Slashdot Mirror

Isn't Ben Silverman the guy who did Dotcom Scoop and is a contributor The New York Post paper? Funny that NYT would write about him.

Well, lets look at Kazaa.

It's website is in English. It's software is in English, and it does not have a Norwegian version of the software and probably never will. Take a look at their Languages page. It doesn't even have plans to open a Norweigan version of their software, but yet they want to release it in Spanish, French and German? Spanish is basically the second most spoken language in the United States, not Norway. Now, if we take a look at the most common languages in Norway, we can see here and here that hardly anyone speaks English in Norway. Most speak, um, Norwegian (most common dialect is Bokmål).

So, as we can plainly see, Kazaa is targeting the US demographic, not Norway/Denmark/Estonia. Yet their servers and establishments are in Denmark? Why? It's to gain marketshare and profit from the American people, yet not contribute the US. In fact, they're taking money away from the American government. There are no US taxes on the products, so your basically throwing your money away. (Yes, Money, there is now "Kazaa Plus" which costs $$$). Kazaa's advertisments target US customers, it's product is made for US customers and it's only intrest is in the US customer base.

Kazaa is obviously not interested in P2P technology or it's future. It stole Gntuella's technology spec and re-wrote it. Kazaa also has Network Supernodes (dedicated nodes, always on) and other centralized components. So if you took those away, expect drastic changes in performance. The RIAA has pretty much presumed Kazaa was built just like that for a while. Kazaa is all about money. Take away the money, watch the developers flee. The "developers" of Kazaa have already started up similar companies. They know Kazaa will be shut down eventually, and of course they need to keep making their un-deserved millions.

Kazaa will eventually be shut down, even if it means Jennifer Gardner running out of an exploding building in the Netherlands.

Is it really as decentralized as it's touted to be?

"This discovery is very disappointing to me -- as I'm sure it is to you. And it is quite possible that as our investigation continues we will find other questionable entries." - WorldCom CEO John Sidgmore in an email to employees

Here's the email

2. Bell is already doing this in Canada, and other ISP/Telcos such as Telus, Shaw, Rogers, etc are considering taking similar steps to deal with the bandwidth hogs

It should be noted that the hogs are a small minority and that most of them are engaging in illegal activity. Given the current legal trend in Canada (placing of liability on ISPs, forcing them to report potentially illegal activity of a serious nature to the authorities, etc) I wouldn't be surprised if Canadian ISPs will be taking a more active role in stamping out piracy.

Ironically, the RIAA itself leaked an internal memo which contains information that could help in cloning FT. Again, the RIAA's internal memo on FastTrack is an excellent read. Perhaps, with the help of the RIAA, we can create our open FastTrack client.

Ironically, the RIAA itself leaked an internal memo which contains information that could help in cloning FT. Again, the RIAA's internal memo on FastTrack is an excellent read. Perhaps, with the help of the RIAA, we can create our open FastTrack client.

Am I the only person that wishes Rep. Boucher was in the Senate instead of Hollings? He's the one person I can think of in politics who is technologically informed and not in the pockets of big media conglomerates.

We can remember him as the person sending the letter to the RIAA questioning their practice of labelling copy protected CD's as normal CD's, and drafting up tech friendly legislation.

Hmmm, looks a lot like a verbatim copy of someone's post here on Slashdot:

http://www.dotcomscoop.com/article.php?sid=263

Now I'm pissed. Why *shouldn't* the people who load this site down the most pay their share? Why *SHOULD* the average viewer pay the SAME AMOUNT as someone who loads 50 times as many pages, who loads the servers 50 times as much and costs 50 times as much bandwidth???

No-one would EVER suggest that gasoline stations have a "yearly fee" for everyone and anyone. Delivering the product does have a direct per-unit cost.

