Slashdot Mirror

Yes! For example, it's not unusual for me to highlight a word on a page and then copy-and-paste it into Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary. You've already mentioned Google (another one that I use a lot). I could also see everything2.com being a popular destination -- no longer would we have to rely on Slashdot editors placing those E2 "[?]" links on stories.

Also nice would be the ability to turn on an auto-URL parser for those cases where people fail to provide anchors on their URLs (for example, certain Slashdot posters are guilty of this, and FAQs that were published on the web as straight .txt files generally have the same problem).

Question:
&n bsp; you cite edison, tesla and einstein as people who were "laughed and scorned at," presumably as parallel
&n bsp; figures to yourself, but we can't help noticing that you're sort of missing something. edison, tesla and einstein
&n bsp; were great scientists who, through a thorough and accurate understanding of the best scientific learning of
&n bsp; their day, applied existing principles in groundbreaking and unexpected ways to advance contemporary
&n bsp; physics. you, however, are applying your ignorance and lack of understanding of high-school level science -
&n bsp; skimming through textbooks, parrot-learning words like "unique frequency," "magnetic flux" and "negative
&n bsp; charge" - and producing your own bastardized version of contemporary science via the tried and tested
&n bsp; method of 'just making shit up.' ..................(it's a really long question)

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I know my theories and findings are hard for you to accept Attacking the Person because they are so original and extraordinary. But one day in the future, you will see that I am right. Proof by Assertion You will be foreced to accept my invention as Millions of people around Appeal to Popularity you tell you that I am right.

Question:
&n bsp; I think that a lot of the people who visit your page think that you are a bit of a loony and a lot of a profiteer.
&n bsp; While I like the fact that you offer 'free' rings in exchange for a donation to certain charities, I can't help but
&n bsp; feel that you are probably not using the best of peer-reviewed science to back up your ideas.

&n bsp; Despite this, I bet you feel that what you're doing is pretty important.

&n bsp; Tell us then, Why do you think no medical experts come forth to do studies on your devices or reccomend
&n bsp; their use?

&n bsp; For some this will be a vindication of your ideas. For others it will be a glimpse into one of the minds that
&n bsp; makes the web as truly a strange and wonderful place that it is.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; Oh there are lots of doctors and medical professionals Anonymous Authority out there who buy my devices Non-Support at whole sale price. We have
&n bsp; lots of doctors and medical researchers who are loyal customers. They are blended in with the rest of the customers.
&n bsp; Immortality Device has been tested and researched by medical researchers all over the world from time to time.
&n bsp; They email me and told me what they found. I post their results sometimes on my site.

Question:
&n bsp; magnets have been around in this manner for many years - new age style people, etc. have been encouraging
&n bsp; the use of magnets on the feet and hands for as long as I can remember. why is your way better, why didn't
&n bsp; theirs work, and what proof and facts do you have? your website was not very forthcoming on that last
&n bsp; issue, though you claimed to have both.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I didn't say my invention is better, nor did I say other stuff does not work. As the inventor of the Immortality Device,
&n bsp; I basically just tell people what I honestly think Prejudicial Language . I think my device makes you immortal. And I am being honest. My
&n bsp; proof is lots of people used the device and gave testimonials. Appeal to Popularity If you don't accept testimonials as proofs, you won't
&n bsp; accept any proof as proof.

At this Point I would add more but something more important came up Attacking the Person , I got invited to the new supper Walmart. I think I made my point. Circular Definition

Question:
&n bsp; you cite edison, tesla and einstein as people who were "laughed and scorned at," presumably as parallel
&n bsp; figures to yourself, but we can't help noticing that you're sort of missing something. edison, tesla and einstein
&n bsp; were great scientists who, through a thorough and accurate understanding of the best scientific learning of
&n bsp; their day, applied existing principles in groundbreaking and unexpected ways to advance contemporary
&n bsp; physics. you, however, are applying your ignorance and lack of understanding of high-school level science -
&n bsp; skimming through textbooks, parrot-learning words like "unique frequency," "magnetic flux" and "negative
&n bsp; charge" - and producing your own bastardized version of contemporary science via the tried and tested
&n bsp; method of 'just making shit up.' ..................(it's a really long question)

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I know my theories and findings are hard for you to accept Attacking the Person because they are so original and extraordinary. But one day in the future, you will see that I am right. Proof by Assertion You will be foreced to accept my invention as Millions of people around Appeal to Popularity you tell you that I am right.

