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NerdTV Coming in September 212
Random BedHead Ed writes "After years of development, Robert X. Cringely's NerdTV is finally on its way, and will be released September 6th. The program will feature interviews with prominent nerds, such as Bill Joy and Macintosh programmer Andy Hertzfeld. But far from being a normal television show, it will be downloadable. As Cringely explained last week in his column, BitTorrent and the expansion of broadband made this the right time for such a move. The show will be available at pbs.org/nerdtv/, where there is currently an information page.
Larry Lessig points out that the show will be distributed under a Creative Commons license - the specific license is not specified, but Cringely and PBS say that noncommercial use and redistribution will be allowed."
Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:2, Funny)
maybe (Score:1)
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:1)
In my mind, a middle initial adds a touch of crime, as law enforcement, when putting out a bulletin, uses all three names to avoid confusion. That is why most notorious criminals go by all three names when discussed in the media...
I for one am looking forward to this series- I hope it does for us (nerd persecution must end) what inside the actors studio did for obscure hollywoodians.
I just hope that it gets hard hitting... think the spin stop
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:5, Funny)
Says Alex P Keaton..
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:2)
Says Carl E. von Kleist, IV, KSC.
Don't forget your suffix and any titles you may have gained.
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:4, Funny)
George W Bush comes to mind.
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:2)
George W Bush comes to mind.
Or George's hero... Jesus H. Christ
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:2)
I guess I ain't got no class.
(No middle name. Rodney Dangerfield moment...)
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:2)
Re:Is his middle initial really necessary? (Score:3, Informative)
And as for "How many Robert Cringley's are there who write tech columns and host PBS computer shows?", there are at least 2 Robert X. Cringely's that write tech columns (though one is barred from writing them in tech publications). Mark Stephens started using the pen name when writing for InfoWorld and continued to use it after leaving, but InfoWorld had a trademark on it.
They sued and it eventually ended up that Rober
Andy Hertzfeld? (Score:1, Funny)
Yeah! (Score:5, Insightful)
Really nice for us geographically challanged non-americans to get it without the usual half-a-year waiting period too.
Re:Yeah! (Score:2, Funny)
Now if only there was some [thepiratebay.org] way [torrentspy.com] to download [mininova.org] "normal" TV shows...
What about a downloadable gardening show? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What about a downloadable gardening show? (Score:2)
you hear that Paul james?! [hgtv.com]
Re:What about a downloadable gardening show? (Score:2)
And unlike their male counterparts, the women here may actually care about fashion and other unimportant things; you know, like hygiene.
Re:What about a downloadable gardening show? (Score:2)
(You gotta attack a stereotype with a stereotype, right?)
Slashdot backup? (Score:3, Funny)
I dont think it will work... (Score:5, Funny)
There are too many stations (Score:2, Insightful)
Now, channles often have nothing to do with what they are named. MTV might as well be reality TV... 4 episodes of Real World followed by 4 episodes of Road Rules, followed by 8 episodes of Real World versus Road Rules. Ugh. Then, for the 200th time a repeat of "When the 80's ruled".
But here is what gets me pissed off. Did everyone hear MTV is now using the money we paid (through watching the advertising) to start a
Connections! (Score:3, Interesting)
--grendel drago
Re:Connections! (Score:2)
Great couple series that, though. I miss those days.
Ah, it's been released. But so expensive! (Score:2)
Ah, you're right. It's available [ambrosevideo.com], though $150 is a mite steep. Amazon carries it used [amazon.com] for around $100 per series. Gleep. VHS will run something around $70 each. Still gleep.
Ah, and I recall The Day the Universe Changed as well. Available for the low, low price of $750 [buyindies.com]. Educational pricing is a racket.
--grendel drago
Re:Connections! (Score:2)
While I thought Connections was a rather poor follow-up, might I recommend the Day the Universe Changed? It's a bit dated, but still good stuff, and can be had on eMule/eDonkey.
Thanks! (Score:2)
--grendel drago
Re:There are too many stations (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:There are too many stations (Score:2)
There's really no point arguing with blikered morons, it's a waste of time.
Re:There are NOT too many stations (Score:2)
What you really need is a tool to separate the good from the bad. Blogdex [blogdex.net] does this for websites. There will always be crap out there or even good stuff that only you consider crap. I don't think the world should be stuck with ten channels of crap YOU find interesting which, based on your apparent intolerance, would probably include that fishing show on fox and "You might be a redneck if..."
Re:There are NOT too many stations (Score:2)
Re:There are NOT too many stations (Score:2)
Re:There are NOT too many stations (Score:2)
Creative Commons license.. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Creative Commons license.. (Score:2)
Great! (Score:5, Funny)
I Agree! (Score:2)
Free=Respect (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Free=Respect (Score:5, Informative)
I'd suggest you check out his weekly column [pbs.org] from time to time. He seems to be one of the few tech pundits out there that actually has half a clue. Although sometimes it's obvious it's only half a clue...
