I don't think tiffchow said she expects to get the change she wants and I don't think Sarkeesian is presuming to tell game developers what they can or can't do. In both cases, I think these women are expressing their particular point of view in a responsible way (one by thoughtfully commenting on HN; the other by creating a series of videos analyzing the issue). In other words, they are both "being grown ups" and "dealing with it." The fact that Sarkeesian is being attacked for pointing a spotlight on what she perceives to be misogyny in the industry is both telling and hypocritical.
I am a male gamer who has been playing games for over two decades and even I feel estranged by a majority of the "AAA games" the industry is pumping out these days. My solution is simple: I don't buy them. That said, I admire those that are taking it even further and trying to start an intelligent conversation about how the gaming medium can mature. To try and stop that discussion and, by extension, stunt the growth of such an expressive medium is absurd to me.
Nothing would stop an individual from purchasing a large amount of coffee from the hippie, processing it into pods, and selling those pods through the big chains. Sure, the hippie could refuse to sell you more coffee, but then he is no longer giving "other people the freedom to make [a] choice compatible with their personal beliefs." While I like the initial premise, I just don't think this comparison completely fits.
That doesn't change the fact that people who bought a 3GS 2.5 years ago are still getting significant updates to the hardware. Really, what better way is there to support a product than continue selling it?
If you want to look at the other options out there, Android is doing a terrible job. A number of Android phones don't even ship with the most recent version of the OS and some never see updates at all. It's getting better, but it's far from great.
First, I agree with a point that others have raised regarding Siri "working" on rooted phones. Sure, it will run, but does it run well? Does it slow the phone down signficantly when in heavy use? Until we know for sure, I'm not going to get worked up about it.
Second, it is very possible that the technical limitation is server-side. Apple has a pretty spotty history with web services and limiting Siri to the iPhone 4S may just be a way to slowly scale the backend.
Third, I think it's pretty absurd to call out Apple's lack of support for old devices. The level of support still available for the 2.5-year-old iPhone 3GS is outstanding compared to other smart phones. Most people who _really_ care about having the newest tech are probably upgrading their phones every two years anyway. And, really, who can blame Apple for wanting to differentiate their products? I don't mind if that is the reason, but I would prefer an honest answer if that is the only reason.
I agree completely. Is this service farmed out to Mechanical Turk with the supposition that more eye is equal to higher quality? Or do you legitimately have qualified individuals reviewing these submissions?
I'd love to request a copy, but the District of Columbia is not an option in the state field. I know we're not technically a state, but we're still people!
I actually have this problem more often than I should. It is especially painful when I'm trying to pay for a product. Tip to all web developers: Make sure DC is an option in your signup/order forms.
I think one of my favorite approaches is reaching out to the individuals pirating the software. Post a comment on the page explaining that you are the developer of the program. Explain why you made the application and that, if people download and enjoy it, you would appreciate them supporting future development by purchasing the application through the AppStore.
You really can't stop people from pirating your application, but you might be able to convert a few would-be pirates just by reaching out to them with your story. It's easy to steal a piece of software from a nameless entity, but it's much harder when there is a human element involved.
Going into "legal mode" rarely solves these problems because it just puts people on the defensive (and this is coming from a lawyer).
If it weren't for Apple's pricing restrictions, I would love to see a free version of Instapaper that is "unlocked" to a full-featured version if the linked account is a paid subscriber. (For those that don't know, Instapaper also utilizes a subscription model: http://www.instapaper.com/subscription)
I happily pay the quarterly subscription fee and would love a full-featured application to go along with it. That said, I no longer own an iOS device.
This is a really exciting announcement! Education is probably the most important factor in maintaining long-term competitiveness and the American system is in desperate need of improvement. That said, the hurdles in this area are overwhelming. To name a few:
-Layer upon layer of bureaucracy (states, counties, districts, individual school administrators)
-Teachers that are reluctant to adopt new technology
-Students that are difficult to motivate
I have a ton of respect for anyone even trying to take on this challenge.
Definitely interested! I also have a recommendation for future events: Post the meet up information on hackernewsdc.org as well. DC is a big government town and a lot of federal agencies block meetup.com. It's hard to check out the information at work without blatantly circumventing the filters.
If this is William, what relationship do you have with PostDesk? It seems peculiar to take an exchange like this and forward it to a total unknown rather than one of the larger sites. I'm not saying I don't believe this happened, but I'm rather skeptical by nature.
Another commonly overlooked fact is that many law schools contact recent graduates who have yet to find employment and offer them brief opportunities to assist professors with research projects for $20/hour. Other schools offer to subsidize internships with public defenders' offices for similar pay. These outreach programs invariably coincide with the period when U.S. News and other organizations start doing their surveys for yearly law school rankings. Apparently, these programs are enough to count recent graduates as "employed" for the sake of rankings.
Truth be told, recessions hit the legal profession early and hard. Anyone considering going to law school and waiting out the recession should carefully weight their options. Obtaining a law degree is an expensive and time-consuming process that provides little guarantee that good jobs will be available upon graduation. I graduated from a great law school in 2009 and found good work, but I have several classmates that were not so lucky.
I just started working on a similar project for the exact same reasons!
I think your site looks good, but I would definitely try to make the Pocket logo stand out a bit more. Pocket is your brand, be bold with it. Second, I would replace the "Sign up now!" button with the two actual forms needed to sign up. Not having to click through could dramatically increase registrations.
I'll leave more comments once I've had time to use the application.
I'll definitely give this one a read soon. I'm currently reading The Mote in God's Eye, which is another book that explores first contact with an alien race. I have a long ways to go, but I'm really enjoying it so far. Give Mote a shot if this sort of subject matter interests you.
I was really impressed how well this pay-what-you-want scheme worked last year. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like a viable payment option for smaller developers who have yet to acquire the status of these indie darlings.
As an aside: I always end up already owning the majority of games in these bundles, but I buy them anyway. Here's to hoping we can eventually register this one on Steam too.
I am a male gamer who has been playing games for over two decades and even I feel estranged by a majority of the "AAA games" the industry is pumping out these days. My solution is simple: I don't buy them. That said, I admire those that are taking it even further and trying to start an intelligent conversation about how the gaming medium can mature. To try and stop that discussion and, by extension, stunt the growth of such an expressive medium is absurd to me.