Question:
&n bsp; I think that a lot of the people who visit your page think that you are a bit of a loony and a lot of a profiteer.
&n bsp; While I like the fact that you offer 'free' rings in exchange for a donation to certain charities, I can't help but
&n bsp; feel that you are probably not using the best of peer-reviewed science to back up your ideas.

&n bsp; Despite this, I bet you feel that what you're doing is pretty important.

&n bsp; Tell us then, Why do you think no medical experts come forth to do studies on your devices or reccomend
&n bsp; their use?

&n bsp; For some this will be a vindication of your ideas. For others it will be a glimpse into one of the minds that
&n bsp; makes the web as truly a strange and wonderful place that it is.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; Oh there are lots of doctors and medical professionals Anonymous Authority out there who buy my devices Non-Support at whole sale price. We have
&n bsp; lots of doctors and medical researchers who are loyal customers. They are blended in with the rest of the customers.
&n bsp; Immortality Device has been tested and researched by medical researchers all over the world from time to time.
&n bsp; They email me and told me what they found. I post their results sometimes on my site.

Question:
&n bsp; magnets have been around in this manner for many years - new age style people, etc. have been encouraging
&n bsp; the use of magnets on the feet and hands for as long as I can remember. why is your way better, why didn't
&n bsp; theirs work, and what proof and facts do you have? your website was not very forthcoming on that last
&n bsp; issue, though you claimed to have both.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I didn't say my invention is better, nor did I say other stuff does not work. As the inventor of the Immortality Device,
&n bsp; I basically just tell people what I honestly think Prejudicial Language . I think my device makes you immortal. And I am being honest. My
&n bsp; proof is lots of people used the device and gave testimonials. Appeal to Popularity If you don't accept testimonials as proofs, you won't
&n bsp; accept any proof as proof.

At this Point I would add more but something more important came up Attacking the Person , I got invited to the new supper Walmart. I think I made my point. Circular Definition

Question:
&n bsp; you cite edison, tesla and einstein as people who were "laughed and scorned at," presumably as parallel
&n bsp; figures to yourself, but we can't help noticing that you're sort of missing something. edison, tesla and einstein
&n bsp; were great scientists who, through a thorough and accurate understanding of the best scientific learning of
&n bsp; their day, applied existing principles in groundbreaking and unexpected ways to advance contemporary
&n bsp; physics. you, however, are applying your ignorance and lack of understanding of high-school level science -
&n bsp; skimming through textbooks, parrot-learning words like "unique frequency," "magnetic flux" and "negative
&n bsp; charge" - and producing your own bastardized version of contemporary science via the tried and tested
&n bsp; method of 'just making shit up.' ..................(it's a really long question)

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I know my theories and findings are hard for you to accept Attacking the Person because they are so original and extraordinary. But one day in the future, you will see that I am right. Proof by Assertion You will be foreced to accept my invention as Millions of people around Appeal to Popularity you tell you that I am right.

Question:
&n bsp; I think that a lot of the people who visit your page think that you are a bit of a loony and a lot of a profiteer.
&n bsp; While I like the fact that you offer 'free' rings in exchange for a donation to certain charities, I can't help but
&n bsp; feel that you are probably not using the best of peer-reviewed science to back up your ideas.

&n bsp; Despite this, I bet you feel that what you're doing is pretty important.

