Here's what a few of you had to say about our recent stories. To post a remark online in our feedback forums, enter your comments in the text box at the end of any story (registration required). Additionally, you can give our Skype feedback line a call at (415) 992-NEWS (415-992-6397), or message us on Skype at our user name: wirednews.
Re: IPod Factories: No Unions
By Leander Kahney
From: Chris Knight
Limited role in a white collar workplace? I am an officer with the (NASA) Ames Federal Employees Union (www.afeu.org) and we represent scientists, engineers, software programmers, etc. It takes a different kind of union, and I think the "open shop" model our union has works well. We've protected intellectual freedom, saved our large scientific library from "downsizing," lobbied Congress for science and aeronautics, and generally kept management honest.
I think the tech sector could certainly benefit from organizing – with executives bringing home huge salaries, 50+ hour work weeks, offshoring of work and other shenanigans that hurt the professionals that are the bedrock of our technology development.
One myth I've heard is that unions in the professional realm would limit the ability of employees to negotiate the terms of their employment. Nothing is further from the truth; an excellent example is how the Screen Actor's Guild operates, providing base-line minimums to protect new actors but by no means limiting the ability of actors to negotiate better terms for themselves.
- - -
Re: IPod Factories: No Unions
By Leander Kahney
From: Mark Brueschke
Why is the issue of Chinese labor policies only brought up in-regards to Apple now? The conditions that the PRC government allows in factories has been an issue since the PRC opened up to foreign investment in the early 1980s. It's deplorable that the plight of workers in the PRC is only brought up now and the media is only looking at Apple contractors.
- - -
Re: Is Ubuntu Linux for You, Too?
By Sean Captain
From: Kristoffer Nilaus Olsen
Nice story about Ubuntu. I have it installed on my ancient Thinkpad Celeron 450Mhz, which I use as my kitchen computer (for recipes and listening to music while cooking) and your story pretty accurately covers my experiences. One thing you might want to cover in the future is the Automatix script, which enables users to install a variety of needed extra functionality in Linux – including the much vaunted multimedia codecs – with the click of a few buttons from a graphical user interface. It's really made it much simpler to make Ubuntu a proper multimedia system and then some.
- - -
Re: Saved by the Bell
By Clive Thompson
From: Joseph
Good article. The best games give you a choice of save method. Easier difficulty could have "save anywhere" whereas harder difficulty could have "one save" and reward you with game content that the easy gamers don't see.
Developers need to realize that teen gamers and adult gamers play differently. I'm 36, and if I get stuck in a game I'll just give up and move on unless it's so awesome I just have to continue. That's because my time is limited and I have the funds to invest in another title.
Maybe the makers of Dead Rising will issue a "game of the year" edition with an easy "ninja dog" setting patched in.
- - -
