I do not think there has ever been any confusion on this; This site is a good example of why not. I post under my full name, standing firmly behind my opinions. The same thing goes for other websites. I am registered with my name on all of the sites on my Online Profiles section of the links page where it is possible. I do not hide behind a moniker or nom de plume. There are several reasons for this. It is not coincidental, it is by choice. I believe strongly in the right to freedom of speech, but I also believe that debate only really becomes useful when people understand that words may have consequences. I think that, by posting my opinion using my name, I keep myself honest and accountable. I do not post things I do not believe, and I do not post things solely to embarass someone.
A sometime participant in public debate, my opinions are my own. I claim them as such, and share them freely. I believe in sharing, free use and attribution, and I believe that, while copyright laws are useful, and sometimes necessary, there are better alternatives out there. Specifically, I think Creative Commons does a better job of defining exactly what rights you claim, and how you allow other people to use your content. The counter argument is that people can just go ahead and take your content. While that may, to some extent, be true, it is no more true than it would be if you claimed full copyright, unless you start using some fairly draconian measures to protect your content, measures which I, for one, am not comfortable with.
While I may disagree with the tactics and approach of Anon, I do understand them. I think doing things “for the lulz”, is the worst kind of reasoning there is. Doing them because you believe it is right, even if there is also an element of lulz is fine, but the root of it, the driving force and thought behind it, should always be that it makes the world better, that it is the right thing to do.
I am not Anon, but I think they have their place.
Tag: Op-Ed
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I am not Anon
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The iPad
Yesterday, Apple announced the long-anticipated, much hyped iPad. Looking like an overgrown iPhone, it sports a 9.7″ screen, with a resolution of 1024×768, multi-touch and your choice of WLAN (all models) 3G (some models) and 16, 32 or 64 GB memory.
A commenter at NRK Beta said it was disappointing that it didn’t have some sort of eInk technology. Now, while eInk is GREAT for reading comfort and battery time, it has a deadly flaw for a device like the iPad; it has a screen refresh rate on par with, well a book (never mind the fact that eInk is so far only available as black and wh … err … gray).
To me, the iPad is NOT ideal for reading, for the exact same reasons why a device with eInk is; backlight and screen refresh. The backlight and screen refresh makes your eyes go tired much quicker, and, eInk having neither, it is actually like reading off darkish paper.
The book function being less than interesting to me, my interest, which, I admit, is piqued, is fading. As a websurfing device, well, it just doesn’t fo it for me. If I want an instant-on, touch screen device, I’ll use my phone. If I want to seriously surf the web, I want a computer, complete with a mouse and a keyboard.
Playing music? Sure, I could, but why not use an iPod or a Creative Zen; they’re smaller and have better power usage times. As for reading and editing documents, I’d rather have a computer to edit and either paper or eInk to read, so that’s out. Photo viewing and editing? Again, I want a computer.
The iPad
The form factor looks good, but I am still critical of both the weight and how long the battery will last. I notice that, like the iPod and iPhone, the iPad does not look like you can exchange the battery yourself, which I find a curious choice. Sure, for a tiny unit like the shuffle, I can understand it, but for an everyday usage unit like the iPhone? I don’t get it.
Using iPhone OS is an obvious, albeit exciting choice. Apple are basically saying that the iPhone OS is mature enough and powerful enough to be used on this kind of device. Also, by all accounts, it does exactly what an OS for a device like this should do; IT JUST WORKS.
While the tech geek in me goes “OOOH! SHINY!”, the sensible guy sitting somewhere deep down, right next door to the justification department, is going “Meh. Yet another device I have no use for.” And that, really, is what it all boils down to, isn’t it? The answer to the question “Do I have any real use for this?”
When all’s told, my interest is piqued, but I am not convinced, and I doubt that I will shell out the $499-$699 for one of these units. There are three main reasons for this:
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