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For those interested, here is another article just popped up in the Seattle Times on the very same thing. I think the claims on "reaction" to spyware are a little more gentle (e.g., being more vigilant... what the heck is that?, and what added benefit does it really bring?). Regardless, enjoy... it's a good enough read to take a look.

Sorry, pal, I hate to be the one to break it to you but MSNBC made the first profit this year.

And not only that.

"MSNBC.com's profitability mark was reached a year ahead of a schedule set two years ago, Tillinghast said."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/181825_msnb c13.html

and you wouldn't find stories like this one

That decision seems to have been reversed.

Unless you're defining 'free' in a very particular manner, you're joking, right?

Be real for a moment. We believe in _our_ economic freedom, and the freedom to promote _our_ message.

If we believed in true free speech, there wouldn't be talk of an anti-flag-burning amendment, anti-Bush protesters would be allowed closer than 2 miles to his speech sites, and you wouldn't find stories like this one.

It's all very good and well to love your country. This is the best one there is. However, it's good and practical to be realistic about your own government- it is, after all, run by politicians and people who seek positions of power. They are not to be trusted any more than those in the U.N. The U.S. government only works as well as it does because of mandated transparency and checks and balances- all of which have been seriously eroded over the past 12 years, and are about to get worse... ignoring the scandals and lies coming out of your own leadership isn't healthy. Pointing a finger at money some other country's leadership might have made off the Iraq oil-for-food program looks pretty stupid if you're ignoring Haliburton's role in Iraq currently and it's connections to the current administration. Think about how it looks, even if you yourself find no impropriety.

I mean, really, you're trolling, right? You want us to think the U.S. has no influence over the U.N. ? That there are no human rights abuses by the U.S., anywhere ? That our politicians aren't cronies buying and selling influence ? What else do you want us to believe ?

I will take you at your word that you are a decent guy and that your query was genuine. Can I dislike Microsoft while still liking individuals who work there or who work with their products? Sure. Just as I can criticize the actions of the government while being good friends with my neighbor Joe Civic Servant down the street. We are all familiar with how groups of decent individuals can come together in an organization that then causes them to act in ways that perpetuate the organization, even if those ways wind up being bad.

Has Microsoft changed? I don't see much of a change. Their attack on Linux hasn't gained much traction, so in recent months and years they have occasionally tried the carrot instead of the stick and said nice things about Open Source and Free Software. But since the GPL is antithetical to their business model, it seems to be just words. Their actions continue to show that they have not changed.

I spent 15 minutes with Google to come up with some recent relevant examples that show their current attitude. Is every story below accurate? Maybe not. But when there's that much smoke...

Ballmer: Linux violates patents; use it and you will be sued by somebody

MS Office XML Format licence is incompatible with the GPL

HP Memo: "Microsoft will soon be launching a patent-based legal offensive against Linux"

Microsoft using the WTO as a proxy to fight free software

Microsoft's antitrust offering 'blocks Samba'

Microsoft's New Monopoly

Microsoft remains unrepentant, says antitrust judge

Rivals Say Microsoft Flouts Antitrust Settlement

What a perfect response for the spelling bee protesters.

Information on Preston Gates scancal

Here's a pretty good article on this. That Seattle Times article on the situation in Norway (and I'm assuming it's at least somewhat applicable to other Scandinavian countries) traces the lowered work ethic to the riches gained during their oil boom. I don't know if it's true or not...but it at least seems somewhat plausible.

> "Preying"? You make it sound like the recruiters are kidnapping these kids and pressing them into service.

Uh... I don't know if you haven't been paying attention, but at least two recruiters in Seattle have been doing exactly that.

Yes, according to this article.

Over the course of a year, a typical journalist or reporter will write a total of hundreds of thousands of words.

That is far more than a novel by a long shot.

Over the course of a year, a typical journalist or reporter will write a total of hundreds of thousands of words.

That is far more than a novel by a long shot.

A cheapo paperback novel is not comparable to a newspaper. Your nonsense about "equivalent jobs" does not hold true.

Your typical, cheapo paperback will have been written by ONE author, at and most two editors.

A typical daily newspaper, on the other hand, will have portions written by literally hundreds of reporters/journalists, with several editors and fact-checkers being involved as well.

The costs add up significantly. Novels just don't incur the same expenses.

Indeed, look at the price of any book with actual photos and content. Like a textbook, or computer-related books. They'll run you upwards of $30, if not well more than $70 for better quality books.

A cheapo paperback novel is not comparable to a newspaper. Your nonsense about "equivalent jobs" does not hold true.