Re:Free=Respect (Score:2)
My question was going to be "Whatever happened to Cringeley anyway?" I stopped reading his column years ago as the only value seemed to be of the broken-clock-that's-right-twice-a-day variety. Judging from the evaporation of once-common Cringeley links on Slashdot, I'm not the only one.
As the guest list indicates (Andy Hertzfeld and Bill Joy? Where's Alan Turing?), his circle of Silicon Valley buddies is getting a bit long in the tooth...
Re:Free=Respect (Score:2)
Re:Free=Respect (Score:2, Funny)
Um. Let me put this in terms a nerd can understand.
Alan Turing has become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. His interview is delayed until such a time as he masters the ability to "come back from The Force."
Official News Service (Score:2, Funny)
More of a franchise model (Score:2)
Hmm Redistribution (Score:2)
Re:Hmm Redistribution (Score:3)
Are you kidding? real nerds make a point of receiving NerdTV in Morse code, manually, then entering the received number in a file with ed, then un-pgp the file with a secret 2048-bit key found on an IRC channel to which you can only be invited if you request it with a phrase found in a file distributed on BitTorre
Oh...My.....God! (Score:2)
Not the part where you actually explained it, rather, the part where I realized I understood everything you were speaking about. If you do too, then congrats. You're a nerd.
Always remember that for 95% of the population, your reply might as well have been in Alien pig latin. Yes. Computers are THAT foreign and scary to people.
Re:Hmm Redistribution (Score:2)
Are you kidding? real nerds make a point of receiving NerdTV in Morse
code, manually, then entering the received number in a file with ed,
then un-pgp the file with a secret 2048-bit key found on an IRC
channel to which you can only be invited if you request it with a
phrase found in a file distributed on BitTorrent, then uudecode it,
then view it with an ascii-art FLI viewer.
So that means we found another legal use for Bittorrent?
When did it become ok ? (Score:4, Interesting)
I mean, since nerd IS still a word that is used in a negative way it should not be bandied around like this. I don't care if you're not offended by it. Some people are.
And before you say "Well you are posting this on a site labled 'news for nerds'" I say yes, I know that Einsten. And it bothers me, but I think if anything. This is the place that a discussion like this needs to happen.
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
I have no problem being geeky or nerdy or being called geeky or nerdy. I am what I am and I'm proud of that.
I'm sorry you're so ashamed of what you are, but really, if you don't want to be a geek or a nerd, just join a gym, suck it up for a year or two, and start being a jock. S'your choice.
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:5, Funny)
Look, who do you think you're kidding here?
started talking initially because she "really, really likes nerdy guys"
Aw now come on, don't overdo it.
(she also likes geeky guys,
Well, large jpegs of pink moist young girls really can be lifelike, and with a little imagination, they really do seem to like everybody very much.
Okay, bad joke. I'm just kidding
(photos please?)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
Hey man, my girlfriend runs Debian on her laptop and never asks me to fix it for her or install software for her or any of that stuff.
...
No, dead serious.
Jeff
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:5, Insightful)
how about a home remodeling show "Fags have fun with your living room" ?
You know the term "queer" as in "Queer Eye for a Straight Guy" used to be an offensive term too, but some homosexuals embraced the term rather than being offended by it. I'd say the term "nerd" is likewise a badge of pride among many people. After all you're reading a site that says, "News for Nerds" right at the top of it.
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:5, Insightful)
To paraphrase that icon of Nerd-dom, James Kirk, "Sorry about your thin skin, but as we say on Earth, 'C'est la vie.'"
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:4, Funny)
I like it when you call me "Einstein".
-Jam
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
If I can walk into a room full of [any "sensitive" group] and say ["offensive" name for group] and start a riot, really, all they have done is given me the power to control their lives. Power by mere speech.
Not saying it's okay, and kind of off the point, but a word is only as bad as your perception of it
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
Something similar has happened in nerd circles since the rise of the internet and mainstreaming of video games. You can be offended by it, or you can wear the badge with pride. How you handle it is up to you, but many of us out here are quite proud to call ourselves nerds, and have better things to do with our time
Re:When did it become ok ? [KNOCK IT OFF!!!] (Score:2)
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
"Geek" was negative, but at least in the OSS world, has taken on a decidedly positive flavor.
Re:When did it become ok ? (Score:2)
Skipped junior high, did we?
My question: (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:My question: (Score:2)
Re:My question: (Score:2)
PBS shows, being public television, can not have commercials. What they have are underwriter credits instead. There is a difference between the two, but it can be murky at times. Basic difference, underwriter credits are a promo for t
The Future Of NerdTV (Score:4, Funny)
No, i'm not feeling hostile. Why do you ask?
Re:The Future Of NerdTV (Score:2)
But... consider that the reason that occurs is the pressures caused by the distribution mechanism, which strongly favor$ mainstream distribution over niche.
