Comment Re:We have enough. (Score 1) 453
I was going to say "about two blocks outside of Silicon Valley", but you did a much better job.
Comment Re:Fear of Being Stereotyped? Really? (Score 1) 453
I'm pretty sure they'll sell me beer even if I'm speaking broken Swahili with a lisp.
Comment Re:The Onus Should Not Be on the Nerds (Score 1) 453
Sissy.
I would add a smiley, but my presence on /. says it all.
I would add a smiley, but my presence on
Comment Re:Well, at least the rest don't do this. (Score 1) 605
Welcome to the no-fly list, JimboG.
Comment Re:But... (Score 1) 596
Shut up, you ignorant adolescent.
Comment Re:Shun strange children. (Score 1) 596
Eh, it not just kids. I pulled a lady from in front of a speeding bus in Chicago's Loop one evening. She loudly accused me of trying to steal her bag. Luckily about six other people waiting for the light to change shouted her down with stuff like she should be thanking me. But still, I get what you are saying. Now, if it were just the two of us waiting for the light and she was about to be mowed down, I'd say something but not grab her. How sad is that?
Comment Re:Back in the day (Score 1) 596
I used to hang out on IRC back in the day as a compliment to my online gaming. Anyone remember Kali? Anyway, we would chat in IRC for much the same reasons as you cite. We had members from Australia and Germany, and a smattering of Japanese and other Europeans. There were some serious coming of age angst type conversations across generational lines (guess where socially awkward geek teens felt most comfortable?). Flash forward 16 years and I would not even think of engaging in any sort of real time online conversation with someone I suspected was underage. Hysteria brought us here. And the fact that IRC is so 90's.
Comment Pfft, easy (Score 1) 970
Put it back in the box and return it, of course! No, I'm not trolling; I'm advocating consumer protest.
EA Flip-Flops On Battlefield: Heroes Pricing, Fans Angry 221
An anonymous reader writes "Ben Kuchera from Ars Technica is reporting that EA/DICE has substantially changed the game model of Battlefield: Heroes, increasing the cost of weapons in Valor Points (the in-game currency that you earn by playing) to levels that even hardcore players cannot afford, and making them available in BattleFunds (the in-game currency that you buy with real money). Other consumables in the game, such as bandages to heal the players, suffered the same fate, turning the game into a subscription or pay-to-play model if players want to remain competitive. This goes against the creators' earlier stated objectives of not providing combat advantage to paying customers. Ben Cousins, from EA/DICE, argued, 'We also frankly wanted to make buying Battlefunds more appealing. We have wages to pay here in the Heroes team and in order to keep a team large enough to make new free content like maps and other game features we need to increase the amount of BF that people buy. Battlefield Heroes is a business at the end of the day and for a company like EA who recently laid off 16% of their workforce, we need to keep an eye on the accounts and make sure we are doing our bit for the company.' The official forums discussion thread is full of angry responses from upset users, who feel this change is a betrayal of the original stated objectives of the game."
Comment Re:I'm Not! (Score 1) 560
So, in my Terms of Use policy I can extend any other entities AUP? Assume for a second that I skip the obvious like "...reserve the right to fornicate with your hot wife". How about if I add a small charge like 5 cents, American, for every post you make payable by your ISP. Lean back and issue bills after six months or so. Would the ensuing litigation create bad or good case law for consumers?
While we are playing at annoying rhetorical questions, if two trains leave opposite coasts towards Chicago, which one will beat the Greyhound bus?
While we are playing at annoying rhetorical questions, if two trains leave opposite coasts towards Chicago, which one will beat the Greyhound bus?
Comment Re:I work in a major hospital (Score 1) 398
I would hope the reporting functions are easier with a computer. However, what about the processes that input the data? Are they better than paper? Did they require paper first then an input session after acquisition? How many QC checks are required before the data are accepted?
There are plenty of benefits in computerized health care systems. The study confirms that they are not a panacea for uber cheap healthcare and perpetual youthful health.
There are plenty of benefits in computerized health care systems. The study confirms that they are not a panacea for uber cheap healthcare and perpetual youthful health.
Comment Re:I work in a major hospital (Score 1) 398
You would think. However, a surprising number of people object to being tattooed with a bar code. Especially older folks with accents. Go figure. /sarcasm
Comment Re:Transferability (Score 1) 398
Are you me from a parallel universe?
Games Workshop Goes After Fan Site 174
mark.leaman writes "BoingBoing has a recent post regarding Games Workshop's aggressive posturing against fan sites featuring derivative work of their game products. 'Game publisher and miniature manufacturer Games Workshop just sent a cease and desist letter to boardgamegeek.com, telling them to remove all fan-made players' aids. This includes scenarios, rules summaries, inventory manifests, scans to help replace worn pieces — many of these created for long out of print, well-loved games...' As a lifelong hobby gamer of table, board, card and miniature games, I view this as pure heresy. It made me reject the idea of buying any Games Workshop (read Warhammer) products for my son this Christmas. Their fate was sealed, in terms of my wallet, after I Googled their shenanigans. In 2007 they forbid Warhammer fan films, this year they shut down Vassal Modules, and a while back they went after retailers as well. What ever happened to fair use?"
Harvard Says Computers Don't Save Hospitals Money 398
Lucas123 writes "Researchers at Harvard Medical School pored over survey data from more than 4,000 'wired' hospitals and determined that computerization of those facilities not only didn't save them a dime, but the technology didn't improve administrative efficiency either. The study also showed most of the IT systems were aimed at improving efficiency for hospital management — not doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. 'For 45 years or so, people have been claiming computers are going to save vast amounts of money and that the payoff was just around the corner. So the first thing we need to do is stop claiming things there's no evidence for. It's based on vaporware and [hasn't been] shown to exist or shown to be true,' said Dr. David Himmelstein, the study's lead author."
