the readers here to take you by the hand and walk you through the thinking process so that you understand what is going on here, then why the heck do you come here?!!? Get a grip on reality people. You have permission to think for yourself (and read for yourself).
Don't get your panties in a wad just cuz Mike didn't spell out years of blogging, comments, and thinking for you in a few sentences...dang...
He's making a conclusive statement that MAKES SENSE in light of recent posts and discussions...
~ Some days I roll out of bed and want to shoot all the stupid people in the world...then I realize that was probably me yesterday.
On the post: Sony Considers Lawsuit Over Its Controller Being Used In Anti-Video Game Ad
Bad PR
...idiots...
On the post: Maybe The DTV Transition Delay Wasn't Such A Bad Idea
Tech Support
Tech Support: "Hello, how can I help you today?"
Guy: "What the F*** @#!$!@#$%%^$%^ is up with my @#$@#!$ tv?!?!?"
Tech Support: "What seems to be the trouble..."
Guy: "It doesn't work."
...
Tech Support: "You shot a HOLE in your TV?!?!? I'm sorry sir, but we can't support damaged equipment. You're gonna need to buy a new one."
- 'Click'
On the post: Patent Hoarding Firms Discover The ITC Loophole
Re: Re: Re: American Inventors v. Drones
"This is a shame, because Mike is not stupid but he is blind to the truth."
Even if I blindly just assumed that the rest of your statements are true (no, you did NOT make any effort to support your comments...you just declared that you were in the right), I am completely turned off by the fact that you ignored the argument altogether and just blurted out a bunch of crap.
And I'm sure it's just coincidence that you happen to belong to a bunch of pro-IP and patent companies/organizations? You're probably not biased at all...
Shill?
On the post: If Consumers Won't 'Pay Up' For Quality, Whose Fault Is It?
Off Topic
I think that Mike's whole point was that Pioneer was blaming the customers for not buying enough stuff rather than realizing that they just weren't providing the product that people wanted to buy. That's called a mistake - something that happens in real life. It's not a failure on the part of the consumer. Neither you, nor I have the "responsibility" to buy anything from anyone...it's Pioneer's responsibility and job (their livelihood depends on it) to make me WANT to buy their stuff so that I am willing to give them my money in exchange for their goods.
Doesn't anyone actually understand economics??!?!? Supply and Demand and all that is derived from them don't mean anything if the original premises aren't followed - Goods are scarce. People want goods. People are willing to pay for goods only if they want them AND HAVE AVAILABLE INCOME!!
My guess is that Pioneers execs needed something to tell their stockholders that didn't paint them in their true colors. Rather, they were trying to paint the "victim" picture. That is just a sad, sad situation.
On the post: Yet Another Musician Offers Tiers... Including A Backyard Concert
Re: what a freak
On the post: Pirate Bay Trial In Sweden To Be Broadcast Online
Re:
Referring to The Pirate Bay's attitude, I support the way they deal with the RIAA. I can't say it's the best way to deal with anyone, but it certainly does feel good when SOMEONE sticks up to the bully.
Concerning your thoguhts that the Pirate Bay will be hauled into court...No one has the "right" to hold another to some moral standard except if mutually agreed upon (we elect a government...and we pledge our loyalty to that government. In turn, the government upholds a moral standard that is, in its turn, the mutual morality we have agreed upon). Anything beyond such is a road to complete and utter chaos...
Personally, I think that stupid comments made by people like you who apparently talk before thinking (that's giving you the benefit of the doubt and saying that you might be capable of thinking at all) are half of the reason that Americans have such a bad rap.
I have no problems respecting your thinking. But this is just you spitting out someone else's propaganda...there's no room in intelligent discussion for regurgitation.
On the post: Disappointing: Mozilla Siding With Bogus EU Antitrust Action Against Microsoft
Re: Re: Fanboys
yall knew what I meant though, I think
On the post: Disappointing: Mozilla Siding With Bogus EU Antitrust Action Against Microsoft
Fanboys
www.slashdot.com
You can head there to post your fanboy comments.
I may not be a huge fan of IE, but I agree that this lawsuit is completely out of hand...and Firefox's approval of it just makes them seem like a company begging for a government handout.
@db0 - I think you really need to look at the history of software a little harder...Microsoft never really has been a monopolizer...they just compete better than anyone else...kinda like Tiger Woods in golf...he doesn't cheat...he's just been heads and tails above EVERYONE...so of course he wins all the time. Same thing with Microsoft...ya...sometimes they get lazy, but really, when you sit back and look at it, they're just trying to do what any business would do - make money...
That being said, it's nice to see a push in the browser market again from the efforts of google and firefox...
On the post: Google Accused Of Invisibly Deleting Blog Posts On The RIAA's Say-So
Re: Re: Denial ain't a river in Egypt
On the post: University Of The South Says No Creativity Allowed If It Involves Tennessee Williams' Characters
Racism in the South
I don't think you can lump the South into a big group of racists like that. Just like I don't think that all Northerners are racists either (though I swear that about 60% of them have never seen a black person that was not named Obama...).
I think no matter where you go, there's gonna be a little lack of understanding on anyone's part...we used to make fun of Arkansas-ans for being the inbreds...
On the post: Can The Solution To Spam Be Hoax Spam?
Actually, I think y'all missed an even worse problem
On the post: Ruling In WoW Bot Case At Odds With Intention Of Copyright Law
I wholeheartedly agree
On the post: Gears Of War DRM Makes It Unplayable As Of Yesterday
Re: Re: It is DRM, from my understanding
Nice one Dan.
On the post: More People Realizing Broadband Stimulus Is Targeting The Wrong Problem
Plenty of people would like better internet access
These people actually want better connections, but they don't have much choice in the matter. They pay exhorbitant prices for crappy internet connections and think that's normal. Then they get terrible service from their ISP diagnosing their problems. This is quite a turnoff for them - they are used to people waiting hand and foot for them and the horridly rude reps and terrible service they provide is just ridiculous.
I know that there's a little bias from the sense that anyone who is trying to use our service already has something for an internet connection or is at least familiar with it, but...I've never had a phone call where someone had dial-up and found out that our service required broadband...and then said anything to the effect that they didn't want it...if anything it was, "Well, we can't get anything else out here..."
On the post: Transparency Not Just About Access To The Press
As much as I agree...
I definitely have been impressed so far with Obama's attitude and attempts to be transparent. However, I am a little concerned that the press is being removed too far from the picture. While placing information up on the internet where the public can find it will, I think, help the transparency issue AND help to curb the media's own propaganda, I think it becomes extremely dangerous if the media is prevented from having any sort of access as it creates a new media in essence - a government controlled media. Surely each of you can see the slippery slope this is headed down - government control over the media is a dangerous thing.
No matter that I support Obama's actions. This scares the living daylights out of me! Even if Obama doesn't abuse it, what's to say that the next guy doesn't?
This is a problem. A grave one. I agree that Obama's attempts to make change are great, but I can't help but worry that the precedents that may be set in the coming years may be worse than we can imagine.
I suggest that the administration continue to provide public access to information through the internet, but I also suggest that the administration allow the media access to a good bit more in government for the purpose of balance of power.
It is dangerous when the government which is elected by the choices and opinions of its people has the ability to greatly influence the choices and opinions of its people...
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