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8176
Living Room / Re: Anyone Using Bitcoins Yet?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 27, 2011, 02:17 PM »
Population growth is largely self-limiting in developed ("1st world") countries. Unchecked population growth only ultimately leads to the saturation of Earth as a habitable space, regardless of its cause. So clearly growth without limit is untenable, and any system that relies on it as a fundamental principle is not sustainable long-term. One can make the argument that it might make sense as a short-term strategy for various reasons, but pretending it can achieve sustainable long-term viability is not only foolish but dangerous. The physical laws of the universe itself are ultimately standing in the way, but much sooner than they will rear their head the limitations of our own comparatively tiny world and resources will do so. Not acknowledging that eventual reality and *planning for it* is irresponsible in the extreme. Our current economic models have no answer or solution to that "end game".

That still doesn't address the fact that there is no limit on population growth.  It's all well and good to say that population growth is limited in 1st world countries, but if you go to extremely rural or extremely urban areas of the U.S., it would quickly become evident that this is not true.  And I wasn't saying that there shouldn't be a limit on economic growth- only that limiting it without limiting population growth takes the ability of any limited economic system to support the (still) growing population.
8177
N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Idea Suggestion: Online Game Night Manager
« Last post by wraith808 on June 27, 2011, 02:08 PM »
^  think he meant boardgames, not RPGs...
8178
Living Room / Re: Have You Wanted Books You Discarded?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 26, 2011, 06:59 PM »
Gaming books.  When my wife and I consolidated, I even had an extra month to move things.  Even with that I left a mountain of books in my condo- my landlord was nice enough to say that he would get rid of them.  I used to have as many gaming books as a shop - just one of each.  Now I only have half the shop...  :(
8179
Living Room / Re: Anyone Using Bitcoins Yet?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 25, 2011, 03:18 PM »
And what's wrong with limiting economic growth? Everything else in the *real world* has limits, so eventually economic growth must also be limited. We're just putting off the time line of that limitation artificially for the short-term gain of a few.

Limiting economic growth without limiting population growth?  You *really* want to talk about the haves and the have nots.

I don't agree with every(most- even)thing that has been done financially, but this I will say... getting off the gold standard was the best thing that has been done in concept, and going back to it is pretty much a no-go, even talking fiscal responsibility.  Basing your economy on a limited resource limits your economic growth.

An article on why we shouldn't go to the Gold standard, and an alternative standard to replace the USD.

That is a horrible and bogus article that doesn't even understand the concept of money.  It is precisely BECAUSE it is scarce that it is a good source to base the monetary system on.  The reason everything fluctuates so much is because it is being debased by the controllers of the system.  Gold's price fluctuations are not the effect of the value of gold, but rather the relative value of gold.  In other words, the reason the price of gold changes so much is because of the amount of fiat currency people are willing to take in it's place.  When there is more currency, we call it inflation, and it takes many more dollars/pounds/whatever to buy it.  When there is less, or when it is based on a solid relatively fixed quantity commodity, it takes less to buy it.

Think of it this way.  In 1950, just for example, it took approximately 20 oz of Gold to buy an average car.  That same car cost about $400.   (As a side note, in 1950 the dollar was on a gold standard pegged at $20/oz IIRC).  Today, it is still about 20 oz. of Gold to buy an average car that cost - what?  About $30,000?  That, to me means that the price of gold has stayed the same, but the value of the dollar has dropped (not gold going up!).  Something to think about...  

You didn't really read the whole thing, did you?  To base the entire world's economy on one material of limited supply that has no intrinsic value is the part that is the problem, and most economists agree with that point.  Just because the system has been abused doesn't mean that leaving it was a bad thing.
8180
N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Pledge & Early Beta: Kyrathaba's Hangman
« Last post by wraith808 on June 25, 2011, 11:37 AM »
Does anyone know what exactly I'd need to change in my Inno Setup script so that the "File Version" info (as shown in the screenshot) is correct?
 (see attachment in previous post)

Does it get it from your assembly information, perhaps?  Is the version number in your assembly correct?
8181
DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: GameShui Launcher
« Last post by wraith808 on June 25, 2011, 10:43 AM »
doctorfrog linked to darkadia which claims to get information from http://www.giantbomb.com - although giantbomb.com has a bit of an identity problem - it has its own content, plus user generated content, but the database is theirs and might, perhaps, be made available free for non commercial projects... Which pretty much makes me wonder: why would I, a user, take time to put content in your app, perhaps even with a paying membership, and then you will keep the information in a black hole unless paid for?
Almost makes me want to restart my old DB on my old website...