Furthermore, I see tons of people who figure that they're "earning something" by posting. What is this, a job for you? You mean you're not posting because you enjoy posting? Because you enjoy talking with your fellow readers? Because you enjoy the pride of having a post positively moderated? The SERVICE allowing you to discuss, post, moderate, filter the comments, and be the center of attention once in a while when you say something others think is worthwhile - this isn't it worth anything to you?

(As it turns out and as Rob's statistics show, MOST of your posts aren't read by the majority of the quarter million users! Maybe your posts in general aren't worth diddly. Maybe it's simply not economical, bandwidth vs content, to )

If you think the price is too high for what you get out of it, then start a competing service where the price is lower (and see how long you last). Put your actions where your mouth is.

If you think that you're "contribution" is worth so much, start a competing service where things are run the way you think they should be.

If you've got some feedback, an opinion, fine, I'm not dissing you. If you think x-cents per 100 KB/page-of-text is too high, fine. You're allowed an opinion, and a choice as a consumer.

But if you're whining and screaming your lungs out like child because you figure you've been so badly done by.... tough.

BTW: If you hadn't noticed, the space where they're putting the ads, that was all empty white space to begin with!!! NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED!

And I have to wonder, if Slashdot *had* used any of your hair-brained schemes, how many of you would *still* be screaming your lungs out about the "horrible failings and unfairness" of whatever they chose. (Some people are just like that.)

I for one, think its great that Slashdot is using what I consider to be a well-thought-out ad program. I applaud the efforts of the fine people running this site, and in spite of what a lot of negative people have to say about it, I actually think it improves the site, giving it a professional look and feel that it sorely needed.

Thank you.

Fark.com has a brilliant model whereby users can pay a fee to see ALL stories submitted to the site, not just those approved for frontpage. I think this is a brilliant idea that would work even better on Slashdot and make a TON of money. I know I'd pay 20/year for it.

There's a good review of this idea and discussion of how it might apply to Slashdot here .

To get an idea of what this would be like, look at the preview.

copy protected = corrupted. Anytime you read the phrase copy-protected replace it with corrupted. This way you get the true meaning of the sentence.

The RIAA has, for the past two years, been winning the war of words. The RIAA is the lightning rod for the recording industry, and has been, unfortunately, too effective is doing this slight of hand and ear that would make Houdini proud. Other phrases: fair use = theft, copying a cd = piracy, music fan = thief, etc..

If you can not back up your CD then it may be illegal under the AHRA in which the RIAA currently collects 2% of the wholesale cost of a CD recorder and 2% of the wholesale cost of blank music rated CDRs. Rick Boucher has asked the RIAA and IFPI to respond to this letter, pointing this out, snd asking for clarification of these "copy protections"

The proper term is CORRUPTED, not copy protected.They do not conform to Red Book Standards.

Congressman Rick Boucher of VA has written a letter to the IFPI and the RIAA suggesting that under the AHRA this may illegal and asking for explanations of the methods used. Under the AHRA there is a 2% surcharge on every CD recorder sold in the US at the wholesale level (See section 1004), that goes to the RIAA, just as there is a 2% surcharge on "Music" designated CDR media.

In addition Philips refers to these corrupted discs as "silver disks with music on them, but which do not resemble CD's" See this article

Boycott-riaa and Fat Chucks are maintaining a list of the corrupted CDs. Also, Check out the Home Recording Rights Coalition

I have been getting the same errors since this morning. My flatmates running the windoze client are all connecting fine with no updates.

There is now a follow up story @ dotcomscoop quoting a statement from the company that has bought KaZaa, so it would seem to be true.

6 Payment and fees

6.1 Certain features of the KaZaA Media Desktop may require payment in the future including a prepaid fee ("Prepaid Fee").

The Prepaid Fee, and all taxes and other fees related thereto will be paid by you in advance.

Guess someone in the RIAA managed to make a new acquisition, as per the leaked memo.

Okay, new game. Who wants to make acronyms for KAZAA that indicate how f*cked they are?