Your typical, cheapo paperback will have been written by ONE author, at and most two editors.

A typical daily newspaper, on the other hand, will have portions written by literally hundreds of reporters/journalists, with several editors and fact-checkers being involved as well.

The costs add up significantly. Novels just don't incur the same expenses.

Indeed, look at the price of any book with actual photos and content. Like a textbook, or computer-related books. They'll run you upwards of $30, if not well more than $70 for better quality books.

From now on I'm buying all my books from local bookstores. I'll just use amazon.com to help filter through titles, then go to a local shop, sit down and go over the books enjoying the coffee and wifi until I decide on my purchases.

Why would you ever do otherwise? Amazon's prices aren't so much better than brick and mortar stores (and being in WA state, I have to pay sales tax at Amazon like I would in a local store), and you don't have to pay shipping and handling if you buy locally. Maybe you don't live in an area with a convenient Barnes and Noble or Borders, but you'd have to be way out in the middle of nowhere if there's not one within half an hour's drive. I'd much rather go out to a store, buy a book, and have it in my hands now than buy a book and wait a week for it to ship. I guess there are some special order books that you may not find locally, but why not just ask your local store clerk to see if they can order for you?

That's one thing I hate, corps rewarding their employees and making it seem like they're doing it for the consumer. Why don't they post pictures of the company picnic too.

I agree. I don't care if they reward their employees (in fact, they should else they wouldn't have any employees). Don't pawn it off as a "reward" for customers. We're not as stupid as they think we are.

And besides, Bob Dylan and Norah Jones? If I were an Amazon employee, I'd be scalping my tickets (which is now legal in Seattle!) rather than wasting 2 hours of my life on that crap.

You make the mistake of thinking Wal*Mart gives two shits about social responsibility. Actually, you'd probably have better luck petitioning Costco.

Commence political flamewar.

Is it worth it for some pimply-faced virus kiddie to buy a Mac just to prove a point?

No but wouldn't it be a better world if they did.

It's almost certain that they want to quit. M$ locked up employees' stock options for 2004 to encourage "retention". Now that 2005 is half over, maybe more M$ staff have cashed out and moved on. It would be on record. It could be that the increase level of noise from Redmond is to distract from a major internal crisis.

Confirmed-- looks like this story isn't entirely based on fact (i.e. not true at all).

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstech nology/2002323655_webmspiracy09.html

Let's not get too excited before we check the facts, people... :)

A little more research on google news shows that MS is denying this report.

From the Seattle Times (emphasis mine): [Judge] Bridges said there was no evidence to suggest fraud, intentional misconduct or any attempt to manipulate the election. He said election officials "attempted to perform their responsibilities in a fair and impartial manner."

While he had stern words about how King County ran the election, Bridges said that even there, Republicans failed to show any intentional wrongdoing.

"While there is evidence of irregularities, as there appears to be in every election based on the testimony of various county election officials, there is no ... clear and convincing evidence that improper conduct or irregularity procured Ms. Gregoire's election," the judge said. Now please stop spreading your lies.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/227238_appl e06.html

This one almost sounds like a press release confirming the rumor.

And yes, most empires come to an end. So will Microsoft. But if it goes with a bang or a whimper, I cannot say. There are about 40 billion reasons in favour of the long, drawn-out whimper theory, though. Then again the Cascadias might intervene.

Clear sound doesn't sell cell phones. Features do. That and geek-chic appeal.

These recent comics pretty much sum it up:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/zits.asp?date=20 050531
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/zits.asp?date=20 050601

It's not that sound quality isn't important -- it's just that most people don't even *think* of it when they're comparing phones!

Does it look cool? Check. Bluetooth? Check. Games? Check. Web access? Check. SMS? Check.

I'll take it!

Clear sound doesn't sell cell phones. Features do. That and geek-chic appeal.

These recent comics pretty much sum it up:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/zits.asp?date=20 050531
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/zits.asp?date=20 050601

It's not that sound quality isn't important -- it's just that most people don't even *think* of it when they're comparing phones!

Does it look cool? Check. Bluetooth? Check. Games? Check. Web access? Check. SMS? Check.

I'll take it!

Sigh, no one ever bothers to read the news:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/182966_msft buyback21.html

All those years of paying for growth with new shares is coming back to bite Microsoft. Although the insiders look like they will be able to cash out and leave others holding the bag.

This fine would be major. MS has been cutting a billion or so each quarter over the past year just to meet street numbers and keep the stock from tanking.

