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The evil genius

blog.14islands.com

21–29 of 29 posts

Re: The evil genius

#21
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

↑Ad hominem logic

Really? This is no better. How about pedantic logic? Or avoiding making a real argument logic? Or cheap way to get up votes logic? Piling on logic? Uncomstructive comment logic? Pedantic logic? If you want to disagree then do it. What you're doing here is trying to marginalize me instead of actually making an argument. This used to be a place where we could share our opinions and have constructive conversations and d…

life←{ ↑1 ⍵∨.^3 4=+/,¯1 0 1∘.⊖¯1 0 1∘.⌽⊂⍵ }

↑ Game of life

Re: The evil genius

#22

This is an important problem. It's fundamentally a problem with the way patents are granted, and the way they are used, and the way they are understood. let's address these in turn: First, you shouldn't be able to patent round corners. That's silly. Second, you should be able to patent things and then sue people for using your patent if you are not using your patent in any way shape or form. An unused idea should be…

Useful idiots call for reform. The patent system is intrinsically evil and must be abolished.

Re: The evil genius

#23

I'm not convinced. Apple's patents haven't stopped me from being creative. No one has asked me not to design using rounded corners. How about you? I bet not. When you buy Apple you're not just buying hardware or software. You're buying into a ecosystem and that ecosystem works really well! Now if Apple's ecosystem doesn't suit your needs then you're still free to not use it or jailbreak your iStuff. I keep hearing th…

I'm sure most people won't like what I've said. I'm a pragmatist. Idealism is great and I get the sentiment but in the end we're just not living in the world as it "should be", we live in the world as it is. That's a very depressing way of looking at things. :(

Cheer up. It's only depressing for idealists.

Re: The evil genius

#24
post #22

This is an important problem. It's fundamentally a problem with the way patents are granted, and the way they are used, and the way they are understood. let's address these in turn: First, you shouldn't be able to patent round corners. That's silly. Second, you should be able to patent things and then sue people for using your patent if you are not using your patent in any way shape or form. An unused idea should be…

Useful idiots call for reform. The patent system is intrinsically evil and must be abolished.

I see. And what do you call a person who calls names and makes absolute statements without any support or reasoning?

Re: The evil genius

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure most people won't like what I've said. I'm a pragmatist. Idealism is great and I get the sentiment but in the end we're just not living in the world as it "should be", we live in the world as it is. That's a very depressing way of looking at things. :(

Cheer up. It's only depressing for idealists.

Absolutely! It's not to say that things can never change for the better, it's just to say that we just can't have everything we want and if we do get everything we want it'll most likely come at the expense of someone else not getting something they want. That's the pragmatism I'm talking about in this context.

I'm no idealist but I have to admit that their naive, pie in the sky notions are what makes the world a better place. They never work out, but they do take us a bit of they way there. Repeat enough times and you end up with something real special.

Re: The evil genius

#26

I'm not convinced. Apple's patents haven't stopped me from being creative. No one has asked me not to design using rounded corners. How about you? I bet not. When you buy Apple you're not just buying hardware or software. You're buying into a ecosystem and that ecosystem works really well! Now if Apple's ecosystem doesn't suit your needs then you're still free to not use it or jailbreak your iStuff. I keep hearing th…

There are multiple points you make here, some I agree with some I don't.

> Apple's patents haven't stopped me from being creative. No one has asked me not to design using rounded corners. How about you? I bet not.

Patents have stopped people from being creative. I don't think it's a matter of stopping you or me, but a more general perspetive. I'm no specialist in patents, nor is it a topic that I like talking about, but imho a critical issue is with their generality: rounded corners, mouse clicks, page turns seem like very very wide ideas.

> When you buy Apple you're not just buying hardware or software. You're buying into a ecosystem and that ecosystem works really well! Now if Apple's ecosystem doesn't suit your needs then you're still free to not use it or jailbreak your iStuff.

I do buy Apple products because they fit my needs and their current limitations are not over the threshold I feel comfortable with. Now. But ideally I'd prefer to buy into an ecosystem that is not closed. I'd like to know that in the future when a shift occurs I'll be able to get my things and move to what fits the needs I have at that time.

A related question is: should I complain or not about it if I already chose to buy into it? Me belief is that by expressing ourselves and not being complacent with the status quo we are able to influence things.

Re: The evil genius

#27
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Useful idiots call for reform. The patent system is intrinsically evil and must be abolished.

I see. And what do you call a person who calls names and makes absolute statements without any support or reasoning?

Is it your view that one may not express one's view without substantiating it? Because that is the premise implied by your remark, and -- guess what? -- it's an absolute statement you've failed to provide any support or reasoning for, which would make you a hypocrite. So perhaps you should clarify.

Re: The evil genius

#28
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see. And what do you call a person who calls names and makes absolute statements without any support or reasoning?

Is it your view that one may not express one's view without substantiating it? Because that is the premise implied by your remark, and -- guess what? -- it's an absolute statement you've failed to provide any support or reasoning for, which would make you a hypocrite. So perhaps you should clarify.

Actually, that's more of a statement of worldview, of what I find beautiful. It is axiomatic, and you are free to disagree with it if you like, but if you do, you and I can't (and shouldn't) be friends.

Re: The evil genius

#29
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it your view that one may not express one's view without substantiating it? Because that is the premise implied by your remark, and -- guess what? -- it's an absolute statement you've failed to provide any support or reasoning for, which would make you a hypocrite. So perhaps you should clarify.

Actually, that's more of a statement of worldview, of what I find beautiful. It is axiomatic, and you are free to disagree with it if you like, but if you do, you and I can't (and shouldn't) be friends.

So, your assertions are unquestioned axioms, mine need substantiation. Yeah, we couldn't be friends.
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