Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 3rd Sep 2012 21:21 UTC
Pretty scummy stuff by Samsung, this. The company apologised, but what it shows is just how warped tech reporting and blogging really is. Websites are dependent on review items, early access, and press invites, and we really have no idea just how much this influences reporting. Do you really think that reviewers and bloggers who are too critical will get invited to the next product unveil in Cupertino or will get early access to the next Galaxy device? If so, I have a palace to sell you.
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Member since:2005-06-29
Well, I think that was what I meant by "humanitarian feelings". 
It may just be my opinion, but I consider a selfless act one in which I do not gain a measurable profit, e.g., wealth, power, dominance, sustenance, etc. There's nothing wrong with feeling good about helping someone with no tangible return.
As an example, about a year ago I came across an older gentleman whose car was disabled in the parking lot of the market I stopped at to get a drink, on a very hot day. I didn't think twice about getting a second bottle of diet soda (just in case he was diabetic) and handing it to him on the way out. I didn't ask for anything from him, but I did offer to look at his car as I'm a competent mechanic. He declined that offer, saying he had someone on the way, but he gladly took the drink and even tried to pay me for it. I knew he didn't have enough money as he would have bought his own drink, so I declined and wished him well.
Now, sure, I felt really good about what I did, but that wasn't what made me do it. I looked at him the same as I would a family member or friend. I did it on impulse without thinking twice because it was the right thing to do, because that was how I was raised.
Member since:2006-02-15
There's nothing wrong with feeling good about helping someone with no tangible return.
I never said it is wrong, but it still is based on a selfish motive.
because that was how I was raised.
Actually, from a psychological standpoint that's how you were conditioned to behave. You wouldn't be doing that if you didn't receive a small boost on your endorphine levels.
I know it sounds rather harsh and it's quite clearly not how you wish to see it -- you obviously feel better about romanticizing the notion of doing something for the benefit of others -- but that is how it works from psychological and physiological standpoint.
Features
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Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
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OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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Member since:
2006-02-15
Actually no, such is still driven by selfish motives: you get a "feel good" feedback from performing such acts, ie. you do it to please yourself. Everything we human beings do voluntarily is driven by selfish motives, whether it be helping out some random person we meet, agreeing to do something we don't really want to but believe we'll benefit in one way or another in the long run or be able to avoid some negative feelings/consequences and so on. The only things we do that aren't driven by selfish motives are those that we do not do voluntarily.
The difference comes from the type of selfish reward we are aiming for with some people preferring tangible, physical rewards, some people preferring the intangible rewards, some people feeling that being able to avoid something is a reward enough in and of itself and so on. I, for example, help out people simply because it makes me feel good about myself -- that is clearly driven by the selfish need to boost my own perception of who I am, even if the end result is that I end up benefiting someone else while doing that.
Basic psychology.