They do have an API, and the content is accessible from it for non-commercial non-competing use.  But they have a paid option for subscriptions, which makes me wary of them going the way of MobyGames.

Also, I just generated an API key, and the terms of service are sort of restrictive- you can only use the data by online requests, i.e. you can't use it offline or store it for offline use.
8182
DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: GameShui Launcher
« Last post by wraith808 on June 25, 2011, 08:38 AM »
Going back to the autodetect, there is a lot of information about games that is both useful and global. I for example spend time figuring out what needs to be backed up so that my configs and saved games can be migrated to another computer (or sync'd). Some games nicely put savegames in clear places, others hide them in systems folders. Sometimes there are additional ones or stupid things hard coded in like paths... I bet 20% of the people who play any game will do the same... Now we have several sites online which have huge DBs of games and reviews etc. do any of them have an API? DO any of them track this kind of more practical information (where are saved games? screenshots? what are the basic keys for basic things?). Being able to check and get information, or share information back up....
in short, is there a public, open GDDB?

There was... until MobyGames sold out.  I've been thinking along those lines also, and about this app and my intentions.  It's going to change quite a bit... as soon as I get a chance, I'll have more info.
8183
Living Room / Re: Anyone Using Bitcoins Yet?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 24, 2011, 04:09 PM »
We just need to get back to the gold standard.

Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. The whole deficit spending program most governments function under would come to a screeching halt if they actually had to base the rubber checks they were writing to themselves on something that existed in the real world.

Which is unfortunate. Because they have a bear by the tail with that one. The current economic situation can't go on indefinitely without a crash. And if they try to reform it, it will provoke a an even more rapid crash.

Small wonder so many politicians  throw the problem as far into the future as they possibly can and then hope they'll be dead before the day of reckoning arrives.



I don't agree with every(most- even)thing that has been done financially, but this I will say... getting off the gold standard was the best thing that has been done in concept, and going back to it is pretty much a no-go, even talking fiscal responsibility.  Basing your economy on a limited resource limits your economic growth.

An article on why we shouldn't go to the Gold standard, and an alternative standard to replace the USD.
8184
Living Room / Re: Sean Connery ain't Apple's bitch!
« Last post by wraith808 on June 21, 2011, 09:50 AM »
And also- for anyone that couldn't tell- it's fake.  It would have been pretty cool, though. :)
8185
Living Room / Re: Should retailers be held accountable for recommendations?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 20, 2011, 11:47 AM »
As for the free returns: It turns out that was a benefit of signing up for ShopRunner (http://www.shoprunner.com/) when I made a recent online purchase of an extremely heavy and bulky dehumidifier.  ShopRunner is like Amazon Prime but it works at various online retailers.

Ah... that's a major difference then.  All of my returns using Prime have been cross ship, and have used UPS to be trackable.  But it still sounds cool- I've been thinking about it because I use Prime so much...
8186
Living Room / Re: XBOX 360 with Kinect or Wii?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 19, 2011, 08:23 AM »
Well, I'm thinking about getting an XBOX 360 with Kinect or a Nintendo Wii. I really don't care about games, but hopefully it will help me get some exercise. So, that's my #1 and only goal - EXERCISE.

Which would you recommend?

360 with Kinect.  That's what I have, and I got it because it can actually sense your body.  The Wii can't.  It only senses the location of the wiimote (I feel like I lost a few brain cells just typing that).  So it can't see if you're using the correct movements.