&n bsp; Tell us then, Why do you think no medical experts come forth to do studies on your devices or reccomend
&n bsp; their use?

&n bsp; For some this will be a vindication of your ideas. For others it will be a glimpse into one of the minds that
&n bsp; makes the web as truly a strange and wonderful place that it is.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; Oh there are lots of doctors and medical professionals Anonymous Authority out there who buy my devices Non-Support at whole sale price. We have
&n bsp; lots of doctors and medical researchers who are loyal customers. They are blended in with the rest of the customers.
&n bsp; Immortality Device has been tested and researched by medical researchers all over the world from time to time.
&n bsp; They email me and told me what they found. I post their results sometimes on my site.

Question:
&n bsp; magnets have been around in this manner for many years - new age style people, etc. have been encouraging
&n bsp; the use of magnets on the feet and hands for as long as I can remember. why is your way better, why didn't
&n bsp; theirs work, and what proof and facts do you have? your website was not very forthcoming on that last
&n bsp; issue, though you claimed to have both.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I didn't say my invention is better, nor did I say other stuff does not work. As the inventor of the Immortality Device,
&n bsp; I basically just tell people what I honestly think Prejudicial Language . I think my device makes you immortal. And I am being honest. My
&n bsp; proof is lots of people used the device and gave testimonials. Appeal to Popularity If you don't accept testimonials as proofs, you won't
&n bsp; accept any proof as proof.

At this Point I would add more but something more important came up Attacking the Person , I got invited to the new supper Walmart. I think I made my point. Circular Definition

Question:
&n bsp; you cite edison, tesla and einstein as people who were "laughed and scorned at," presumably as parallel
&n bsp; figures to yourself, but we can't help noticing that you're sort of missing something. edison, tesla and einstein
&n bsp; were great scientists who, through a thorough and accurate understanding of the best scientific learning of
&n bsp; their day, applied existing principles in groundbreaking and unexpected ways to advance contemporary
&n bsp; physics. you, however, are applying your ignorance and lack of understanding of high-school level science -
&n bsp; skimming through textbooks, parrot-learning words like "unique frequency," "magnetic flux" and "negative
&n bsp; charge" - and producing your own bastardized version of contemporary science via the tried and tested
&n bsp; method of 'just making shit up.' ..................(it's a really long question)

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I know my theories and findings are hard for you to accept Attacking the Person because they are so original and extraordinary. But one day in the future, you will see that I am right. Proof by Assertion You will be foreced to accept my invention as Millions of people around Appeal to Popularity you tell you that I am right.

Question:
&n bsp; I think that a lot of the people who visit your page think that you are a bit of a loony and a lot of a profiteer.
&n bsp; While I like the fact that you offer 'free' rings in exchange for a donation to certain charities, I can't help but
&n bsp; feel that you are probably not using the best of peer-reviewed science to back up your ideas.

&n bsp; Despite this, I bet you feel that what you're doing is pretty important.

&n bsp; Tell us then, Why do you think no medical experts come forth to do studies on your devices or reccomend
&n bsp; their use?

&n bsp; For some this will be a vindication of your ideas. For others it will be a glimpse into one of the minds that
&n bsp; makes the web as truly a strange and wonderful place that it is.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; Oh there are lots of doctors and medical professionals Anonymous Authority out there who buy my devices Non-Support at whole sale price. We have
&n bsp; lots of doctors and medical researchers who are loyal customers. They are blended in with the rest of the customers.
&n bsp; Immortality Device has been tested and researched by medical researchers all over the world from time to time.
&n bsp; They email me and told me what they found. I post their results sometimes on my site.

Question:
&n bsp; magnets have been around in this manner for many years - new age style people, etc. have been encouraging
&n bsp; the use of magnets on the feet and hands for as long as I can remember. why is your way better, why didn't
&n bsp; theirs work, and what proof and facts do you have? your website was not very forthcoming on that last
&n bsp; issue, though you claimed to have both.

