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Comment Re:Smoke and Mirrors (Score 2, Interesting) 173

Yeah, Google removed the beta tag from a lot of their products, but given their visible patterns, Chrome has a high chance of getting really fun when ChromeOS comes out - I'd bet dollars to donuts that the version released soon before or soon after the ChromeOS release will have made a few milestone improvements that really move it from just being adoptable to really being desirable for a larger audience of people.

Comment Smoke and Mirrors (Score 3, Interesting) 173

The Acid3 test sort of bugs me. Yes, it's nice that browsers are fast, but even the most complex pages have lower kilobyte counts than most internet connections allow for, which means servers are the lag points, not your browser. I'd love to see a usability test sometime, rather than a flat-out speed rating. Webkit's neat, but with so many people using their browsers as a primary operating base - and we see proof of this approach in Google's development of the Chrome OS - usability is being sorely ignored in many technological benchmarks. I can't tell you how annoying it is to have Firebox' Live Bookmarks fail to load every ten minutes, it breaks the RSS experience. And while IE has its flaws and benefits, it's emulated, not inovating and old hat. Chrome is nice, I like how my computer treats it, but it's still in the works. Who's going to decide to pick up a new browser based on a speed test? Yes, CNet included some key features and noticed bugs, but Shiira and Arora both get termed works-in-progress, which does not make them underdogs now, it makes them next year's underdogs. And by the time they're ready for mass adoption, all of their good points will likely have been emulated as thoroughly as anyone cares for. Acid3 is like telling people your browser has 700 horse power, instead of the 300 horsepower their browsers have. No one cares if you top out at 200mph, the speed limit's still 60, folks.

Comment Re:Alternatives to licensing fees? (Score 1) 99

Ok, perhaps I was over-specific, or the article was. I believe people should be given credit for their work. Monetarily or otherwise. I don't mean just in this case. I'm aware that tracking and crediting is a massive job, and I don't blame anyone for failing to embark on it, nor for not making themselves the examples by being the first to do so, but still. I just think it's a good idea.

Comment Alternatives to licensing fees? (Score 1) 99

Even if the software is free, it would be reassuring to see the government encourage further development by offering the coders behind these libraries some sort of honorarium - a public recognition that their work is being used for big things. Even if it's the slap-in-the-face One Dollar honorarium, public acknowledgement is big.

Comment Re:Lets see... (Score 1) 247

No, not a lack of copyright but basically, I can't be charged for possessing information, such as I can't be charged for having BrittneySpears.mp3 or SuperMarioMegaROM.smc on my computer. Downloading things might be still considered a civil matter though, but after you downloaded them you are free.

So... It's only illegal if you get caught in the act? We don't expect this to cause issues? I didn't monitor you downloading the mp3, but you have on your computer a file identical to three thousand others, and not a Britney CD in your ownership? Are you arguing this does not fall under the definiton of "stolen property"? All arguments about imaginary property aside, of course.

Comment Re:The right to bear arms (Score 1) 247

If you want to go all PvP on this, go right ahead. I don't want to be stuck in the crossfire, and without some form of lw or regulation, I've got no way to remove myself from the arena without leaving the net, which is a growing non-option. There will never be a sandbox for malware devs to play in without affecting people who flat out don't want to be involved. I don't care about you and your beef with FSF OR MS. It's none of my business, I'm just a user. ALl I want is a law that enables me to say "Leave me the frack alone and let me have my level playing field."

Comment Shrinking Response Times (Score 4, Interesting) 134

Twitter's not just bad for this - oh my, a new form of spam, I never saw it coming - but for poor context community as well. I feed my Tweets to my blog in a widget (Geekiest phrase ever, I know) and, thus, am searchable. Now, I put up a "Legal" page about my site - claiming authorship and all - and immediately was added by nearly forty Law-oriented "Free Advice" Twits who likely had never read another of my posts. I changed the page's name from "Legal" to "Disclaimer" and the additions halted. Changing the page to "Copyright" had the same effect - media trolls, dozens of them, now on my block list. It's incredible.

Twitter's nice for micro-posting, but seriously. This shilling thing? Been going on for some time. It's nothing new.

Comment Aggregate? (Score 3, Insightful) 71

Are there more than one contest going at once, that there's a need for multiple feeds? Or, more appropriately, can some of this content not be removed completely? Keeping a full feed archive seems a bit of overkill, especially for closed events from five years ago. Why not PDF the event archive for downloading and keep a single feed for active items? Overpreparation is a growing problem I'm seeing on the web. Far too few people/events/businesses are prepared to minimize anything for the sake of optimization.

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