Comment Re:gradual transition; average people (Score 1) 909
Here's the problem: we like whole numbers like "2 miles until the next exit" or "3 km until the next exit", but there's only one sign and it's farther away than 3km.
Here's the problem: we like whole numbers like "2 miles until the next exit" or "3 km until the next exit", but there's only one sign and it's farther away than 3km.
Unless they're five. I purchased two DSis *new* this year for my kids, 4.5 and 2.5, and you can bet your ass I pulled them out of the box and tested them and set them up before wrapping them. If you're buying something used from GameStop--or hell, anywhere--you need to make sure it works, otherwise you have some 'splainin to do, like, "why doesn't my new DS work, daddy?"
Don't get me wrong, pulling them out of the box and trying it out yourself is a perfectly reasonable thing to do when giving a gift to a 5-year-old. I merely sought to explain that it should also be reasonable not to. If something goes wrong, it's an opportunity to teach your kid how to handle that situation. Whether you deem it an appropriate time to teach your child that particular lesson is of course none of my business.
When it's used, someone has already done all of that. The unboxing is the special part.
Even if the item is used and the box it came in is not the original from the manufacturer, I would still tend to leave it in whatever box it's in to allow the person I'm giving it to to open.
Once it's been done, it behooves you to examine the unit to make sure that there's nothing wrong with it, because gamestop sure as shit doesn't care. They don't test most of what they buy adequately before sending it out.
You know that, and I know that. These parents didn't know that. Any other reputable business would have made sure the item they were selling was in an appropriate condition before selling it.
Who hasn't got a bad used controller from them, for example?
Me. I've never gotten a bad used controller from GameStop. Why? Because I don't shop there. I've never bought a used controller there, so I haven't had this personal experience. I'd bet these parents haven't either.
Why would you expect that? Firmware updates anyone? You should expect it to behave however it behaves when you turn it on, because it's used and it can be tampered with.
Some electronic devices have an initial setup process. I would expect that when buying a used one from a store, it has been reset to factory defaults so that if there is a setup process, I'll be prompted to go through it the first time I turn it on. Since I don't have a 3DS, I have no idea if it has something like this or not.
If I bought one from an individual, I would not necessarily expect that they had returned it to factory default settings before selling it to me. I would expect that when buying from a store.
If they don't understand the issues involved in buying a used console, they should buy a new one.
And what exactly are "the issues involved in buying a used console"? What would you suggest responsible parents should do to educate themselves about these issues before making a purchasing decision?
Or perhaps they should learn something about the things they are giving their kids before they give it to them and even if they find it uninteresting, like a handheld video game. That's called responsible parenting, and while I understand it is largely a recurring fad, it's still a good idea(tm).
They probably did learn something about the 3DS before purchasing it, but what they learned didn't include anything about it being pre-loaded with porn.
Typically when giving someone a gift, you don't try it out first before giving it to them; you allow the recipient the opportunity to experience whatever initial setup may be required (even if you have to help them with it). This 3DS was used, but there's a reasonable expectation that it was sold in a "like new" condition; the hardware may be worn, but I would expect the software to behave exactly like turning on a brand new unit for the first time.
I don't blame the parents here (although they did choose silly names for their kids). And I don't really blame the individual employee who allowed this to happen. The root of the problem is GameStop's corporate culture.
Have you looked at the AppleTV?
Outlook Express replaced Internet Mail and News, and was nearly the same.
Windows Live Mail replaced Windows Mail, and was mostly the same, but dropped support for Usenet newsgroups.
Mail is now the included client in Windows 8, and has dropped support for POP3, but added ActiveSync.
I hear 90% of all statistics are made up.
Only about 70% of the time.
"Don't believe everything you read on the Internet." - Abraham Lincoln
Shouldn't the shop that supposedly "re-imaged" it busted for fraud? One also might wonder why an FBI agent is using internal FBI resources to "scrub" a non FBI machine that isn't part of an investigation. Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???
I've been a Slashdotter for 15 years and I had never heard of DBAN until reading your comment and Googling it. Your other two points are pretty solid, though. What the hell happened?
I tried to watch all of ST:Voyager. Tried and failed, you ask? Tried and died.
It gets much less bad after the first 4 seasons.
I remember when "crap" suddenly became acceptable to use in polite company. It was about 1998.
We need a conservative party in this country, and I'm not sure the GOP is going to be it.
We need a liberal party in this country too, and the Democrats don't seem to be interested.
Well done sir.
yep - the job creators had fundamental disagreements with Matthew 6 & 19
Not to mention 23...
Do you happen to have a link for this quote? I would love to share the source with a number of my ultra-religious relatives on Facebook. (None of them think he's a secret Muslim, to my knowledge, but I'd still be interested to see their reaction to this.)
Washington National Cathedral is a bit more than just "a church". Wikipedia
The use of money is all the advantage there is to having money. -- B. Franklin