Like the Queen? Will like this one. 8-)

Now is when the open source community should be working hard - to be ready to quickly launch an "open kazaa" type system, with the supernodes p2p searching and indexing, etc. The old protocol has already been reverse engineered. Its a proven protocol, and it works well enough. Just use that protocol and the old giFT client as a starting point.

All that is needed is a "keyless" client and a solid "Windows" version of the client. Why Windows platforms first? To paraphase the alleged Willie Sutton quote, "because thats where the files are". Remember, its the mass of users and files that make this work, so a technically solid and professional looking Windows client must come first, for maximum user gain. This is in additon to the usual and inevitable multiple Linux versions. The replacement client must be made to install and use the files and directories that already exist on the windows users' computers, and to use a similar user interface - so it is instant changeover, apparently seamless and painless - and it will look as if they never "left" the old p2p service except for the centralized login.

Finally, the forgotten element in the Open Source community, "publicity", must be revved up to get this client into the hands of a lot of people so it can be switched to as soon as Kazaaa/Morpheus et al are shut down. Linux users will take care of themselves, but the Windows herd usually needs to be led, at least initially. A question for the Slahsdot crowd,

How do you "publicize" things to the non-geek Windows crowd without a budget ?

Ok, nows the time to step up to the plate - this is a golden opportunity to put into place a open p2p net that cannot be stopped at a central source, that can permanently rip control out of the hands of central authorities for file-sharing, that will quickly adapt to overcome countermeasures, and a system that will make moot the DMCA and other US-centric bad laws. The question in front of the community now is:

Can Open Source people do things pre-emptively - plan and act in advance to scatch an itch we know is coming, instead of waiting for the itch to appear?

This is certainly a good test case to see if the Open Source community is what we enthusiasts always claim that it can be.

I don't think they really intended to continue with that offer. It was more of a "Don't anyone buy them, we want them to die" tactic.

The aftermath of this announcement can be viewed here.

*sigh*

//reflex

1) The $320 million Comcast and Cox (NOT AT&T) are paying @Home will be the last revenue @Home will ever see. Both Comcast and Cox are planning to have their users migrated to their own networks well in advance of the expiration of the 90-day contract term.

2) By flipping the bird to AT&T, @Home lost whatever bargaining leverage it had with them. AT&T said they could have their network up and running in short order, and they appear well on track to do so. I'm one of the disconnected AT&T@Home users, and here in San Mateo CA, we were down for a total of 48 hours. I was back up this morning with full connectivity. (And to all you people whinging about the AWFUL 1.5Mbps download cap, please inform me where you can get T-1 speed for under $50/month and I'll gladly sign up. Didn't think so.)

3) Item 2 above led directly to today's all-hands at @Home where CEO Patti Hart announced that @Home is history after the Comcast and Cox contracts finish on March 1, 2002. AT&T has pulled their bid for the company, and barring a rescue at the 11th hour, @Home will convert their Chapter 11 filing to Chapter 7 in March.

Add them all up, and that's one dead company. Maybe AT&T did put them in this position, but speaking for the subscribers, we really don't care whose fault it was.

The best descriptive analysis I've read so far of the whole mess can be found here

In another news article yesterday (for which I lost the URL) I understand the FCC, which has jurisdiction, is moving quickly to extend their regulation of RF-Coax cable networks to bring cable service providers into congruity with DSL providers as far as their responsibilities to customers are concerned.

I hope so. Just spent a miserable weekend babysitting the glowlight on my cablemodem waiting to see if my Comcast connection would drop.

Even looking back over business history to before the era of the robber barons, I can't think of a single example of a corporation treating it's customers to such a squalid clownact.

Congressional oversight of the cable industry, and the FCC itself is provided by the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and The Internet Those of you who agree might consider writing to these guys and letting them know that holding 4.1 million customers hostage is something that should never be allowed to ever happen again. I'm expecting a serious investigation in due course, as there should be.