(From The Seattle Times) "It amounts to about $3,000 per hour for one lawyer, more than $2,000 an hour each for 34 other attorneys and $1,000 an hour for administrative work."

Yes, i know that's an old article, but it would more than likely be similar. When worked out as a 8hr day (9-5), i got $65,400 - not quite $5 million a day.

I'm assuming Microsoft will "eventually" lower their prices enough that makes it pointless to actually check Linux out.

A few weeks ago I heard Microsoft is planning on doing that in Asia in part because of free OSes and in part because of piracy. Ah here's a CNet article about it in Thailand:

Microsoft offers cut-rate Windows
Published: February 9, 2004, 6:43 AM PST
By Matthew Broersma
Special to CNET News.com

Microsoft has provided a modified version of Windows XP with reduced features for use in the Thai government's low-cost PC program, and may make this software available to other governments, the company said.
...

Here's an article from Brazil, Microsoft faces challenge from Brazil
Developing nations are urged to switch to free software
By ELZIO BARRETO AND CARLOS CAMINADA BLOOMBERG NEWS

I'm not sure that it helps much.

-kaplanfx

First off, the agriculture sector in the US is less than 1% of the US economy. Any US subsidy going to the farm sector is insignificant compared to the subsidy that China provides to it's ENTIRE economy by keeping it's currency artificially low. These are orders of magnitude different and therefore not worthy of comparison with one another.

As for saying that poor nations cannot complete, that is not true. Poor nations do not have to hold to US environmental laws. Poor nations do not have to pay the US minimum wage to their workers. Poor nations do not have to pay the US cost of living that US farmers have to pay. I could go on with all the things that poor nations do not have to pay, but I'm sure you get the point.

Finally, it doesn't matter whether the subsidy makes it so that the US food supply is just "enough" or they "flood" the market when it comes to national security. (Where's your source for this flooding claim, by the way?) My definition of "enough" includes much more than what the US would consume in any given year. Your definition of "enough" makes it that much easier to hurt the US in time of war since ANY destruction of the food supply would cause starvation in the population. There is also the need for surplus in time of war in order to feed US allies. In either case, it is in the best interests of the US to produce more than just your definition of "enough".

My logic holds.

After seeing your posting I did find several links saying that in 1982 DRI successfully sued Microsoft and IBM for copyright infringement. They allege that Gary Kildall was able pop up a DRI copyright notice with a few keystrokes on an IBM PC in front of a judge. Apparently Microsoft and IBM settled, but a gag order was part of the settlement. See for example here. None of the links I found seemed definitive, but then they wouldn't if there was a gag order in place.

On the other hand Tim Patterson is suing an author for defamation for claiming that QDOS was a "rip-off" of CPM.

Can anybody point me to solid information on the DRI suit?

Have you not read the Evolution sticker shock article from last year?

Note to self: "Do not attempt irony on Slashdot anymore, it will be misinterpreted."

Actually, you'll at least want to go use lead boxers while you use your new nuke-laptop. Otherwise, geeks will NEVER reproduce.

Hmm... Poor social skills + Slashdot oriented sense of humor + Laptop heat + a nuclear battery sitting on your lap...
No wonder there's a shortage of computer science majors, we can't reprodce, we're becoming extinct!

Excuse me.....when has Microsoft ever really gotten there first? Their signature business method is to buy some small or unknown software company in a given market and then use their monopoly influence, price undercutting, and FUD to drive out or hinder competitors while they hurry to catch up with whatever software they bought. Years later, they have little competition and a product that is "good enough" (read: Marketing has convinced enough people to buy it and put up with all the bugs that remain).

They've already bought their search technology but apparently it's harder than it looks. Of course, they would have preferred to eliminate the competition outright.

The real problem here is that Microsoft can't cut their price below free and Google has at least one software generation or so head start (that, coupled with the other Microsoft bug-a-boo -- FOSS). Billy boy is never so pissed than when a company points out just how uninnovative Microsoft really is...

Their next slogan? "Microsoft -- following the leader like usual."

From Microsoft loses appeal to limit damage awards:

A jury had told Microsoft to pay Chicago-based Eolas Technologies $521 million for infringement. Yesterday an appeals court let stand its earlier decision that upheld the infringement finding and ruled that Microsoft can be forced to pay damages based on overseas sales of software. Microsoft still gets a new trial to argue its claim that the patent is invalid.

Rulings like this will lead to more outsourcing. After all, if MS had coded IE entirely in India, and shipped non-US copies from there, this wouldn't even be an issue.

