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Comment: Re:Yes, (Score 4, Insightful) 614

by RJFerret (#43662043) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Why Won't Companies Upgrade Old Software?

Plenty have answered the horrible practical aspects of upgrades.

And have answered the lack of business sense in upgrading.

But the question also asked what happened to all the money saved on eliminating staff?

Businesses are asking that very same question. They had to pay to train staff to use computer systems. They had to buy new equipment. They had to hire people more trained than ever before, at a higher cost. They replaced filing cabinets with servers, the former requiring little energy, the latter requiring lotsa' energy costs plus specialized (read: expensive) staff to maintain. They were sold this bill of goods on the premise there'd be savings, but they were sold the concept by companies whose goal was to earn money from other companies spending. There are entire new departments dedicated solely to various aspects of this equipment.

Do you know how long the software lasts for a typewriter? Forever.

The problem is your business can't interact with any other without adopting an appropriate level of technology, which spawns requirements for additional tech, and other tech, and next thing you know you have a complete system, which is nothing more than a massive money drain required just to be in business. The real question is how can you stem the tide and cut the bleeding?

The company that reduces costs, lowers operating costs, while still providing an acceptable level of service to clients succeeds long term (assuming good marketing).

So tell me, exactly how will upgrading that newfangled "typewriter" help clients?

Comment: Re:Lots of good reasons. (Score 1) 684

by RJFerret (#43572195) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Are There <em>Any</em> Good Reasons For DRM?

For the consumer, DRM simply makes it a product not worth investing in, because you don't own it, can't promote it to others, can't recoup any cost of, or donate to the library. As things change beyond your control (tech changes, company goes out of business, service is stopped), you lose it, despite having paid for it, without recompense.

For the producer, DRM simply makes it a product not competitive with others, costlier, with diminished promotion/word of mouth advertising (free), and without resale value.

For producers, DRM free products that are copied have been shown time and again to bring in more income.

I have a friend who is an author, she doesn't understand this either. Marketers do. This is a reason content producers need marketers, to increase their sales.

The ones who want DRM are the ones leeching off content producers, the publishers. They try to lock down content under their own purview, via exclusive contracts with content producers, and any other resource at their disposal. They claim their investment in infrastructure/resources warrants it. Content producers have to make their own decisions accordingly.

Once you understand people want to pay for things they value, and those who don't are not your market anyway, it all becomes much easier to accept/understand.

Comment: Re:Marketing Product (Score 2) 212

by RJFerret (#42926105) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: I Just Need... Marketing?

So, so true.

In my career in video editing and 3D animation (back in the day those were done in post production facilities, not the modern dismal amateur garbage you see on Youtube), most was done for marketing/PR purposes.

In house, you get people more intimately familiar with the product, but too tied to company politics and their vision is always marred by the principals of the company (IE, you, yes, you are your own worst enemy, especially if you are perfect).

If you hire a firm, you get a broader range of talent and experience as they have a team of people, rather than your few, it's also easier to change if need be. You get a comprehensive marketing plan/package. You do need to let them have their creative freedom and room to work FOR you, not under you, or according to your whims, or for YOU.

They'll have designers and contacts and resources beyond what you can do in house readily. If you grow enough to warrant it, you can bring that stuff in house in the future. For now, focus your business on what you know best, and hire a business that knows marketing best.

I can't think of any situation where an in house marketing team was able to accomplish more frankly. But there were several circumstances where out of house marketers were more efficient and effective (the former not being overly important in business, the latter being critical).

Comment: Re:Craigslist is a shithole (Score 1) 160

by RJFerret (#40849873) Attached to: Craigslist Demands Exclusivity For Postings

Nope, as a landlord, I turned to Craiglist because nobody was responding to my $38 tiny four-line newspaper placement anymore.

Although admittedly, at the end of the year, I had saved hundreds in advertising costs (or put another way, not tax deducted hundreds in advertising costs). I also save wasted time in people calling asking what the standard abbreviations mean.

It's not hard for generally savvy users to ignore obvious scam adds.

The ones who bug me more are the real estate agents who essentially spam post. OK, you are being charged, but that doesn't give you the right to abuse the service.

Comment: Re:It's like this. (Score 4, Interesting) 878

by RJFerret (#40591361) Attached to: Does Grammar Matter Anymore?

Not only an indicator they cared about the message, but that they care about how they present themselves.

Does grooming matter? Does proper attire matter? Does body scent matter? Does posture matter? Does makeup matter?

In a world where more communication is text based rather than face-to-face, I'd suggest grammar matters even more.

(But please don't encourage those who don't value themselves to deceive.)

PS: Even in an MMO grammar and spelling matter, those who can't communicate effectively don't get invited for runs, don't interact as much with others, and don't make the same progress, as those who do, regardless of skill level, ability, and other attributes.

Comment: Re:Net Nanny (Score 4, Insightful) 646

*snickers

First porn I saw? Elementary school (black and white photos)

Second naked pics? Library (color, woohoo!)

Third naked pics? Home

First information about hardcore sexual practices? Psychology section of school library.

It works best to guide our children, we instill values in them a far earlier age than most realize, then they make their own decisions. But if you decide to make them work around your efforts to thwart their curiosity, such sites can easily be included in the Hosts file provided above.

Comment: What's email? (Score 4, Interesting) 314

by RJFerret (#40149209) Attached to: What Would a Post-Email World Look Like?

I don't email directly anymore, I post on G+, recipients receive it in whatever means they favor, email, text notice, online, G+ account, whatever. If they don't have a google account, it goes to their email.

So yeah, email has become transparent to me. I receive next to no correspondence through it.

That is the beauty of improved technology, making my life easier. It's been so horrible since we've moved away from landline phones and two standard methods of contact became mail/phone/fax/mobile/voicemail/SMS/email/web contact form/Twitter and who knows through which of those you'd get a response.

I'm glad to return to the one stop shop.

Comment: Re:Is it "too real"? (Score 2) 607

by RJFerret (#39829891) Attached to: <em>Hobbit</em> Film Underwhelms At 48 Frames Per Second

Yeah, I read the complaints and was astounded that none of them related to the frame rate. Lighting? Edits not tight enough? Animated elements matting or other integration?

I loathe 24 fps, NTSC broadcast in 60 fields per second was nice, HDTV at 30 frames per second is a step backward AFAIC.

Note to anyone reviewing higher FPS, compare motion, particularly sweeping pans, not dialog. *rollseyes

Comment: Re:Why Video? (Score 2) 96

by RJFerret (#39493503) Attached to: Slashdot Asks: How To Best Record Remote Video Interviews?

Why video? Because it's linear, and we don't want random access to interview responses?

Hmm, maybe because video is time consuming to digest instead of quick to read?

That doesn't sound right, maybe because video interviews don't allow for reasoned responses?

To make subjects self conscious?

Maybe because video content can't be web searched effectively?

Wait, I know, it must be to reduce cost, because not everyone with a computer has a keyboard available in this era of tablets?

Perhaps due to written interviews being simply copy/pasted for publication instead of hours spend editing video?

I'm sorry, I was in video production for years, and never saw a single interview that wouldn't have been more informative and effective written.

"It's in process": So wrapped up in red tape that the situation is almost hopeless.

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