On a more positive note, my connection here remained constant through the whole episode, and services are normal. I suppose to be fair I should also congratulate the negotiators from Comcast and the other cablecos and Excite for reaching an agreement rapidly under brutally difficult conditions.

Vicarious liability arises when the defendant "has the right and ability to supervise the infringing activity and also has a direct financial interest in such activities." Napster, 239 F.3d at 1022.

Also, there's still the good competitive analysis of kazaa, etc. from the RIAA (where we also find the codification of liability):

http://www.dotcomscoop.com/riaamemo.html

Here's further coverage of the situation, from the same site. I really hate the fact that we @Home users are being used as pawns in negotiations in bankruptcy court. It ain't fair. I finally get my broadband back after over a year's drought, when I basically had to get rid of the DSL connection due to lack of funds, and this happens.

Maybe this might be a solution...Aerie Networks, the folks who bought Metricom for a pittance, is looking to involve local governments in basically providing their service as an utility. Last time I checked, cable TV is a utility and regulated as such. Maybe local governments with constituents directly affected by the @Home financial debacle should step up to the plate here.

I get greater-than-T1 speed from this connection. It's fun. It's a pleasure to not be sucking the Internet through a 45.5Kbps straw. I pray that this pleasure will not be short-lived.

Here's further coverage of the situation, from the same site. I really hate the fact that we @Home users are being used as pawns in negotiations in bankruptcy court. It ain't fair. I finally get my broadband back after over a year's drought, when I basically had to get rid of the DSL connection due to lack of funds, and this happens.

Maybe this might be a solution...Aerie Networks, the folks who bought Metricom for a pittance, is looking to involve local governments in basically providing their service as an utility. Last time I checked, cable TV is a utility and regulated as such. Maybe local governments with constituents directly affected by the @Home financial debacle should step up to the plate here.

I get greater-than-T1 speed from this connection. It's fun. It's a pleasure to not be sucking the Internet through a 45.5Kbps straw. I pray that this pleasure will not be short-lived.

I found this link on Fark discussing Slashdot's plan's to go subscription. Haw! Haw! Haw! Once again the Open Source model fails!!! Haw! Haw! Haw!

Check out the version of the letter on DotcomScoop.com, it has the distribution list of who Rosen sent that email to. The FC one doesn't have it. Also, the DCS one was up early last night, I submitted it around 12:30.
Anyway, Jerry Yang and Rob Glaser are on the distribution list. Spam them!

This is a good recap of the events of the last ten months at Excite@Home. Talk about a company that's been in turmoil.

I see you kind people know he is should free. Bad law and he make everyone know about. I hope that make him free and make thing better for America. I read that he is hero here, is true, no. 'If this happens, then with any luck the plight of this poor Russian will come to an end and his sacrifice will have served as a catalyst to awaken a broader spectrum of America to the injustice of this law. If in doing so it leads to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act being suitably revised, he will become the latest, if somewhat unwilling and accidental, champion of the First Amendment and a somewhat unusual protector of the U.S Constitution. ' Make free, please. Love Iva

Probably because everyone's at the party mentioned in the dotcomscoop article.
Commisserating with your soon-to-be-ex-coworkers is more important then releasing bad-news on a Friday afternoon.

It's great seeing dotcomscoop.com (which is a faction of Stile Project ) being sponsered by Save the Children!!!!

It makes my heart just a little warmer.

This was reported a few days ago on dotcom scoop Over the last eight months, more companies have gone out of business faster than anyone anticipated. Why? Because banner ads don't work. Now the big media companies are starting to realize this and are coming up with evil solutions to fix the sagging click-through rates. Recently, Real Media has begun streaming audio in with their banner ads, so when you load up a page, the banner will start spewing out reasons for you to click it. Sounds awful, huh? But it works. With a network average of %0.45 click-through rate (that's .45 clicks per 1000 banners displayed) advertisers are running for the hills. The audio ads are getting over a %5.00 CTR. So, look for even more annoying and intrusive ads coming your way soon.