Software-wise, I have the EA Sports Active, and it's very good!  I've heard (after the fact) that the Biggest Loser is better, but I've been satisfied with Sports Active.  And the other games give you a fair amount of exercise too- it's just that they have larger rest times between events (whether that's a dance or an activity) so you get into this startup/cooldown every few minutes that isn't as conducive to weight loss IME.  EA Sports Active also has a heart rate monitor that apparently doesn't come with the Wii version, and it has resistance bands included; it also has an accessory pack with weights and such, though I haven't splurged on that yet (for me- it's more than the game; it's $40, where I only paid $20 for the game itself).

Also, to use online features, you don't have to give CC info.   I buy my subscriptions on cards in the store or online, and buy points in the same way.  CC is easier, but you can be totally protected and still use online features.
8187
This software is no longer available, does anyone have a mirror?
It's not quite up to date (executables from 2008) but the original site is still available. The blog is dead though.

Guess PowerGUI is a better choice now ;)

Last update to the blog was in april, so I wouldn't pronounce it dead yet...
8188
Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Review of VistaDB
« Last post by wraith808 on June 15, 2011, 11:11 PM »
8189
Living Room / Re: Why ebooks are bad for you
« Last post by wraith808 on June 14, 2011, 09:11 PM »
Many have offered solutions, just none that have been accepted by the proponents of DRM.

What are these solutions? I've never defended DRM, but I still don't see an alternative for ebook authors. How do you generate a reliable income stream for ebook authors without some form of DRM (and copy protection falls under the banner of DRM)?

Manning.com and Oreilly.com have done away with DRM, and they don't seem to be hurting...  Also DriveThruRPG.com and IndiePressRevolution.com.  I think you can make money, you just have to be willing to take the chance.  And that's what it comes down to IMO.  Be willing to trust your potential customers, or hold on to the fear that you won't make money.
8190
Living Room / Re: Why ebooks are bad for you
« Last post by wraith808 on June 14, 2011, 06:04 PM »
The lion's share of the money still goes to the publishers

Not true -- the biggest share goes to the retailer.

Depends on the publisher and the market and whether you are considered a distributor or not.  I know that in most science fiction/fantasy and gaming books that's not true from experience.
8191
PDF
It's not long lines by themselves, AFAIK, but the formatting of long lines.

I've wondered what you meant by this. I think you are saying we are currently at the mercy of how the epub author and the epub software choose to format the lines. Hypothetically, the author can take steps to make sure the lines are interpreted correctly on all readers. I haven't had any luck to find anything like an epub validator to make sure this doesn't happen.


Sorry if I wasn't clear, but yes, you interpreted my meaning correctly.  I'm not sure how many ways you can create an e-pub, but I've seen varying formatting based upon where I obtained the document from, and I have seen code format correctly on my iPhone, iPad, and on both.  And issues on one or the other.  So yes, I think it's a source translation issue.
8192
Living Room / Re: Why ebooks are bad for you
« Last post by wraith808 on June 13, 2011, 06:38 PM »
The only reason eBooks can't be used in the same way is that publishers don't allow it - there is nothing to stop Kindle or any other book reader from removing rights from a book while it is lent to a friend - who temporarily inherits the rights until the book is returned. It is just pure greed on the part of publishing houses - author's only get a tiny, and dwindling, proportion of the book cover price. The only motivation for publishers is greed - that is why eBooks often cost more than printed editions on Amazon even though the publisher overheads are minimal in the eBook world.
-Carol Haynes (June 13, 2011, 06:36 PM)

Especially looking at the capabilities of the Nook to lend...  and how the publishers have marginalized that.
8193
Living Room / Re: Why ebooks are bad for you
« Last post by wraith808 on June 13, 2011, 06:37 PM »
The big fat problem with Kindle is a word I dislike most when it comes to formats: proprietary.

I don't understand the debate about the "proprietary" nature of the Kindle. The Kindle is an e-reader, and a top-class one at that. You can load it with thousands of books and documents without ever buying an ebook in a proprietary format. That's how I use it anyway, and many others do likewise.
Agreed.  I don't think there is an e-book reader that reads *only* proprietary formats.  Heck, even iBooks allows you sideload other formats.


Most musicians make music because they enjoy it, and some of them hope to make some kind of living from it through live performance. Most writers write for money, plain and simple. Without DRM, the vast majority of people will not pay for books, just as very few people under 30 pay for recorded music.