&n bsp; Alex:
&n bsp; I didn't say my invention is better, nor did I say other stuff does not work. As the inventor of the Immortality Device,
&n bsp; I basically just tell people what I honestly think Prejudicial Language . I think my device makes you immortal. And I am being honest. My
&n bsp; proof is lots of people used the device and gave testimonials. Appeal to Popularity If you don't accept testimonials as proofs, you won't
&n bsp; accept any proof as proof.

At this Point I would add more but something more important came up Attacking the Person , I got invited to the new supper Walmart. I think I made my point. Circular Definition

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

Argument from Ignorance

Appeal to Popularity

Style Over Substance

Coincidental Correlation

Fallacy of Exclusion

Joint Effect

Failure to Elucidate

There are more so let me just link to the index

I think that collaborative filtering is a much better solution than a recommendation system, although only time will tell. The advantage of a collaborative filtering system is that it can be passive, not requiring any explicit input from users. The software can just examine your playlist, and (anonymously) upload the information to a server. (perhaps a username and password so you can identify the same user repeatedly, but no way to tie the username back to anything else)

If you want to get fancy, you could even hook a Gnutella client up to it, and have a virtual custom radio that downloads and plays music that it thinks you'll like. (except, of course, that would be illegal ;-))

I think the FreeAmp project is a great one; it's a cross-platform, GPLed, music player that even supports Ogg Vorbis.

It just needs a little love.

To make a smooth, free collaborative filtering system, we really need a free software implementation of music fingerprinting software, along with an open, non-profit database of songs. MusicBrainz is headed in that direction, but, they to, are tethered to Relatable's technology.

Does anyone want to step forward to work on music fingerprinting software, who is interested in using it for the good of consumers, without catering to the recording industry?

How about a collaborative filtering database for music? If you were willing to settle for per-CD resolution, it'd be pretty straightforward to add this technology to FreeCDDB.

-- Agthorr

Few swpat applications contain a working implementation, most do not even give enough information for a skilled programmer to implement what is described.

That may be true for some software patents, but (for example) the United States patent on Nintendo's Dr. Mario game gives a full description of every variable and subroutine. Of course, I stumbled upon this patent after I had worked it out in my head after about two days of non-stop Dr. M play and after I released my clones of Tetris and Puyo Puyo.

The first claim of the patent also seems to cover Tetris 2, Blastris B, and some popular variations on Columns and Klax. Prior art? Not only that, the recent Dr. Mario 64 doesn't mention a patent number on the box, in the manual, or in the credits. (Dr. Mario 64 sucks anyway.)

NINTENDO: THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO SUE ME UNDER U.S. PATENT 5,265,888. HERE'S THE EVIDENCE!

Oddly enough, this is not original see ther E2 node for : /dev/bong

but the margin is too small to contain it...

You have all the margin you want at Everything, the Internet's most popular collaboratively filtered database and writing community. (See also what I've written.)

but the margin is too small to contain it...

You have all the margin you want at Everything, the Internet's most popular collaboratively filtered database and writing community. (See also what I've written.)

What fascist country? Do you know what the word means? The only arguable fascist involved in the situation was Fulgencio Battista.

How many songs do you know with the same titles in them?

Lots. When looking for an artist-title pair, I use Google with a few lyrics. For instance, I heard a song that went "Isn't it time ... falling in love could be your mistake" and a quick Google search turned up "Isn't It Time" by The Babys.

But there has to be a better way to get copies of singles without the "$17 for one good song and get 11 filler songs ABSOLUTELY FREE!" bullshit the RIAA labels pull.

Say your an American in Europe or vice versa and have little access to the songs you favored in your home town. Why shouldn't you be able to find it on mp3 for your own enjoyment?

Because RIAA labels such as AOL have partnered (i.e. stock-swapped) with overseas air shipping companies such as FedEx. "If you want the music, pay for Sony Shipping! Only $40 for 7-day shipping of the entire works of $IMPORT_ARTIST!"

