> Basically, instead of generating x86 or ARM code, this version will transform native code into bitcode using a compiler based on the open source LLVM (low-level virtual machine) project.
So, how is what PNaCl is going to do any different than what Java or .NET already does again?
(PNaCl = Portable Native Client, Google's future version of Native Client)
Also, why is Google releasing NaCl and at the same time saying "we're going to change it soon to do things differently" (currently PNaCl doesn't exist)?
So let's fast forward 6 weeks and we have a promotional grant for Skyrim. Doesn't it kind of defeat the point if the free copies are given to people that would've bought the game anyway?
Ideally, we hit that sweet spot between "I'm interested enough to play it and participate" but not "I'd be all over this game regardless"
That's been the cool thing about the previous promotional grants, I've recieved games that I was interested in, but not enough to buy them when they came out.
Getting a game you wanted anyway for free is a nice reward for being an active contributor. Getting a game you weren't planning on buying is a nice way to encourage contribution. I guess the goal is a mix of both.
@Brant The goal is also to reap traffic from the contributions of active and new contributors. That's why it's internal, in fact - active contributors mean more content means more traffic.
I just feel like if I'm going to buy Diablo 3 anyways, I should leave the grant for other people (or other games). And I think it would be good if other high rep users did the same.
@Grace Do we have any statistics yet for how we're doing with Tropico 4 content? I saw someone a while back had posted stats from some of the other grants
There are some bumps in the recent stats: quantcast.com/gaming.stackexchange.com, assigning them to a specific game is more difficult and even mods don't have the proper tools for that.
@GraceNote It was the perfect game for it, very good critical reception and probably good sales, but with poorly explained mechanics and a useless tutorial. It also was very hard in the beginning, so lots of places to get stuck
@LessPop_MoreFizz An abacus is actually really easy to use. You put your left hand in, you put your left hand out, you put your left hand in, and you shake it all about.
So the wall-punching augmentation (in the Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis augmentation tree) allows you to punch through weak walls, but will automatically have you snap the neck of anyone standing on the other side of them.
Am I correct in assuming this will ruin a pacifist playthrough? Is there any...
> The copyright on sound recordings by the Beatles, Rolling Stones and other famous bands was due to expire in the next few years. However, the EU Council has now scuttled any such hopes. The copyright term has been extended from 50 to 70 years with aging rockers expressing their delight.
Trademarks are intended to last as long as the person/company who uses it. And they lose it as soon as they fail to enforce it in courts (at least in the US)
@Powerlord Not in the way that Copyright is. In general, most issues with Patents have little to do with someone wanting to make use of a very old one, and more to do with a not terribly new one being similar due to vagaries in description.
Honestly, 20 years is pretty reasonable I'd argue. (Outside of Pharma, but the issues with duration in Pharma patents have more to do with human rights issues and third world health crises than they do with the sort of stuff going on in the tech field.)
The big issues with patents are that they are susceptible to patent trolling, owing to their transferability, and the absolutely terrible standards of specificity that the USPTO has long upheld.
Also, the idea of Software Patents in general is often suspect, and the current 'arms race' environment in patent holding is absolutely a problem. But honestly most of the issues with Patents are solvable administratively by the USPTO - a lot of it boils down to if the government funded them to have a number of inspectors in line with the number of applications, fewer terrible ones would get through.
But none of that has anything to do with duration.
I asked this question on stackoverflow and was to ask it here instead:
background:
I am developing a facebook game. this game is written in php/Jquery/CSS. Up until recently, facebook games have been display in an iframe that was 720px wide. But recently, they gave the option to have a fluid lay...
The issue with Copyrights, by contrast is that, over the past 9 decades, they have basically become de facto perpetual, since anytime the copyright on Mickey Mouse is about to expire, most governing bodies have extended the term of all existing copyrights, as well as all future copyrights by several decades.
@badp Nah, anyone with enough patents for mutually assured destruction can just go ahead and violate the Apple patents, get sued, swap patent licenses, and settle
The Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) of 1998 extended copyright terms in the United States by 20 years. Since the Copyright Act of 1976, copyright would last for the life of the author plus 50 years, or 75 years for a work of corporate authorship. The Act extended these terms to life of the author plus 70 years and for works of corporate authorship to 120 years after creation or 95 years after publication, whichever endpoint is earlier. Copyright protection for works published prior to January 1, 1978, was increased by 20 years to a total of 95 years from their publication date.
Th...
