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Comment Re:Wait a minute (Score 1) 167

What? TFS is about Yahoo actually censoring adult search results. The question of how successful they are is not especially relevant. They're able to filter at least some results; anyone who has had to deal with the safe search filters at Yahoo of Google can agree that they do work a great majority of the time. So like I said, they can't "claim that filtering porn is infeasible".

Comment Re:I've nearly last count... (Score 1) 958

That would be a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act if you are over 40.

Only if the regulators are as literal as you are applying the law. I'm sure screening applicants for aptitude to travel is legal, and people with families happen to be less apt for this particular, required-for-the-job task.

Comment Re:Not Hefty? (Score 1) 406

Variable costs !- total costs. Just because a cost has already occurred (dvd printing or automating your warehouse) doesn't mean the company should not pass it to its customers. How else are they supposed to recoup these costs? Pricing should account for total costs in the long term.

I think in this situation, the major argument against charging s&h costs is that customers have already paid for them when buying Vista, when what they really wanted (and were promised) in the first place was 7.

Comment Re:similar to Snow Leopard (Score 2) 406

But hey, if you feel "ripped off", then don't buy it.

Thing is, the customers in question here think they've already bought Windows 7. They got a computer with Vista, which they don't want, with a promise of a free upgrade. They don't care what shipping and handling cost the retailers, they've already had to live with Vista for 3 months and now can finally get what they really paid for in the first place.

Sure they'll pay the fee. Better pay 17$ than losing your 300$ purchase, yet it's still a huge PITA.

Comment Bad news, good news (Score 1) 200

Markets have a way to circumvent these monopolies. It's called innovation. Wanna bet that 20 million dissatisfied broadband Internet customers are a tremendous incentive for smaller companies to offer a wireless Internet solution? Or something new altogether? Investment in alternative technologies will without a doubt increase if Bell and Telus don't allow competitors to have their slice of profits.
NASA

Space Station Crew Drinks Recycled Urine 349

An anonymous reader writes "After the astronauts on the International Space Station finished up their communications with Space Shuttle Atlantis yesterday, the crew on the Space Station did something that no other astronaut has ever done before — drank recycled urine and sweat. The previous shuttle crew that recently returned to Earth brought back samples of the recycled water to make sure it was safe to drink, and all tests came back fine. So on Wednesday, the crew took their recycled urine and said 'cheers' together and toasted the researches and scientists that made the Urine Recycler possible. After drinking the water, they said the taste was great! They also said the water came with labels on it that said 'drink this when real water is over 200 miles away.'"

Comment Value to them vs value to you (Score 1) 412

For the quantitative aspect of the situation, you should examine their offer and try to figure out how they came to this figure. What is it in your company that can make them money? What synergies would you provide them? Do they have a solid marketing team to sell your product? What can they do that you can't, and what can you do that they can't? That way you'll have an idea if their offer is reasonable.

Now, let's reverse the question. How do you value your own company? Do you have the resources and know-how to make it into a $5M company? $100M? You've worked hard up to this point, but this is in the past now. Are you confident enough that you'll be able to get to a point where you actually make good profit?

Now the important point is that if they value your company higher than you do, you should sell. Period. The fact that they are offering something for your company is no guarantee that you'll be able to make nearly as much on your own. They might be willing to give you a lot because you're worth a lot to them. You might not be worth so much without outside help.

As you mentionned, money is but one factor in your decision. Still I hope this helps a little...

Patents

Copyright and Patent Laws Hurt the Economy 597

Norsefire writes "Two economists at Washington University in St. Louis are claiming that copyright and patent laws are 'killing innovation' and 'hurting [the] economy.' Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine state they would like to see copyright law abolished completely as there are other protections available to the creators of 'intellectual property' (a term they describe as 'propaganda,' and of recent origin). They are calling on Congress to grant patents only where an invention has social value, where the patent would not stifle innovation, and where the absence of a patent would damage cost-effectiveness."

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