Also, their English grammar is tragicomically bad


"Yeah, them friggin Frogs yad think thay could rwite propah English, like um, dunno, like in Slashdot posts ?" :o)

English has become a tool for international communication. As long as what you write can be understood by the majority of your users (and this is the case for Mandrake's texts), proper grammar/spelling is irrelevant. Blaming software developers for their poor mastering of The One True Language of Civilization and Progress is like blaming Arthur C. Clarke for the historical inaccuracies in "2001".

Thomas Miconi

Never forget, representatives DO represent the will of the people. If they fail to, they get replaced by those next in line who claim to. It's the beauty of the american democracy

If that were true, we wouldn't have a DMCA or a Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The United States of America is not a democracy but a plutocracy, which Webster defines as "government by the rich." Our representatives have learned that campaign money is more powerful than integrity in getting a fellow elected; a Congresscritter generally represents her constituents up until the day after inauguration, after which she represents special intere$t groups such as RIAA and MPAA.

But in a slightly more sinister sense, special interest groups do represent the will of the people. The pure capitalist would say that "if consumers don't want effectively perpetual copyright terms, they wouldn't buy from producers that funnel their money into lobbying for such laws." The public voices its approval of loss of rights by buying tickets to Disney's Pearl Harbor and Atlantis. There just isn't that much economic demand among consumers for freedom.

Never forget, representatives DO represent the will of the people. If they fail to, they get replaced by those next in line who claim to. It's the beauty of the american democracy

If that were true, we wouldn't have a DMCA or a Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The United States of America is not a democracy but a plutocracy, which Webster defines as "government by the rich." Our representatives have learned that campaign money is more powerful than integrity in getting a fellow elected; a Congresscritter generally represents her constituents up until the day after inauguration, after which she represents special intere$t groups such as RIAA and MPAA.

But in a slightly more sinister sense, special interest groups do represent the will of the people. The pure capitalist would say that "if consumers don't want effectively perpetual copyright terms, they wouldn't buy from producers that funnel their money into lobbying for such laws." The public voices its approval of loss of rights by buying tickets to Disney's Pearl Harbor and Atlantis. There just isn't that much economic demand among consumers for freedom.

Sometimes the only way to get rid of bad law is to FLOUT it

Sometimes you can flout it a little at a time to take advantage of the "slippery slope" phenomenon, by pushing the limits of fair use and creating works that are barely legal (but not in the kid porn sense).

Remember YOU CANNOT DISPUTE A LAW UNTIL YOU ARE CHARGERD WITH VIOLATING IT. One cannot simply say, "I think the DMCA sucks. I'm going to sue the Fed to repeal it." No court will even listen to you.

Except that's exactly what the Eldred v. Reno case is about, suing Attorney General John Ashcroft (no relation to Richard Ashcroft of what was once the Verve, who the Perpetual Copyright Act that Congress passed during Zippergate to escape media attention. Think of it as a double "Wag the Dog": Kosovo was a cover for Lewinsky, which in turn was a cover for the Sonny Bono Act and the DMCA.

I believe that all generally useful information should be free. By `free' I am not referring to price, but rather to the freedom to copy the information and to adapt it to one's own uses"

This has always been a difficult point of the open source community for me to fathom -- where is the line in the sand between information which is useful and should be free and that which should be kept proprietary. Is it limited to these two ideas RMS hits upon, or is their other `sacred data' that should be left unknown and inaccessible to the general populous?

Personally, I'd tend to believe that the algorithms themselves, the building blocks of devices, are what want (and should) be free, and that information / ideas / implementations of such shouldn't necessarily be free. I.e. If I encrypt my password in an MD5 hash[?], information about the algorithm to my password should be freely available, but the actual contents should not. I don't know how well this analogy holds to all things in real life, but I'm interested in others' perspectives.

"aspirin" used to be a registered trademark?