This starts out from day one depending on BitTorrent, which strongly (though not quite) entirely flattens the costs to the creator for mainstream vs. niche.
There is reason to hope this will never suffer that fate, as long as the same people stay in charge, because it can afford to stay niche. Then again, if they get to
This could really help P2P. (Score:5, Interesting)
The success of this show may directly effect the future of p2p, and the internet as we know it; because if it does make it, others will likely follow suit.
Bittorrent (Score:5, Insightful)
Kinda Like What The Screen Savers old Crew.. (Score:4, Informative)
Nerd TV (Score:4, Funny)
I want my...
I want my Nerd TV.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Nerd TV (Score:2)
First we get Morgan Freeman going over, (Score:4, Interesting)
Wait until producers realize that they can use broadband and a content aggregator or Google to skip the entire 'kowtow and then bend-over facing the other way' process that they go through with the current lot of content disseminators.
No more canceled shows until there's no audience for them, not the current trade-off of "we can squeeze more profits with pushing ads on schlock than we can with your high concept stuff, so piss off."
Re:First we get Morgan Freeman going over, (Score:2)
Not being broadcast? (Score:4, Informative)
So it won't actually be airing on PBS, just on the internet?
Re:Not being broadcast? (Score:2)
SlashdotTV coming September 6th... ish (Score:5, Funny)
When asked why viewers should get their video news from Slashdot rather than going straight to PBS and downloading the whole news program, CmdrTaco replied "Well, we know our Slashdot readers are busy. Some of them can only check the site 10-12 times a day, and as everyone knows they don't have time to read the articles. So what we've done is cut out everything but 10 seconds of the interview, the best inflammatory bits we can find, and then added an audio-only cynical or sarcastic comment at the end, with an occasional 'Linux is getting better every day' comment for good measure. We tried video footage using a web cam for the comment, but it was, well, kinda creepy."
CmdrTaco also said Slashdot is working on another new feature called Slashdot ReMix, where existing news items are posted by different Slashdot editor and given a slightly different spin, to see how different angles of the story are received. Perceptive Slashdotters, he noted, have noticed this system in beta testing over the past few years, with more heavy testing in the last 1-2 years. He believes the system is now nearing perfection.
Re:SlashdotTV coming September 6th... ish (Score:2)
The kittens are safe! (Score:2, Funny)
For some reason I don't think that there will be any kittens sacrificed because of this program.
--
TechTV (Score:2)
Re:TechTV (Score:2)
Good thing it's only the name they sold, because I think it's illegal to sell people.
Broadband quote from article (Score:2)
So when will website designers start to realize that half of us aren't able to get broadband?
Creative Commons....w00t! (Score:3, Funny)
Excellent! Now the nattering naybobs of negativism here at work, who currently have conniptions whenever I try to use something from TV in the classroom, can't complain. Well, they can still complain, I just won't have to comply.
Die G4 Die (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Die G4 Die (Score:2)
Leo Laporte (Score:3, Interesting)
They should add Leo Laporte to the line up. He was one of the few good things on TechTV.
Blues for Nerds? (Score:2)
You had my interest, really you did (Score:2)
Then you said the word "Cringely".
Now I don't care about this anymore.
;shrug;
Hertzfeld is a god (High praise from an atheist.) (Score:2)
One of four of the original primary software architects of Mac OS
Created the MagicCap OS (it had a really cool/funky GUI and AFAIK is sadly complete dead)
Founded Eazel in 1999, which gave us the Nautilus file manager for the GNOME.
'Nuff said.
Hertzfeld deserves more credit than Jobs (Score:2)
Small Plug for Google Video (Score:3, Interesting)
Google already knows the future of "television" is shared hosting (via bittorrents, etc) of user-submitted content, and I'm sure Robert Cringley knows this well too.
Nothing stopping these producers from advertising, and it might even be cheaper to maintain an online presence than to broadcast the show the regular way.
I'd like to candidly plug my own small contribution to internet video here:
BeGeistert 14 Interview with yellowTAB [google.com]
It has been done before. (Score:2, Informative)
Their claim to fame was that it is the worlds first ever TV Program dedicated to "All things Open Source."
It includes interviews with major open-source figures such as Richard Stallman, Lawrence Lessig, Jon 'maddog' Hall, and Bruce Perens, as well as case studies and discussions of Shuttleworth's Ubuntu Linux.
Some programming ideas (Score:2)
Re:Gee Whix (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Creative Commons License (Score:2)
Why should it? Nothing else does.
Re:Other PBS Shows (Score:2)
Re:What defines non-commercial distribution? (Score:2)
Creative Commons seems to define non-commercial as activity that is "primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation." To me, that sounds like pretty broad protection - you could argue that if the cable company distributes it, even when included in the basic package, they are gaining "commercial advantage" because it provides an incentive for people to subscribe to their service.
On the other hand, you (not the cable company) might be able to broadcast
Re:IntelligenTV (Score:2)
I can just imagine what she will say now.