There have been a few papers saying that they don't(one grad student even dedicated his research on the subject). But any time that stuff comes up Disney sues for defamation.
This is a list of different countries and the length of their standard copyright in years. See copyright term.
Although they are not countries, the list also includes entries for the European Union, Berne Convention, and the Universal Copyright Convention, which set minimum terms for their member nations or signatories. The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), though not included, requires a copyright length of at least 50 years after death.
Legend
* ibid. = ibidem, "in the same place"
* 0, no copyright = not copyrighted
* Life + xx years = copyrigh...
says 95 years from publication for works published 1964–1977; 28 (if copyright not renewed) or 95 years from publication for works published 1923–1963 (Copyrights prior to 1923 have expired.)[308]
The thing about US Copyright is every time they extend it, another lawsuit is going to be brought to the Supreme Court trying to get it declared unconstitutional.
@Powerlord Yeah, the argument in Eldred was that the current extensions make those limited times de facto unlimited. The court was... not impressed by that logic.
> To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
@LessPop_MoreFizz I thought his argument was that repeated extensions made those limited times de facto unlimited.
I can use the scroll wheel to select menu options, and I can click to fire, but it seems only my xbox 360 gamepad will allow me to aim or move. Which is terrible because I can't aim with my left thumb so I die, and that's not quite so bad but the loading times for this game are murder.
Pressing...
The point though, is that all of this nonsense about perpetual terms is really specific to copyrights, and the issues with Patents in the tech world today have little to do with them, except insofar as IP is still IP and it attracts the same sort of law nerds finding problems with the system.
In the US: Patents started with a 7 year term that could be extended for a second 7 year term. Copyrights started with a 7 year term that could be extended for a second 7 year term.
Longer lifespans, both of the biological sort, and of the 'useful duration of a work' sort should beget longer IP protections.
but 96 years is excessive.
I don't know that 20 is. It MAY be in the software realm, but looking at a lot of physical technologies - even at 20 years it can be tough to see an ROI from some expensive to develop patents. But it's hard to argue that we don't benefit from them being developed. Which is what they're for.
@LessPop_MoreFizz Clearly something is wrong when one gains 6 years to its total and the other gains (minimum, if the author died the day they finished their work) 56 years.
There have been some extended discussions on what will or will not break your eligibility for the Pacifist achievement, but nothing conclusive as to what actually is taken into account.
What actions (either directly or indirectly) result in an ineligibility to earn the pacifist achievement?
Add...
Oh, about the European copyright extension, this made me lol:
> Hmm. Do you think it's a conspiracy to keep Yoko from needing the money and start singing again? Are we safe with 70 years? Japanese women live for ages.
I've been playing Summon Night: Sworcraft Story, and I love the Side Scrolling battles. Does anyone know of any other Action-RPGs with a side scrolling battling system similar to this one (other that the sequel of course).
Since the incredibly fascinating (re-)installation of some DirectX and VC-Redistributable files takes a bit longer than I'm willing to stare at my screen, I'd like to be able to do something else, e.g. watch youtube. But of course when the first time setup is done, the new game starts, usually di...
In MOBAs (LoL, HoN, Dota, etc.) occasionally you'll get paired vs. a strong laning combo with heavy harassment potential in a dual lane (such that coming near the creeps to lasthit/fight/counterharass will only get your char's head bit off). In cases where you both can and cannot trust your lanin...
@LessPop_MoreFizz I have a lot of responses including "What are you talking about?". "I've never heard of that", "Try English", and perhaps most pertinently, "No."
So basically, I'm trying to maximize the XP earning, and I know there are some missions that at least one of these bonuses are not available. So on which missions can I actually earn these bonuses? Or to put it in another way, how many times is it possible to earn one, or both of these bonuses?
I can use the scroll wheel to select menu options, and I can click to fire, but it seems only my xbox 360 gamepad will allow me to aim or move. Which is terrible because I can't aim with my left thumb so I die, and that's not quite so bad but the loading times for this game are murder.
Pressing...
There have been some extended discussions on what will or will not break your eligibility for the Pacifist achievement, but nothing conclusive as to what actually is taken into account.
What actions (either directly or indirectly) result in an ineligibility to earn the pacifist achievement?
Add...
So basically, I'm trying to maximize the XP earning, and I know there are some missions that at least one of these bonuses are not available. So on which missions can I actually earn these bonuses? Or to put it in another way, how many times is it possible to earn one, or both of these bonuses?