According to this Flash map, ASPIRIN® is still a trademark in many jurisdictions; Bayer had to give it up in the U.S. after WWI.

trademarks slopping over into public domain even before the 75-year trademark expiration date.

Bullshit. Trademark registrations can be renewed every 10 years. This renewal is legitimate, unlike the 20-year across-the-board renewals that Disney keeps buying for copyrights that severely erode the public's end of the bargain under which the Constitution authorizes certain government-granted monopolies.

And yes, I do like the taste of SPAM luncheon meat and SPAMBURGER sandwiches.

Situationist
Adbusters
CorpWatch
AllYourBrand

etc.:
Independent Media Center
Metropolitic.net
You May Be An Anarchist And Not Even Know It (I too thought the "anarchy movement" was a load of crap from bored aggressive adolescents (they really spoil it for everybody don't they?) until reading this and realizing there really is a legitimate coherent philosophy behind it)
Mother Jones
In These Times
Poliglut
Protest.net (yes, sometimes there are actually legitimate reasons to protest)
PigDog journal
Unabomer Manifesto (he may have been labeled a wacko, but read it - he's not stupid and he does sorta have a point.)

However, the first time I heard of spam == junk mail, I asked around and was told "Sometimes Pornographic Advertising Messages" which made sense to me at the time and makes sense now. If anyone can find a "published" location that describes spam as such, please post below.

Boycott isn't something that 10-year-old kids are going to be playing in an airport terminal.

But it is something with which 16-year-old kids are going to be developing Free Software demos and games, to sell to such 10-year-old kids (as is their right under copyright). For example, I use the LoopyNES emulator to help me develop my GNU GPL licensed NES software. Nintendo doesn't like this, as it cuts into their console software licensing revenue stream. Games are the blades for the GBA hardware razor, which nintendo sells at a slight loss so it can make up the difference in software.

But in this case, the emulator probably isn't even much of a bigger deal than the original NES emulators.

While we're temporarily on the topic of NES emulation, I'd like to warn that you should delete your copy of Bloodlust NESticle right now because its emulation accuracy is so shoddy. Use LoopyNES instead.

I think 3 and 4 would be ethical after a certain length of time, perhaps sixteen years? ten? five?, whatever copyright for entertainment software should be.

<sarcasm>
It should be ninety-five years. If any period shorter than ninety-five years were the optimum copyright term, consumers would have already voted with their dollars.
</sarcasm>

Progeny isn't in the list. Progeny is a commercial distribution by Ian Murdock, based on the Debian distribution. It has a graphical installer that's even simpler than those of the distributions in the beginner level, and a rapidly evolving set of support options. All of this while maintaining Debian's trump card of apt.

In my day job I develop embedded firmware. There are a few pieces of GPL'd code I'd like to include in my product. But, since the whole firmware image is linked as one monolithic executable, I can't without having to give away the source to the entire ball of wax! ... I wouldn't mind providing the source to the GPL'd modules. I wouldn't even mind providing any modifications I made to those modules to get them to compile on my platform. But that's not good enough for the GPL.

I looked into this issue when thinking about how to license my GPL'd NES games for use in a "pirate" multicart image. You can probably cover parts of your embedded image as mere aggregation under the GNU GPL if you create an abstraction of "an executable" that can be extracted from the monolithic ROM image and be replaced independently. NES has such a concept; it's called a "program bank" that can be bankswitched into the address space.

They're releasing the code for the dll, but not the program that links to it.

But as the GPL'd library is not necessary for the operation for the main program, the main program could be considered an "operating system" for the library, which would become an "application." Running copylefted applications on a proprietary operating system is common; just look at GNU Emacs for Solaris and Windows and some popular plugins for Winamp. Read More about the operating system loophole in the GPL.