... there was a similar story in this morning's Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertai nment/2002260546_startrek03.html

Perhaps you are referring to a "crisis" as something as mild as what happened in the 70s when oil suddently became 3x as more expensive overnight. Oil was still available, it was just suddently not quite as cheap as before.

Now imagine that oil became suddenly 3x as expensive as it is now within the next 12 months. Would it be fun ? Is it impossible ?

This is not the worst that could happen. To bring us back to the middle ages would only take a small nuclear war. How does nuclear war between China and the US over oil sound to you ? Impossible again ? Within 20 years time China will be consuming as much oil as the US is consuming today.

One can only assume that China will have as aggressive a policy then as the US has now. I can't imagine things will go down smoothly.

and the crux of their woes is a bunch of code that they cannot buy, written by volunteers that they cannot buy (except that asshole from IronPython), presenting their basement-dungeon captive customers with a way out completely unforseen by their corporate planners. and, on the spit-and-polish side, you have OS X available, which is mostly compatible with F/OSS.

their nasty, brutish house of cards is set to come tumbling down. microsoft is dead - fuck microsoft. can $20,000 per month to ralph reed save their souls? or funnel enough money to the corporatist government to eliminate the communist unamerican cancerous hippy competition, perhaps by invalidating the GPL or carefully crafted patent laws?

this is truly exciting. if it didn't directly threaten our computing freedom it might even be fun to watch.

Chinese, Indian, and US wages do not have to become equal before it becomes unprofitable for US companies to stop shipping work to China or India. In fact, shipping work overseas becomes unprofitable long before equality is reached. Even today, 44% of companies say outsourced projects did not save any money. 25% of the companies have brought functions back in-house after realizing they could be addressed more successfully and at lower costs. If costs go up in China or India at all, then it's likely US outsourcing would stop.

I was specifically speaking about IT in my previous arguments, but I will address your manufacturing statement now. Raw materials are not the main cost in manufacturing in any developed country. Labor is. China is not a developed country yet, but it is quickly getting there. I've already read of cases where Chinese factories are having problems getting the cheap country workers that they've historically relied upon. That means wages will start going up, independently of any currency move. When you have salaries increase in China, then the prices of those goods will increase and less Chinese goods will be sold in the US. That will become more evident once the peg is released and currency differences come into effect as well.

There is also the logistical problem of creating goods for a market halfway around the globe. With oil over $50/barrel, shipping prices for large goods, such as cars and refrigerators, can outrun savings on labor. Shipping prices for smaller goods may still be profitable, but certainly less profitable. We've already seen decreased manufacturing sent to China.

lobbying for some divine intervention, apparently.

Glad you think so, but, there's a few folks at Boeing that actually think otherwise, folks that probably know a _little_ more than you do.

Read the article

Boeing had a conference call today. There's 29 orders on the books for 747's, and, unless somebody steps up and orders a stack of them, they have already started to plan the closing of the 747 manufacturing lines.

Turns out today is the dawn of the A380 era, AND the end of the 747 era, and it's bascially been confirmed by both companies today.

I recommend that Microsoft fire Ralph Reed and replace him with one of the Iranian mullahs with which he is interchangeable. Ralph is pulling in $240,000 per year from MSFT, and while I don't know what kind of cash a mullah pulls in, no way is it six figures.

Some governments subsidise local production plants, but this is exactly the same as Boeing getting a $20billion tax break from Washington State to move its 777 production plant to that state.

Breed for taste? Oh, like those awful Flavr Savr tomatoes? Which turned out to be low yield as well?

Thank you for the best news I've heard all day.

The news item at the top of the Google search was:
Democratic state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., who hopes to challenge Republican Sen. Rick Santorum next year, increased his lead to 14 points in a poll released Wednesday.

The bill just lost by a single vote. It's hard to argue that Microsoft withdrawing its support didn't make the difference.

More here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/20 02248670_webgayrights21.html

Lots of papers have local bands. Here's two I've used:
http://mp3.washingtonpost.com/
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/bands/

If I find a group I like,I try to pick up some of their stuff at the local small music stores. That way it helps the band and the local retailers.

Of course,indy bands can always just post here on /. with their site in someone's sig. That's how I got turned on to Apocalyptica and Subthunk.

it's at NW Source.

Haven't used it much, as too many of my friends are musicians, so I mostly buy the CDs direct from them at shows or at the local Sonic Boom that gives local indie musicians a higher cut on CD sales.

Even the Cookie Monster is having to cut back on cookies.

Actually, the legislation banning videotaping
police was passed in Washington State and called
the "Privacy Act". There have been legal challenges
and the police lost one round:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/197814_copfilm ing02.html