I don't think DRM will survive, but I don't see how authors will be paid, and I don't see how books will be written, aside from the small number of fiction writers who do it for love.

I think that until you've written, you tend to undervalue the cost of words.  It's the same with music, to a large extent.  And software, to a lesser extent.  It's the nature of the beast.

But I agree that DRM will not survive.  I just wish that the publishers could see that *now* and not make the *same* sort of bad decisions the music industry has made.
8194
General Software Discussion / Re: Automatic document creation. How?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 13, 2011, 06:32 PM »
I guess I've just never actually seen a good Access based application. *Shrug*

I've seen a couple of good ones.  The problem is, with any enterprise, once something is *good* they want *better*.  Which in most cases means *bigger*.  The road to hell, and all that...
8195
General Software Discussion / Re: Automatic document creation. How?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 13, 2011, 04:54 PM »
Access with an Access backend (mdb) is wonderful for single person apps and good for small workgroups with a handful (say, less than 20) of simultaneous users.  Access as a front-end to SQL server or Oracle is a wonderful tool, plain and simple.

<snip />

For the sorts of things that superboyac is inquiring about, Access is like a dream come true.

Whew, sorry for such lengthy opinionating!  :-\

We'll have to agree to disagree on that point.  I've been around the block a few times myself, and have dealt with a variety of situations from access being used as a back-end, to access being used as a front end for SQL Server, Oracle, and Sybase (you want to talk about a nightmare?  Access+Sybase.  Actually, anything and Sybase... but that's a different discussion).  And in my experience, Access and enterprise has been a headache.  Admittedly, that was a while ago.  But from a speed and configuration perspective, and getting around problems that enterprise solutions enabled me to solve more easily, Access never did me any favors.
8196
General Software Discussion / Re: Automatic document creation. How?
« Last post by wraith808 on June 13, 2011, 03:37 PM »
I spent 15 years of my professional life making my entire living as an independent Access developer so please bear with me.

No offense intended to anyone here, but those who poo-poo Access probably haven't used it professionally.

Heh.  I've used it more than I'd wish professionally, and I can say that a good 40%+ of my time (and I'm being generous) was spent getting around limitations of it, whether with pure access development, or using access as a back end.  While it's true that some of my distaste is rooted in ODBC, Access can IMO be very easily misused.  That's not to say that with help it couldn't be a platform for the project presented here, but IME, outside of small-scale data entry projects, you quickly run up against it's limitations.  I've always thought this was the reason that MS has been marginalizing it as of late- because with misuse, it becomes a PR nightmare.
8197
Blast from the past.  I haven't kept up with Rexx since my OS/2 days...
8198
^ Thanks!  I'd actually never heard of that...
8199
I did too?  :tellme:
8200
Living Room / Re: Why ebooks are bad for you
« Last post by wraith808 on June 12, 2011, 10:27 AM »
The device is still capable of tying personally identifiable information about you to the book, and remotely deleting or modifying it. There are no laws that I'm aware of that would keep Amazon, or any other company, from doing either of these things, or simply recording your behavior quietly, as the collected data awaits a sales opportunity or subpoena. Can't do this on a massive scale with physical books.

There are outlets other than b&n and amazon for purchasing non-drm books.  And if one of them actually modified something on the device that you didn't purchase from them, that would be a very bad thing for them (and pretty stupid also, as most would have backups - or in the case of a couple of outlets you can re-download).

Which sites do you know of? I am always looking for some good non-drm sites to buy ebooks for my kindle.

http://www.fictionwise.com (a shadow of their former self since b&n bought them... but still have multiformat non-drm books)
http://www.ereader.com (basically a different view of fictionwise.com in my experience)
http://www.fsand.com (science fiction and fantasy)
http://www.angryrobotstore.com/ (science fiction and fantasy - no kindle support, but they recommend using calibre to convert)
http://www.baen.com/ (one(?) of the only publishers that I know of to get on the non-drm ebook bandwagon - sci-fi and fantasy)
http://www.webscription.net (baen uses them for distribution, though they have publishers other than baen)
http://www.smashwords.com/ (indie authors and publishers)

MobileRead Wiki also has a list, though I haven't tried any of them not listed above.

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