I've created my own KB already: http://www.mixdown.org/kb. This was done quite a while ago in PHP as a learning lesson and I've been itching for quite some time to finish it up. Three kids, a full time job and a couple of contract jobs make time scarce though. :-)

What the vision is:

• Full text entry (including accepting HTML and code)
• Adding graphics to the entries
• auto-keywording (basically eliminate all common words and phrases, the rest is keywords)
• manual keywording
• auto-rating (searches turn up entries, if the user clicks on the entry the link between the keywords used in the search and the entry retrieved is nudged up so that entry will rate higher next time)
• admin and peer rating - the traditional "was this useful to you?" type of rating
• supersceeding of entries - you can't eliminate an entry. If you want to make a change you can change it but the original entry is kept and marked as "supersceeded". Searches turn up the new entry but link to the old one as well. That way you build up not only knowledge but also "how not to do it" knowledge which is very important.
• Entry linking - Kind of like E2 but with a datastore a little more connected. :-)

I've got the text entry and bits and pieces of the keywording and rating working. I'll be redoing it in Perl and finishing it up When I Get Time<tm> -- the current source is available to anyone if they want. As you can see if you go and look, I use it as a place to store things I have learned the hard way or found interesting and know I won't be able to find again.

This isn't directly related to business KBs but I figure this type of system would work most excellently in a customer-service and engineering environment.

Microsoft has a case of sour grapes and is trying to malign the whole profession of programmers, knowing that, even doing so, they can buy the average ones for a dime a dozen: give 'em money, and they'll program for ya.

If this is indeed what Microsoft is doing, it's extremely ironic. As Robert X. Cringely pointed out in his brilliant book, Accidental Empires , once upon a time, Microsoft understood the truism that one excellent programmer can outperform a dozen average ones. This was something IBM never understood during those heady days when MS and IBM actually collaborated on OS/2.

During that time, IBM insisted on measuring programmer productivity in terms of "K-LOCs". MS programmers seethed because they could re-write a huge, bloated morass of crap in a few dozen lines of code and IBM would view the result as a negative.

Back in those days, MS prided itself on its college recruiting, always seizing the best and brightest graduates, indoctrinating them into the MS cult of personality and putting them to work. Make no bones about it. MS got some hot programmers back in those days. Dave Cutler and Charles Simonyi come immediately to mind, and they didn't even swipe those guys out of colleges.

Even when they bought companies, it was hardly ever for the sake of buying code or products. It was almost always about buying the people at those companies. If MS truly believes that code and programmers have little value, then it is truly an enormous shift in their belief system.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that even the evil empire in Redmond has come to devalue programmers and their work so much. If anything, I think they're hiding their true feelings because they're scared of open source and the GPL and the power they have to destroy Microsoft's OS cash cow and its inherent monopoly leverage.

Man, you've been spending too much time on E2.

Do you work for hormel?

I am not employed by Hormel Foods. I just don't want Slashdot to get sued when Hormel has to defend its trademark. (Trademarks are the only GGMs that absolutely must be enforced.)

Because every time this topic comes up you post that exact same message.

1. Because it's interesting and informative, and Slashdot rewards interesting and informative comments.
2. Because, as I mentioned above, I don't want Slashdot to get sued and have another incident like the CoS incident.

You can find any number of theories about this here and here

I'm sure I recall reading that Adams himself spoke about theory #11 - that he added up the spots on a pair of dice, because "the universe is a crap shoot" (paraphrasing). Of course, he had been drinking at the time...

He'll be back... after all, time is an illusion, and lunch-time doubly so.

For me, the compelling app is the digital TV set top box (Hopefully, fully HDTV capable). Combine that with Tivo-like functionality

HDTV is encrypted in such a way that GGM owners can restrict recording of a program, and with that capability, who (other than PBS) won't?

Some interesting stuff.

Some interesting stuff.

just as much as I can copy under fair use?

It depends on how much money you have to give to the judge. Fair use under United States copyright law is defined vaguely by 17 USC 107 but severely limited in practice by 17 USC 1201. However, only nine people know what fair use really is.