(/farewell) China. :DFollow

ok, to pick an extreme example, though not completely unrealistic.



I will give you a scenario to think about. 2 Children, Johnny and Billy.

Johnny plays video games, lots of them and for hours a day. He gets very little exercise doesn't eat healthy and is basicaly a wreck.

Billy on the other hand plays video games occasionally plays sports, eats relatively healthy.

Fast forward 40 years. Johnny and Billy Both have successful lives, Johnny still plays video games and is relatively inactive, Billy works out occasionally and both appear relatively healthy.

Johnny has a heart attack casued by high choleterol and his generally lethargic lifestyle.

Billy has a heart attack due to some unknown genetic illness out of his control.

Both need a new heart or will die within 90 days.

There is 1 heart available, who gets it?

Now obviously we have all seen this question, or some form of it before. It is obviously not an easy situation to deal with. BUT, Johnny's was preventable. He could have changed his ways to better himself and maybe prevented this from ever happening.

Maybe he lacked the will power, or maybe the parents didnt care.

I think China is trying to turn the Johnny's into Billy's or at least hoping to lower the number at least a little.

Now you may think that this is a one off example, etc, not realistic and so forth. And for that I say:





http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/physactivity.htm

Now ... How many subscribers to MMO's are there worldwide?

Lets say 10,000,000 approx (not just FFXI)

Now lets say only 10% are "hardcore" and fit the situation i described above.

so thats 1,000,000 people that increase their risk factors for developing heart disease, amoungst other things.



to quote you again:


So is it unconstitutional if it is indirectly saving thousands of lives? what if it saved just 1 life?


Edited, Fri Sep 23 13:29:10 2005 by TseTsuo

Agreed Spentax on all points on the post before mine. However Im not sure if you got what I was argueing at. I think any limitations on freedom is wrong. As to being unconstitutional...im not a lawyer, and I dont feel im really qualified to answet that.

My point was this: Unconstitutional or not, this could certainly happen in the USA. And if it did happen it would backed the same way bans on violent video games is being back at this very moent in time. Your rights and liberties really have very little to do with what the government decides they are going to regulate. If some one fingers it and it makes press and gets that small minority of US citizens (those little fraternities that feel there little club is best suited to decide what is best for everyone) motivated then they will push it through.

For instance, in many large cities it is against the law to smoke in restraunts and clubs. If I am a club owner, and a smoker it then becomes against the law for me to have a ciarette on my own property. Im sure if we can relate the government telling you how long you can play a game to being unconstitutional then that would certainly fall in the same catagory.

And if you want to disect the issue even further. The government wouldnt be placing any restrictions upon its citizens in the case of this time limiting program. The would be regulating how the business is to operate and setting standards. And im sure they would come into being byour voted representatives meeting over it and discussing it. Just lie every other law or bill. It would follow the process of democracy as itfunctions in this country.

As to whether I disagree with the idea of such limitations. Of course I do. Its just if I am going to try and protect my constitutional rights and such, I would rather go after the real villians (MPAA and RIAA anyone?) then waste time dealing with oddball church loonies who think they know whatis best for me. Im a smoker so I know all about select minorities thinking they know what is best for everyone. If such a program is created it will be defeated immediately. The cost of keeping such a program current would be astronomical. So it will end up being one of those moot issues that really matter little. Some realy right wing folks will get there picture on TV and everyone will become and expert about the causes of obesity. Studies that have been going on for years performed by leading experts will become available,a nd everyone will get to be on the Oprah show.

I care little about the topic. If I couldnt personally circumvent such a service then someone else would. You see this type of issue is a time issue. And ill tell yo from experience that a computers biggest security weakness is time. Most of the really sneay and effecticve ways to comprimise a system or bypass security have atime component involved in them. So dont waste your time fighting against an issue that will be defeated so quick that it would almost be considered an abortion.

Most of the hacking population in the world play online games. They wont sit idly by. They wont leave their computers when the timer goes off, and neither will anyone else.

Im done in this topic. I feel that everyone here is of pretty much the same sentiment on the topic. Any further discussion about stuff weve already covered is just beating a dead dog.


So lets talk about something more fun. I ask this. I want to make a standing bet (no money just for fun) on how long you think it will take for people to get around the system. To make it fair im going tobreak it down in catagories. If you would like to join in just pick a catagory and place it at the top of your next post.

cat1. The system will be circumvented before its official release

cat2. The system will be circumvented within 12 hours of release

cat3. The system will be circumvented within 24 hours of release

cat4. The system will be circumvented within 1 week of release

cat5. the system will be circumvented within 1 month of release

cat6. The system will be circumvented within 6 months of release

cat7. The system will not be circemvented at all.


Im going with CAT1.

Ill follow the issue and post the cirvumvention date and release date when they become available.

Gob

are we talking a publicly released fix or "someone got past it".

If it's a public release i would say cat3.

Privately, as in someone got past it but kept it hushed, cat2.

I dont think it will be done pre-release since someone needs to get the executabel first so they can see what changed and what memeroy address/file location the timer is being stored in.

Since this is govn't backed whoever releases the patch will either a.) need to do it in a way with complete anonymity or b.) be in another country cause you know they will be a target when they do.

The hell do taxes have to do with limiting usage? Yes the government can tax things, but that really doesn't have much to do with the topic. This topic is about limiting the amount of time you can play and whether or not our government can impose such a law. You should really read things before posting.

Ahem... Taxes are used to support and finance government prospects and basic security needs (i.e. police, firemen). Taxes are not and have nothing to do with limiting choices, it is about funding. Taxes have been around since the beginnings of any form of government, it is how things get paid for. It isn't something that we do because the government bullies us into doing so, it is something we do in order to keep a structured civilization. An act of limiting choices would be more along the lines of a government official coming to your home and taking money in order to make a single person richer. Yes taxes are mandatory, but if you don't like them move to Mexico.

My point being that something that has a basic meaningful function (i.e. taxes) is a completely different subject then abuse of power in limiting your freedom of choice (i.e. saying only a certain select group of people are allowed to own a car). You are comparing taxes to tyranny. You need to learn how to make similar comparisons.


Edited, Sun Sep 25 22:13:23 2005 by Weakness

i hate hermaphrodites

Edited, Sun Sep 25 20:45:56 2005 by SpentaX

Tis the nature of this beast Weakness, people can't grasp the concept that people have different views about things, and instead of carrying on a spirited debate on the subject, they decide in stead to give in to the spirit of asshattedness and blindly rate down.